Dodge Grand Caravan years to avoid
Dodge Grand Caravan years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2008 (1,293 complaints, led by the electrical system at 815 and the airbags at 294) and the 2016 (1,159, led by the electrical system at 354 and the powertrain at 251) drew the most of the 2000–2020 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. Before buying a used Grand Caravan, run its VIN: the $14.99 original ClearVIN PDF shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file.
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The 2008 (1,293) and 2016 (1,159) drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA of the 2000–2020 Dodge Grand Caravan model years on record, as of November 10, 2026.
2007 drew far fewer complaints than the years around it; nothing in this collection shows it filed under another name, so its count is read as low, not as missing.
2020 has fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
2019 drew under a quarter of the 359 complaints of the median 2000–2020 year, too few to name among the fewest.
Fewest complaints: of the Dodge Grand Caravan model years from 2000 to 2020 with at least 90 complaints on file, a quarter of the median year’s 359, the 2004 (116) and 2007 (182) drew the fewest. Fewer complaints can also mean fewer sold or fewer still on the road, so it is a starting point, not a clean bill of health; years after 2020 are left out because they have had less time to collect complaints.
Half of the 7,049 NHTSA owner complaints on the Dodge Grand Caravan that list mileage came after 72,000 miles (NHTSA complaints file of November 11, 2026). How many miles will a Dodge Grand Caravan last? →
Dodge Grand Caravan complaints and recalls by model year, 2000–2020
This table lists the 21 Dodge Grand Caravan model years NHTSA holds records for between 2000 and 2020, collected from NHTSA’s complaints and recalls APIs on November 10, 2026. Each owner complaint is counted once, by its NHTSA number, and a complaint can name more than one component; recall campaigns are counted once per model year, by campaign number. Across these years NHTSA lists 49 distinct recall campaigns, the newest filed Dec 18, 2025.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Most-reported components | Recall campaigns | Newest recall filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Grand Caravan | 467 | powertrain (96), engine cooling (84), suspension (62) | 8 | Jun 17, 2010 |
| 2001 Grand Caravan | 298 | airbags (48), exterior lighting (48), electrical system (37) | 5 | Nov 2, 2004 |
| 2002 Grand Caravan | 301 | airbags (61), steering (54), powertrain (44) | 6 | Nov 2, 2004 |
| 2003 Grand Caravan | 219 | steering (45), electrical system (32), powertrain (28) | 3 | Aug 5, 2004 |
| 2004 Grand Caravan | 116 | fuel system (25), engine cooling (14), brakes (14) | 3 | Dec 11, 2007 |
| 2005 Grand Caravan | 995 | door latches (338), electrical system (259), exterior lighting (150) | 6 | Jun 15, 2010 |
| 2006 Grand Caravan | 284 | steering (61), airbags (54), electrical system (38) | 4 | Jul 27, 2010 |
| 2007 Grand Caravan | 182 · low next to the years around it | fuel system (41), electrical system (30), engine (26) | 3 | Jul 27, 2010 |
| 2008 Grand Caravan | 1,293 · most | electrical system (815), airbags (294), brakes (133) | 8 | Jul 7, 2020 |
| 2009 Grand Caravan | 544 | electrical system (334), airbags (137), engine (42) | 7 | Jul 7, 2020 |
| 2010 Grand Caravan | 1,042 | electrical system (629), engine (163), airbags (161) | 6 | Dec 18, 2025 |
| 2011 Grand Caravan | 530 | electrical system (332), fuel system (127), engine (92) | 4 | Dec 18, 2025 |
| 2012 Grand Caravan | 584 | electrical system (337), engine (119), fuel system (68) | 6 | Dec 18, 2025 |
| 2013 Grand Caravan | 471 | electrical system (256), engine (71), seats (44) | 4 | Dec 18, 2025 |
| 2014 Grand Caravan | 359 | electrical system (128), engine (80), seats (61) | 5 | Dec 18, 2025 |
| 2015 Grand Caravan | 281 | powertrain (77), seats (57) | 4 | Dec 18, 2025 |
| 2016 Grand Caravan | 1,159 · most | electrical system (354), powertrain (251), body structure (234) | 6 | Dec 18, 2025 |
| 2017 Grand Caravan | 415 | electrical system (144), body structure (95), engine (58) | 3 | Dec 18, 2025 |
| 2018 Grand Caravan | 271 | electrical system (92), body structure (59), engine (34) | 4 | Dec 18, 2025 |
| 2019 Grand Caravan | 48 | powertrain (13), electrical system (8), seats (8) | 4 | Dec 18, 2025 |
| 2020 Grand Caravan | 20 · too few to compare | powertrain (8), airbags (5), electrical system (4) | 1 | Dec 18, 2025 |
Dodge Grand Caravan by model year: mileage, problems and recalls
Each page below covers one model year in NHTSA’s complaints file of November 11, 2026: the mileage when owners reported problems, the most-reported components and the recall campaigns NHTSA’s recall files list. That file is a separate collection from the table above and goes back to the 1981 model year, so its counts can differ and it holds years the table does not.
How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse vehicle. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road, so older and best-selling years collect more.
- The comparison is between years of the Dodge Grand Caravan only. It says nothing about how the Grand Caravan compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. NHTSA’s VIN lookup checks open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result does not prove the vehicle’s complete recall or repair history; ask for dated repair documentation.
- NHTSA files some years under body or cab names (for example ACCESS CAB or CREW CAB). This collection asked for the names NHTSA lists, and a year far below its neighbours also under the common cab and body names. Such a year is marked as possibly filed under another name only when NHTSA’s records show it split across names or holding recalls and no complaint; otherwise its count is read as low.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- NHTSA recall and complaint datasets: scope and API documentationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls Lookup by VINNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Dodge Grand Caravan year-by-year questions
Which Dodge Grand Caravan years should I avoid?
Dodge Grand Caravan years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2008 (1,293 complaints, led by the electrical system at 815 and the airbags at 294) and the 2016 (1,159, led by the electrical system at 354 and the powertrain at 251) drew the most of the 2000–2020 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. 2007 drew far fewer complaints than the years around it; nothing in this collection shows it filed under another name, so its count is read as low, not as missing. 2020 has fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare. 2019 drew under a quarter of the 359 complaints of the median 2000–2020 year, too few to name among the fewest.
What are the best Dodge Grand Caravan years?
Complaint counts do not show which model year is best; the closest they come is which years drew the fewest complaints. Of the Dodge Grand Caravan model years from 2000 to 2020 with at least 90 complaints on file, a quarter of the median year’s 359, the 2004 (116) and 2007 (182) drew the fewest. Fewer complaints can also mean fewer sold or fewer still on the road, so it is a starting point, not a clean bill of health; years after 2020 are left out because they have had less time to collect complaints.
Do complaint counts mean the Grand Caravan is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model, which is what this page does, not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Grand Caravan before buying?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. It reports open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result is not a complete recall or repair history; ask the seller or manufacturer for dated repair documentation. For the vehicle's own past, the original ClearVIN PDF from VIN Lookup shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file for that VIN.