2007 Dodge Caravan Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2007 Dodge Caravan most often describe stalling or rough running right after a full fill-up, along with brake wear and pedal/ABS concerns, airbag warning lights, and crankshaft seal oil leaks. Reports span from nearly new vehicles to well over 100,000 miles, so these are not confined to high-mileage vans.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Stalls or sputters right after filling the tank

   • 12 complaints (15%)
   • median 99,640 mi at 8.2 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • filed 2014–2019

   Owners describe the engine stumbling, losing power, or stalling shortly after a complete fill-up, often at a stoplight, in a turn, or at highway speed; some say the van starts and runs normally again after sitting. Several complaints point to a component inside the fuel tank that cannot be replaced separately, with dealers and independent mechanics quoting whole-tank replacement. Some owners say they now fill only half a tank to avoid the problem. Commonly reported on vehicles of widely varied mileage, from a few hundred to over 160,000 miles, and usually within a short distance of refueling.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the van immediately after a full fill-up on a test drive and see whether it stumbles or cuts out. Ask whether the fuel tank has been replaced and whether the tank-related service bulletins were addressed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle sputters and stalls after filling tank with gas. This only happens when filling the tank full. It happens so frequently that we only fill up at gas stations that are off of side streets. That way when it stalls it's not in a main intersection. My mechanic said he has to replace the whole tank to fix the problem and said it's quite common. It's roughly $1000 in part's and labor.”

   NHTSA complaint #10655226, filed 2014-11, 80,000 miles

   “After refueling our 2007 Dodge grand Caravan, it stalled after going less than a mile. We were making a turn at the time. We lost power steering since the engine stalled & the check oil light came on. We were able to get it to the side of the road. After turning it off for a little while, we got it to restart but after driving less than a mile & turning again, it stalled again. This has been happening after refueling off & on for the past six months. Once we were in an intersection & it happened. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10669775, filed 2015-01, 99,280 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brakes wear fast, rust, or feel weak

   • 8 complaints (10%)
   • median 32,617 mi at 1.3 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2007–2014

   Complaints describe premature brake pad and rotor wear, squealing or grinding, rusted braking components, and, in some cases, a low or spongy pedal with longer stopping distance. Owners report repeated brake jobs within short mileage intervals, and dealers variously replaced rotors and shoes or told them nothing further could be done. Mostly reported between about 15,000 and 90,000 miles, with several cases at low mileage.

   What to check: Have a mechanic measure pad and rotor thickness and inspect the hoses and lines for rust or cracking; ask for service records showing how recently the brakes were done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Dodge Caravan sxt, 65,000 miles. My car since new on 10-30-03. Left front brake hose ruptured at the flexible/rigid tube connection closest to the wheel in my driveway. Immediate loss of braking occurred. Dealer d'ambrosio Dodge repaired the car and told me that there was no safety recall. This is a serious manufacturing defect.”

   NHTSA complaint #10204053, filed 2007-09, 65,537 miles

   “Almost total loss of braking ability. Brakes also wear out too fast. The minivan has only 35000 miles and just had the second set of pads at 31000 miles. Yesterday while driving in the mountains the brakes over heated and almost caught fire (a lot of smoke). I was staying off the brakes as much as possible and in 3rd gear not od. I have never had this problem with other vehicles. I was able to use a long turnout to slow down in and stop after smelling the brakes overheating.”

   NHTSA complaint #10237540, filed 2008-08, 35,234 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light stays on or flashes

   • 8 complaints (10%)
   • median 88,002 mi at 6.8 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2015

   Owners report the airbag light illuminating intermittently or staying on while driving, sometimes with the passenger-seat occupancy indicator behaving oddly. Dealers performed diagnostics, replaced the clockspring in one case, or could not duplicate the fault; several owners say the light returned. Some complaints also describe airbags not deploying in a collision. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 130,000 miles, across the whole life of the vehicle.

   What to check: Check that the airbag light comes on at startup and then goes out. Ask whether any airbag-related diagnostics or clockspring replacement has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was in an accident on 1/6/2015 a car pulled out in front of me I was running 50 MPH when I hit him my car was hit on the front drivers side and totaled and none of the air bags never came out.I am so glad my grand daughter was not in the car.”

   NHTSA complaint #10671099, filed 2015-01, 129,000 miles

   “The airbag light turns on at the beginning when a child or a light load is in the passenger's seat. It then turns off once I start going. I don't know if that means that it is on or off and am concerned. Secondly, I recently had to repair the runner on the drivers side back sliding door. The wire that went through the middle of it was in jeopardy of getting damaged if I didn't. I had to pay $350 to get this repaired. It looks like I'll have to be repairing the passenger's side in the future as it is showing signs of deterioration.”

   NHTSA complaint #10350547, filed 2010-08, 55,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, harsh shifting, or failure

   • 5 complaints (6%)
   • median 52,575 mi at 1.9 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2007–2010

   Owners describe hard or delayed shifts, a bump felt on acceleration, the van dropping into limp mode with the check engine light, and in some cases transmission replacement. Complaints mention solenoid pack and valve body repairs, and dealers sometimes said no fault could be confirmed without a warning light. Mostly reported between roughly 45,000 and 150,000 miles, with some complaints at very low mileage.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive at both low and highway speeds and feel for shudder or delayed engagement; ask for transmission service records and whether a valve body or solenoid pack has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2007 Caravan with 11300 miles. I have had trans problems since 800 miles. Dealer calls it a bump stop however can't fix it because no service light is on. Now hearing strange sounds from drivers side rear (electric fuel pump) dealers mechanic says change it but Dodge corporate says no light again so don't fix.”

   NHTSA complaint #10239602, filed 2008-08, 11,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Caravan which was purchased on december 28, 2006. While approaching a stop sign she noticed that the vehicle began to idle excessively. The vehicle was taken to her independent mechanic where she had a transmission flush performed. After the transmission was flushed, the vehicle would not proceed beyond 40 MPH while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic where they performed a diagnostic test and found that the transmission was failing. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10298016, filed 2010-01, 48,151 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Crankshaft/cam seal oil leaks

   • 6 complaints (7%)
   • median 72,000 mi at 4.5 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2010–2016

   Complaints describe oil leaking from the front crank or camshaft seal, sometimes heavily and at low mileage, with the same seal failing again after repair. Owners report the seal and related parts being replaced under warranty once and then at their own cost, and some mention oil pump replacement as well. Reported from about 30,000 to 160,000 miles, including repeat failures within tens of thousands of miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Look for oil residue or drips at the front of the engine and underneath the van, and ask whether the crank or cam seal has been replaced and when.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2007 Dodge Caravan 2.4 engine I bought it new only 3 years old now the warranty ran out 2 days before the car broke the crank seal keep popping out this is my 4th time 2 times I had to change the oil pump and 2 times I have to change the seal I am going out my mind I love the car so much I put so much in it and Dodge say there are no recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10367002, filed 2010-11, 35,000 miles

   “Well I bought this van brand new when it has 32000 miles it broke the front crank seal. I took it to the dealer and has warranty on it they fix it. Now it has 72000 miles and broke again the front crank seal. Right now I don't know what I can do because I don't have warranty on it. I been searching and I found a lot of people having the same problem. If this is the case the dealer should fix this problem for free, because it came bad manufacture problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10505172, filed 2013-03, 72,000 miles

Buying note. A used 2007 Caravan is worth a thorough test drive that includes a full fill-up and a stop-and-go segment, plus a mechanic's inspection of the brakes, seals, and transmission. Service records showing recent brake and transmission work, and whether the fuel-tank and shift-quality bulletins were addressed, are the most useful things to ask for.

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.