Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan. While driving 10 MPH and making a turn, the air bag warning indicator illuminated and remained lit. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited the same symptoms as listed in NHTSA campaign number: 04V480000 (air bags). The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Vehicle was involved in a crash at approximately 70mph into the rear of another vehicle traveling at approximately 40mph in the same direction of travel. This would constitute the vehicle in question hitting at 30mph. Frontal air bags failed to deploy duing the event of a crash. Nothing has been done to correct the failure at this point.
Clockspring on my 99 Grand Caravan se has my airbag light on. My gauges went out while driving down hwy going 65mph and came right back on and my head lights flicker and its like it just comes and goes.
Dt*: the contact stated the manufacturer denied reimbursement for recall # 04V480000 regarding airbags. The recall notice was sent, then the horn failed to operate 2 days later. The vehicle was taken to a private repair shop, where the mechanic determined that the air bag, the horn, and the cruise control had all failed. The clockspring assembly was replaced, which corrected the problem. The manufacturer was contacted on several occasions. First, the contact was told the reason for denial of reimbursement was because the vehicle was not under the same ownership anymore. The second time, the given reason for denial was that the recall notice was sent out in 2004, but the recall repair work was performed in 2006. The third and final time, the reason for denial was that the contact had taken the vehicle to a private repair shop to have the recall repaired. …
We received a safety recall notice regarding a defective air bag clock spring assembly from the manufacturer. We contacted the closest service dealer to schedule an appointment. The dealer informed us because we have over 70,000 miles on our vehicle they would not perform the recall unless the airbag light is illuminated as mentioned in the recall notice. What we don't understand is why the notice says that if the vehicle has 70,000 or less miles to contact the dealer and have the clockspring replaced even if appears the clockspring is functioning properly. But if the vehicle has more than 70,000 miles to wait until the clockspring fails. Since the clockspring is a known defect. …
The serpentine belt on our 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan has slipped off several times. Visit carsurvey.org and you'll see that many other Dodge owners are experiencing the same problem regularly. Some are getting stuck in the freezing snow as a result. We've had other problems, such as a burned out computer board owed to a short in the driver's side seat. And the driver's side power window will not function. We will not buy another Chrysler vehicle. Furthermore, as a journalist, it's interesting to note that Dodge has not taken responsibility for all the glitches in the Caravan and issued additional recalls. I'd have much more respect for the company if they did. We've only had one recall, and that was for a clock spring in the steering wheel.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the power windows, windshield wipers, and cruise control would fail sporadically. The emergency brake warning light would also illuminate intermittently. The radio had also failed in addition to the air bag warning light remaining illuminated. The contact took the vehicle in for recall repairs in 2008 under NHTSA campaign id number: 04V480000 (air bags) where the clock spring was replaced. The repair corrected the failure for approximately one month before recurring. In addition, the contact stated that the drive belt was defective and was repaired several times to no avail. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000 and the current mileage was 180,000.
The steering wheel in my 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan se started making popping noises whenever I turned the wheel. I brought the vehicle into a Chrysler service center since I have an extended warrenty on it. I was told that the clockspring had gone bad and needed to be replaced. I was also told that this was not covered under warranty. It cost me $250 to get this fixed. I've heard there was an investigation on this being possibly a recall item. At the very least, something like this should be covered under warranty. I have kept the receipt of this problem and would like to be notified if I can get some feedback/reimbursement for this.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the air bag warning light flashed and suddenly remained illuminated. In addition, the cruise control failed to activate. The contact received a manufacturer's recall related to the air bags, but the part was not available. The manufacturer was contacted and could not provide an estimated date for when the contact's vehicle would receive the recall repair. The failure mileage and NHTSA campaign number were unavailable. Updated 09/10/15 updated 11/07/2017
Air bag indicator light is on, horn and cruise control do not work on my 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan. Highly likely, the problem is the clock spring. There is an existing recall for 1996 - 1998 Grand caravans with the exact same symptoms. Dodge will not fix the problem until there is a recall. They have said that it is currently under investigation for the 1999 - 2000 model year, but apparently that has been the case at the NHTSA since 2001. My last 8 digits of my VIN are xr412677.
Related recalls
Air bags
On certain minivans, the driver's air bag May become disabled due to a failure of the clockspring, which is located in the hub of the steering wheel.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly on all covered vehicles with 70,000 miles or less. For those vehicles with more than 70,000 miles, daimlerchrysler will offer an extended lifetime warranty under which it…
NHTSA investigations
Driver air bag clockspring failure
Complaints report air bag warning light illuminates, and this May be accompanied with a non-functioning horn and/or cruise control (if equipped).this is indicative of an open-circuit clockspring failure (results in non-functioning driver's air bag), similar to the failure condition that was the subject of daimlerchrysler's recall of model year 1996-1998.5 minivans (recall no.
Driver air bag clockspring failure
The driver air bag clockspring can develop an open-circuit condition resulting in nonfunctional driver-side frontal air bag, horn, cruise control (if equipped), and/or steering wheel radio control (if equipped).in its October 5, 2004 letter to NHTSA, daimlerchrysler stated that it will conduct a safety recall and replace the clockspring assembly on all my 1998.5-2000 daimlerchrysler minivans, built between March…
Airbag complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 83 complaints about the air bags of the 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan, 19% of the model year's 432 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (25 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-480 (air bags, Oct 6, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to air bags 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.