Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Consumer received NHTSA recall 00V268000 concerning fuel leakage. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for a routine check up, and the mechanic informed the consumer that the recall repairs were done properly. On ma 3, 2004 while driving, the consumer noticed that smoke was coming from the hood. Suddenly the vehicle caught on fire. Consumer extinguished the fire. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, but dealer was unable to resolve the problem. While backing out of the driveway the vehicle hesitated and was turned off. The consumer then turned on the vehicle back on again return back into the driveway when the smoke started to come out of the engine compartment. The mechanics identified that the rubber bushings on the original fuel rail. The gas leak was still present and coming from the bushings. …
Car suddenly lost power while driving on the freeway at 60mph; engine remained on. I pulled over, turned off the car, and it started back up again and drove fine for about 2 miles. 'service engine soon' light came on. When it lost power again, I slowed and then tried to reaccelerate, and it drove fine for about 5 miles, enough to get me off the freeway and to a safe location. I checked the oil and transmission levels, which were OK, and there was nothing leaking under the car. Went to an appointment, and came back to the car, which started up and drove OK for about a half mile, then it shut down completely at a traffic light. This time it wouldn't start back up again, so I pushed it onto a side street, where it started up fine and drove to the nearest gas/repair station. Now, the van won't start again. Van was proceeding straight in all situations.
Dt: dt: the consumer purchased the vehicle from an individual. The vehicle caught on fire and was deemed totaled. After the accident the consumer learned of two recalls on the vehicle, one for the fuel rail and one for the air bags. The air bag did not deploy during the accident. The manufacturer sent an investigator to inspect the vehicle. There was conflicting information on the letter sent to consumer. This happened on January 17, 2005 .
On March 3rd, of 2005, while returning home from an outing with my four children, I noticed that the power steering went out in our 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan as I was pulling into my driveway. Within moments after getting the kids out of the vehicle, the front of our minivan was fully engulfed in flames. Before the fire was extinguished by the local fire department, the entire engine compartment, along with the windshield and hood was destroyed and the vehicle is now a complete loss. Since we did not carry comprehensive insurance on this vehicle due to its age, I contacted daimler-Chrysler to make a claim for damages, which came to just around $5,300. Daimler-Chrysler sent an independent inspector to our residence to investigate the incident. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the contact smelled a strong odor of fumes. The vehicle was driven to the side of the roadway. The contact inspected the vehicle and observed a fuel leakage coming from the fuel rail assembly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a temporary repair was performed on the fuel rail. There was a prior recall repair performed on the vehicle approximately five years ago under the NHTSA campaign id number 00V268000 (fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system). The contact stated the remedy did not correct the problem and the repair part was defective. Also, the high fuel pressure line separated from the engine due to massive corrosion and the fuel pump line exhibited a crack. The repairs were performed at an independent mechanic with replacement of the fuel pump. …
In driving my 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan, I have had several episodes where it stalls with no warning. The first time it stalled was after stopping at a toll booth and in pulling out from the booth it just died. Luckily there was not a lot of traffic as my husband and three small children were in the van with me at the time. Had it been during rush hour or there was someone who was just in a hurry, this incident had the potential to be quite tragic. My van has also stalled sitting at a traffic lights and several times driving down residential streets. We can not seem to figure out what is going on. I have been told that everything looks o.k. After seeing a newscast tonight that spoke of the same stalling without warning issues in other vans I am having my fuel pump replaced. This newscast said the issue was with only 1991 - 1995 Chrysler/Dodge model vans. …
Car has faulty gas gauge and despite how much gas I put in, will toggle between having gas to empty and sits on empty, has run out of gas as a result, hard to start and now will not start. Also has many electrical quirks, turn headlights on inboard dash light goes off and vice versa. Had someone fix fan to go on when plugged into battery since cannot get into computer dashboard and internal heat fan stopped working, also indicators work sporadically (so evidently an electrical communications issue). I've read that this year has had recalls due to faulty fuel hoses/lines and when using after market fuel filters even from napa which will cause fuel lines to become faulty. My van falls within this year, but I was told my specific VIN # didn't apply. Van is 3.3 liter engine, v6.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the contact noticed a fuel smell. The contact parked the vehicle and after inspecting it, he noticed fuel leaking from the fuel rail. The vehicle was included in the recall under NHTSA campaign id number: 00V268000 (fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system) and was previously repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired a second time. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000. Updated 7/11/12 updated 07/17/12
Heavy fuel vapors in passenger compartment, and under hood. Occurred during normal driving. Has occurred in the past but then went away the next day. All occurrences were during cold weather (20-30f). Driver and passengers experienced nausea. Mechanic said that the fuel tank rollover valve is malfunctioning allowing fuel into the vapor canister. This sounds alot like the recall for 1996 models of this van.
Vheicle was just parked when consumer returned to find smoke coming from underneath the hood. Vehicle was totaled consumer was treated for smoke inhalation. Consumer didn't have any warning while driving just before parking. Dealer was not notified. Consumer states that vehicle was experiencing fuel filter and fuel pumps problems and had been replaced several times before the incident.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Fuel injection system
Vehicle description: Mini vans built with 3.3l and 3.8l engines have fuel rails with nitrole rubber o-ring seals that can degrade over time. Fuel leakage from the underhood fuel injection fuel rail could result, increasing the likelihood of a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install a seal on the vehicle fuel rails to prevent external leakage of fuel from the fuel rail crossover tube, should the existing o-rings continue to degrade. Owner notification began on January 25, 2002.
NHTSA investigations
Post-collision fuel system integrity
There is no summary currently available
Post collision fuel system
Fuel System complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan, 7% of the model year's 583 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 00V-268 (fuel injection system, Sep 13, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 108,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 5 fires and 2 injuries to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.