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Dodge Grand CaravanModel year report

2013 Dodge Grand Caravan Problems

Compared with other Dodge Grand Caravan years

Typical for this model

51/100 1.0× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2015

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
472filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
86,065miles, 242 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
4 / 5stars overall
EPA fuel economy
20 mpgcombined, 3.6L 6-cyl FWD · 17 city / 25 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the engine shutting off or stalling while driving, and separately report the front seat head restraint (active headrest) popping open on its own while parked. Many complaints center on electrical and fuel-system parts, with several owners linking no-start or stall events to the fuel pump relay and power module. Reports span a wide mileage range, with most appearing between roughly 70,000 and 160,000 miles.

  1. Electrical system

    Engine stalls or shuts off while driving

    • 136 complaints (29%)
    • median 102,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (89 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,350 (median of 15 quotes)
    • filed 2013–2026

    Complaints describe the engine cutting out without warning at city and highway speeds, sometimes with the dash lights staying on and power steering and power brakes going away until the van is restarted. Several owners say it restarts after a pause and runs normally, then repeats, and that mechanics find no stored codes. Some complaints describe no-start or hard-start conditions traced by mechanics to the fuel pump relay integrated into the power module, with no repair completed in several cases. Reported from about 25 miles up to roughly 200,000 miles, most commonly between 70,000 and 160,000 miles, at varied speeds and sometimes after bumps.

    Recall 14V2340002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the fuel pump relay or power module has been replaced, and whether any stalls have been diagnosed with stored codes. A test drive should include stops and low-speed acceleration, and it is worth confirming whether the battery and charging system have been tested.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Pulling onto the freeway the engine shut off and even with the key in the on position the power steering and brakes were not available. I reached about 5000 rpms when the engine shut off and there is no check engine light. The van will try to turn over for about 5 seconds aftee I stop trying to get it to start.”

    NHTSA complaint #11378380, filed 2020-12, 86,210 miles

    “I was driving on city street at approximately 40 MPH. The engine unexpectedly shut down and I lost power steering and power brakes, nearly losing control of the vehicle. The road was flat and straight, clear weather conditions. I am concerned that this is related to the recall r03 (formerly l25): ignition switch may turn off safety problem on other chrysler/Dodge models. This is extremely dangerous and needs to be addressed immediately.”

    NHTSA complaint #11337382, filed 2020-07, 127,000 miles
  2. Seats

    Front head restraint deploys on its own

    Mentioned in 15 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe the driver or passenger active head restraint popping open with a broken plastic clip inside, often while the van is parked with the engine off and with no collision involved. Some reports say the headrest struck an occupant when it released while driving. Owners who asked dealers about replacement were quoted costs in the several-hundred to one-thousand dollar range, and complaints note the air bag light coming on afterward. Mostly reported between about 70,000 and 150,000 miles, frequently with the vehicle stationary and parked.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Press gently on both front headrests and look for cracked or separated plastic at the mounting clips, and check whether the air bag warning light is on. Ask whether either head restraint has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The drivers side headrest spontaneously exploded while the vehicle was stationary. After getting off work I got in my vehicle which was parked in a parking lot, luckily I took a moment to make a phone call while still parked, as I bent forward to find my phone the headrest exploded, thankfully not hitting me in the head.”

    NHTSA complaint #11341198, filed 2020-07, 118,000 miles

    “The driver's active head restraint seems to have been deployed spontaneously. I did not witness the occurrence, I noticed the headrest when entering my vehicle one morning. My 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan has not been involved in any sort of collision. I am unable to find any recall information for this occurrence, and I believe that there should be a recall placed for this by chrysler.”

    NHTSA complaint #11339504, filed 2020-07, 114,000 miles
  3. Body and structure

    Power sliding door stuck locked

    • 53 complaints (11%)
    • median 87,000 mi at 6.6 yrs old (35 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2013–2024

    Complaints describe a rear power sliding door that will not unlock or open by the fob, the interior buttons, or the inside and outside handles, sometimes after it opened by itself or buzzed repeatedly. Owners say the door stays locked in place and cannot be opened manually, and some note a dash message telling them to unlock the door to operate it. The door can close off access to the rear seats for passengers. Reported between roughly 80,000 and 190,000 miles, often on a parked vehicle or after the doors auto-lock while driving.

    What to check: Cycle both sliding doors several times with the fob, the overhead switch, and the handles, and confirm each opens from inside and outside. Ask whether the door latch or actuator has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Driver's side rear passenger automatic door will not open. The locking mechanism seems to be frozen and I cannot open it using the key fob, manually, or with the button in the driver's area. I cannot access my children from the exterior of the car unless I use the other side door. This is a serious safety hazard, especially if we were in a vehicle accident any rear passenger could get trapped inside. This is apparently a known common problem and should be addressed with a safety recall.”

    NHTSA complaint #11378572, filed 2020-12, 87,000 miles

    “Rear drivers sliding door buzzes and remains in a locked position. This happens when using the fob too. The van automatically locks when you reach about 25 MPH. Most of the time I get a loud buzzing from that door when it does. Sometimes you can manually unlock it but most times not. I have read more people than me are having this issue with a range of years for the Dodge caravan. I have my grandson with me most of the time and that is the seat he is in. My concern is if there is an accident and the door can be unlocked then what? …”

    NHTSA complaint #11327865, filed 2020-06, 87,500 miles
  4. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission slipping and harsh shifting

    • 55 complaints (12%)
    • median 84,668 mi at 5.7 yrs old (45 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $945 (median of 6 quotes)
    • filed 2013–2026

