1994 Dodge Caravan Problems

What owners report

Owners of 1994 Dodge Caravan models most often write in about transmission trouble — hard shifting, slipping out of gear, and eventual rebuilds or replacements — usually at higher mileage. Sliding-door and liftgate hardware failures on the body are the second large theme, and air bag complaints cluster around warning lights, non-deployment in crashes, and unwanted deployment tied to a recall on the air bag wiring.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slips, hard shifts, or fails

   • 92 complaints (14%)
   • median 97,500 mi at 9.9 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2005

   Complaints describe hard or delayed shifting, whining from the overdrive section, the van dropping out of gear or going into limp mode, and in some cases total transmission failure requiring rebuild or replacement. Several owners say the van had been serviced regularly beforehand, and some report dealers could not duplicate the problem on a first visit or recommending replacement. A number of owners mention being told by shops that this is common on these vans. Mostly reported between roughly 45,000 and 160,000 miles, with many clustered around 90,000-115,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for transmission service records and whether the unit has ever been rebuilt or replaced; on a test drive listen for whine in overdrive and feel for harsh or delayed shifts, especially once the van is warm.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Transmission felt like it went into neutral while on our way home, at night, then it just stopped in the middle of the road on a corner. We pushed it somewhat off the road and turned on the hazards. Then I proceeded to haul my five kids out of the vehicle and down the road to try to phone for help. Walking at night with 5 young children on the shoulder of the road is dangerous. I tried to get it repaired and was told that this was a common problem with Dodge. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10043256, filed 2003-10, 157,000 miles

   “Transmission failure on our 1994 Dodge grand Caravan without any warning - the van is just under 9 years old and had 86292 miles. It has been regularly serviced and is maintained in very good condition. It is used to commute to work and as a family car without any towing or heavy loads. Regular transmission service and checkup has been performed with last one before the failure at 72456 miles. No problems were found at this service, otherwise I would have taken appropriate action. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10030406, filed 2003-07, 86,292 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light, no deployment, or unwanted deployment

   • 85 complaints (13%)
   • median 140,000 mi at 24.9 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 52 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2018

   Complaints describe the air bag warning light staying on, air bags failing to deploy in front-end collisions, and in some cases a bag deploying with the ignition off or while parked. Owners also report blowing fuses shared by the air bag system and rear wiper, and some say a dealer claimed recall work was already completed on a van that had not been inspected. Found across the sample at varying mileage, including vans with well over 100,000 miles.

   Recall 99V113000

   What to check: Confirm the air bag wiring recall was performed and check that the air bag light comes on and goes out with the key; ask for any paperwork showing recall completion.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I ? Failure of a recently routinely serviced transmission. I was told that driving in this condition would cause the system to lock up and create other failures (axle). Am I alone in this problem, also, I had received a recall on the van for airbag problem - it also listed on the form in very small print that the rear wiper may also have to be serviced/replaced at their discretion I believe. …”

   NHTSA complaint #718154, filed 2000-02

   “Consumer received recall notices 99v113000/ air bag deployment; 99v213000/liftgate support bracket, and 00v305000/ steering wheel separation in the mail. When dealership/manufacturer were contacted to repair these defects, she was told that work had already been performed. Consumer stated that this vehicle had never been examined for these recalls. Please provide any additional information/attachments.”

   NHTSA complaint #890808, filed 2001-06
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Sliding door and liftgate opening or coming loose

   • 95 complaints (15%)
   • median 66,896 mi at 9.1 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 13 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2006

   Owners describe passenger-side sliding doors that bind in cold weather or fly open on turns, hinges and joints breaking, and the door separating from its mounts; a door that would not latch after closing is also reported. Liftgate complaints describe the hatch or its strut mount breaking, the gate dropping or opening unexpectedly, and cargo spilling in a crash. Dealers variously realigned the door, replaced an older hinge design, or characterized the problem as normal wear. Reported across a wide mileage range, from low-mileage vans to those over 150,000 miles, with some owners noting cold weather makes the door worse.

   Recall 99V213000

   What to check: Open and close both sliding doors and the liftgate several times and look at the hinge and strut mounting bolts for cracks, looseness, or previous repairs; ask whether the liftgate strut recall work was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driver side door opened while rounding a bend causing me to almost fall out of the vehicle. If it hadn't been for the seat belt I would have fallen out. After the door opened I swerved loosing control however there wasn't an on coming vehicle at the time. From the force of the door swinging open both of the joints broke off and the service man at our local dealer informed us that he sees many of these problems on the 1994/1995 models. I had all of the recalls done to date including the rear latch that I never had a problem with. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10007041, filed 2000-10, 67,000 miles

   “Passenger's side sliding door failed to latch properly. Hinges kept breaking. Door would fly open when going around a corner or curb. Contacted manufacturer, and informed consumer of normal wear and tear, not a defect. Had been repaired 15 times, and would only last about 3 months. Took back to dealership, and mechanic replaced old design with a new design.”

   NHTSA complaint #884677, filed 2001-03
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Engine stalls or quits while driving

   • 47 complaints (7%)
   • median 104,678 mi at 16.5 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2015

   Owners report the engine dying when slowing for a turn, when releasing the accelerator, or at speed with no warning, sometimes restarting after a short wait and sometimes not restarting until later. Some describe throttle body contamination, belt and A/C belt replacement, or a fuel pump replacement without the stalling going away, and mechanics were often unable to find a stored code or reproduce the problem. Reported from low mileage up to about 95,000 miles, often during deceleration or coasting.

   What to check: Test drive at low speed and during coasting to see whether the idle drops or the engine cuts out, and ask whether the throttle body has been cleaned and the serpentine belt replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving down interstate vehicle just quit. Was able to coast to side of road. Attempt to restart failed.4 times. Let vehicle sit for about 10 minutes and normal restart. This is third time in three weeks. Other two no starts were after vehicle sitting overnight. No error codes or check engine light. First no start replaced air filter. Second no start replaced battery. Info provided because of 2010 Dodge grand Caravan issue an potential for it to exist in early vehicles. I do not believe it is the ignition switch.”

   NHTSA complaint #10692369, filed 2015-03, 95,356 miles

   “When slowing down or coasting, to make a left/right turn, vehicle would stall out for no reason. Had no warning. Took vehicle to dealer & mechanic could not duplicate or solve problem. It's intermittent & hard to locate.”

   NHTSA complaint #836848, filed 1999-04

Buying note. A 1994 Caravan with a documented transmission service history is worth more than one without, given how often transmission repairs appear in complaints. Check the sliding doors, liftgate mounts, air bag light, and brake pedal feel before buying, and confirm which of the air bag and liftgate recalls were actually completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.