1991 Dodge Grand Caravan: common problems

Owners of the 1991 Dodge Grand Caravan filed 129 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 129

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 26% of all complaints
2 Seat belts 19% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
4 Fuel system 12% of all complaints
5 Structure 9% of all complaints
6 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
7 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
8 Visibility 5% of all complaints

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

Service brakes: 34 complaints (26% of all).
Seat belts: 25 complaints (19% of all).
Powertrain: 17 complaints (13% of all).
Fuel system: 16 complaints (12% of all).
Structure: 11 complaints (9% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 129 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts23 · 18%
smoke, burning smell, fire10 · 8%
brake failure7 · 5%
fuel system, fuel smell5 · 4%
transmission slipping5 · 4%
warning lights, check engine4 · 3%
headlights and tail lights3 · 2%
windows, sunroof3 · 2%
loss of power / limp mode2 · 2%
stalls while driving2 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Service brakes	34	0	0
Seat belts	25	0	0
Powertrain	17	0	0
Fuel system	16	0	0
Structure	11	0	0
Engine and cooling	9	0	0
Electrical system	6	0	0
Visibility	6	0	0
Exterior lighting	5	0	0
Suspension	2	0	0
Tires	2	0	0
Vehicle speed control	2	0	0
Air bags	1	0	0
Latches, locks, linkages	1	0	0

What owners report

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

The failure recurred and caused the reduced power assist to fail during braking. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer kept the vehicle for over two weeks. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no solution other than suggesting the part be replaced a second time by the dealer.
Service brakes · 2016-05-31 · NHTSA complaint #10871566
Pep boys futura plus touring se p215/70r/15ww. Part#wk14cpu754. Purchased set of 4 on 4/28/2004 at hampton, virginia pep boys. Belt separation after 18,000 miles. Half the width of the tire for approximately 8 inches circumference bulged out approximately 1 inch. Happened while setting in driveway.
Tires · 2007-06-30 · NHTSA complaint #10195058
I was on my way home with my four kids when I noticed a strong smell of gas. When my husband got home I had him look at it to find out it was leaking gas from the fuel rail so bad that there was standing gas on the valve cover leaking into where my spark plugs are.
Fuel system · 2005-12-10 · NHTSA complaint #10144915
Failure of front left ball joint and axle. Ball joint fractured and wheel came off while driving.
Suspension · 2004-12-12 · NHTSA complaint #10102795
The two recalls that have been done are: liftgate latch pn cfxr6406 and seat belt buckle/anch. Clip. The two recalls that have not been done are: liftgate support washer and a left wiper pivot.
Powertrain · 2004-04-22 · NHTSA complaint #10069919
Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire. Dealers will install a seal on the vehicle fuel rails to prevent external leakage of fuel from the fuel rail crossover tube, should the existing o-rings continue to degrade.
Fuel system · 2004-01-13 · NHTSA complaint #10053142
While driving in the rain, the windshield wipers failed. Wipers were repaired under recall the first time, then they failed again. Consumer was informed that the defective part was the crank that connected to the wipers and it wasn't covered under the recall. Consumer repaired the part on their own.
Visibility · 2003-09-10 · NHTSA complaint #10038596
The head light covers became discolored, which made it difficult to see at night.
Exterior lighting · 2003-04-04 · NHTSA complaint #10015219

When owners complained

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

19965
199729
199818
199923
200019
20017
20026
20034
20048
20054
20071
20091
20151
20161
20181
20201

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,970 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Caravan has 375 complaints (36 years in the data). This year has 129, below average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1991 Dodge Grand Caravan?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, seat belts, powertrain. Total complaints: 129. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (18%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%), brake failure (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 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 1991 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 1991 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.