2009 Dodge Grand Caravan Problems & Complaints

Average1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Grand Caravan at the same age

Owners have filed 544 complaints about the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is about average for the Grand Caravan at the same age. The most reported problem area is the electrical system (334 complaints, typically around 85,000 miles). 7 recalls cover this model year.

544complaints
7recalls
11crashes
6fires
8injuries
0deaths

Most common 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan problems

  • Electrical system~85,000 miles
    33461%
  • Air bags~85,000 miles
    13725%
  • Brakes~36,000 miles
    6412%
  • Engine & cooling~79,000 miles
    519%
  • Wheels & tires~48,000 miles
    468%
  • Other / not specified~90,000 miles
    275%
  • Steering~85,000 miles
    234%
  • 204%
  • Stability & traction control~105,000 miles
    153%
  • Fuel & propulsion system~86,000 miles
    122%
  • Speed control & acceleration~82,000 miles
    102%
  • Windows, wipers & sunroof~104,000 miles
    92%
  • Suspension~75,000 miles
    81%
  • Body & structure~107,000 miles
    71%
  • Seat belts~72,000 miles
    51%
  • Locks & latches~75,000 miles
    31%
  • Lights~104,000 miles
    31%
  • Equipment & accessories
    20%
  • Seats~4,000 miles
    10%

Share of the 544 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Dodge Grand Caravan complaints by model year

’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’201081.2k5835594324422982902191169962861821.3k5448705305844723592811.0k41427124520
Owner complaints per model year, Dodge Grand Caravan. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Grand Caravan years: 2020, 2007, 2006. Years to avoid: 2008, 2016, 2005, 2010, 1996. Compare all years →

2009 Dodge Grand Caravan recalls (7)

Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module

NHTSA recall 20V-396 · Jul 7, 2020 · 925,239 vehicles

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2008-2010 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan and 2007-2011 Dodge Nitro vehicles. These vehicles may have a loose or missing brand emblem in the center of the steering wheel.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag cover with a redesigned cover, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2021.

Air bags › Frontal

NHTSA recall 16V-047 · Jan 29, 2016 · 110,482 vehicles

FCA US LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2009 Dodge Journey vehicles manufactured December 31, 2007, to August 31, 2008, 2008-2009 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles manufactured June 18, 2007, to August 31, 2008. In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began on December 6, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.

Air bags

NHTSA recall 14V-373 · Jun 26, 2014 · 722,705 vehicles

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch and key FOBs, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.

Suspension › Rear › Axle › Non-powered axle assembly

NHTSA recall 14V-055 · Feb 11, 2014 · 130 vehicles

Freedom Motors Inc., (Freedom Motors) of Savaria Vehicle Group (formerly The Liberty Motor Company) is recalling one model year 2009 Volkswagen Routan and certain model year 2008-2010 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country wheelchair accessible vehicles modified by The Liberty Motor Company from February 2008 through…

Remedy: Freedom Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected axles, free of charge. The recall began on April 1, 2014. Owners can contact Freedom Motors at 1-800-561-9600.

Electrical system › Wiring

NHTSA recall 10V-235 · Jun 3, 2010 · 284,655 vehicles

Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2009 Dodge grand caravan and Chrysler town & country passenger vehicles manufactured from February 2007 through September 2009. Some of the vehicles May have been built with an improperly routed wire harness that May have a condition where the lower sliding door hinge bracket…

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on November 15, 2010. Owners May contact Chrysler toll-free at 1-800-853-1403.

Service brakes, hydraulic

NHTSA recall 09V-351 · Sep 11, 2009 · 82 vehicles

Eldorado national is recalling model year 2008-2009 amerivan mobility vehicles built on Chrysler town & country and Dodge grand caravan platforms vehicles. The rear brake lines May have been improperly routed and not secured properly during the alteration.

Remedy: Eldorado national amerivan dealers will inspect the vehicles and if the brake lines were improperly routed they will be correctly reinstalled free of charge. The safety recall began on October 13, 2009.

Show 1 more recall

Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers

NHTSA recall 09V-046 · Feb 5, 2009 · 6,138 vehicles

Chrysler is recalling 6,138 my 2009 town and country and Dodge grand caravan vehicles. Unused electrical connectors for the blind spot detection system May become corroded and could short circuit, which can cause a variety of conditions.

