Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My car was fine until one day in rain the whole dash and radio shut off and came back on repeatedly, spedometer bouncing each time. Took it to dealer/JDByrider and "they dont know prob/happens all the time" w a very "oh well" attitude. They did nothing. I called again when car ALSO started shutting completely off at long red lights. I was told next appt available would be 23 days! Thats still 4 days away. NOW in addition to dash/radio/spedometer problem the van doesnt just die at LONG lights, it dies if I have to stop for drive thrus, stop signs, short lights. The headlights have also started flickering very very badly. Im upset that repairs are supposed to be covered by JDByrider and theyve had me driving this dangerous car for almost a month before trying to fix it. Im not allowed to get work done on it elsewhere or else it makes future repairs on parts not covered by JDByrider. …
While the Emergency Parking Brake was activated and vehicle in Park in the driveway that is on a hill, the car began rolling down the driveway at a fast rate of speed with no one in drivers seat. 3 young kids were in car seats in the van with it running while we were outside of the vehicle speaking. All doors locked and it flew down the driveway almost flipping over at the bottom. We took the vehicle to the dealership we purchased it from on June 29, 2023 and they could not recreate the issue. No warning lights were on prior to this incident and when citizens that stopped when this happened, got in the vehicle to dislodge it from the dirt that thankfully stopped it from flipping, they verified that it still showed the E Brake as being engaged it was still in park. No police or insurance was called because there was no damage to the vehicle or children but the dealership was called. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. While the contact's wife was driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle did not respond appropriately when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact depressed the brake pedal all the way to the floorboard, but the vehicle still failed to respond. As a result, the driver rear ended another vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. The air bags deployed. The contact sustained a sore ankle, which was examined by a medic, but there were no serious injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle sustained front end damage, but was not destroyed. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the vehicle emitted an abnormal odor and the brakes seized while driving various speeds. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the passenger side brake caliper was smoking. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was previously taken to an independent mechanic and the calipers were replaced. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,703. The VIN was not available.
My wife was driving with my 4 kids aged 13, 11, 8 and 3 when the Caravan stalled while in motion at the red light near a major intersection without prior warning. With no power steering or breaks, the van stopped in the middle of the intersection and on coming traffic had to break hard to prevent a collision. Boulevard Dodge Chrysler diagnosed the issue as faulty electrical issue with the fuel pump. The repair cost me $478 (dec. 3 2018). On Tuesday jan 15 2019 the car started different electrical problems. When I took the car back to the same dealer they told me the cause is the TIPM which would cost about $2000. When I started my research I realized that both issue are related and caused by the TIPM. This is an ongoing issue with many models of FCA which some vehicles had recalls from FCA. I am not the only one who has experiences stalling due to TIPM issue on Caravan. …
We have a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. We are getting to the point that this van is not worth the stress. We did not get this van brand new however it didn't have many miles, if I remember right 62,000 on it. Less then a year ago we had to fix all four brakes and rotors (at 65,000 miles) . Last week when it went for inspection (at 73600 miles) it wouldn't pass because of the rotors, so once again we had to get them fixed. We are on day 7 and are already seeing the same problem and knowing we will have to have them fixed again! I can tell by how the van is squealing that we are going to have to replace the brakes and rotors again soon. We have already spent over $1500 in the same repairs in less then a year. I have looked up Dodge vans and I see a lot of people are having the same problem. Seriously I have a family and if these brakes and rotors fail I will not be happy. …
2011 Dodge Grand Caravan, approximately 119K miles. Intermittent problem of the electronic stability light (ESC) coming on while applying light pressure to the breaks. It can happen driving slow (through town) or on the freeway. Once the light comes on, no noticeable difference is seen while driving other than cruise control is turned off if it was engaged before the light comes on. Once the vehicle is stopped and put in park, it will not come out of park (such as put in reverse or drive), the key must be cycled. Once the key is cycled, everything returns to normal (ESC light is off, and the shifter can be engaged to neutral, drive, reverse etc. Several mechanics cannot either reproduce the problem, or figure out what the problem is. While the problem seems to be random, my wife and I can both reproduce the problem either while in park (tapping on the break) or while driving.
This vehicle has had multiple issues with premature brake pad wear. In fact, in October 2017, the vehicle had the following components replaced: calipers (both front and both rear), rotors (both front and both rear), brake pads (both front and both rear) replaced by pep boys in eastgate, ohio. It has only been just over 6 months and both front side brake pads have to be replaced, yet again! There is obviously something wrong with the engineering of this vehicle braking system and it has been reported on many consumer complaint sites and filed with Dodge/chrsyler and they refuse to acknowledge and repair the vehicles. The brake pads are wearing prematurely under normal driving conditions, no matter what type of weather is present. The brake pads will fail and result in serious or fatal accidents, if they have not already.
A los pocos das de comprar la guagua en un dealer, cuando estaba dando reversa sent que da unos brincos y tiembla. Tarda un poco en moverse. Fuimos el da 2 de marzo y nos dijeron que era normal, al compararla con otra parecida, segn nos dijeron, an contina hacindolo. No le hicieron nada a la guagua. Al mes salimos a una cita mdica y no cogi freno, bajamos una cuesta y no quera parar, paramos con la emergencia frente a una casa,cuando la chequearon no tena patts en ninguna goma. Los compramos y cuando le reclam al dealer solo nos dijeron que tenamos que llevrselo daado que ahora no podan hacer nada, mi esposo est enfermo y no nos han ayudado. Tambin tiene problemas con los seguros ya hemos comprado 3 bateras y se agota muy rpido,(del control).'
Several times this winter my wife has went to start our vehicle and it would not start. This has resulted in missed time at work and kids missing school as well as 1 occurrence of being strained while out shopping. It seems to effect it mostly when really cold outside 30 or below. We have also had severe issues with the brakes. I have had all four brakes replaced twice and both front rotors as well as calipers replaced. The problem is that after a few minutes of driving (20-30 mins) the front passenger side brake drags causing a very strong metallic smell to enter through the air vents inside the van. My worry is that one day it will catch on fire and my vehicle will be lost in the fire.
Brake complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the brakes of the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan, 5% of the model year's 530 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › caliper (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2011 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 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 94,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury to brakes 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.