2012 Dodge GRAND CARAVAN

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2012 Dodge GRAND CARAVAN has 816 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 10.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (41% of all complaints), specifically: i was driving from one destination to the other and when i got to my other destination i smelled smoke. i looked down and notice the cigarette port which was empty was smoking, i pulled my gerber out and pulled the port out and there was a fire. i alerted a co worker and they got a fire extinguisher. ⚠️ 16 fire reports filed.

16 fire reports 5 crash reports 2 injuries

816

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

10.2x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

336 complaints

41%

• I WAS DRIVING FROM ONE DESTINATION TO THE OTHER AND WHEN I GOT TO MY OTHER DESTINATION I SMELLED SMOKE. I LOOKED DOWN AND NOTICE THE CIGARETTE PORT WHICH WAS EMPTY WAS SMOKING, I PULLED MY GERBER OUT AND PULLED THE PORT OUT AND THERE WAS A FIRE. I ALERTED A CO WORKER AND THEY GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER
• AT 11:30 PM THE CAR ENGINE STARTED (THE KEYS WERE IN THE HOUSE),HORN WAS BLOWING, HEAD LIGHTS WERE ON, WIPERS GOING AT FULL SPEED FOUR WAY FLASHER GOING THERE WAS A RED GLOW UNDER THE CAR AND SMOKE WAS BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE CAR AND THE DOORS WERE LOCKED. WE WERE ABLE TO GET A KEY FROM THE FOB AND
• NO ACCELERATION WHEN GAS PEDAL PUSHED, RPMS RACED BUT NOT ABLE TO PROCEED. WARNING LIGHT INDICATING ELECTRONIC THROTTLE PROBLEM. PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, SAT FOR 5 MINUTES. RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALERSHIP. TOLD THEM TO CALL ME WHEN IT WAS CO

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 11 fire reports

“I WAS DRIVING FROM ONE DESTINATION TO THE OTHER AND WHEN I GOT TO MY OTHER DESTINATION I SMELLED SMOKE. I LOOKED DOWN AND NOTICE THE CIGARETTE PORT WHICH WAS EMPTY WAS SMOKING, I PULLED MY GERBER OUT AND PULLED THE PORT OUT AND THERE WAS A FIRE. I ALERTED A CO WORKER AND THEY GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

120 complaints

15%

• DRIVING IN A SMALL TOWN, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS. I AM A MEDICAL COURIER AND WE HAVE 4, MAYBE 5, GRAND CARAVANS OPERATING OUT OF OUR FACILITY. TWO HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE HEADS REPLACED, BOTH WITH THE PENTASTAR V-6. I HAVE THIS ENGINE IN MINE AS WELL . I WAS TOLD BY
• MY 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN BEEN IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IT'S NO GOOD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS BUT, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP ON PAYING A CAR NOTE FOR A CAR THAT IS GOING TO GIVE OUT AND ANY GIVING TIME. IT'S NOT GOING TO LAST LONG. I WANT A NEW CAR FREE OF CHARGE. *TR
• ENGINE RUNS VERY ROUGH, IDLES LOW ALMOST DIES AT INTERSECTIONS. DOES NOT HAVE POWER WHEN GAS PEDAL IS PUSHED DOWN, LOOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING AS WELL. THESE VANS HAVE SOMETHING MAJORLY WRONG WITH THE ENGINES AND TRANSMISSIONS. DODGE NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE AND RECALL/REPAIR THESE VANS. THEY ARE H

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 3 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“DRIVING IN A SMALL TOWN, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS. I AM A MEDICAL COURIER AND WE HAVE 4, MAYBE 5, GRAND CARAVANS OPERATING OUT OF OUR FACILITY. TWO HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE HEADS REPLACED, BOTH WITH THE PENTASTAR V-6. I HAVE THIS ENGINE IN MINE AS WELL . I WAS TOLD BY”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

75 complaints

• AFTER HAVING TROUBLE USING THE KEY TO START THE VEHICLE FOR A COUPLE DAYS MY CAR JUST TURNED OFF WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. DEFINITELY AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF AS IF I TURNED IT OFF WITH THE KEY.[NO DASH LIGHTS OR RADIO] I WAS ABLE TO COAST AND MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER T
• I WAS ENTERING ON A BUSY INTERSTATE WHEN MY 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN R/T GOT TO ABOUT 50+ MPH THE GAS PEDAL KEPT ACCELERATING AND WOULD NOT STOP THE RPM GAGE HIT 6 THE ONLY WAY I GOT IT TO STOP WAS TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND PULL OF THE ROAD THE RMP'S KEPT GOING AS DID THE ENGINE I TURNED THE
• MY DAUGHTER MADE AN ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE, ONE NIGHT AFTER COMMUNITY THEATER REHEARSAL, TO DRIVE HOME AND FOUND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND SHE HEARD RANDOM RELAYS CHATTERING THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE, HAD THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MOVE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FLICKERED ON/OFF ALONG WITH DI

