2017 Dodge GRAND CARAVAN

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2017 Dodge GRAND CARAVAN has 531 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 6.6x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (26% of all complaints), specifically: the blower only works on heat, and only rear controls. still not normal amount of heat. front do not not work unless it is on defrost, barely enough heat displaced on wind shield causing visibility in the winter to be horrible. the amount of visibility is less than 45% of windshield. 10550 miles cur. ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.

2 fire reports 8 crash reports 8 injuries

531

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

6.6x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

140 complaints

26%

• THE BLOWER ONLY WORKS ON HEAT, AND ONLY REAR CONTROLS. STILL NOT NORMAL AMOUNT OF HEAT. FRONT DO NOT NOT WORK UNLESS IT IS ON DEFROST, BARELY ENOUGH HEAT DISPLACED ON WIND SHIELD CAUSING VISIBILITY IN THE WINTER TO BE HORRIBLE. THE AMOUNT OF VISIBILITY IS LESS THAN 45% OF WINDSHIELD. 10550 MILES CUR
• THE REAR POWER OUTLET (BETWEEN THE MIDDLE REAR SET AND REAR SET ON DRIVER SIDE) CAUGHT FIRE. WE WERE DRIVING IN OCALA, FL ENTERING THE I75 HIGHWAY ON RAMP WHEN WE SAW SMOKE AND THEN FLAMES SHOOTING FROM THE REAR POWER OUTLET. WE GOT THE KIDS OUT OF THE VAN AND THE FIRE TOOK OVER THE ENTIRE VAN. I
• MY SON WAS ALMOST CLOSED IN THE DOOR GETTING IN THE VAN DOORS FAILED TO OPEN BACK UP AND LITERALLY ALMOST CLOSED HIM IN. I HAD TO TELL HIM TO MOVE QUICKLY

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“THE BLOWER ONLY WORKS ON HEAT, AND ONLY REAR CONTROLS. STILL NOT NORMAL AMOUNT OF HEAT. FRONT DO NOT NOT WORK UNLESS IT IS ON DEFROST, BARELY ENOUGH HEAT DISPLACED ON WIND SHIELD CAUSING VISIBILITY IN THE WINTER TO BE HORRIBLE. THE AMOUNT OF VISIBILITY IS LESS THAN 45% OF WINDSHIELD. 10550 MILES CUR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

94 complaints

18%

• THE BLOWER ONLY WORKS ON HEAT, AND ONLY REAR CONTROLS. STILL NOT NORMAL AMOUNT OF HEAT. FRONT DO NOT NOT WORK UNLESS IT IS ON DEFROST, BARELY ENOUGH HEAT DISPLACED ON WIND SHIELD CAUSING VISIBILITY IN THE WINTER TO BE HORRIBLE. THE AMOUNT OF VISIBILITY IS LESS THAN 45% OF WINDSHIELD. 10550 MILES CUR
• IGNITION SWITCH FAIL TO STAR .WHEN YOU INITIAL IS FREQUENT ALMOST MOST THE TIME
• I BOUGHT THE CAR MONTH AGO WITH 34900 MILES ON IT AND WITHIN THE MONTH MY AC STARTED BLOWING HOT AIR WHILE DRIVING, MY PASSENGER REAR DOOR WAS MAKING GRINDING NOISE ON OPENING/CLOSING/LOCKING AND THE WINDSHIRLD WIPER FLUID LINE CAME UNDONE WITHIN 3 WEEKS. AS I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE WARRANTY ENDED A

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

— NHTSA complaint filing

BODY/STRUCTURE

93 complaints

18%

• DRIVER SIDE REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. IT SEEMS TO BE LOCKED AND WON'T UNLOCK ELECTRICALLY OR MANUALLY. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY.
• DRIVER SIDE PASSENGER DOOR IS STUCK IN THE LOCKED POSITION. IT CANNOT BE UNLOCKED MANUALLY, WITH THE KEY FOB, OR THE UNLOCK BUTTONS ON THE DOORS. THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. THIS IS A HORRIBLE SAFETY HAZARD!!!
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE

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

“DRIVER SIDE REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. IT SEEMS TO BE LOCKED AND WON'T UNLOCK ELECTRICALLY OR MANUALLY. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

