Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving my 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan se on the night of i02/11/2014 when a wrong-way driver hit me (head on collision). She turned right to get gasoline (note: not to avoid us, did not know she was going wrong way until we hit her), and we hit her side door, tire area, and the vehicle bounced backwards. I had to push off the steering wheel to prevent my head from going thru the windshield, my father who was the passenger, hit his arm off the dashboard. The air bags did not deploy, which was the issue. The manufacturer was contacted, they looked at the car and said nothing is wrong with it and that the car would have to be crushed for the air bags to deploy, the air bags have been recalled before, which is a concern to me. When looking at the vehicle dash board, it does not appear that there is even a passenger air bag in place. …
My sliding door quit working half way thru cycle. My power went dead in doors and locks I took it to the Dodge dealer they could not find the problem said it was either the ECM or the BCM but not sure. They did not want to replace as they would just burn out again if this was the problem and still a short somewhere it was safe to drive. I drove it home and next day went to start it and the main wiring harness under the battery and above the drivers side wheel well burst into flames burning the entire main electrical harness and ECM and fuse box up. Took it by tow truck to Dodge dealer again they said looks like wiring harness was worn through where it was fastened to the frame at the assembly plant. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan. While driving at an unknown speed, both rear sliding doors opened independently. The contact stopped the vehicle and manually closed the doors. While parked, the rear sliding doors closed independently and had to be forced open. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and diagnosed the cause of failure as electrical. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. Ma 08/11/15 the consumer stated the failure causes physical pain and anxiety to occupants. The doors would lock children inside the vehicle. The interior lights and radio would not operate. The vehicle would also shake violently. …
My sliding door quit working half way thru cycle. My power went dead in doors and locks I took it to the Dodge dealer they could not find the problem said it was either the ECM or the BCM but not sure. They did not want to replace as they would just burn out again if this was the problem and still a short somewhere it was safe to drive. I drove it home and next day went to start it and the main wiring harness under the battery and above the drivers side wheel well burst into flames burning the entire main electrical harness and ECM and fuse box up. Took it by tow truck to Dodge dealer again they said looks like wiring harness was worn through where it was fastened to the frame at the assembly plant. …
Rusting body panels can result in severe safety issues in near future, even with great care, some vehicles are prone to the rusting body panels. The 4th generation (Grand) Caravan isn't the exception which had excessively aggressive rust forming on the body panels. My Grand Caravan currently has just over 65000 miles with rust forming on major panels. I personally took overly attention to the vehicle maintaining and caring by waxing and washing the vehicle the proper way, yet the vehicle is piling with more and more rust each week. On the road, I haven't got to see the Dodge Caravan that has no rust what so ever. Therefore, the rusting has to be the most concerning issue for the Caravan owners.
Coming from a christian camp driving on the 5 south in castaic lake the rear right tire part of the outer layer came off then it went flat this is tires 215-75r 15.I show to Firestone the tire they did not honor the warranty ,then I had two more tires blown it was a total of three in less than a year.
Was driving about 35 MPH and sliding door came open while the car was in motion and doors were locked and child lock was engaged on that side. It has also happened on the passenger side as well on the interstate at highway speeds.
Our 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan with less the 28,000 felt like it would not fully stop when hitting the brakes. I already had the front brakes done and take it to the dealer routinely for oil change and inspection. So I thought it was the tires since they were greatly worn (which is hard to believe @ this mileage) we changed all 4 tires. When we took it in to the dealer for an oil change and to get the automatic door failure looked @ they found the rear brakes were completely worn out and when they went to change the pads and machine the rotors it was so bad that everything started braking on them . Mechanics own description on receipt " ck. Brakes are scrubbing in rear rotors were rusted to hub. Pins for parking brake shoes to backing plate broke when taking off. Replaced brake pins & 2 broken wheel stubs. Chrysler has no respect for customers safety. …
I own a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan with only 48,000 miles on it. The power sliding doors have stopped operating properly. The doors will close about eight inches and then open back up without closing all the way. Tonight the door has opened and will not close manually or electrically. So my van is in my drive way with the door wide open and will be there all night until I figure it out tomorrow. Many people that I know with these vans have the same problem after a few years of owning them. Something has to be done. It is not safe to leave a vehicle outside with the door open all night. I can not get the door to close no matter what I do. Chrysler/Dodge should have implemented a safety mechanism that would allow an owner to be able to manually close the door if it malfunctioned. …
Air conditioning failed around 50,000 miles. Had system recharged and started to fail again in a couple of months. By that time, weather started to become cold. By 80,000 miles (following summer), told that the rear air evaporator part was leaking and while Dodge did not "recall" the part, they extended the warrant to I think - 75,000 miles. The part took about 2 months to come in and cost over $1,600 to install. I was never given notice of the "extended warranty." driver side automatic door no longer works for the second time (first around 50,000 second time around 75,000). Rack and pinion needed replacement around 90,000 miles. That cost around $1,500. Fuel gauge is about 1/4 tank off in the bad direction. Can no longer trust gauge under half a tank. Paint started to peel and metal underneath rust around 50,000 miles.
Body complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the body & structure of the 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan, 13% of the model year's 286 complaints. The component named most often is body › door (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan, though it has 4 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 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 6 injuries to body & structure 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.