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“AFTER HAVING TROUBLE USING THE KEY TO START THE VEHICLE FOR A COUPLE DAYS MY CAR JUST TURNED OFF WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. DEFINITELY AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF AS IF I TURNED IT OFF WITH THE KEY.[NO DASH LIGHTS OR RADIO] I WAS ABLE TO COAST AND MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER T”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

61 complaints

• CPCS: I1440342A. CAR CHARGER. CONSUMER STATED SHE HAD THE CHARGER PLUGGED INTO THE OUTLET IN HER 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, AN IT STARTED SMOKING WITH NO DEVICE PLUGGED INTO IT. *LN
• I HAVE RECEIVED A SECOND RECALL NOTICE ON MY VAN ; HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR SERVICE AND ASKED ABOUT HAVING THE ISSUE TAKEN CARE OF BUT, THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT RECEIVED REPLACEMENT PARTS YET. IT IS NOW THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY 2015 AND THIS NOTIFICATION WAS FIRST ISSUED LAST JUNE!! WHAT IS THE HOLD UP W
• RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN JANUARY 2015, ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT MADE IN FEBRUARY TO HAVE THE REAR QUARTER VENT WINDOW SWITCH REPLACED, NOW I HAVE BEEN ON A WAITING LIST AT JEFF WYLER EASTGATE SINCE BEING TOLD THAT THEIR HAS BEEN 100-50 PEOPLE AHEAD OF ME AND THAT THE DEALER GETS ABOUT 10 OF THE PART

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“CPCS: I1440342A. CAR CHARGER. CONSUMER STATED SHE HAD THE CHARGER PLUGGED INTO THE OUTLET IN HER 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, AN IT STARTED SMOKING WITH NO DEVICE PLUGGED INTO IT. *LN”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

48 complaints

• I NOTICED A FLUID LEAK IN MY DRIVEWAY AND BASED ON THE RED COLOR I ELIMINATED THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT WAS FROM THE POWER STEERING BECAUSE THE RESERVOIR WAS AT THE MAX LEVEL. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SIDE COVER WAS LEAKING. I SENT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE DYE WAS ADDED AND WA
• I HAVE A TRANSMISSION MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE AFFORDED THE SAME CONSUMER PROTECTION AS THE 2012 GRAND CARAVANS WITH ENGINE SLUDGE. MY PUMP AND AXLE SEALS BEGAN LEAKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT 45 MPH. I DIDN'T NOTICE UNTIL 20 MILES WERE ON THE ODOMETER. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO EXAMINE IT
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT A LOUD NOISED WHEN THE GEAR WAS IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE COMPUTER, TRANSMISSION AND THE REVERSE GEAR FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I NOTICED A FLUID LEAK IN MY DRIVEWAY AND BASED ON THE RED COLOR I ELIMINATED THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT WAS FROM THE POWER STEERING BECAUSE THE RESERVOIR WAS AT THE MAX LEVEL. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SIDE COVER WAS LEAKING. I SENT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE DYE WAS ADDED AND WA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 816 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: I WAS DRIVING FROM ONE DESTINATION TO THE OTHER AND WHEN I GOT TO MY OTHER DESTINATION I SMELLED SMOKE. I LOOKED DOWN AND NOTICE THE CIGARETTE PORT WHICH WAS EMPTY WAS SMOKING, I PULLED MY GERBER OUT AND PULLED THE PORT OUT AND THERE WAS A FIRE. I ALERTED A CO WORKER AND THEY GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: DRIVING IN A SMALL TOWN, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS. I AM A MEDICAL COURIER AND WE HAVE 4, MAYBE 5, GRAND CARAVANS OPERATING OUT OF OUR FACILITY. TWO HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE HEADS REPLACED, BOTH WITH THE PENTASTAR V-6. I HAVE THIS ENGINE IN MINE AS WELL . I WAS TOLD BY
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: AFTER HAVING TROUBLE USING THE KEY TO START THE VEHICLE FOR A COUPLE DAYS MY CAR JUST TURNED OFF WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. DEFINITELY AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF AS IF I TURNED IT OFF WITH THE KEY.[NO DASH LIGHTS OR RADIO] I WAS ABLE TO COAST AND MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER T
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: CPCS: I1440342A. CAR CHARGER. CONSUMER STATED SHE HAD THE CHARGER PLUGGED INTO THE OUTLET IN HER 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, AN IT STARTED SMOKING WITH NO DEVICE PLUGGED INTO IT. *LN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)