Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
After I had closed the liftgate on my 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan, I heard a "pop". I had heard this "pop" before - I had previously owned a 1992 Plymouth Grand voyager that had the same problem and was covered under a recall. When I re-opened the liftgate, the passenger side strut shot through the space between the liftgate and the roofline. It was still secured by the lower bolt, but the top bolt had sheared, just as happened on the 1992 Plymouth model . However, due to design changes in the area of the where the strut is, there was no place for the strut to go but to scratch the paint on the vehicle. The 1992 Plymouth had a "pocket" that the upper bolt sat in and it would force the strut into the area between the roof and roof liner inside the vehicle. …
My car failed its state inspection due to excessive corrosion on the strut towers. When informed I asked the shop if they knew of this problem. They referred me to a technical service bulletin TSB 23-044-02 issued in oct of 2002 which affected my minivan which I was never informed of stating that minvans built between 1996-2000 have this problem and need to be immediately corrected. I went to a Chrysler dealer who informed me that the repair would be in excess of 1300 dollars and that since no recall had ever been issued that they wouldn't cover the repair even though they had issued the bulletin. If the repair isn't made the car will not be able to pass the pa state inspection as the inspector has deemed the car unsafe to drive in its current condition. …
I was told by several people I could report an issue here. I have a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan. Although, the vehicle has 185K miles and runs awesome, the strut tower on the drivers side as almost disintegrated., the passenger side iis still solid as a rock. Come to find out, this has been an ongoing issue for about 6 model years. My question is why has Chrysler not made and attempt to assist owners with this fix. The cause is a dumb one and has been addressed on 2003 and newer models. The cost to fix one side is about $400 for one side and nearly $650 for both sides. This is a lot of money to spend on someonelses mistake. Metal on metal will not remain solid for ever, myself as a chef knows this. When I asked around for estimates,. …
Strut tower housing on drivers side of vehicle under the hood is severely rusted. Upon taking the vehicle to a mechanic to have it repaired, I was informed that this is a common problem with this type of vehicle and has to go to a body shop for repair. I took the vehicle to a body shop who informed me that there have been 4 other customers come in with the same issue in the same place on the same model of vehicle within the last year. This causes a huge safety concern as this housing is what holds the strut in place on the vehicle. If the weakened structure fails, the pressure of the strut will cause the strut to fly off and out of the vehicle with great force. This will not only cause the suspension to fail, but the velocity of the strut itself would be a safety concern. …
Strut tower assembly corrosion (struts assembly could collapse) I am proud owner of Dodge vehicles for many years and drive a 98 Grand Caravan. When the vehicle was taken for a strut repair the mechanic refused to replace the struts as he found the corrosion and said its a safety issue.to my surprise this is a very important safety issue for many American families who own a similar model minivan. I want the safety authorities to look into this matter immediately. All the vehicles with a similar problem should be recalled immediately before someone is injured or god forbidden looses their loved one in an accident. Came to know that this has been a common issue in these minivans and surprise the inspite of knowing the issue there was never a recall ???. …
Front strut cone on passenger side is rusted, leaving a 3 x 3 inch gap besides the strut mount. Had an estimate done for repair which is approximately 1.3K including labor on one side. Car runs great at 157.7K miles, recently had to buy a new gas pump, water pump, ABS sensor, and brake caliper on drivers side. All leading up to 1.2K in repairs including labor. Chrysler/Dodge should have a recall on this issue as this can be a potential risk on the road, specially on highway commutes.
The car is on it's third transmission. We like the Caravan as a package, but quality is lacking and problematic. The most critical problem is body rust through. The drivers side shock mount tower is rusted through and Chrysler owner relations refusing to fix it. Never mind that the dealers say the problem is prevalent and Chrysler used to fix it but recently stopped paying for (perhaps due to financial and market conditions).
The strut tower caps are rusting out. This can proceed to a point of the struts collapsing into the engine compartment. This is well documented. See example similar to what is happening on my vehicle at http://www.lumuc.com/frontstruttower/. Chrysler has a repair kit for this. This structural problem is well documented.
The strut tower is defective and fails causing loss of control and possible injury this happens on all new (1995 and newer) body style minivans made by Chrysler/Dodge and driven in climate where salt is used on the roads in the winter. The strut tower requires patches welded to reinforce the corroded area.
1) defect discovered on vehicle safety inspection 2) corrosion on drivers side strut tower 3) vehicle operation is unsafe, corrosion could lead to separation of strut from strut tower causing loss of control, potential collision, vehicle damage and injury to occupants. Repair to strut tower is required.
Body complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the body & structure of the 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan, 5% of the model year's 559 complaints. The component named most often is body (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 120,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure 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.