    Owners describe the van revving without gaining speed, jolting and hesitating on acceleration, and shifting erratically until the check engine light comes on. In several complaints mechanics recommended transmission replacement, and in one case the powertrain control module was reprogrammed but the symptoms returned. Some owners also report white smoke from the exhaust and a catalytic converter replacement alongside the transmission work. Mostly reported between about 70,000 and 165,000 miles, often during highway acceleration or after a prior transmission repair.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Check the transmission fluid condition and ask whether the powertrain control module has been reprogrammed or the transmission serviced or replaced. A test drive should include a highway on-ramp to feel for slipping or delayed engagement.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Hi, I was traveling on highway and at about 45 MPH the RPM's ramped up to 5+ and van had no additional power and I coasted off the highway. I was recently informed I need to have my transmission replaced at a cost of $4,286.70 and was reaching out to you for consideration of any warranty extension as I only have 110k miles on our family van. This estimate is probably higher than what one of your dealerships can offer. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11321172, filed 2020-04, 110,000 miles

    “The vehicle has been regularly maintained. There's a huge electrical issue, has been ever sense I've owned it. The transmission is going on it, and I'm just over 100k miles.”

    NHTSA complaint #11397112, filed 2021-02, 77,000 miles

Buying note. Owners of this model year report stalls and no-starts, self-deploying front head restraints, and sticking power sliding doors, so it is worth having a mechanic check the fuel pump relay and power module, cycling the doors, and inspecting the headrest clips before buying. Asking for service records and confirming whether related software updates or repairs were completed helps set expectations for upkeep.

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.

NHTSA recorded 472 consumer complaints for the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. 242 of the complaints include a mileage, and 26% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 86,065 miles. Of all complaints, 13 involved a crash, 4 a fire, 22 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 133 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 11 Dodge Grand Caravan model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 51 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Vehicle speed control (14), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (11), Exterior lighting (5), Suspension (5), Latches, locks and linkages (4), Seat belts (4), Electronic stability control (3), Engine cooling (2), Tires (2), Wheels (2), Equipment (1), Forward collision avoidance (1).

Example complaints

Electrical system: “For the last few years the van just turns off while we are driving it. Completely turns off- we could be driving on a side street or going 75 MPH on a highway. It's terrifying. We've tried to have it checked and fixed but it doesn't show up in the codes when the mechanic checks it. This is a terrible safety hazard.”

NHTSA complaint #11329904, filed 2020-06, 98,000 miles

Engine: “I can be driving at 40- 50 miles an hour and it just shuts down. The power steering goes out and brake light sometimes comes on. I can't steer it. Once I was in a curve on a narrow road when this happened and I almost ran off the road. At times when I'm going about 30 miles an hour and it just stops on me. It will start right back up. It has happened at least 3 times. Sometimes it will start up and immediately die. At other times it will start and run fine.”

NHTSA complaint #11387790, filed 2021-01, 151,000 miles

Other or unknown: “First winter in montana for us in this van. Now the weather is turning warm. The first time we used the air conditioner and there was a problem. The passenger side air does not switch to cold air. This half blows hot, hot air at the same time the drivers side blows cold air. I see there has been a recall on 2014 and 2012. Diagnostic so far will cost $75.00.”

NHTSA complaint #11096602, filed 2018-05, 99,731 miles

Seats: “Both of my front seats' headrests have deployed (at separate times), when the vehicle was unoccupied, sitting parked in my driveway. The plastic clip that holds the mechanism closed wore out and cracked open, releasing the headrest. I called the dealership, because this was clearly a defect. They said the entire seat needed to be replaced it estimated $900.”

NHTSA complaint #11342708, filed 2020-08, 90,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

26% of the 242 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 49,500 and 120,000 miles.

9%0–106%10–2511%25–5015%50–7522%75–10025%100–15012%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (242 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 86,065 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’12’14132’16’18’20’22’24’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Grand Caravan · VAN FWD★★★★☆4 / 4554 · 16.4% risk

Neighbouring years: 2012: same overall rating; 2014: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Grand Caravan FWD3.6L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172520$3,350
Grand Caravan FWD3.6L 6-cyl · flex-fuel6-speed automatic172520$3,350

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 133 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 133 bulletins →

Other model years of the Dodge Grand Caravan

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20202040,5001420—Rising
201924550,226442032 · FewerRising
201827153,000442028 · FewerStable
201741463,103342028 · FewerFalling
20161,00265,965642071 · MoreFalling
201528170,000442018 · FewerFalling
201435962,000542055 · TypicalFalling
201347286,065442051 · TypicalFalling
201258492,000642049 · TypicalFalling
201153080,0004—2041 · TypicalFalling
201087075,0006—1982 · MoreFalling
200954475,0007——66 · MoreFalling
20081,29370,1858——93 · MoreFalling
200718271,7252——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200628460,0223——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200599565,0005——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200411683,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200321949,0002——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200229048,0005——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200129862,0003——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200044279,8905——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
199943287,4353——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199855990,2004——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1997583102,0005——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19961,15799,6759——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1995108126,2021——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1994199120,0004——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1993289136,9727——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
1992255161,5006——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1991129154,0336——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199055173,1780——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198924145,8960———Stable
198810126,0000———Not enough data

All Dodge Grand Caravan model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan?

Owners of this model year most often describe the engine shutting off or stalling while driving, and separately report the front seat head restraint (active headrest) popping open on its own while parked. The issues reported most often: Engine stalls or shuts off while driving; Front head restraint deploys on its own; Power sliding door stuck locked.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan have?

NHTSA recorded 472 consumer complaints for the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 256 complaints (54% of the total), followed by engine with 71.

Has the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan 4 out of 5 stars overall. Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan get?

The EPA rates the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan (Grand Caravan, 3.6L 6-cyl) at 20 mpg combined, 17 city and 25 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan reported?

Among the 242 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 86,065 miles and the middle half falls between 49,500 and 120,000 miles; 26% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.