57 complaints

11%

• ON 01/28/2019,, AFTER I OPENED THE HOOD TO EXAM THE POWER/TRAIN AND OTHER COMPONENTS UNDER THE HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THREE WIRES AND A YELLOW FUSE ATTACHED TO MY BATTERY/ I IMMEDIATELY ASKED "TIMMY" WHAT THESE WERE AND WHY IS THE ENGINE SO LOUD? HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW. I ASKED, "MAY I
• WHILE COMING TO A STOP THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN. THERE IS A DING LIKE THE A SEATBELT ISN'T BUCKLED, THE LIGHTS FLASH AND THE VEHICLE JUST SHUTS DOWN LIKE SOMEONE TURNED THE KEY OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED BOTH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD AND WARM IT STARTS BACK UP BUT WHEN IT DOES THE TIME ON THE RADI
• SES FOR P0306 MISFIRE CYLINDER 6 DURABLE TO PREMATURE HEAD WARPING. DODGE STATES A KNOWN PROBLEM. THIS COULD CAUSE POWER LOSS DURING ACCELERATION.

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

“ON 01/28/2019,, AFTER I OPENED THE HOOD TO EXAM THE POWER/TRAIN AND OTHER COMPONENTS UNDER THE HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THREE WIRES AND A YELLOW FUSE ATTACHED TO MY BATTERY/ I IMMEDIATELY ASKED "TIMMY" WHAT THESE WERE AND WHY IS THE ENGINE SO LOUD? HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW. I ASKED, "MAY I ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

37 complaints

• VEHICLE WAS IN A PARKING LOT RUNNING BUT PARKED. IT SHIFTED OUT OF PARK AND STARTED ROLLING BY ITSELF.
• I WAS ON HIGHWAY 87 IN I WAS IN MOTION ALL OF A SUDDEN THE WHEEL JERKED TO THE LEFT I TRIED TO KEEP STREERING WHEEL STRIGHT AND THEN IT JERKED TO THE RIGHT, AND THEN IT GOT STUCK MOTOR STILLN RUNNING AND THEN IT WENT INTO REVERSE BY ITSELF WITHOUT ME TOUCHING ANYTHING THERE WAS A LOT OF DAMAGE DUNE
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SHOOK AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO GWINNETT CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (5054 US-78, STONE MOUNTAIN, GA 30087, (678)

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

“VEHICLE WAS IN A PARKING LOT RUNNING BUT PARKED. IT SHIFTED OUT OF PARK AND STARTED ROLLING BY ITSELF.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

BODY/STRUCTURE(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~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 531 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: THE BLOWER ONLY WORKS ON HEAT, AND ONLY REAR CONTROLS. STILL NOT NORMAL AMOUNT OF HEAT. FRONT DO NOT NOT WORK UNLESS IT IS ON DEFROST, BARELY ENOUGH HEAT DISPLACED ON WIND SHIELD CAUSING VISIBILITY IN THE WINTER TO BE HORRIBLE. THE AMOUNT OF VISIBILITY IS LESS THAN 45% OF WINDSHIELD. 10550 MILES CUR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: THE BLOWER ONLY WORKS ON HEAT, AND ONLY REAR CONTROLS. STILL NOT NORMAL AMOUNT OF HEAT. FRONT DO NOT NOT WORK UNLESS IT IS ON DEFROST, BARELY ENOUGH HEAT DISPLACED ON WIND SHIELD CAUSING VISIBILITY IN THE WINTER TO BE HORRIBLE. THE AMOUNT OF VISIBILITY IS LESS THAN 45% OF WINDSHIELD. 10550 MILES CUR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BODY/STRUCTURE: DRIVER SIDE REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. IT SEEMS TO BE LOCKED AND WON'T UNLOCK ELECTRICALLY OR MANUALLY. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: ON 01/28/2019,, AFTER I OPENED THE HOOD TO EXAM THE POWER/TRAIN AND OTHER COMPONENTS UNDER THE HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THREE WIRES AND A YELLOW FUSE ATTACHED TO MY BATTERY/ I IMMEDIATELY ASKED "TIMMY" WHAT THESE WERE AND WHY IS THE ENGINE SO LOUD? HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW. I ASKED, "MAY I
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)