Most common 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan problems
Share of the 996 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Dodge Grand Caravan complaints by model year
Best Grand Caravan years: 2020, 2007, 2006. Years to avoid: 2008, 2016, 2005, 2010, 1996. Compare all years →
2005 Dodge Grand Caravan recalls (5)
Equipment adaptive/mobility
All in one mobility is recalling certain model year 1997 through 2008 conversion vans equipped with vmi/ricon 6-way power seat bases. There is a possibility of a defective weld at the joint between the pivoting plate and the pivoting plate pin.
Remedy: All in one mobility will notify owners and the vehicles will be repaired free of charge. The safety recall began on June 22, 2010. Owners May contact all in one mobility at 1-503-255-5005.
Seats
Arizona mobility products (amp) is recalling one 2005 and one 2007 conversion vans built on Dodge grand caravan chassis equipped with vmi/ricon 6-way power seat bases. There is a possibility of a defective weld at the joint between the pivoting plate and the pivoting plate pin.
Remedy: Amp will notify owners and repair vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on June 10, 2010. Owners May contact amp at 1-602-385-5988.
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2005-2006 Dodge caravan, grand caravan and Chrysler town & country vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, nebraska, new…
Remedy: Chrysler will replace the front airbag sensors with a new design. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety improvement campaign will begin during June 2010. Owners May contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
On certain vans and sport utility vehicles, the front windshield wiper motor armature shaft May break.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the windshield wiper motor free of charge. The recall began on June 19, 2006, to Dodge durango owners. Minivan owners will be notified during July 2006.
Seat belts › Front › Retractor
After performing the ncap test, it was discovered that on certain minivans equipped without the available "stow 'n go" seating option, the right front seat belt retractor assembly May have been improperly assembled.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the retractor assemblies and any seat belt assembly that does not have the stake will be replaced. Owner notification began on February 23, 2004.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan:
Front air bag crash sensor failure
Chrysler will replace the frame rail-mounted front air bag crash sensors in approximately 312,442 model year (my) 2005 and 2006 Chrysler minivans (recall 10v-008).these vehicles are equipped with front crash sensors with ultradur brand plastic housings and steel bushings and were built between January 19, 2005 and April 5, 2006.this action covers vehicles originally sold, or currently registered, in 27 states…
Loss of Headlight Illumination
To date, ODI has interviewed several complainants who confirmed that the headlights fully extinguish, and remain extinguished, on an intermittent basis.In most cases this occurred while the vehicle was in motion.The occurrences do not show a repeatable pattern, and the problem occurs at a low frequency, typically one or more weeks between failures.For this reason most complainants have not attempted diagnosis or…
Front air bag crash sensor failure
The model year (my) 2005 daimlerchrysler (dc) minivans have the new advanced frontal air bag systems with two front crash sensors mounted on the frame rails behind the front bumper and a main crash sensor inside the air bag control module mounted in the passenger compartment.according to dc, the front crash sensors are designed to optimize detection of frontal offset and angular crashes.the advanced air bag system…
Loss of headlight illumination
The subject vehicle (SV) population includes MY 2005-2006 vehicles built between March 2004 and December 2005 manufactured with a TRW supplied headlight switch assembly (HSA).The HSA was the primary focus of the investigation; earlier and later vehicles utilized different HSAs.Consumers complain that the headlights in the subject vehicles do not illuminate when the HSA is turned on, or that the headlights extinguish…
Front air bag crash sensor failure
Daimlerchrysler (dcc) will replace the frame rail-mounted front air bag crash sensors in approximately 270,958 my 2005 daimlerchrysler minivans (NHTSA recall no. 07v-192).these vehicles are equipped with front crash sensors with brass bushings and were built between April 24, 2003 and February 2, 2005.this action covers vehicles originally sold, or currently registered, in 27 states (alaska, connecticut, delaware,…
Engine Stall After Refueling
This defect petition evaluates July 7, 2014 allegations from an owner of a model year (MY) 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan minivan that engine stall occurs in these vehicles without warning after refueling.The petitioner's vehicle is a Chrysler RS platform minivan.The RS platform includes MY 2003 through 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country and Chrysler Voyager minivans.NHTSA evaluated the…
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three…
What 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan owners say
Locks & latches all 338 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the power door locks failed to operate as needed, without warning. The contact also stated that the driver's side door was the only door that could be opened manually with the key. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that upon disconnecting the battery, the system would reset and resume normal operation. The contact attempted the procedure twice however, the failure resumed soon after the reset. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer nor independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. While driving 25 MPH, the passenger side sliding door opened without warning. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and attempted to close the door automatically by depressing the sliding door button; however, it failed to close the door. The contact had to close the door manually. The vehicle was taken to titusville Chrysler Jeep Dodge (5600 U.S. 1, titusville, fl 32780, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the motor switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 163,000. The VIN was not available.
Electrical system all 259 →
While at a stop light, another driver told us the van's tail light was smoking. We pulled around a corner and into a parking lot and found that the passenger tail light assembly was on fire with flames lapping up the side of the van. The van was turned off and the fire was extinguished. We removed the tail light assembly and found that the inside of the assembly and the wiring harness were destroyed. There is also body damage. We have had problems with the brake light bulb in the passenger side burning out frequently, and had seen evidence of overheating and some melting in the brake light connector socket in about 2010. Although the lights burn out frequently, the melting had not gotten worse since then. The driver's side tail light has never exhibited a problem like this. …
While attempting to operate the electric sliding side door, a large spark and small debris fire was seen in the bottom door rail. Upon inspection, a break in the wire harness had aloud wires to be severed that controls the door and locking system. The automatic door locks on both side doors no longer worked and the passenger side door would no longer open electrically. I removed the wiring harness and wires and discarded them to avoid any more problems (sparking and/or fires). This could cause a major fire hazard in the right environment.
Lights all 155 →
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to turn on the headlight and became aware that the headlights were inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was unknown.
While at a stop light, another driver told us the van's tail light was smoking. We pulled around a corner and into a parking lot and found that the passenger tail light assembly was on fire with flames lapping up the side of the van. The van was turned off and the fire was extinguished. We removed the tail light assembly and found that the inside of the assembly and the wiring harness were destroyed. There is also body damage. We have had problems with the brake light bulb in the passenger side burning out frequently, and had seen evidence of overheating and some melting in the brake light connector socket in about 2010. Although the lights burn out frequently, the melting had not gotten worse since then. The driver's side tail light has never exhibited a problem like this. …
2005 Dodge Grand Caravan engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan a good car?
Based on 996 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Grand Caravan rates avoid: 2.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Grand Caravan at the same age. It is one of the Grand Caravan years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan?
The locks & latches — 338 complaints, 34% of all complaints for this model year, most often about doors › latch. Next are the electrical system (259) and lights (155).
How many recalls does the 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan, the most recent from June 15, 2010 (equipment adaptive/mobility). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Dodge Grand Caravan?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2007 and 2006. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2008, 2016, 2005, 2010 and 1996. See the full Dodge Grand Caravan years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 32% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.