1997 Dodge Caravan Exterior lighting Problems
- Complaints
- 20about this part
- Share
- 3%of 714 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 82,552miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 20 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 1997 Dodge Caravan, 3% of the 714 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 82,552 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved and 2 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My wife park the van inside the garage, turn off the radio, engine and lights. She open the drivers door and see flames and smoke coming by the parking brake handler. And all the lights on the van were on. She remove the kids from the van and my son call 911.police and fire department came and extinguish the fire, remove the van from the garage and check it and found possible electrical malfunction .check the van today 8-24 2013 and found that the fire start at the head light switch. Dim switch ok and mirror switch ok. …”
NHTSA complaint #10537090, filed 2013-08, 209,000 miles“1) defect result of normal use, no exceptional situation just normal every day use.related to two vehicles one 1996 Caravan, another 1997 Caravan. 2) exesive haze buildoff on headlights(plastic lens) I can contribute a loss of proper distance ilumination, for witch several atempts of diferent methods where tried to correct problem, resulting in pedestrian struct accident on dark night,my driving record had been ticket, accident clear for more than 30 years. …”
NHTSA complaint #10137254, filed 2005-09, 47,000 miles“Headlight housing on 1997 Dodge se grand Caravan. The plastic lens of the headlight housing in which the headlight bulb is encased has discolored, thereby, obscuring the light generated by the headlight bulb. This has occurred on both the right and left headlight housings. I have surveyed other minivans of the same vintage and noticed they too were discolored. It concerned me so much that I purchased two new headlight housings from off the internet (not mopar). There is probably a safety factor with this defect.”
NHTSA complaint #10174485, filed 2006-11, 1,000 miles“The headlights were made of plastic and have oxidized to the point that the consumer had to drive at night with the high beams on. The consumer stated that the film was so bad that he could not see the bulb inside the cover.”
NHTSA complaint #10101504, filed 2005-01, 40,000 miles“At one time, before 1960, front turn signals were white, then they changed to amber and have remained so for 40 years. I would like to have it stated that front turn signalsshall only be amber in color. Rear turn signals, also at one time they were red then the manufacturers created the 3 color tail light red for stop and tail, amber for turn and white for back-up. Unfortunately many have combined the tail and brake in to a lower cost single lamp . I would like to see the return to the amber turn signal. …”
NHTSA complaint #10028697, filed 2003-07Exterior lighting: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1 | 3% |
| 2012 | 1 | 1% |
| 2010 | 11 | 6% |
| 2008 | 15 | 5% |
| 2007 | 2 | 2% |
| 2006 | 16 | 9% |
| 2005 | 90 | 17% |
| 2004 | 3 | 5% |
| 2003 | 10 | 5% |
| 2002 | 15 | 6% |
| 2001 | 30 | 12% |
| 2000 | 6 | 1% |
| 1999 | 16 | 3% |
| 1998 | 31 | 5% |
| 1997 | 20 | 3% |
| 1996 | 43 | 3% |
| 1995 | 6 | 1% |
| 1994 | 8 | 1% |
| 1993 | 19 | 2% |
| 1992 | 8 | 1% |
| 1991 | 5 | 1% |
| 1990 | 5 | 2% |
| 1989 | 2 | 1% |
| 1988 | 6 | 6% |
Other parts of the 1997 Dodge Caravan
152 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
133 complaintsEngine cooling
123 complaintsElectrical system
96 complaintsBrakes
72 complaintsFuel system
60 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
56 complaintsVehicle speed control
45 complaintsSteering
40 complaintsOther or unknown
29 complaintsEquipment
22 complaintsSeat belts
22 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Dodge Caravan
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology