1995 Dodge Grand Caravan: common problems

Owners of the 1995 Dodge Grand Caravan filed 108 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and structure. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 108
involving a crash: 4

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 22% of all complaints
2 Structure 19% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
4 Seat belts 7% of all complaints
5 Air bags 6% of all complaints
6 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
7 Visibility 6% of all complaints
8 Service brakes 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.

Powertrain: 24 complaints (22% of all).
Structure: 20 complaints (19% of all).
Engine and cooling: 14 complaints (13% of all).
Seat belts: 8 complaints (7% of all).
Air bags: 7 complaints (6% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 108 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts10 · 9%
transmission slipping6 · 6%
rust, corrosion5 · 5%
stalls while driving5 · 5%
warning lights, check engine5 · 5%
A/C or heater3 · 3%
fuel system, fuel smell3 · 3%
jerking, harsh shifts3 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise3 · 3%
airbag warning light2 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	24	0
Structure	20	0
Engine and cooling	14	0
Seat belts	8	0
Air bags	7	4
Fuel system	6	0
Visibility	6	0
Service brakes	5	0
Equipment	4	0
Child seat	3	0
Vehicle speed control	3	0
Electrical system	2	0
Steering	2	0
Suspension	2	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 contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was jump started and taken to a dealer who offered no assistance. The manufacturer was contacted and they also offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000. Updated 12/20/11
Engine and cooling · 2011-10-17 · NHTSA complaint #10430450
In each instance pep boys refused to acknowledge the tires were separated even though you clearly could feel the bump in the tire , and driving with the tire caused the steering wheel to rock back and forth as you took off the to increase to a bad vibration.
Tires · 2007-07-17 · NHTSA complaint #10196551
1995 dodge grand caravan went to full throttle and no brakes due to a plastic break in restrictor jamming in throttle body holding valve open. Result was full throttle and no vacuum for brakes. Car was finally stopped by turning off ignition.
Vehicle speed control · 2005-09-29 · NHTSA complaint #10138081
As I was buckling my child into the far rear, center seat, the seat belt detached from the seat, rendering the seatbelt unusable. A couple of weeks later, when buckling my child into the far rear, left seat, the locking mechanism part of the seat belt detached from the seat, rendering that seatbelt unusable as well.
Seat belts · 2004-12-10 · NHTSA complaint #10102600
The 2nd problem is that the headlight covers on the front of the van are very discoloured--to the point of being yellow--this has not only happened to us, but to my secretary's dodge grand caravan. It sure makes for duller light when the headlights are on.
Equipment · 2004-04-22 · NHTSA complaint #10070907
While driving at approximately 55 mph, with the rear defroster on, back window blasted out of the tailgate. There was no evidence of foul play, such as a pellet gun or stones.
Visibility · 2004-02-09 · NHTSA complaint #10057753
Windshield wipers malfunction. They will either come on or go off without turning the switch. This is a common problem, and there's a tsb on this issue, indicating that the failing part is the bcm (not found in artemis), per the dealership.
Visibility · 2004-01-02 · NHTSA complaint #10052255
It happened to me, but fortunately my passenger was wearing his seatbelt and was not thrown out of the car. Others might not be so lucky. Two and a half years ago, when the doors on my 1995 grand caravan began to fail, I went to an autobody shop for repair, thinking it was a simple matter of repairing welds.
Structure · 2003-12-04 · NHTSA complaint #10049202

When owners complained

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

19961
199717
19986
199921
200012
200118
200214
20039
20047
20051
20071
20111

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 3,391 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Caravan has 375 complaints (36 years in the data). This year has 108, below average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1995 Dodge Grand Caravan?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, structure, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 108. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (9%), transmission slipping (6%), rust, corrosion (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1995 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 1995 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 1995 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.