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What 78 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Dodge Caravan

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (78)Crash / fire / injury (2)Electrical system (54)Engine (14)Fuel system (14)Brakes (6)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (6)Transmission & drivetrain (5)Airbags (3)Steering (3)Speed control (2)Tires (1)

3 of 78 complaints match · Airbags · clear filters

Sep 19, 2017Electrical systemAirbagsElectronic Stability Control (esc)

TAKATA RECALL -- I HAVE CHANGED THE ALTERNATOR, STARTER , HAD THE ELECTRICAL BOX WORKED ON BY MY MECHANIC. AT THIS MOMENT MY VEHICLE DOES NOT START AND HASN'T STARTED FOR A WEEK. 3 YEARS AGO THE VEHICLE STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING. IT WOULD NOT START OR TURN OVER., HAD TO BE PUSHED INTO A PARKING LOT.

NHTSA ODI 11024176

Jun 24, 2015Electrical systemAirbagsEngine

2011 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE COMPUTER AND AIRBAG ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. IT WAS DETERMINED THERE WAS A STOP ENGINE ORDER ON THE COMPUTER, WHICH WAS REMOVED BY UPDATING THE COMPUTER AT THE CONSUMERS EXPENSE. *JB UPDATED 07/20/15. *JB UPDATED 11/06/15*LJ THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY. UPDATED 11/19/15. *JB UPDATED 11/24/15.*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 2/3/2016 *JS UPDATED 10/20/2017*CN

NHTSA ODI 10725013

Mar 9, 2015SteeringElectrical systemAirbagsFire1 injury

AT 7:40AM, THURSDAY 3/5/ 15 I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE TO GO DROP MY SON OFF AT SCHOOL THE WIPER BLADE STARTED GOING ON AND OFF BY THEMSELVES AND THEN SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HORN ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND THEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED HITTING MY HAND AND BURNING MY LEFT HAND IT FILLED MY VAN FULL OF SMOKED WHERE WE COULDN'T SEE I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT I PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER ROLL THE WINDOWS DOWN CLEAR IT OUT ALL THE SMOKE THEN I DROPPED MY SON OFF AT SCHOOL DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP TOOK PICTURES OF THE WIPER BLADES, THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING, THE TIME, THE TRAFFIC IN THE BACKGROUND, TO PROVE THAT I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT LARRY H MILLER CHRYSLER JEEP WAS VERY RUDE TOLD ME THAT I WOULD PROBABLY END UP PAYING FOR THIS OR THAT I COULD CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY I LEFT THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP GOT A CALL LATER ON THIS EVENING SAYING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CONTACT CHRYSLER SO I WENT AHEAD AND CALLED CHRYSLER MYSELF GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH THEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO INVESTIGATE IT AND THEY PUT THE VEHICLE ON HOLD FOR ANY REPAIRS UNTIL THE INVESTIGATION WAS DONE AND NOW IN THE MEANTIME I AM A SINGLE FATHER WITH FIVE CHILDREN I HAVE NO VEHICLE AND THEY WILL NOT OFFER ME A RENT A CAR WHEN I CALL AND LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR THE SERVICE ADVISOR OR THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP THEY IGNORE MY PHONE CALLS AND DO NOT RETURN MY PHONE CALLS WHEN I CALL CHRYSLER THEY TELL ME THAT THEY HAVE SENT ME OVER TO THE ACCIDENT CLAIMS DEPARTMENT AND THAT THEY ARE WAITING FOR FURTHER WORD. I HEARD FROM ANOTHER DODGE CARAVAN ON HER THAT THIS COULD POSSIBLY TAKE UP TO 3 MONTHS OF ARBITRATION BEFORE I EVEN HAVE AN ANSWER AS TO WHEN OR HOW OR WHERE MY VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED FIXED OR REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10692970

Working with the data? Download all 78 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Dodge Caravan verdict →