Dodge Van Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 167 consumer complaints across the 11 model years of the Dodge Van (1977–2002) that have at least 5 complaints. 1998 has the most, with 24. Across all years, the part named most often is transmission and drivetrain (20 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Van model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 18 | 44,187 | 0 | 14 | — | Stable |
| 2001 | 15 | 52,900 | 0 | 14 | — | Stable |
| 2000 | 19 | 61,863 | 0 | 12 | — | Stable |
| 1999 | 17 | 106,264 | 0 | 11 | — | Stable |
| 1998 | 24 | 89,500 | 0 | 11 | — | Stable |
| 1997 | 24 | 89,012 | 0 | 8 | — | Stable |
| 1996 | 18 | 265,857 | 0 | 7 | — | Stable |
| 1995 | 10 | — | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1994 | 9 | — | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1991 | 5 | — | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1977 | 8 | 47,530 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Transmission and drivetrain20 15%
- Tires20 15%
- Suspension18 13%
- Electrical system17 13%
- Air bags17 13%
- Engine cooling16 12%
- Brakes14 10%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)12 9.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1999: “While driving my minivan in a 25 MPH zone I heard a snap and lost control of the car resulting in hitting a curb. Damage to front left wheel, suspension, fender & door body damage. Repair shop determined that the lower control arm came apart causing loss of control of the vehicle. Repair needed to entire suspension, alloy wheel, tire, body will cost over $3,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10144547, filed 2005-12, 115,000 miles1998: “1998 Dodge grand caravan; rattling sound from engine area for a few weeks, intermittent. Sounded fine when we bought it, used, in july. Totally lost the transmission over labor day weekend, stranding my husband and I and our 6-year old daughter almost 2 hours from home. Now have to invest nearly $2,000 to rebuild this transmission.”
NHTSA complaint #10136247, filed 2005-09, 95,000 miles2000: “My wife and our 2 children,ages 5 and 8 were the recipients of a head-on collision which happened on november 24th,2004.upon impact the front airbag(s) did not!deploy.note! On november 10th,2004 I responded to a recall notice I received on this same vehicle regarding the clock vspring mechanism. It was replaced that same day at our local dealership.”
NHTSA complaint #10100553, filed 2004-11, 65,700 milesOther Dodge models
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6,223 complaintsDodge Charger
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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. Methodology