Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have a 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan es with stock 17 inch wheels. Power steering groans and vibration is felt in the steering wheel at low speed. I originally thought it required new brakes (due to millage being 42,205) and brought vehicle into a repair shop for that purpose. Brakes were determined to not need servicing yet. Then brought car to local Dodge dealer (where purchased) for investigation. The dealer charged me $60.00 to tell me that it has a TSB (19-001-02) on the power steering and refuses to cover cost of correction due to car being 6,000 miles out of basic warranty. I claim this is a design defect as Dodge wants to replace power steering reservoir and power steering return line as well as change the fluid normally in the reservoir from power steering to atf fluid!!! …
The front of the vehicle started shimmying and the steering wheel. At first, it started at about 55 MPH. Now it is doing it at lower and lower speeds. There are pages and pages of complaints with the same issue. It is also very hard to turn the steering wheel when going slow. There is a safety recall for the front suspension and lower control arm. Campaign no 01V152000 but the local dealership said my VIN number was not included. How can you continue to let them sell defective vehicles and not make them recall all affected vehicles? They said the same thing about my Ram truck. There's a recall on it and they said my vehicle was not in the recall, but it has the same issue with the steering column and the air and heat going out. I wish I had read the number of complaints against them on your site and on all the other sites before I bought these lemons. …
I own a 2001 Grand Caravan sport. At 35,000 miles I brought it to a dealer for the 30,000 mile check and to service a grinding noise in the ac unit and a shudder when turning at slow speeds. They fixed the ac and shudder by truing the rotors and new pads, however they also said there was a bulletin out on the steering pump and the unit was on back order...would call when it came in...yeah right. After an attempt on my part 3 months later to locate this pump, I gave up trying and continued driving. At 54,000 miles, I againg brought in my car because the ac compressor failed due to another bulletin on the PCM unit. …
In April of 2009 I noticed that the steering was tight at times. I checked the power steering fluid and when added, the steering was better. In cold months it was worst. In dec. 2009 I had the power steering pump replaced. It worked for about a year. Then in dec. 2010, I had the power steering pump flush. The mechanic said to warm up the car before driving. It worked in the summer months but not in the winter. In January 2012 the steering was really hard. I had a hard time backing up, turning either way or just driving at all. I got two different mechanics opinion and they said that the rack and pinion, steering rack, needed to be replaced. So, after changing the reservoir the rack and pinion still needed to be changed. The mechanic said they have changed a lot of rack and pinion in Dodge/Chrysler Mini vans. They are not lasting the life of the vehicle.
I am writing in request for your assistance in a matter concerning my 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan. Recently we brought our vehicle into manahawkin Chrysler Plymouth; Dodge on rt. 72 in manahawkin, new jersey for service. We were informed that the vehicle, which had only just hit 39,000 miles, was in need of a new steering rack and tie rods. I had the vehicle repaired and yet there continues to be odd noises in the front end. A few days later the steering did not function, as someone did not connect a power steering hose properly and all the fluid leaked out. I am now concerned for the safety of my family. As an individual who has a good understanding of auto mechanics, I am certain that a steering rack does not normally go bad so early in the life of a car. Even the Dodge mechanics I have spoken to have indicated that this should never have happened.
Recently my power steering started making a noise when I turned. The van has 38,000 miles on it. When the dealership refused to look at it under warranty I called diamlerchrysler and complained. 2,000 miles over warranty should not prevent them from fixing a problem with the steering! Diamlerchrysler authorized the repairs at no cost to us. The dealership told us later that there is a know design flaw with the reservoir, but no re-calls have been issued. We were lucky, the problem occurred close enough to the warranty to get diamlerchrysler to pay, but I personally feel that known flaws should be fixed at the company's expense.
I own a 2001 Dodge Caravan that I purchased from my father two months ago. Last night I noticed a rubbing sound when I turned corners. Looking at the front drivers side wheel, I noticed that the lower control arm came out of the bolt. After doing some research on recalls for the 2001 Caravan I saw that there is a recall out to repair this problem. My father said he never received a recall notice and he has lived at his current residence for 30 years. My complaint is how are you suppose to know of a recall when you are not contacted by Chrysler? The NHTSA campaign id number is 01V152000.
Front end road noise that two mechanical shops attempted to repair by replacing sway bar bushings in one shop and a tie arm in the second shop ended up not correcting the problem. Further investigation determined it was the rack and pinion. Clerk at the dealership indicated they had a thousand on order, no exaggeration. He informed me that they all go on the Chrysler minivans. My van is a 2001 Grand Caravan sport with 42000 miles. Manufacturer will not do anything to assist. Sounds like a recall is in order if they are as problematic as I have been informed.
The power steering started making noise when our 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan was at about 50000 miles. We took it to 2 places and both said it was the power steering. We had it replaced but it still makes noise, still shudders when going low speeds, etc. We noticed that someone else on your website has had the same problem but was told since it was out of warranty Chrysler wouldn't fix it. We agree that there is a serious design defect problem and Chrysler needs to recall and fix it!
Luckily this occurred while stopped. Our steering wheel & key ignition were in a locked position. We were starting the car, and the key would not turn. We thought we just needed to nudge the wheel, but it did not nudge. Four different people tried to no avail. Finally brought into dealer - noted the cylinder ignition lock needed to be repaired. I have never had this occur on any other car, and seems very dangerous if this occurred while the car was moving !
Steering complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the steering of the 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan, 8% of the model year's 298 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2001 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 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering 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.