Remedy: Dealers will seal the power circuit at the subject connector and replace the fuse for this circuit if necessary free of charge. The recall began on March 9, 2009. Owners May contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan:

Air Bag Non-Deployment/Engine Stall

NHTSA investigation RQ14002 · opened Jun 16, 2014 · closed Mar 2, 2015 · led to recall 14V-373

In March 2011 Chrysler submitted a defect information report for NHTSA Recall No. 11V139 declaring a defect condition that could cause the ignition key to inadvertently move from the RUN to the ACC position on model year (MY) 2010 Dodge Journey, Grand Caravan, and Chrysler Town and Country.The report identified engine stalling as the defect consequence and cited customer complaints and warranty claims, as well as…

Totally Integrated Power Module Failure

NHTSA investigation DP14004 · opened Sep 25, 2014 · closed Jul 24, 2015

In a letter dated August 21, 2014, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a defect investigation of alleged failures associated with the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) installed in Chrysler SUV?s, trucks, and vans beginning in the 2007 model year.

What 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan owners say

Electrical system all 334 →

The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at his residence, a fire started from the drivers side tail light. The tail light, the rear bumper, and part of the rear seat were melted, additionally the rear windshield shattered. The fire department was called and they extinguished the fire using chemical powder and water. The fire marshal wrote an incident report. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact did not take the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

95,000 miles · Mar 2022 · fire

It started out as the van would not start almost everytime I got ready to leave and would have someone jump my battery, and it would start right back up. after a few weeks of having to do this, i had help jumping my battery once again but this time my wind shield wipers wouldnt shut off resulting in me having to take the fuse out and back in when it rains. when this happened the what i believe is called the "multi functional shift " (the stick on the left side of steering wheel that controls my wipers, wiper fluid, turn signals, bright lights, etc.) completely stopped working with no sign of it having problems previously. Along with that the stereo keeps flickering and switching channels on its own. Lastly, when i am pumping gas, i can barely pull up the trigger without the pump shutting off like as if my tank was full. …

Jul 2022

Air bags all 137 →

The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while parked with the keys out of the ignition, the contact heard a loud pop coming from the passenger's side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger's side deployed without impact. The dealer was contacted and advised the contact to inform the manufacturer of the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who had not diagnosed or repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The contact stated that the vehicle was not inspected. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

160,000 miles · Oct 2023

In August 2024, the airbag system in a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan (VIN: [redacted] ) deployed unexpectedly while the vehicle was parked and not in operation. There was no collision, impact, or known external trigger at the time of deployment. The malfunction involved the airbag restraint system and/or related electrical or control components. An unexpected airbag deployment creates a serious safety concern because it could injure vehicle occupants or bystanders and indicates a potential defect in the restraint system. The vehicle was immediately taken to Banister Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Hampton, Virginia, where it has remained since the incident. To the best of our knowledge, the vehicle has remained in dealership/manufacturer custody and should be available for inspection. …

Aug 2024

Brakes all 64 →

While driving, the engine shuts off, leaving the driver with no power steering or power brakes. All power is off. There is no warning or error messages on the dash of any kind. No warning at all. The last time this happened, I was able to coast to the side of the road to a stop. Once stopped, i can put the transmission in Park, restart the vehicle and continue. This time, I drove directly to my service shop to have the computer checked for codes. There were none, like the event never happened. They could not reproduce the problem. This has happened 3 times since August 2025. The wireless ignition module was replaced in 2015 under the recall notice 14V373000. That recall was for exactly this situation. So far, I have been fortunate to avoid hitting another vehicle or other objects. This is not a safe situation, especially knowing it might happen tomorrow.

Feb 2026

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. As a result, the brakes seized and the contact crashed into the preceding vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy and the contact 's head impacted the steering wheel. The contact sustained a concussion, sprained neck, and bruises to the feet, ankles, and toes that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and repaired. In addition, the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V373000 (air bags, electrical system). The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

60,000 miles · Jun 2014 · crash · 1 injury

2009 Dodge Grand Caravan engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
4.0L 6-cyl6-speed automaticFWD17 / 25 / 20
3.3L 6-cyl4-speed automaticFWD17 / 24 / 19
3.8L 6-cyl6-speed automaticFWD16 / 23 / 18

EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan a good car?

Based on 544 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Grand Caravan rates average: 1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Grand Caravan at the same age. 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 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan?

The electrical system — 334 complaints, 61% of all complaints for this model year, most often about ignition. Next are the air bags (137) and brakes (64).

How many recalls does the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan have?

There are 7 recalls for the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan, the most recent from July 7, 2020 (inflator module). 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 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 75,000 miles; 28% 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.