Dodge Grand Caravan 1996–2000
3rd generation (NS)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20264,635 complaints, 1,200 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 1,200
- Median of reported failures
- 91,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Engine and its cooling system (13.5%)
- Recalls
- 1
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 65,000 and 122,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Dodge Grand Caravan 1996–2000 · 1,200 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 5,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 69 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 42 complaints (3.5%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 40,000
- 25%
- 65,000
- Median
- 90,551
- 75%
- 122,000
- 90%
- 158,182
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 30 | 2.5% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 3 | 0.2% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 7 | 0.6% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 11 | 0.9% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 11 | 0.9% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 17 | 1.4% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 15 | 1.2% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 20 | 1.7% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 31 | 2.6% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 33 | 2.8% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 31 | 2.6% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 40 | 3.3% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 49 | 4.1% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 40 | 3.3% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 63 | 5.2% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 39 | 3.2% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 68 | 5.7% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 68 | 5.7% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 58 | 4.8% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 54 | 4.5% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 69 | 5.8% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 40 | 3.3% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 29 | 2.4% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 28 | 2.3% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 57 | 4.8% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 30 | 2.5% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 30 | 2.5% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 23 | 1.9% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 14 | 1.2% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 20 | 1.7% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 37 | 3.1% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 18 | 1.5% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 11 | 0.9% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 11 | 0.9% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 13 | 1.1% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 9 | 0.8% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 6 | 0.5% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 13 | 1.1% |
| 190,000–195,000 | 8 | 0.7% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 4 | 0.3% |
| 200,000+ | 42 | 3.5% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 4,635 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996–2000 Dodge Grand Caravan, and 1,200 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 65,000 and 122,000 miles. The median is 90,551 miles.
The most-reported areas are the engine and its cooling system (13.5% of complaints, typically around 87,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (12.6% of complaints, typically around 72,000 miles), the airbag system (11.7% of complaints, typically around 86,000 miles).
1 recall campaign cover this generation.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 1996–2000 Dodge Grand Caravan last?
Half of the failure reports on the 1996–2000 Dodge Grand Caravan were filed by 91,000 miles and 90% by 158,000 miles — figures drawn from 1,200 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
42 reports (3.5%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Grand Caravan reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 1996–2000 Grand Caravan: the 3-minute check
Generated from 1,200 mileage-tagged complaints, 1 recall campaign, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 1 campaign cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check transmission. 41TE / A604 Ultradrive automatic failure is the signature defect of this generation: solenoid pack faults, planetary and clutch pack failure, often well before 100,000 miles.
- Check engine. 3.3L and 3.8L head gasket and intake plenum gasket leaks causing coolant loss and overheating.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 65,000 and 122,000 miles, with a median of 91,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the engine and its cooling system and the transmission and driveline are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The transmission and driveline in particular shows a median failure mileage of 72,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Dodge Grand Caravan 1996–2000
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Transmission and driveline586 reports72,00050,000–95,000Transmission and driveline: 586 reports, median 72,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 95,000 miles.
- Airbag system544 reports86,00066,000–113,000Airbag system: 544 reports, median 86,000 miles, middle half 66,000 to 113,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system626 reports87,00062,000–119,000Engine and its cooling system: 626 reports, median 87,000 miles, middle half 62,000 to 119,000 miles.
- Throttle and speed control245 reports89,00065,000–106,000Throttle and speed control: 245 reports, median 89,000 miles, middle half 65,000 to 106,000 miles.
- Electrical system519 reports95,00065,000–131,000Electrical system: 519 reports, median 95,000 miles, middle half 65,000 to 131,000 miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit334 reports96,00058,000–115,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 334 reports, median 96,000 miles, middle half 58,000 to 115,000 miles.
- Fuel system274 reports108,00087,000–140,000Fuel system: 274 reports, median 108,000 miles, middle half 87,000 to 140,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and its cooling system | 626 | 13.5% | 87,000 | 62,000–119,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 586 | 12.6% | 72,000 | 50,000–95,000 |
| Airbag system | 544 | 11.7% | 86,000 | 66,000–113,000 |
| Electrical system | 519 | 11.2% | 95,000 | 65,000–131,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 334 | 7.2% | 96,000 | 58,000–115,000 |
| Fuel system | 274 | 5.9% | 108,000 | 87,000–140,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 245 | 5.3% | 89,000 | 65,000–106,000 |
| Suspension | 232 | 5.0% | 103,000 | 83,000–135,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 215 | 4.6% | 85,000 | 60,000–109,000 |
| Steering | 212 | 4.6% | 90,000 | 53,000–147,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Dodge Grand Caravan 1996–2000 · 1,200 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 21% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 48% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 71% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 96%: the remaining 3.5% of reports (42) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
21% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 50,000–95,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 58,000–115,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 62,000–119,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 66,000–113,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 65,000–131,000 mi
- Fuel system — middle half 87,000–140,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 65,000–106,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
48% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 62,000–119,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 50,000–95,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 66,000–113,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 65,000–131,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 58,000–115,000 mi
- Fuel system — middle half 87,000–140,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 65,000–106,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
71% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Engine and its cooling system — median 87,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 72,000 mi
- Airbag system — median 86,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 96,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — median 89,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Electrical system — middle half 65,000–131,000 mi
- Fuel system — middle half 87,000–140,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 90,551 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 13.5% of complaints (626 reports, 201 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 87,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 62,000 and 119,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 12.6% of complaints (586 reports, 155 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 72,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 50,000 and 95,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 11.7% of complaints (544 reports, 133 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 86,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 66,000 and 113,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 11.2% of complaints (519 reports, 133 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 95,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 65,000 and 131,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 7.2% of complaints (334 reports, 60 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 96,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 58,000 and 115,000 miles.
The fuel system accounts for 5.9% of complaints (274 reports, 45 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 108,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 87,000 and 140,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 1996 model year drew the most — 1,860 complaints — while 2000 drew the fewest at 558. The median year sits at 761.
That makes 1996 an outlier: roughly 2.4 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 4,635 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 187 (4.0%)
- Fires
- 208
- Injury reports
- 122
- Fatality reports
- 6
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Transmission
41TE / A604 Ultradrive automatic failure is the signature defect of this generation: solenoid pack faults, planetary and clutch pack failure, often well before 100,000 miles.
Engine
3.3L and 3.8L head gasket and intake plenum gasket leaks causing coolant loss and overheating.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1,860 | 178 |
| 1997 | 857 | 182 |
| 1998 | 761 | 283 |
| 1999 | 599 | 239 |
| 2000 | 558 | 318 |
Recalls (1) — is your car included?
Jun 2010 · 2000 · SeatsThe seat occupant may be injured if the seat base pin were to break.
The defect. Access options is recalling certain trucks and vans built on Ford e150, e350, Toyota sienna, and Dodge Grand Caravan chassis and equipped with vmi/ricon 6-way power seat bases. The six way power seat base may have a defective (cold) weld on the pivot pin which is welded to the swivel plate. The weld could fail.
What can happen. The seat occupant may be injured if the seat base pin were to break.
The free fix. The swivel plate will be replaced free of charge if necessary. The recall began on june 8, 2010. Owners may contact access option at 831-722-6804.
What owners reported
Serpentine belt or tensioner clip has had to be repaired 4 times (towed every time) electrical problems since the beginning; turn the key and the windshield wipers start going, turn the key off and the wipers "keep" going, take the key totally out of the ignition and the wipers go and the "dinging" alarm that tells…
1996 · 500 miles · Engine and its cooling system
Built from 1,200 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page