2010 Dodge Grand Caravan Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2010 Grand Caravan most often describe the engine quitting while driving - sometimes at speed, sometimes while turning or backing up - with the loss of power steering and power brake assist that follows. Complaints also cover a driver-side sliding door that will not unlock or open, key fobs and ignition keys that lock or stick, headlights that cut out, and front-end trouble such as ABS wheel sensor faults and airbag concerns. Most of these reports come in above 100,000 miles, though a few appear much earlier.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Engine shuts off while driving (stall)

   • 360 complaints (41%)
   • median 81,153 mi at 6.0 yrs old (311 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $850 (median of 19 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2026

   Owners describe the engine cutting out with no warning while driving at city or highway speeds, sometimes while turning, backing up or going over a bump. Power steering and brake assist are lost at the same time, and the van usually restarts after being shifted to neutral or turned off and back on. Complaints mention the ignition switch, the WIN module, crank and cam sensors, EGR valve, starter and battery being replaced, often without a lasting fix; several say a dealer told them their VIN was not covered by the ignition-related recall. Reported across a wide mileage range, most often between roughly 70,000 and 190,000 miles; a few at very low mileage after hitting a dip or speed bump.

   Recall 11V139000Recall 14V3730002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the ignition switch and WIN module have been replaced and whether the van has had stalling episodes; check the key for looseness in the switch and confirm recall status by VIN before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving on highway at 70mph. The car turned off and the traction control idiot light turned on. I managed to struggle to get it over to the side of the highway (I-294 in chicago is not easy!) and put the car in park. With the car in park, I was able to restart the car and continue on our trip. This is the 3rd time this has happened since november 2019.”

   NHTSA complaint #11315879, filed 2020-03, 138,500 miles

   “My 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan , I just purchased this van from car company in warsaw indiana! I took it back to car company twice to see what's wrong with it and these more or less told me they couldn't help! While driving down the road my van shuts off! I lose brakes,steering all power ! Put in neutral start it and keep going! Sometimes 2 or 3 times in a 5 mile radius.”

   NHTSA complaint #11328085, filed 2020-06, 13,600 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Key fob / ignition key sticks or locks out

   • 185 complaints (21%)
   • median 85,789 mi at 5.7 yrs old (152 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $725 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2011–2026

   Complaints describe the ignition key not releasing after the van is shut off, keys fracturing or sliding loosely out of the switch, and the fob locking the doors when bumped. Some owners report the van not cranking or not recognizing the key, and say the dealer diagnosed the WIN module as the cause. Others mention the key being so loose that a bump in the road cuts power. Reported from about 38,000 miles up to around 190,000, with several cases in the low-mileage range.

   Recall 11V139000

   What to check: Test that the key turns freely, comes out cleanly and starts the van every time; ask whether the WIN module or ignition switch has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The key fob locks the car if lightly bumped. The danger is leaving the keys in the car and closing a door which triggers the lock. This could lock one out in freezing weather or lock a child in the van when parked and closing the drivers door then trying to open the rear door to get a child out. I spoke to my office employee and similar problems with Dodge key fobs happen to her and a friend.”

   NHTSA complaint #11301751, filed 2020-01, 116,000 miles

   “Two things happening occasionally...1st is that sometimes I attempt to start the van and when I turn the key nothing happens as if I didn't even try to turn the key. One time just before this happened I could not use the key fab to unlock the door to the van, almost like the battery to the van or fab was dead, however both were new or fine. After pulling fab out of ignition and trying a second time van has always started without incident. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11311843, filed 2020-02, 130,000 miles
3. 3
   Exterior lighting

   Headlights cut out while driving

   • 78 complaints (9%)
   • median 79,500 mi at 5.8 yrs old (66 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,050 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2026

   Owners describe headlights turning off without warning while driving at night, sometimes coming back on when the switch is worked and later failing completely. Complaints mention the wiring harness and window/door switch area being diagnosed as the fault, and some connect the lighting loss to a broader electrical problem with warning lights flashing and wipers running on their own. Reported mostly between about 80,000 and 190,000 miles.

   What to check: Check both low and high beams, try the headlight switch through its full range, and look for signs of wiring repairs around the door harness and dash.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I am driving the car straight down the road, the car engine cuts off and the steering goes rigid and difficult to steer a I glide and pull the car to the side of the road. This has happened probably 30 times over the past 3 years. Twice (when the car was only a year or so old) the shifting has just slid out of place into another gear by itself. This is so so so dangerous. I have taken my car in to a mechanic several times. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11402862, filed 2021-03, 80,000 miles

   “While driving in the city or in a highway all lights and engine stops also the steering wheel and the breaks harding you hardly steer it to the side road to stop the vehicle after few yards depends on the vehicle speed. We ere lucky no body was behind us in many occasions, I had this issue a month after I bought it used from a dealer and they told it is fixed, and now it is back, I coinsider it danger to me and to other drivers on the road.”

   NHTSA complaint #11398041, filed 2021-02, 130,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   ABS / traction warning lights and brake concern

   • 136 complaints (16%)
   • median 59,250 mi at 5.3 yrs old (128 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $775 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2026

   Owners report ABS, ESP and traction control lights coming on, sometimes with a brief loss of power and the clock resetting. Complaints mention wheel speed sensor faults being the diagnosis and difficulty finding the part. One owner describes a brake pedal that went to the floor in a crash in which the driver airbag did not deploy. Reported from around 40,000 to 50,000 miles in some cases and above 100,000 miles in others.

   Recall 20V3960001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Scan for ABS and wheel speed sensor codes, test the brakes on a safe road, and confirm whether the driver airbag emblem recall work has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “For the pass year been having problems with the traction, bas, brake and esp lights coming on and sometimes losing temporarily power. Sometimes it dies and 90% of time have to reset the clock. If it doesn't die and I pull over and kill it and crank it back and the dash lights go off but most of time have to reset clock. Sometimes driving down highway, and in parking lots and sometimes backing out of my carport..my foot usually on brake but a few times it wasnt.this is the short version on my 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan that has 180,000 miles”

   NHTSA complaint #11339041, filed 2020-07, 180,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions, the ABS warning light, esp warning light and the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated t additional warning lights flickered and the instrument cluster was also inoperable during the failure. The contact stated that after a short waiting period the vehicle would restart. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11311342, filed 2020-02, 70,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the ignition switch and WIN module history, the sliding door latches and the ABS sensors, and check recall status by VIN for the ignition and driver airbag emblem campaigns. Service records showing these items were already addressed are worth more than low mileage alone.

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.