IllustrationOWNER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND WAS REAR ENDED. UPON IMPACT, THE SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE DRIVER AND THE FRONT PASSENGER. THE BELT LOOSENED. SINCE THE SEAT BELTS LOOSENED ON THE FIRST IMPACT, THE OCCUPANTS HAD NO PROTECTION AFTER THAT AND WERE THROWN ALL OVER THE CAB OF THE VAN. *BF
1995 Dodge Caravan
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Caravan years
Owner complaints for the 1995 Dodge Caravan are substantially higher than the model-year median of 182.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Caravan years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 26 of 489 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 93 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
53 crash reports6 fire reports35 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
17 reportsSEAT BELTS COME UNBUCKLED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. FRONT AND REAR SEAT BELTS HAVE BECOME LOCKED AND WOULD NOT RELEASE WHEN THE RELEASE BUTTON WAS PRESSED. AT LEAST ONE OF THE SEAT BELTS WERE REPLACED WHILE THE VAN WAS UNDER WARRANTY FOR THESE PROBLEMS. IT HAS REQUIRED SEVERAL PUSHES OF THE BUTTON AND PUSHING AND PULLING ON THE…
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SEAT BELTS COME UNBUCKLED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. FRONT AND REAR SEAT BELTS HAVE BECOME LOCKED AND WOULD NOT RELEASE WHEN THE RELEASE BUTTON WAS PRESSED. AT LEAST ONE OF THE SEAT BELTS WERE REPLACED WHILE THE VAN WAS UNDER WARRANTY FOR THESE PROBLEMS. IT HAS REQUIRED SEVERAL PUSHES OF THE BUTTON AND PUSHING AND PULLING ON THE LAP/SHOULDER BELT BEFORE THE BELT RELEASES FROM THE PART OF THE BELT WITH THE BUTTON. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN OUR 1995 DODGE CARAVAN WHICH WE BOUGHT NEW. WE ALSO BOUGHT A NEW 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WHICH HAS THE SAME GENERATION 3 SEAT BELTS IN THE BACK SEATS AND THEY ALSO HAVE COME UNBUCKLED WITHOUT NOTICE. MY NEIGHBOR HAS A 1996 DODGE DAKOTA WHICH HE BOUGHT NEW AND ARGUED WITH THE DEALER UNTIL THEY REPLACED ALL THE SEAT BELTS BECAUSE THEIR CHILDREN KEPT COMING UNBUCKLED AND JEFF (THE TRUCK OWNER) BECAME TRAPPED IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND HAD TO HAVE THE SEAT BELT CUT TO FREE HIM. THE INCIDENT DATES HAVE NOT BEEN RECORDED BUT THE MOST RECENT TIME WITH THE 1995 CARAVAN WAS THIS MONTH APRIL 2003. ALSO THE SEATS ARE UNSAFE THROUGHOUT THE 1995 CARAVAN. ON 2/6/98 MY WIFE AND I WERE REAR ENDED IN THE 1995 CARAVAN BY A 1990 MERCURY SABLE. WE WERE NEARLY STOPPED WHILE WAITING FOR THE VAN IN FRONT OF US TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE PERSON BEHIND US WAS NOT WATCHING AND SHE REAR ENDED US AT APPROXIMATELY. 40-45 MPH. THIS ACCIDENT WAS WITNESSED BY THE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL MAN. THE PERSON BEHIND US WAS WATCHING INSTEAD OF WATCHING WHERE SHE WAS GOING. I WAS NEARLY PARALYZED BECAUSE THE BUILT IN HEAD REST IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH. I AM 6'1" AND MY WIFE IS 5'2". MY WIFE WAS NOT BADLY INJURED. AS FOR MYSELF, THE DISC AT C5-6 WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN APART AND COMPRESSED MY SPINAL CORD IN HALF. I NOW HAVE A BONE GRAFT AND A STEEL PLATE FUSING MY NECK. THE REAR SEATS ARE COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE! *JB
AFTER AIR BAG RECALL WAS PERFORMED, THE WARNING CHIME SOUNDED AS THE DOME LIGHTS CAME ON. CONSUMER FELT DEFECT IS RELATED TO RECALL WORK PERFORMED. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, AND USING THE MULTIPURPOSE SWITCH TO GO FROM BRIGHT HIGH BEAM TO NORMAL HEADLIGHTS, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT DARK. THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED. *…
