FaultScore

2013 Dodge Grand Caravan engine problems

72 of the 656 complaints about the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan are about the engine — 11% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 97,000 miles.

B

72

Complaints

0

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Engine 70 97.2%
Catalytic Convertor 2 2.8%

Engine & Cooling across every Dodge Grand Caravan year

1991 10 0.5%
1992 19 1.0%
1993 27 1.4%
1994 20 1.0%
1995 15 0.8%
1996 214 11.1%
1997 129 6.7%
1998 149 7.7%
1999 69 3.6%
2000 91 4.7%
2001 19 1.0%
2002 20 1.0%
2003 17 0.9%
2004 20 1.0%
2005 49 2.5%
2006 31 1.6%
2007 41 2.1%
2008 145 7.5%
2009 50 2.6%
2010 161 8.4%
2011 97 5.0%
2012 120 6.2%
2013 72 3.7%
2014 81 4.2%
2015 38 2.0%
2016 85 4.4%
2017 60 3.1%
2018 35 1.8%
2019 42 2.2%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 199,000 miles Sevierville, TN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jolted and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Upon further inspection, the contact became aware of excessive white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission and catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 199,000.

NHTSA complaint #11710637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 163,000 miles Big Run, PA

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who replaced the motor mounts and transmission. Five months later, the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle began driving roughly. The PCM update was completed by another local dealer, but the failure recurred. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The transmission was shifting through the gears erratically. The vehicle was not drivable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The coil packs and spark plugs were replaced at an independent mechanic. Several days later the RPM was fluctuating, and the vehicle lost motive power while driving up an incline. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was due to the torque converter failing. The local dealer was previously contacted, but no longer accepting calls. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated there were no codes retrieved. The dealer informed the contact that there was no warranty coverage for the issue. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.

NHTSA complaint #11709660 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Myrtle Beach, SC

ENGINE

The vehicle randomly and dangerously stalls while driving at various speeds and locations. The vehicle will not restart until battery is disconnected and then reconnected. It then starts right up and runs fine until the next episode of stalling. This has been addressed by NHTSA campaign # 19V813 recall for bad fuel pump relay but my VIN # has not been included in this recall even though the vehicle is in the same year as the other vans covered under the recall. This is a very dangerous condition that keeps happening even after leaving the van with the Chrysler dealer for a week to diagnose and they say they don't have a definitive fix for it but offered to replace the entire TIPM for $1700 without a guarantee that the problem will be permanently fixed! The faulty fuel pump relay is well known and has been addressed with an external fuel pump relay kit covered by this recall. Please help us get our vehicle covered under this recall as we are retirees on a fixed income and have already spent too much money (close to $1000) trying to fix this known problem. Already replaced the ignition module which was another known possible cause but the problem still remains.

NHTSA complaint #11689334 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Saint Marys, GA

ENGINE

While driving my van it will randomly shut off, it starts back up right away after I get to a safe location to do so but this is very dangerous. I've taken it to shops and they cannot replicate it and there are no codes on the reader to indicate any issues.

NHTSA complaint #11643944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Evergreen Park, IL

ENGINE

this is the third time i am filing a complaint. My 2013 dodge grand caravan completely dies and looses all power going over 50 miles per hour. no warning, no codes appear, nothing. looses all power, power steering, brakes, etc. have to get to side of road, wait 20 minutes, then car will start. this has happened now over 16 times. The latest time with my grandchild in the car, the vehicle behind me almost crashed into me. this continues to be a safety issue and it is unclear as to why dodge is doing nothing about this despite multiple complaints by hundreds of drivers. I have spent over $3000 so far trying to fix this to no avail, new battery, fuel pump, fuel filter, TPM relay, new keys, new programming, still happens. will never buy another dodge/chrysler again, and have told family and friends the same potential hazard of this brand.

NHTSA complaint #11602857 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 143,000 miles Winter Haven, FL

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front driver's seat headrest deployed independently without impact. The check engine and TPMS warning lights were illuminated. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was received. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

NHTSA complaint #11594765 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Colorado Springs, CO

ENGINE

Driving down the road at aproximately 40 mph and van shuts down. I turned on the hazard lights, coasted to the side of the road, put the van in park, turned the key to the off position waited about 30 seconds then turned key to on and the van starts up and seems to run fine. This is the second time in two days this has happened. No warning, no check engine lights. Very dangerous when driving at any speed when suddenly your vehicle turns itself off. Will contact my mechanic today to see if he has info on this problem. While doing research I have found that this is a problem that has been reported for many years and has been investigated. Wondering why they have not issued a recall for this????

NHTSA complaint #11592922 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Evergreen Park, IL

ENGINE

driving over 50 miles an hour on an expressway and vehicle randomly dies. after pulling off road, need to wait 20 minutes and vehicle will start as normal. Major safety concern as some areas do not have shoulders to get car off of road. filed a complaint, in October of 2023, took to authorized Dodge dealer as advised, paid over $800 out of pocket and car still looses all power at high speeds. dodge dealer performed full diagnostics, no codes stored or present in vehicle. Had new key made, software updates, etc, but still dies at high speeds. has occurred over 12 times in past 3 years.

NHTSA complaint #11588466 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ellwood City, PA

ENGINE

It is unknown at this time what is wrong with the vehicle. The problem started two weeks ago. Initially after driving sustained highway speeds, the van will hesitate to brake when driving through town. When approaching a stop it would stutter to a stop and then stutter to drive again when pressing the gas, the delay was about 2-3 seconds. In two weeks time with approximately 200 miles driven, it started stalling at stops. Once at a traffic light and also at a stop sign. These incidents happened in the same day and since then, it had not been driven due to it being a major safety concern. It has been taken to an auto shop that has run the full diagnostics on it and the computer system is not catching any issues, there are no lights are on the dash. After the engine stalls, it runs if it is turned off and back on again. The brakes, rotors, and tires were replaced when I started noticing that there was an issue with stopping, I figured the problem was that they needed replaced since I have owned the vehicle 2 years and it hadn’t been done since I purchased the van. March 17 was the date it stalled twice and it was the only time the engine stalled in the past two weeks.

NHTSA complaint #11578576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Evergreen Park, IL

ENGINE

While driving on expressways vehicle will suddenly lose all power. making it difficult to get to vehicle off the road. this has occurred 5 times in the past year, most recently 09/192023, all times with adults and children in car. One of the incidents, I was unable to get off road as was in a construction zone with no shoulder, so had to sit in lane with oncoming traffic and was very fortunate not to have been rear ended and hit. This is a major safety issue. No warning lights, no symptoms prior to each occurrence, vehicle just dies. Once completely stopped, try to start vehicle and it just rumbles and then dies. Wait 30 minutes, then vehicle will start up and run normally until next incident. Have taken vehicle to 2 different mechanics with no solution and no diagnosis as there are no engine error codes reported.

NHTSA complaint #11545372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sherman, TX

ENGINE

Ignition problems the vehicle would not start I had to have roadside come jump my vehicle off. After letting the vehicle run for about 30 minutes I shut it off and waited a minute and it started up fine. After about 3 hours of sitting I went out to the vehicle and it wouldn't start. I had to put It in neutral and it tried starting until it ran out. After turning the wheel and playing with the key it finally cranked over. I know there have been recalls regarding the tpim. It is available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA complaint #11542456 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Myrtle Beach, SC

ENGINE

The ignition switch is faulty same as the recall for previous years models. Starting the car happens sometimes doesn't will suddenly stall while driving. This has happened many times over the last six months.

NHTSA complaint #11529451 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 80,000 miles Somerville, NJ

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was uncertain if there were any warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted soon after the failure. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and an estimate was provided for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA complaint #11525783 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 15,000 miles Kingers, PA

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at 60-65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the dealer; however, no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,000.

NHTSA complaint #11524028 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Union Mills, IN

ENGINE

The van just stopped like it ran out of gas. It did not restart until the next day. I can drive for days, then without warning it will die. I changed the Drummond fuel vapor leak detection pump and the fuel pump relay. it stopped again a few days later. same thing, it acted like it ran out of gas. It will restart a few hours later or the next day. It has happened 4 times so far.

NHTSA complaint #11508129 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sanford, NC

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle was violently shaking. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to her destination. The contact also stated while driving 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle started to stall while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle to the shoulder of the highway and then had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The transmission was repaired by an independent mechanic. The contact wrote a letter to the manufacturer but had not received a response. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA complaint #11499153 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 125,000 miles Ramona, CA

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while exiting a parking lot the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle was able to operate normally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the spark plugs were replaced. On another occasion the failure reoccurred, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic again and the mechanic stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA complaint #11499251 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fairborn, OH

ENGINE

Superior Protection Plan Information for 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan Service Echelon Automotive [XXX] Wed, Nov 2, 2022 at 8:34 AM To: [XXX] Cc: [XXX],[XXX] [XXX], Here are some photos of the rear driver side brake system where it is locking up on you. I want to express my disappointment in whoever sold you this vehicle and not only sold it to you in this condition but if I heard you correctly, they said it was inspected? If it was inspected and this condition got through I would not be trusting the repair facility that “inspected” this vehicle for the “seller” of this car. Can you ask for the inspection report findings? Ma’am, we cannot even diagnose further issues until the brakes on this vehicle are brought up to a safe standard so it can be test driven properly. I reviewed your vehicle service contract through Superior Protection Plan and I found the mileage logged on the form dated 10/06/2022 (Thursday) as 87,158 miles when sold to you. Your current reading on your mileage on vehicle is 87,934 miles. That is about a 776 miles added to this vehicle from that purchase day to the date we received your vehicle during the week of October 24th through the 28th and it was left on our lot. This being said, I find it very difficult to believe you actually drove 776 miles from the 10/06/2022 purchase to this point with the vehicle in this very unsafe condition. If you did drive that much in this vehicle like it is you are much braver than I. As the pictures show this issue didn’t happen while this vehicle was in your possession, this was years of sitting and rusting on these parts and it was sold to you in this condition. Worries me very much. Your vehicle has been in a local repair facility several times already and another facility further north from here and again this issue was not spotted. So, I’m not sure what you want to do here on this issue. I’ll help as INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA complaint #11491999 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Anderson, IN

ENGINE

While driving at any speed there is a loss of power, and steering and brakes lock up.

NHTSA complaint #11487386 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Murrieta, CA

ENGINE

As of March 2022, the van has shut down while driving on the interstate. The steering wheel, brakes and vehicle become hard to use. The van will slow quickly and has come close to causing an accident on multiple occasions. When along the side of the road, its then a challenge to get the van to start. It will crank with no fire. This has occured over 10x and is occurring more frequently with time. Along with the shut down I have had issues with the vehicle not starting. It will crank with no fire. Several mechanics have replaced and wormed on the vehicle with no luck to the conclusion. Things changed: TIPM, engine computer, fuel pump, starter. I purchased this vehicle jan 2 2022.

NHTSA complaint #11484920 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mchenry, IL

ENGINE

Engine misfire, check engine light P0306, P0304, P0302 due to left side head needing replacement.

NHTSA complaint #11465911 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Studio City, CA

ENGINE

Van will shut off without warning while driving on the freeway. Loss of power steering and brakes is a major safety issue! My wife had this happen twice now, both times in a near-miss accident on the freeway. There are no codes.

NHTSA complaint #11461956 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Walnutport, PA

ENGINE

When driving the vehicle at random times the vehicle will shut off without warning. This becomes very unsafe as you lose all power to everything. Steering, breaks, etc. Took the vehicle to a dealership to have this issue fixed. Parts and labor cost 1500 dollars and did not solve the problem.

NHTSA complaint #11459031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 141,700 miles Pikesville, MD

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the lost motive power and stalled. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact indicated that during the failure, the RPM’s would suddenly increase as the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified. The failure mileage was 141,700

NHTSA complaint #11455593 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Niles, IL

ENGINE

THE ENGINE IN THE VAN STALLED (SIMPLY SHUT OFF - DID NOT SPUTTER) WHILE DRIVING AT A STEADY SPEED IN TRAFFIC. CONSEQUENTLY THE POWER ASSIST FOR THE STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED. IN THAT SITUATION MY PHYSICALLY CHALLANGED WIFE WAS COMPLETELY UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VAN. THANKFULLY THE VAN ROLLED TO A STOP WITHOUT HITTING ANYONE OR ANYTHING, OR GETTING HIT FROM BEHIND. AFTER PUTTING THE GEAR SELECTOR INTO "PARK" IT RESTARTED NORMALLY. THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN 15 MINUTES DURING THE SAME SHORT TRIP HOME. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNS WHATSOVER BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. (NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, ETC.) AN INTERNET SEARCH OF ABUNDANT IDENTICAL DODGE GRAND CARAVAN STALLING ISSUES INDICATES A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS CURRENTLY TRYING TO EVADE - FOR FAR TOO MANY YEARS, TO THE DETRIMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

NHTSA complaint #11423694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 48,500 miles Plantation, FL

ENGINE

ENGINE BUCKS AND SKIPS. CODE P0302, P0304, P0306,P0863, P0152, P0175, B193. LAST EVENT OCCURRED IN DRIVEWAY AND RAN FINE AFTER DRIVING ABOUT A HALF MILE. OTHER EVENTS SIMILAR.

