Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
My Dodge keeps on having electrical issues with battery light coming on and battery is new lights flicker on and off on panel while driving. Concerning possibility of charging system not working as well. But alternator is new. Car wont start sometimes like the battery is dead but battery is new bought in 2016 oct. It sometimes wont turn over and fact is the cars power doors are now beeping at me and not sure why. That just started. I got to unlock doors but now they buzz constantly. City driving mostly but scared to drive because it acts like it wants to stop completely .all this happens as I try and drive my car. One time this last week car didn't start, had to jump it started right up then. Im scared to drive this car.no one at bear auto told me this car had electrical problems. Redmond oregon.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shutoff and stalled without warning. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the front headlights became inoperable and the instrument cluster malfunctioned. The cause of the failures were not determined. The local dealer lithia Chrysler located at 1421 n.e. 6th st grants pass, or 97526-1253, was notified of the failures. The manufacturer was not yet notified. The failure mileage was 39,000. ## VIN passed ## Dodge 1999 town and country ##
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan. While the vehicle was stationary, the instrument panel malfunctioned and all of the instrument panel functions stopped working. The contact stated that the instrument panel gauges operated intermittently, such as the fuel gauge and the odometer. In addition, the engine indicator illuminated. A dealer was not contacted about the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Intermittent loss of all dashboard indicator lights and gauges. Electric door locks will not work. Sometimes all malfunctions will clear themselves, sometimes I must slap the top of the dashboard with my hand several times to clear the malfunction. I have only seen this with vehicle in motion and on all roads.
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.
I went out to start my car (1999 Dodge Grand Caravan se) and it initially wouldn't start. There was just a clicking noise from the starter but it wouldn't turn over. I tried it a couple more times and it finally started. But there was an unusual rattling noise. I turned the ignition key off and the engine stopped but some part on the car kept running. I had my fiance look at it - he couldn't figure out what was going on either. It drove OK around the block but it sounded horrible. He couldn't get it to turn off completely either. After a few minutes, smoke started coming out from the front end of the car. My fiance could see it was in the area of the starter. Initially, if the car was left idling, the smoke lessened but if the ignition was shut off the smoke got worse. So we left it idling while we looked for possible ways to shut it off completely. …
Instruments and instrument panel lights become inoperative with no warning. In the past several years, while driving the 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan, without warning, the instrument panel lights would go off and all gauges would quit working. Usually, a smack on the top of the dashboard would bring it back, however, lately this did not work. The latest incident was on a cold, dark, wet evening with my wife driving and the children in the van. This problem results in not being able to see the speedometer nor the gear selection. I feel this is an unsafe condition that should be looked into by the manufacturer. In performing an internet search on this subject, it appears there May be a manufacturing defect with the soldering of some connectors for the instrument panel. Thank you.
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.
While driving, the instrument cluster will go blank. Instruments: gas gauge, temperature, and speedometer needles will go to zero. Digital readouts go blank. Normal function returns usually in minutes and sometimes faster if I hit the dashboard with my hand. My research indicates this to be a significant problem with numerous year models of Dodge minivans. This issue is described as a computer communication problem caused by faulty connections in the instrument cluster that interrupt the connections between the three onboard computers. When the power goes out to the dash, indicating a connection problem, will my airbags still work? The error code for this malfunction is: p1698.
Three times in six weeks, the serpentine belt (which powers the power steering, alternator and water pump) has slipped off the pulleys. In one of the three instances, the drive belt was shredded. After a quick search of the internet, literally hundreds of complaints about this were found. Fortunately, in our case, there has not been an injury to date, however a loss of power steering at the wrong moment could easily cause an accident. Likewise, loss of accessories such as the alternator and water pump could leave someone stranded. On this vehicle, the belt tensioner has been replaced and the belt has been replaced three times in less than 1,000 miles.
NHTSA investigations
Air bag clockspring
There is no summary currently available
Electrical complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 62 complaints about the electrical system of the 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan, 14% of the model year's 432 complaints. The component named most often is horn (21 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan, though it has 3 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 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to electrical 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.