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AFTER AIR BAG RECALL WAS PERFORMED, THE WARNING CHIME SOUNDED AS THE DOME LIGHTS CAME ON. CONSUMER FELT DEFECT IS RELATED TO RECALL WORK PERFORMED. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, AND USING THE MULTIPURPOSE SWITCH TO GO FROM BRIGHT HIGH BEAM TO NORMAL HEADLIGHTS, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT DARK. THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED. *TT *NLM
SEAT BELT ATTACHMENT BOLT AT DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER WAS OVER TIGHTENED AT THE FACTORY AND MAY FAIL UPON IMPACT. THE SEVERLY SRTIPPED BOLT WAS REMOVED DURING SIDE WINDOW REPLACEMENT. *AK
I'M FILLING OUT THIS REPORT NOT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT AN INCIDENT BUT TO PREVENT FUTURE ONES. I'VE READ AND SEEN ON TELEVISION (PRIMETIME, ABC NEWS) THE REPORTS ABOUT THE SAFETY CONCERNS OF GEN 3 SEATBELTS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN SOME DODGE VEHICLES. AS AN OWNER OF A DODGE CARAVAN (THAT HAS GEN 3 SEATBELTS) AND MORE IMPORTANTL…
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I'M FILLING OUT THIS REPORT NOT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT AN INCIDENT BUT TO PREVENT FUTURE ONES. I'VE READ AND SEEN ON TELEVISION (PRIMETIME, ABC NEWS) THE REPORTS ABOUT THE SAFETY CONCERNS OF GEN 3 SEATBELTS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN SOME DODGE VEHICLES. AS AN OWNER OF A DODGE CARAVAN (THAT HAS GEN 3 SEATBELTS) AND MORE IMPORTANTLY AS A MOTHER OF AN INFANT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE SEATBELTS RECALLED AND REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SAFER GEN 4 SEATBELTS INSTALLED IN ALL THE VEHICLES THEY WERE ORIGINALLY PLACED IN. THANK YOU.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE RESTRAINT COLLAPSED ONTO THE PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK
REAR SEAT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE CAME LOOSE. THERE WAS NO SEATBELT SUPPORT. *AK
OUR FAMILY IS A SECOND GENERATION CONSUMER OF THE CHRYSLER COPORATION'S PRODUCTS. THIS VEHICLE HAS PROVEN SUCH A LEMON, WE REALLY DOUBT THAT WE WILL EVER BUY ANOTHER CHRYLSER/DODGE PRODUCT. WITHIN A MONTH OF OUR PURCHASE, WE HAD A RECALL ON THE LIFTGATE LATCH, THAT WAS FIXED. WE ARE CURRENTLY HAVING OUR TRANSMISSION INSPECTED BY…
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OUR FAMILY IS A SECOND GENERATION CONSUMER OF THE CHRYSLER COPORATION'S PRODUCTS. THIS VEHICLE HAS PROVEN SUCH A LEMON, WE REALLY DOUBT THAT WE WILL EVER BUY ANOTHER CHRYLSER/DODGE PRODUCT. WITHIN A MONTH OF OUR PURCHASE, WE HAD A RECALL ON THE LIFTGATE LATCH, THAT WAS FIXED. WE ARE CURRENTLY HAVING OUR TRANSMISSION INSPECTED BY A LICENSED CHRYSLER DEALER, AND WILL SUBMIT TO THE CORPORATION. WE HAVE HAD THE SEAT BELTS NOT RETRACT ON THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGERS SIDE FOR YEARS, WHICH CATCH IN THE DOORS CONSTANTLY. THE POWER WINDOWS IN THE REAR HAD A MOTOR GO OUT, THE UNIVERSAL JOINT FELL OFF WHILE THE CAR WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVE, AND THE MOST UNGODLY ACT WAS WHEN SOMEONE WAS CLOSING THE SLIDING PASSENGER DOOR, AND IT TOTALLY SLID OFF THE CAR. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE AIRCONDITIONING WAS ABOUT 2 YEARS OLD WHEN IT DIED, AND THE COMPANY REPLACED THAT UNDERWARRANTY, ALONG WITH THE UNIVERSAL JOINT. THE SLIDING DOOR COST US A FORTUNE, AND THE COMPANY ONLY GAVE US $122.00. I WISH THAT I COULD TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME, AND HAVE BOUGHT THE WINDSTAR INSTEAD OF THIS ESXPENSIVE LEMON.
THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON BECAUSE THERE IS A WIRE THAT GOES TO THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WHICH COMES ON WHEN THE WIPER MOTOR IS INOPERATIVE. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
IF THE SHEATH AROUND AROUND SEAT BELT FEMALE LATCH BECOMES DISLODGED FROM ITS CORRECT LOCATION WHERE IT GUIDES THE MALE END OF THE LATCH INTO THE FEMALE END, A GAP APPEARS BETWEEN THE FEMALE LATCH AND THE SHEATH THAT SURROUNDS THE LATCH.