NHTSA complaint #11415608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 150,000 miles Madison, IN Fire

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2013 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE STALLED, STARTED SMOKING AND THEN CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE INSPECTED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND NOTICED THAT WIRES, THE WIRE HARNESS AND OTHER ITEMS IN THE ENGINE WERE BURNT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CONTACTED HOWEVER, A BYSTANDER EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH A WATER HOSE. THE CONTACT HAS NOT NOTIFIED A LOCAL DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000.

NHTSA complaint #11414286 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 110,000 miles APO, AE

ENGINE

THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM REGARDING THE WIRELESS IGNITION MODULE (WIM) PROBLEMS AS THE 2008 - 2012 OF SAME MODELS. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THIS CAR WITH ALL FOUR OF OUR CHILDREN WHILE WE ARE HERE IN GERMANY (ACTIVE DUTY US AIR FORCE) 2017 AND THE ENGINE DIED WITH NO WARNING/INDICATORS. I WAS NOT IN THE VEHICLE SO I THOUGH MAYBE SHE HIT THE IGNITION AND IT CUT OUT. AT THAT POINT WE SWAPPED VEHICLES AND I HAVE BEEN USING THIS CAR AS MY PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR DRIVING BACK AND FORTH TO WORK 2017 - 2021. I AM A AIRCRAFT MECHANIC WITH OVER 23 YEARS OF MAINTENANCE EXPERIENCE ON MULTIPLE DIFFERENT AIRFRAMES. I HAVE PERSONALLY WITNESSED THE ENGINE CUTTING OUT WHILE DRIVING NO LESS THAN 20 TIMES SINCE (4/25/2021). I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PUT THE VAN IN NEUTRAL AND IMMEDIATELY RESTART THE ENGINE (WHILE I AM DRIVING AND THIS HAPPENS). THIS HAPPENS AT SLOW SPEEDS (RESIDENTIAL AREA WITH CHILDREN PLAYING IN STREETS, HIGH SPEEDS (WHILE ON THE AUTOBAHN), DURING TURNS (DRIVING ON HILLY CURVED ROADS LUCKILY I HAVEN'T EXITED THE ROADWAY YET!), BRAKING (AT STOP LIGHTS), WHILE PARALLEL PARKING; POWER BRAKES STOP OPERATING, POWER STEERING STOPS OPERATING, GAS PEDAL STOPS RESPONDING TO INPUT - ALL DUE TO THE ENGINE THAT STOPS OPERATING. WHAT I BELIEVE NOW DUE TO THE WIRELESS IGNITION MODULE GOING FROM ON POSITION TO ACCY A MALFUNCTION WITH IN THE WIM. IT'S LIKE SOMEONE JUST KILLED THE ENGINE, BUT ALL LIGHTS, RADIO, EVERYTHING ELSE ELECTRICAL STILL OPERATES PERFECTLY. MILEAGE 135,000 MILES THERE ARE NO INDICATORS THAT THE ENGINE HAS CEASED TO OPERATE EXCEPT THAT THE RPMS ARE AT 0 (EVEN AT IDLE RPMS SHOULD BE AROUND 1,000 RPMS). NO OTHER INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATES. CONNECTED OBD2, NO CODES, I EVEN DRIVE WITH A BLUE DRIVER ATTACHED AND WHEN IT HAS HAPPENED THERE ARE NO CODES RECORDED. THESE CARS ARE HAZARDS ON THE ROADS AND IT IS SHAMEFUL DODGE WILL NOT ADMIT THEIR MISTAKE!

NHTSA complaint #11413730 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 77,000 miles Wayne, MI

ENGINE

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED. THERE'S A HUGE ELECTRICAL ISSUE, HAS BEEN EVER SENSE I'VE OWNED IT. THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING ON IT, AND I'M JUST OVER 100K MILES.

NHTSA complaint #11397112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 166,160 miles Palatka, FL

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHUT-OFF, CAUSING THE BATTERY TO BECOME DRAINED. THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL HUMMING NOISE DETECTED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 166,160.

NHTSA complaint #11395960 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan problems

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