1989 Dodge Grand Caravan: common problems

Owners of the 1989 Dodge Grand Caravan filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 24
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 46% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
3 Tires 13% of all complaints
4 Structure 8% of all complaints
5 Suspension 8% of all complaints
6 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
7 Equipment 4% of all complaints
8 Fuel system 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Powertrain: 11 complaints (46% of all).
Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (17% of all).
Tires: 3 complaints (13% of all).
Structure: 2 complaints (8% of all).
Suspension: 2 complaints (8% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 24 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion2 · 8%
A/C or heater1 · 4%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 4%
seat belts1 · 4%
tires: bulges, blowouts1 · 4%
transmission slipping1 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	11	0
Engine and cooling	4	0
Tires	3	0
Structure	2	0
Suspension	2	0
Electrical system	1	0
Equipment	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Seat belts	1	1
Seats	1	0
Other	3	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

During frontal impact at 30mph, the center seat right side seat belt became detached from the belt buckle.
Seat belts · crash · 1997-06-30 · NHTSA complaint #813626
Recall campaign 04 v 357 000/camshaft position sensor/mil: the dealer did not replace the (cmp) sensor as mentioned in the recall notice.
Engine and cooling · 2004-10-29 · NHTSA complaint #10099060
Air conditioning, paint and transmission as of today has not been repaired yet. My major concern is the transmission. It has the a-604 ultradrive transmission. And it is stuck in one gear.
Powertrain · 2004-04-22 · NHTSA complaint #10069399
Purchased two 205/75r15 cooper trendsetter se tires for front of 1989 dodge grand caravan on december 27, 2002 with 143,136 mileage. Tires had steel belt showing badly on inside of both tires after 2,500 miles.
Tires · 2004-04-16 · NHTSA complaint #10066290
The ignition locked, overheated and would not shut off, and the side door had come open while the vehicle was in motion. In an attempted to shut the vehicle down, the consumer reached for the coil wire and the warped seal gave away and burned the consumer's hands and face. Scc
Engine and cooling · 2003-05-15 · NHTSA complaint #10019454
Under van spare tire carrier plate corrosion failure, flat plate became v & dropped spare tire.
Equipment · 2001-11-06 · NHTSA complaint #754061
In a design attempt to increase gas mileage the transmission was built to "coasts or freewheels" downhill at idle rpm of approx 1000 and zero engine compression braking. The result is excessive acceleration downhill, tailgating and/or excessive brake componet wear.
Powertrain · 2001-11-06 · NHTSA complaint #754060
Windshield sun visor material selection is defective, crumbles & disintigrates with age, drops into eyes of driver and front passenger.
Structure · 2001-11-06 · NHTSA complaint #754062

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19961
19974
19982
19994
20003
20015
20021
20031
20043

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 7,585 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Caravan has 375 complaints (36 years in the data). This year has 24, below average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1989 Dodge Grand Caravan?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine and cooling, tires. Total complaints: 24. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (8%), A/C or heater (4%), overheating, coolant loss (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Dodge Grand Caravan?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1989 Dodge Grand Caravan from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1989 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.