1998 Dodge Caravan Steering Problems
- Complaints
- 42about this part
- Share
- 7%of 629 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 100,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 42 complaints about the steering of the 1998 Dodge Caravan, 7% of the 629 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 100,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The serpentine belt on my 98 Dodge Caravan keeps breaking. When it does, I lose control of the car. I bought the car december 17, 2009 and have had the belt break 4 times since then, causing me near miss accidents and has left me stranded along the highway with my young children.”
NHTSA complaint #10327861, filed 2010-04, 100,000 miles“The serpentine belt on my 98 Dodge Caravan keeps breaking. When it does, I lose control of the car. I bought the car december 17, 2009 and have had the belt break 4 times since then, causing me near miss accidents and has left me stranded along the highway with my young children.”
NHTSA complaint #10327860, filed 2010-04, 100,000 miles“On my wife's 1998 Dodge Caravan, the idler serpentine belt tensioner arm completely broke off causing alot of noise under the hood, loss of power steering, and loss of alternator battery recharge. It also caused some damage to the other pulleys. I've owned many cars and this has never happened on other makes. This is a safety hazard that can leave anybody in the middle of no where.”
NHTSA complaint #10025938, filed 2003-07, 91,929 miles“The serpentine belt popped off my 1998 Dodge Caravan, it is 02/10/10 -- the day of the blizzard. This happened before on the day of the blizzard in december. This leads to an immediate loss of power steering during the worst possible driving conditions. When I tried to find out what had happened in december, two mechanics at the Dodge dealership both immediately knew what had happened. They said it happens all the time when ice or snow gets up under the car. I believe this is a very dangerous manufacturer's defect. …”
NHTSA complaint #10308334, filed 2010-02, 250,000 miles“I am the second owner of a 1998 Dodge Caravan and bought a carfax report when purchasing which was clean showing no accidents, no problems. The one recall alert on this year and model was taken care of previously. The car has generally been dependable, other than ongoing problems with the instrument cluster which fails intermittently and all the panel lights go off. …”
NHTSA complaint #10671050, filed 2015-01, 150,677 milesSteering: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2 | 9% |
| 2012 | 1 | 1% |
| 2011 | 3 | 4% |
| 2010 | 11 | 6% |
| 2009 | 8 | 7% |
| 2008 | 4 | 1% |
| 2007 | 8 | 10% |
| 2006 | 27 | 16% |
| 2005 | 28 | 5% |
| 2004 | 6 | 9% |
| 2003 | 41 | 21% |
| 2002 | 36 | 15% |
| 2001 | 32 | 12% |
| 2000 | 41 | 9% |
| 1999 | 27 | 5% |
| 1998 | 42 | 7% |
| 1997 | 40 | 6% |
| 1996 | 65 | 5% |
| 1995 | 26 | 5% |
| 1994 | 38 | 6% |
| 1993 | 92 | 10% |
| 1992 | 68 | 7% |
| 1991 | 38 | 6% |
| 1990 | 8 | 3% |
| 1989 | 2 | 1% |
| 1988 | 8 | 8% |
| 1987 | 2 | 3% |
| 1986 | 1 | 2% |
| 1985 | 3 | 6% |
| 1984 | 1 | 6% |
Other parts of the 1998 Dodge Caravan
135 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
103 complaintsAir bags
99 complaintsElectrical system
68 complaintsBrakes
48 complaintsFuel system
41 complaintsSuspension
37 complaintsVehicle speed control
33 complaintsExterior lighting
31 complaintsEquipment
28 complaintsBody and structure
26 complaintsSeat belts
23 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Dodge Caravan
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 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