1995 Dodge Grand Caravan Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about automatic transmission trouble: delayed or missing shifts, limp mode, slipping into neutral and loss of drive. A second recurring theme is cracking and tearing of the sheet metal around the front door hinges, so the doors sag and stop latching. Air bag non-deployment in frontal crashes, seat belt anchor points pulling loose, and brake warning light or dragging brakes also appear repeatedly, and many of the vans were already well over a decade old when the complaint was filed.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slipping, sticking in gear, or losing drive

   • 19 complaints (18%)
   • typically at 5.0 yrs old
   • filed 1996–2001

   Owners describe automatic transmissions that hesitate or refuse to engage a gear, lock into first gear in limp mode, slip into neutral at highway speed, or will not go into reverse. Several complaints mention jerking or hunting around 40 mph, a burned clutch, or metal pieces found under the van, and many say the transmission was rebuilt or replaced, sometimes more than once. A few owners report that the dealer could not reproduce the problem on the day of the visit. Most of these complaints give no mileage; where owners stated it, failures appear from roughly 50,000 miles, and some transmissions failed again after a rebuild.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for transmission service records and whether the unit has been rebuilt or replaced, and note any delay going into drive or reverse on a test drive. A service bulletin describes a valve body condition that may produce overdrive cycling, so ask whether that work was ever performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Cost $2400. Transmission shop keeps them on the shelf, since failure is so common!!! One technician thinks he's done 13 of them. After doing a little research, I feel like a schmuck for buying the vehicle. I had no idea chrysler sold such a piece of crap. I hope daimler fires all their butts.”

   NHTSA complaint #754146, filed 2001-11

   “I noticed rough shifting then it became worse the transmission would hunt arround 40 MPH I notified the dealer they found other problems but the trans checked out now four months later , my transmission is totally gone along with the housing unit pieces of metal were found underneath the van”

   NHTSA complaint #712080, filed 1999-09
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Front door hinge area cracks and door sags

   • 14 complaints (13%)
   • median 103,000 mi at 8.1 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 1999–2003

   Complaints describe cracking or tearing of the metal around the front door hinges and latch area, so the door drops, scrapes the sill or fender, and no longer lines up with the latch. Owners report doors that will not shut or lock properly, and some describe repairs by welding in extra backing or replacing the door post, with the cracking returning afterwards. A few complaints also mention a sliding door coming off its hinges and cracking of the cowl where the hinges attach. Mileage is rarely recorded; the complaint that listed it cited about 103,000 miles, and several of these vans were well over a decade old when reported.

   What to check: Open and close each front door slowly and watch the hinge area for movement, hairline cracks or previous weld repairs. Check that every door latches firmly and sits flush with the body before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I never been contacted by the dealer or the mfg about my complaints. They want these problems to get too old so they simply ignore you. They may be hundreds of these vans with cracked front cowlings where the door hinges mate. The doors willnot close safely and lock. My family is at risk and with three children I cannot dump this death trap because the mfg ignores their design defects. There may be hundreds of these vans out waiting for a small accident to throw someone out because the door mounting is not solid. …”

   NHTSA complaint #755856, filed 2001-12

   “The front driver door frame is breaking off metal. Ts the driver door mounting point on the body, is cracking from the flex of the door and will eventually break completely off. Scc”

   NHTSA complaint #10001757, filed 2002-12, 103,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Air bags not deploying in a frontal impact

   • 7 complaints (6%)
   • median 120,000 mi at 8.7 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2003

   Owners describe frontal collisions, including one at about 35 mph that bent the frame, in which neither the driver nor the passenger air bag deployed, and in some cases a manufacturer diagnostic check reportedly found no fault. Other complaints describe a recurring blown air bag fuse and a warning light that came on while the rear washer was used, with a new fuse blowing again as soon as the ignition was switched on. One owner notes the air bag circuit recall work had already been performed on the van. The deployment reports involve crashes at roughly 30 to 40 mph rather than a particular mileage; one was filed at about 120,000 miles.

   Recall 99V113000

   What to check: Ask whether the air bag wiring recall has been completed and confirm the air bag warning light comes on briefly and then goes out at startup. A light that stays on, or a fuse that keeps blowing, is worth diagnosing before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Airbag circuit recall done but airbag fuse fails continually again. I had the airbag circuit recall work performed by weisner Dodge in tomball, tx over a year ago. Although the fuse had failed repeatedly, the dealership only installed a patch to protect a wire. On 1/14/02, the airbag warning light came on when I used the rear windshield washer. I replaced the blown 20a fuse, but every fuse blows as soon as I turn the ignition on. I am contacting the local Dodge dealership in huntsville, tx to make the repair.”

   NHTSA complaint #756821, filed 2002-01

   “Failure of airbag system to deploy during a vehicular accident. Vehicle impact had enough energy to bend the frame of complaint vehicle. Both vehicles were written-off by their respective insurance companies.”

   NHTSA complaint #10049522, filed 2003-12, 120,000 miles
4. 4
   Seat belts

   Seat belt anchors pulling loose from the body

   • 5 complaints (5%)
   • typically at 6.2 yrs old
   • filed 1997–2004

   These complaints describe seat belt anchorage points coming away from the vehicle: an upper anchor detaching while a belt was being buckled, a rear belt pulling out of the panel above the window, and a center belt anchorage separating from the floor while the van was parked. One owner also raised concern about the release buckles on this generation of belts opening in a crash, particularly when a child seat is in use. No mileage is given in these complaints; most were filed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

   What to check: Pull firmly on each belt at its anchor point and at the buckle, including the rear and center positions, and look for loose trim or disturbed mounting bolts. Ask whether any belt or buckle has been replaced.

5. 5
   Brakes

   Brake warning light and front brakes dragging

   • 5 complaints (5%)
   • typically at 2.8 yrs old
   • filed 1997–1999

   Owners report a brake warning light that comes on and off intermittently, with one dealer unable to identify the fault and another pointing to an internal leak in the master cylinder. Another complaint describes the front brakes applying by themselves and overheating a wheel, with the master cylinder and caliper replaced and the problem still present. One owner also reports that pads and rotors of different sizes were fitted during a repair, leading to rapid wear. Mileage is not stated in these complaints.

   What to check: After a test drive, feel each wheel for uneven heat and check the brake fluid level and pedal feel. Ask what brake parts were last fitted and whether the warning light has been coming on.

Buying note. On a van of this age the transmission and the door hinge mounting areas matter more than the odometer, so check both carefully and ask for service history. Confirm the air bag circuit recall work was done and the warning light behaves normally, and budget for the possibility that the transmission has already been replaced once.

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.