Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Reference to case with sway bar bushing problem ref. Number 10173990 . I had the same problem with my 2005 Grand Caravan with 25000 miles on it. I took it to the dealer and they repaired it no problem at no cost. Then on 23 nov 2006 my van just died. Battery was dead. Would not jump start at all. Towing service could not jump start it either and said something major was wrong. They towed to dealer in shreveport on flat bed where they said the battery was bad. But the good news they said it was all covered under warranty. And they also told me everything from front bumper to rear bumper is 100 percent covered under the warranty for the first 3 years/36,000 miles. So I don't understand why the dealers are so inconsistent is warranty repairs. It states in the manual what is and is not covered and to sum that up anything that shows any sign if hitting a hazard in the road is not covered. …
First noticed popping/rubbing noise in front end. Took in and they replaced the front stabilizer bushings and etc.. That was in oct 2005. I have taken back to wilson Dodge in jackson, ms 3/4 times since. The problem still exist. The service man said he hear noise when turning 1/4 to right. But when I went to pick up vehicle they had not done anything to it. I have a friend that's a mechanic. He said the rack and pinion system is going out and is bad. I have stated this to wilson Dodge. They wanted me to sign the last paper work but I would not sign because they had not fixed problem. I am taking to other Dodge dealer ship this week to see if they can find problem. Also I had to replace the brakes already at 26,000 miles. And they said I needed new rotors. This is ridiculous. I had a 1998 Dodge Caravan and only had to replace brakes once on it and it had 98,000 miles on it.
I have an sxt version of this minivan. While replacing the disc pads I found that the parking brake cable on the rear driver side is worn almost in two. I checked several of my neighbors vehicles and found only the sxt versions with the rear sway bar seem to be affected. The se version did not have a rear sway bar. The parking brake cable is routed between the fuel tank and the sway bar and it rubs on the sway bar with any movement of the vehicle. This will cause two problems; 1) the parking brake will fail or only be applied to one side. If the vehicle is raised on the passenger side and the parking brake has failed and the wheels are not blocked, the vehicle could roll off of the jack. 2) the severed part of the parking brake cable could damage the wheel brake line and cause it to rupture resulting in total loss of all brakes.
Have 2005 Grand Caravan. It has 24,000 miles. The air bag light came on. I am taking it to the dealer tomorrow. Also, the driver interior map light doesn't work, eventhough the bulb is OK. (am having that checked tomorrow, too.) when the light first went out, the automatic side doors stopped working. They didn't work for about 2 weeks and when I decided I had time to go to the dealer to get it checked, the doors started working again and have seemed fine since. The light , however, still doesn't work. The rear passenger map lights also come on randomly (usually overnight). There is a clunking noise in the driver side front end. We had some parts repaired on it in dec. (though the dealer did say they weren't sure what the problem was), but the noise is still there. (am having that checked tomorrow as well.)
Tl contact owns a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. After purchasing the vehicle, it began to shift out of gear. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer over ten times, but they could not duplicate the failure. The issue occurred whenever there was an incline in the road. The contact expressed extreme concern for the defect and the manufacturer informed her that they would not repair the vehicle for free. The most recent failure occurred while driving 50 MPH. The current mileage was 51,000 and failure mileage was less than 100. Updated 05/13/08 the transmission slipped out of gear, t went from drive to neutral. There was also a rattling noise when the vehicle was in reverse. It took several tries to get the vehicle out of reverse. The rattling noise was due to the sway bar being broken. Updated 05/13/08
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. While driving 25 MPH, the front driver side rotor fractured from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front driver side rotor, struts, and hub needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred on the front passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front passenger side rotor, struts, and hub needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
At about 12,000 our 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan developed a thumping/binding in the steering/front axle. We had it in several times during the warranty period for the same problem; both axles were replaced and the steering column was replaced also, yet the thumping/binding never truly went away. Shortly outside the comprehensive warranty period, the right front axle broke. Fortunately it was in a parking lot, not on the highway. The right axle was replaced, but now the thumping/binding is back just like it was when we first started pursuing getting the problem fixed. The van only has 30,300 miles on it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that a loud noise emitted outside of the vehicle while driving approximately 25 MPH. Upon completing a turn, the vehicle began to wobble violently as the passenger's side of the vehicle slightly collapsed to the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who stated that the front axle was fractured and the frame was completely rusted. The axle was replaced. In addition, the brakes would not respond whenever depressed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
Tl contact owns 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. While the contact was driving approximately 5 MPH attempting to park, the steering wheel began to vibrate when making a turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they replaced the steering rack and the inner tie rod ends. In addition, on a different occasion the vehicle exhibited an extremely loud rattling noise coming from the front end of the vehicle and an independent mechanic replaced the sway bar end links and bushings to correct the failure. The failure mileage was 42,943. Updated 03/16/11 updated 04/27/11
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the doors would not lock unless they were manually locked. The failure also occurred twice in the past when the sliding doors malfunctioned. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on one occasion and repaired. The contact also previously disconnected the battery in order to remedy the failure. The contact stated the front struts were also replaced. The failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage was 71,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Suspension complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the suspension of the 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan, 2% of the model year's 996 complaints. The component named most often is front (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan, though it has 5 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 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 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.