Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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 owned a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan. While driving 35 MPH, an abnormal fuel odor was present inside the vehicle. The vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder lane and the engine compartment caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a fire report. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 00V268000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 275,000. The vehicle was destroyed.
Serpentine belt repeatedly comes off during rain, car wash, etc. Power steering goes out, water pump quits working, alternator stops working. This creates serious safety hazard, especially in traffic and/or at highway speeds. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of people with this complaint. Chrysler/Dodge turns a deaf ear to the request for a fix, always pointing to other possible issues (which at times are legitimate), while ignoring the design defect in their vans (which is always present). This is a multi-year problem involving several Dodge vans and there is still no recall issued by the government. Where is the protection NHTSA states is their mission? There is a simple, effective fix for this problem: gates 38379K enhancement component kit price: $125.74 found on ebay. Please issue a recall!
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.
1999 Dodge Grand Caravan,3.3 liter engine, started out about once a year the serpentine belt would slip off and have to be reinstalled. Then started every 6 months, usually during wet weather, came off with my wife, she would lose steering almost causing a wreck. I would have to leave work and go where ever she was and put belt back on. Finally noticed the tensioner pulley leaning to the left allowing belt to slip off. Replaced pulley thinking problem solved, but once again belt would slip off during a rain and wipers on. Very dangerous situation for my wife again, no steering. Tried a better quality belt, same thing, belt would slip off during rain. 2 weeks ago it slipped off with my wife on major freeway in birmingham, al , I had to go about 50 miles and put belt back on with traffic speeding by and all during a rain storm of course. …
Despite regular (3,000-mile or less) oil changes at dealer or certified independent repair shop, 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan with 3.3 liter engine developed severe oil sludge problems. First indication of problem was a soft clicking engine noise. Certified independent mechanic diagnosed problem as oil sludge, showed us caked engine components. Replaced rockers arms and some valves and bearings and flushed engine. Repairs not successful, noise continued. Returned to mechanic who kept the van for several days and did several more engine flushes and oil changes. This did not solve problem and mechanic warned me that driving would soon lead to massive engine failure. The only solution was an expensive overhaul ($7,000-$8,000) or a new/rebuilt engine ($5,000-$6,000) that might still have these problems. After internet research, I realized this was Chrysler problem with engine. …
1999 Grand Caravan - serpentine belt comes off when it rains or vehicle is driven through water, even minor amounts. Causes sudden loss of steering ability, especially if it occurs without warning during a turn. I have owned this vehicle for 6 years and 125,000+ miles without incident. During the last 25,000 miles belt has come off unpredictably 6-8 times in wet weather. Occurrences started following replacement of front tires and a wheel alignment. Dealers and service stations have blamed the tensioneer, a pulley, the belt itself, and water. Replacement of these parts does nothing to resolve the problem which occurs again with the next rain storm. Something changed at 125,000 miles that causes the belt to disengage the pulleys and /or tensioner when water is sprayed up by the tires in wet weather. …
In feb 2007, a new mopar serpentine belt was installed on my 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan (89,000 miles) by a local Dodge dealer. After one week belt started a loud squeal. At the suggestion of mechanics I tried belt dressings, sprays and wire brush, all with no help to the problem. One mechanic suggested I replace the plastic pulley on my properly working tensioner with a metal pulley. This I did with no help. All pulleys were checked and found o.k. Dealer installed another belt in June of this year. Same problem after one week. Ended up going to local independent repair shop (not dealer) and they installed "kit", which corrected problem. "kit' consisted of belt with grooves on both sides and idler pulley and tensioner pulley with grooves. Problem solved. The Dodge dealer never heard of this "kit"....come on Dodge boys, get with it!!!!
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.
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.
Engine complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 60 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan, 14% of the model year's 432 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline › belts and associated pulleys (22 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 8 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.