Home · 2012 Dodge Caravan · Complaints

What 87 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 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 (87)Crash / fire / injury (7)Electrical system (47)Engine (19)Brakes (9)Fuel system (6)Airbags (4)Seats (3)Speed control (3)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Body & structure (2)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (2)

3 of 87 complaints match · Seats · clear filters

Aug 29, 2015Electrical systemSeatsFuel system

I HAVE A DODGE CARAVAN 2012 AND TAKING IT IN FOR SEVERAL ELECTRICAL ISSUES. WHEN IT WAS SENT TO THE DALLAS DODGE IN DALLAS, GA THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH CAR KILLING TWO BRAND NEW BATTERIES. BROUGHT A THIRD ONE AND FINALLY CALL TO HAVE IT PICKED UP SO THEY COULD CHECK IT.HE THEN CALLED ME AND SAID IT WAS THE DRIVER SEAT WIRING SYSTEMS AND TO FIX IT WOULD BY $500.00. I ADVISED HIM IF THAT WAS THE ISSUE AND IT WOULD BE WORKING PROPERLY GO AHEAD.I PICKED UP MY CAR AND GOT IT HOME. THE NEXT MORNING THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. SO I HAD IT SENT BACK TO THEM AND THEY CHECK IT AGAIN AND DID NOT FIND ANYTHING. I GOT IT BACK THE NEXT DAY WHICH WAS A SATURDAY AFTER SITTING THERE MAKING SURE THEY CHECK EVERYTHING. BASICALLY THEY SAID THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AND NOTHING WAS WRONG. I TOLD THEM IF I HAD ANY ISSUES I WOULD BRING IT BACK ON MONDAY. I ADVISED I WILL REMOVE THE BATTERY CABLE TO AT LEAST GO TO CHURCH THE NEXT DAY. WHEN I GOT HOME FROM CHURCH I DID NOT TAKE CABLE OFF AND BATTERY DIED AGAIN. SO ON MONDAY 8/17, I WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THEY SAID THE PUT IT ON A COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND ONLY NOTICE THAT MY BATTERY WAS HAVE WAY DRAINED. I STILL NO ANSWERS TO WHAT CAUSED IT TO DRAIN. I NOTICE THAT A MOTOR IN THE REAR AREA WOULD NOT STOP RUNNING. THE CAR WOULD COMPLETELY TURNED OFF. NO WE NOTICE THAT WE HAVING DELAYS IN STARTING THE CAR LIKE FUEL IS NOT GET THE ENGINE. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES TRYING TO START, IT WOULD STALL OUT AND THEN FINALLY START. SO AGAIN I HAD TO TAKE BATTERY CABLE OFF UNTIL THE NEXT FOLLOWING MONDAY - 8/24, I THIS TIME THEY ADVISED ME IT WAS THE TIMP MODULE AND IT WILL COST ME $1000 TO FIX IT. ME AND FAMILY DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THE CAR, NOW WE ARE EXPERIENCING STALLING WHILE WE ARE DRIVING. THIS IS NOT GOOD SERVICE IF YOU KNOW THERE IS AN ISSUE AND THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PART.

NHTSA ODI 10760192

Sep 6, 2013Seats

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BEZEL CLIP THAT SUPPORTED THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS BROKEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BEZEL CLIP WAS BROKEN, THE SEAT WOULD NOT PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE CONTACT WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE BEZEL CLIP REPLACED SIX TIMES. NONE OF THE REPAIRS REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE THE CLIP AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000.

NHTSA ODI 10542307

Feb 20, 2013Seats

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER FRONT OUTER SEAT SHIELD FAILED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,287.

NHTSA ODI 10499398

Working with the data? Download all 87 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 2012 Dodge Caravan verdict →