2013 Dodge Grand Caravan Airbag Problems

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  417%
• 25k–50k
  29%
• 50k–75k
  626%
• 75k–100k
  313%
• 100k–150k
  417%
• 150k+
  417%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owned a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at 25-35 MPH with someone in the front passenger seat a semi-truck crashed into the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle spun seven times and continuously hit the concrete barriers on each side of the highway. The contact stated that the body of the vehicle shifted 5 inches away from the frame. The air bags were deployed but were deflated. The contact became unconscious temporarily and upon regaining consciousness, he noticed that he was laying flat in the front driver's seat as the seat had fractured into two. The contact also noticed that the driver's seatbelt had snapped. The contact was able to exit the vehicle with the assistance of emergency units and the fire department. The contact was transported to the hospital by the emergency unit. …

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the rear driver's side moving the vehicle approximately 5ft. The air bags failed to deploy. As a result, the contact and his son sustained soreness in the neck. Medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was damaged and towed to a tow yard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.

My vehicle caught fire on 10-14 after being parked for 2.5 hours. Three weeks prior I had bumped into a light pole while backing up and my airbag light triggered on. The airbag did not deploy and nothing seemed wrong with the van. Then my battery died so I had to have it jumped. It died 3-4 times before I replaced it with a fresh battery 10-7. I did smell heat, but I attributed it to my oil leak, but I think I was smelling wires, not oil. I went by an autoparts store and they read my old battery temp and it was at 173 and didn't say it was hot or anything. I don't think that was safe to put a new battery in when there was obviously a problem. The airbag light consistently dinged off and on but since the airbag didn't deploy I didn't think it was any problem. …

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the ignition turned off and the vehicle coasted. The contact stated that power steering and the brakes failed to function. The contact coasted to a parking lot and was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V373000 (Electrical System, Air Bags). The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact's son stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's head restraint became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's son stated that the head restraint inadvertently imploded. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was needed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V282000 (Electrical System, Air Bags) The contact was referred to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 121,887.

Active front seat headrests deployed without an accident for the second time. Had them replaced and paid for myself the first time years ago. Was compensated by FCA as part of special coverage after the fact. When they deployed again I brought it in and had it diagnosed at Hopkins dodge, it was covered under the special policy. They ordered parts. It took forever for the parts to come off back order. They just arrived in August 2024, I verified with their parts department. I am now told that I am out of the special coverage window and they won't cover unless I pay the dealership over $200 to diagnose the same problem again. It has not changed. They already said it was covered and now they are trying to back out because it took forever for them to supply the required parts. I need this repaired like they said they would two years ago when I got it first diagnosed and the parts ordered.

While I was driving, the passenger seat headrest exploded forward. Chrysler calls this the "Front Seat Active Head Restraint." This is a safety mechanism supposed to be triggered in a crash, but the plastic holding back the force of the strong springs gave out and the plastic broke. This is a known issue that has caused others concussions, neck injuries, etc. As of yet the person who was sitting in the seat has not shown adverse symptoms, but his safety was put at risk. Chrysler is aware of this issue and had sent out a letter extending the warranty to 10 years, but this vehicle is just past the 10-year mark. No dealer, police, or insurance representatives have inspected this specific incident. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to failure.

Tl* the contact owned a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the driver was driving at 45 MPH when the front passenger tire blew out causing her to drive up a dirt hill flying 20 feet in the air that landed the vehicle upside down. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The driver did receive medical attention that required her to be medevac to the hospital, where it was determined that she fractured her t12 bone located within her back. In addition, there was two other passengers one refused to receive medical attention. The third passenger however sustained undetailed injuries of a fractured nose, fractured back, and shattered hip. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard where the insurance company would review it. The insurance company declared that the vehicle was destroyed. …

Tl* the contact owned a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, another vehicle failed to obey a red light at 35 MPH and crashed into the front of the contacts vehicle. During the crash the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged but the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained a right hip and an ankle injury along with a concussion. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. A police report was taken at the scene. The manufacturer was contacted and an inspection was performed on the vehicle but no problem was found. The local dealer was notified. The contact mentioned that there was a recall related to the air bags associated with her vehicle but the recall information was not available. The failure mileage was 190,000. …

On 12/10/22 the passenger side curtain and squib airbags deployed with no collision of any kind. I was picking up my disabled partner, who is under 5' and under 90 lb. I believe she would have been at significant risk of harm were she already in the van. On 12/12/22, I took the van to where we purchased it. The van is BraunAbility modified with an accessible ramp, the back seats removed, and it sits much lower to the ground than the unmodified van. First, I was told that they found evidence of a collision. I had long known of that damage: I had ran over a curb several years before, and, because of the modifications, the van tends to scrape on acute inclines, a problem they said at the time of purchase would sounds scary but was harmless. I was told that the tiny hole in the metal frame under the van "exposed the sensor" and that deployed the airbags. …

Related recalls

Airbag complaints in other Grand Caravan years