2002 Dodge Grand Caravan recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Electrical system

  I just bought a 2002 Dodge Grand caravan. I have noticed the seat belts do not lock when I installed the car seat and pulled the seat belt to lock the car seat in place it will not work which makes the car seat tip and fall every direction. I tried every seat in van to see if the lock and they do not unless the car is started if you pull it down fast it locks but not when it's off and will not stay locked. Speedometer and gas gage quit working.

  Mar 30, 2026
• Fuel/propulsion systemFire

  I was driving down highway 60 when my van backfired. I thought it was a blown tire & started pulling off the highway. When pulling off the highway I noticed the orange glare off the side rails on the highway. That's when I realized that the van had caught on fire under the hood. Once I pulled over I had a friend call 911 to report my van on fire while I tried to open the hood & put the fire out. The hood was to hot to open so I grabbed everything I could from my van & stayed clear of it until the Arizona fire dept & Arizona highway patrol came. All my information was taken by the Arizona highway patrol. I was told that my van will be at J&S Towing & that my friends & i can leave the scene.

  Aug 21, 2023
• Electrical system

  Every time I go Though a small puddle rain or snow 10 to 30 mph I loose power steering and have a battery light pop on I have to pull over turn off van and restart sometime it goes back to normal

  Sep 20, 2019
• Electrical systemFire

  The contact owns a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the heater blower had become inoperable and upon inspection, it was discovered that the heater blower wiring harness was burnt and the wires were melted together. The cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 185,000.

  Feb 6, 2022 · 185,000 miles
• Engine

  MY VAN,2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, RANDOMLY STALLS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET/ROAD WHETHER ON STRAIGHT ROAD OR A CURVE, OR WITH A FULL TANK OF GAS OR LESS,GAS SEEMS TO BE IRRELEVANT . AFTER STALLING WILL NOT RESTART. I HAVE REPLACED ALL MINI-FUSES,BATTERY, STARTER,AND STILL WILL STALL. SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING ABOVE 25 MPH WHILE STILL MOVING IT WILL RESTART ON ITS OWN. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE.

  Oct 16, 2019 · 260,000 miles
• Structure › Body › DoorFire

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DOOR HANDLE HAD MELTED DUE TO EXPOSURE TO THE SUN AND THE DOOR WAS UNABLE TO BE OPENED. ALSO, THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD HAD ALSO MELTED AND CRACKED DUE TO EXPOSURE TO THE SUN CAUSING DEBRIS TO SEPARATE FROM THE DASHBOARD MAKING CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER WHILE DRIVING WITH THE WINDOWS OPENED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER JACKSONVILLE DODGE (11101 NURSERYFIELD DR. JACKSONVILLE FL) AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

  Feb 1, 2010 · 90,000 miles
• Air bags

  AIR BAG FAILURE REPORTED TO DODGE IN 2003 AND MANY ATTEMPTS TO HAVE IT FIXED HAVE FAILED. CODE SAYS PASSANGER AIR BAG DEFECTIVE AND AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON. IN MANY YEARS THE DEALER HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. THEY SIMPLY RESET THE CODE TO TURN THE LIGHT OFF AND LATER IT COMES BACK ON. THE FIRST REPORTED FAILURES WERE UNDER THE WARRANTY. THEN THEY CHARGE $ 100.00 TO TURN THE LIGHT AND THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER 10 TIMES IN THE PAST YEARS. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM (NOT A WEAR ITEM) AND SHOULD BE FIXED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER NOW WANTS OVER A 1,000 TO REMOVE THE DASH ASM JUSTR TO DETERMINE IF IT IS A WIRING, CONNECTION PROBLEM OR IF THE AIR BAG IS ACTUALLY BAD. I HAVE ALL THE SERVICE…

  Jun 10, 2019
• Engine

  CLOGGED CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAUSING POWER LOSS WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY

  Nov 21, 2018 · 221,015 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTIONClosed

  OWNER REPORTS INDICATE ALLEGATIONS OF IMPROPER HEADLIGHT OPERATION OF ONE OR BOTH HEADLIGHTS.SOME REPORT INTERMITTENT OUTAGE OR DIMMING.MANY REPORT THAT THE CONDITION IS RANDOM; IT SOMETIMES DOES NOT REPEAT AND LASTS FOR A VERY SHORT DURATION. A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL MONITOR THIS ISSUE AND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE SUMMARY REPORT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

  EA05009 · opened Jun 1, 2005 · closed May 2, 2006
• HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTIONClosed

  THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AFTER RECEIVING REPORTS FROM CONSUMERS THAT THEIR HEADLIGHTS WOULD MALFUNCTION IN VARIOUS WAYS FROM FLICKERING TO COMPLETE NON-ILLUMINATION.HEADLIGHT OPERATION IS MONITORED BY THE VEHICLE'S BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM) AND FRONT CONTROL MODULE (FCM).ODI IS UPGRADING THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA05-009) TO FURTHER EXAMINE THE ISSUE.

  PE05004 · opened Feb 2, 2005 · closed Jun 1, 2005
• POWER LIFTGATE LATCHClosedLed to recall 05V134000

  THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AS PE04-054 REGARDING REPORTS OF ALLEGED POWER LIFTGATE (PLG) OPENING WHILE DRIVING.THE INVESTIGATION WAS UPGRADED ON NOVEMBER 22, 2004 BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION (DCC) IN ITS SEPTEMBER 17, 2004 RESPONSE TO PE04-054. BY LETTER OF APRIL 5, 2005, DCC HAS NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF 70,235 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY AND DODGE GRAND CARAVAN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PLG OPTION.DCC HAS IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM IN EARLY PRODUCTION MY 2003 PLG CONTROL MODULES THAT CAN PREVENT THE PLG DOOR FROM LATCHING CLOSED IN A POWER OPEN/CLOSE CYCLE.IN THIS CONDITION THE PLG CAN RISE (NOT POWER OPEN) DURING VEHICLE OPERATION.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REVISED PLG CONTROL MODULE TO REMEDY THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.SEE SAFETY RECALL 05V134 FOR DETAILS.

  EA04031 · opened Nov 22, 2004 · closed Apr 7, 2005
• SPEAKER FIRE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLEClosedLed to recall 04V531000

  ON JULY 7, 2004, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION BASED ON CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING AN INTERIOR VEHICLE FIRE STARTING IN THE AREA OF THE DRIVER SIDE REAR SPEAKER.DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION (DCC) INFORMED ODI THAT CONDENSATION FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AIR CONDITIONING DUCTS MAY DRIP ONTO THE RADIO AND INTO VENT HOLES ON TOP OF THE RADIO.THIS CAN RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT SENDING DIRECT CURRENT TO THE REAR SPEAKERS AND CAUSE A SPEAKER FIRE.THE CONDITION IS PRESENT ONLY ON SUBJECT VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE BASE RADIO.SUBJECT VEHICLES WITH OTHER OPTION RADIOS CONTAIN CIRCUIT PROTECTION THAT PREVENTS SENDING DIRECT CURRENT TO THE SPEAKERS AND ARE NOT AFFECTED.ALL NINE COMPLAINTS PERTAIN TO VEHICLES WITH THE BASE RADIO.BY LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 1, 2004, DCC NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA# 04V531) COVERING MODEL YEAR…

  PE04049 · opened Jul 7, 2004 · closed Nov 5, 2004
• FUEL TANK LEAKClosedLed to recall 02V274000
  PE02068 · opened Sep 24, 2002 · closed Oct 9, 2002