What breaks most · 1991 to 2002 model years
Dodge Van problems by year
Owners have filed 163 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Dodge Van across model years 1991 to 2002. Three years stand out: 1997 for suspension complaints, 1998 for electrical system complaints and 2000 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1991 and 1994.
- Years to check closely: 1997, 1998, 2000
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1991, 1994
- Complaints on file
- 1631991 to 2002, all trims
- Worst year
- 199724 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 176 fires · 24 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 60kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 1Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 1 | Tires (2) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Seat belts (2) | |
| 9 | 1 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 10 | 1 | 0 | Latches and locks (2) | |
| 18 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 24 | 3 | 0 | Suspension (4) | |
| 24 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 17 | 3 | 0 | Seats (3) | |
| 19 | 3 | 0 | Engine and cooling (5) | |
| 15 | 2 | 0 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 18 | 3 | 0 | Air bags (3) |
What fails on the 1997 Dodge Van
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 17% |
4 | 1 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 17% |
4 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 17% |
4 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 17% |
4 | 1 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 13% |
3 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Tires | 13% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 13% |
3 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
1997 dodge caravan has severe strut tower corrosion on front drivers side. This has not failed yet, but could cause crash if strut comes through top of housing. *jb
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Dt*: the contact stated the driver's side door will not open. The vehicle is equipped with automatic door locks; however there is no over ride for the locks. The door can not be opened from the inside or outside. Neither the dealer nor manufacturer have been alerted.
-
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 15 mph, the serpentine belt fractured and came loose. As a result, steering became extremely difficult. The vehicle was able to be driven to an independent repair shop for inspection and repairs. Updated 03/09/06
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Dodge Van years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1997, 1998, 2000 carry the most filings on the Dodge Van. The 1997 alone has 24 complaints, led by suspension.
What is the most common Dodge Van problem?
On the 1997 model year, the most-reported component is suspension with 4 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Dodge Van problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Dodge Van complaints that include mileage is about 60,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.