Official recalls
199V113000 · Air Bags
May 6, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS. THE WIRING THAT INITIATES THE DRIVER AND/OR PASSENGER AIR BAG COULD ELECTRICALLY SHORT CIRCUIT TO GROUND. A SHORT CIRCUIT TO GROUND THAT EXISTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION KEY TO THE "ON" OR "START" POSITION CAN CAUSE THE AIR BAG(S) TO INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN INJURE A FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL PERFORM AN ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. ANY SHORT CIRCUITS IDENTIFIED IN EITHER THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INITIATOR WIRE CIRCUIT WILL BE REPAIRED.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
6DP03002 · Steering Column Separation
Opened May 7, 2003 · Closed Jul 22, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering:column
MR. LARRY A. SACKEY SUBMITTED A PETITION TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) BY LETTER DATED APRIL 18, 2003, REQUESTING THAT NHTSAFURTHER INVESTIGATE THE DEFECTIVE COLLAPSIBLE STEERING SHAFT SYSTEM ON 1987-1995 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY THE DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION.IN PART BECAUSE OF 49 CFR ? 30120(G), NHTSA HAS DECIDED TO LIMIT THE SCOPE OF THE PETITION VEHICLES TO 1993-1995 MODELS, EXCLUDING THE 1993 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND 1994-1995 DODGE RAM SERIES TRUCKS THAT WERE RECALLED (93V210 & 96V230) FOR STEERING COLUMN FAILURE.IF THE ANALYSIS OF THESE VEHICLES HAD IDENTIFIED A POTENTIAL PROBLEM, THE SCOPE COULD HAVE BEEN EXPANDED IN AN INVESTIGATION.A REVIEW OF ODI'S DATA BASE SHOWS NO RECENT COMPLAINTS AND A LACK OF A COMPLAINT TREND CONCERNING THE SUBJECT ISSUE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS A WHOLE OR BY INDIVIDUAL MODELS.THEREFORE, THE PETITION IS DENIED.FOR DETAILS, SEE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE VOLUME 68, NO. 130, JULY 8, 2003.
PE97049 · Air Bag Circuit/windshield Wiper Motor
Opened Nov 18, 1997 · Closed Mar 17, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility
There is no summary currently available
EA97003 · Integrated Child Seat Belt Lockup
Opened Jan 31, 1997 · Closed Aug 19, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Child Seat
THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.CHRYSLER CORPORATION HAS SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT IDENTIFYING A SAFETY DEFECT AND OUTLINING THE PROPOSED REMEDY.RECALL NUMBER 98V-185 HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO THIS SAFETY RECALL.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Child Seat
THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.CHRYSLER CORPORATION HAS SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT IDENTIFYING A SAFETY DEFECT AND OUTLINING THE PROPOSED REMEDY.RECALL NUMBER 98V-185 HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO THIS SAFETY RECALL.
Child Seat
THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.CHRYSLER CORPORATION HAS SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT IDENTIFYING A SAFETY DEFECT AND OUTLINING THE PROPOSED REMEDY.RECALL NUMBER 98V-185 HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO THIS SAFETY RECALL.
DP96014 · Defective Air Bag Crash Sensor
Opened Nov 14, 1996 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
CFAS SENT A FOLLOW-UP LETTER ON DECEMBER 12, 1996, TO CHANGE THE INTENT OF THE PETITION TO AIRBAG AGGRESSIVITY AND DEPLOYMENT VARIABILITY.NHTSA RECEIVED THE LETTER ON 12/12/96; ACCORDINGLY, THE PETITION DUE DAY WAS CHANGED TO APRIL 12, 1997.CFAS PETITIONED THE AGENCY TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE AIRBAG CRASH SENSOR AND/OR DEPLOYMENT SYSTEMS FOR THE 1991-92 CHEVROLET CORSICA/BERETTA, 1990-92 FORD TAURUS, AND 1994-96 CHRYSLER MINIVANS ARE DEFECTIVE.CFAS ALLEGE THAT INFORMATION ON LOW SPEED CRASHES HERE OCCUPANTS HAVE SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES SUGGESTS [THAT THE ABOVE VEHICLES] HAVE DEFECTIVE AIRBAG CRASH SENSOR AND/OR DEPLOYMENT SYSTEMS.
SQ96016 · Integrated Child Seat Belt Lockup
Opened Sep 18, 1996 · Closed Feb 4, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:integrated Child Seat
ODI CONTINUES TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS ALLEGING LATCHING/RETRACTOR MECHANISM PROBLEMS.CHRYSLER'S ASSESSMENT OF THE PROBLEM INDICATES THAT OWNERS OF THE VEHICLES ARE NOT ADHERING TO THE CLEANING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SEAT.THE SEAT APPEARS TO MALFUNCTION IF CRUMBS OF FOOD OR BEVERAGE RESIDUE ACCUMULATES ON THE LATCHING TONGUE IN THEWELL LOCATED BETWEEN THE CHILD'S LEGS.ODI HAS 19 COMPLAINTS OF RETRACT LOCKUP.SEVEN OF THESE COMPLAINTS REPORT CUTTING THE STRAPS TO REMOVE THE CHILD.TWO OF THE SEVEN CONSUMERS ALLEGE THE CHILD WAS CHOKING.CHRYSLER REPORTS 60 OWNER/FIELD REPORTS WHICH INDICATED 19 HARNESSES WERE CUT TO REMOVE THE CHILDREN.ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NEEDED TO FULLY ASSESS THE SAFETY CONSEQUENCE OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AND TO EVALUATE THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION'S RATIONAL FOR NOT CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN.
PE96008 · Safety Blt Latch Operation
Opened Jan 25, 1996 · Closed Jun 28, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
There is no summary currently available