Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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).
The contact owned a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at 65 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull off to the side of the road where she saw smoke emerging from the front of the vehicle. Upon exiting the vehicle, the contact opened the hood to see the fire behind the engine. The fire department was contacted and was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact has not notified a local dealer. The vehicle has not been diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact was relating the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the water pump was replaced. The contact stated that several months later, while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where a power steering flush was performed; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic replaced the steering pump, which seemed to correct the failure. The contact then stated that the whining sound returned without warning. The vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the valves inside the engine connected to the fuel injector were defective and needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road, where he successfully restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact stated that after the vehicle had been repaired, the vehicle would fail to start intermittently, and would only start after several attempts. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no open recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. …
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the engine turned over, but the vehicle failed to start. The contact became aware that the jumper ends were burned. There was no fuel entering the engine. The contact stated that the silicon on the relays needed to be replaced and the fuel pump had failed. Additionally, the driver's side window became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V813000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that she was able to maneuver the vehicle off the roadway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ECM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that an unknown recall repair was previously performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.
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. …
This vehicle always fails to start in the colder weather. After a review of this condition. It has been found that the fuel pump relay does not send proper signal. This relay is a part of the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM). When it fails to operate, the vehicle will experience long crank times. With its ignition switch style, as soon as you turn the key, the vehicle will continue to crank UNLESS you manually turn the switch all the way back to the off position. This condition will cause the starter motor to overheat or burn up. Eventually the vehicle may start then die. Fuel delivery is too inconsistent when colder weather arises. You can't just replace a plug-in-style replacement fuel pump relay since it is a part of the whole TIPM. This vehicle has not yet died in traffic or on the highway thank God. There is never any CEL illumination or any stored fault codes. …
I was driving on the highway and about to increase speed from 60mph to 65mph then the vehicle shut off. I lost power steering and ability to brake I was near an exit and was able to roll into a safe spot. Vehicle would crank but not start. I contacted AAA for tow service. When AAA arrived the vehicle started. I had it towed anyway. Since the incident the vehicle starts. I am afraid to drive. I had passengers with me that night and this vehicle (engine) failure could have resulted in multiple injuries or fatalities. I purchased this vehicle from a used car dealership in October of 2020. Within a week the vehicle broke down. It would crank but not start. The used dealership had the battery replaced then the TIPM and finally a bypass was performed on the fuel pump relay switch in December of 2020. I've had no issues of this nature since those repairs. …
purchased van no problem mechanic gave great review following week wouldnt start mechanic said tipm is bad we had tipm rep[laced already 3 times and now its bad again this time i was with my family when van completly shut off on highway doing 70 miles a hour we have to carry a jumper battery pack with us to start van i called crysler and they informed me there is no problems with my vans tipm well thats funny google has over 45 thousand articles about these problems and nobody does anything about it till people die
Battery light turned on and vehicle immediately shut off. Got car jump to make it home and all electrical components went hay wire - all dash lights blinking - transmission wouldn't not shit and accelerated by itself, headlights wouldn't go on, windows wouldn't go down. Dodge recalled every other car model in their line for a bad ALTERNATOR rapid failure, except Caravan, which should absolutely be included. It's a know issue - car shouldn't be dying while driving with under 100k miles.
Engine complaints in other Grand Caravan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan?
NHTSA has 97 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan, 18% of the model year's 530 complaints. The component named most often is engine › engine control module (ecu/ecm) (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 87,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 4 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.