1,670 of the
18,883 complaints filed about the Dodge Grand Caravan
are about the transmission —
9% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1996.
1,670
Complaints
9%
Share of all complaints
50
Crashes
7
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
The transmission on this vehicle has started to make a whining noise from the transmission which is consistent with the symptoms of a failing transmission pump cover under recall S44. If this were to fail while driving it can lead to a serious or fatal accident. I have not yet taken the vehicle in to be serviced as I am trying to work with the manufacturer first. There were no indicators prior to the noise coming from the transmission. This van was manufactured in July, only 3 months outside the recall window. I have contacted Dodge to report the issue and have gotten nowhere.
NHTSA complaint #11754491 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started jerking, lost motive power, and the RPMs elevated to the red line. The contact pulled over to the side of the road with the engine running, but the vehicle was unable to drive forward. The vehicle had experienced transmission failure. The vehicle was towed to a local transmission shop where it was diagnosed and determined that an internal transmission pump failure was preventing transmission fluid from pumping to the clutch. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11747804 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The automatic transmission failed while driving, causing a loss of propulsion and leaving the vehicle stranded. This created a safety hazard because the vehicle could no longer accelerate or move out of traffic. This is the fourth Chrysler/Dodge vehicle I have owned that has experienced a substantially similar transmission failure.
NHTSA complaint #11747319 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle experienced a sudden transmission/powertrain failure while driving. The transmission began slipping, with engine RPM increasing but the vehicle failing to accelerate normally. The vehicle would move very slowly or not move forward at all, creating a significant safety risk in traffic because the driver could not reliably accelerate, merge, or clear intersections. Prior to complete failure, symptoms included delayed engagement when shifting into drive, sluggish acceleration, and slipping under throttle. There were no clear warning lamps before the incident, or any warning indicators were minimal/unclear. The issue worsened rapidly. Inspection by a service center/dealer confirmed the transmission fluid was extremely low and identified a failed transmission pump. The dealer refilled the transmission fluid, but the vehicle still would not move, confirming the failure was not caused by fluid level alone. The dealer advised that the transmission had sustained internal damage and required full transmission replacement. This failure appears consistent with numerous reported transmission pump and powertrain complaints involving the 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan, including delayed engagement, slipping, loss of propulsion, and sudden transmission failure. The failed components should be available for inspection upon request
NHTSA complaint #11744915 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, the vehicle experienced hard shifting while changing gears with no warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle experienced high engine revving and increased RPMs unexpectedly with no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled and failed to accelerate on several occasions with no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired . The 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 72,000.
NHTSA complaint #11739297 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The torque converter(automatic transmission) began failing causing the vehicle to stall when at a traffic light in heavy city traffic allowing for the possibility of being struck by other vehicles because of a restart delay. The only way to bypass the issue we learned was to put the vehicle in neutral when stopping. This reduced the stalling incidents but created other issues in heavy stop and go traffic. The vehicle was inspected by a transmission shop and they confirmed that the transmission was failing and the torque converter was causing the issue. There are no warning lights for transmission failure in these vehicles. In fact you can’t even check fluid levels on these transmissions. Only technicians can. A transmission failure on a 7 year old vehicle under normal wear and tear (113,000 miles) is unacceptable and we had to spend 5000.00 for a new transmission in order to remedy the obvious safety issues. Before the repair, my wife managed the stalling issue at 50+ years old by using neutral in between braking so the vehicle wouldn’t stall but imagine a teenager or elderly person dealing with that. I do have receipts for the repair. There was one interstate fender bender. We could not avoid because of people looking at accident on the side of the road. My wife was unable to shift the vehicle into neutral to keep it from installing in traffic and we ended up hitting somebody from behind. Very minor damage on the caravan to the front end.( I have a pic) the other vehicle was a large truck and received zero damage and was OK letting it go. State trooper at the accident people were watching said there were no harm done. Nobody at fault here , both parties agreeable , no injuries , so we elected not to turn in a police report.. This is just a credit card receipt for part of the repair total and we paid cash/check for remainder. Could look up if necessary.
NHTSA complaint #11737310 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping and made abnormal grinding sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic, who discovered that there was no transmission fluid inside the transmission. The mechanic replaced the transmission. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 120,211.
NHTSA complaint #11732734 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We purchased our 2019 Dodge Caravan July 31, 2022. We really like this Caravan and find it quite comfortable on long drives. Our transmission had a problem at 86,000 miles with a catastrophic transmission failure and we had the vehicle towed back to where it came from at IG Burton in Milford. Your repair shop replaced the old transmission with an OEM remanufactured transmission and provided a Three Year Mopar Warranty on Work order DTCS818344 Jan 21, 2024. It worked well for the next 26,000 miles. February 4, 2026 we experienced a problem after we made a right hand turn off Highway 404 onto Route 309. The transmission started racing and slowed down and it ran into limp mode. We brought it home 5 miles and got it into our driveway. We shifted it to neutral and then back to drive and it made a loud clunk noise and the whole car shook. The same thing happened in reverse when we pulled the car around to aim it out for the tow truck driver and at that point we turned the car off. When decided to try restarting it, the powertrain sounded normal. It shifted correctly, no problems and it was the same thing when the tow truck driver put it on his towing rig. The vehicle was towed to Fred Frederick Chrysler thinking it was a repeated transmission failure. The vehicle sat for two months and it was driven for 125mi and the mechanic said it could not repeat the same code it showed upon arrival. The initial code found was DTC PO755 2-4 solenoid circuit stored and not active. They released it to us on Thursday March 20, 2026. The put it in writing they could not find anything wrong with it. Tested the car for 125mi claimed could not duplicate the DTC. They did say hard shifting may occur when the vehicle is cold and fluids are not warmed up and this issue won’t occur when it’s hot; What? Transmission was already well warmed up leaving DE home to our MD home. Millsboro Preston Hyundai car code C212A system voltage below threshold.
NHTSA complaint #11732391 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We purchased our 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan 1/2026. Only 85000 miles on it. After about a week or 2, when husband tried go start van to go to work early cold, morning, van wouldn't start easily. Sometimes he would wait up to a few hours and keep trying to start, eventually it would. But last 3 days, its gotten harder to start van.at all. Not cool. Why isn't this recalled, it seems ALOT of people have same issue..
NHTSA complaint #11731166 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1) At D/S Stow and Go seat malfunctioned and was repaired by CarMax Service Center Jan 2023 - 2) Around 97,000 so - Engine started ticking on or about JUL/SEP 2023, enstate Lloyds Automotive in Spokane Valley replaced out engine due to manufacture defect in Oct 2023. 3) At 103,672mi - P/S stow and Go seat was repaired for same issues as D/S stow & Go Seat by Lloyds Automotive Oct 2023 when engine was replaced out. 4) Around 116,000mi the Transmission was flushed when I got the oil changed because I noticed jerking shifting at times, this was Aug 2024 there was no check engine or diag faults. 5) Around 132,720 Fell under CXLHX982 / CXLHX981 Actuator Sliding Door D/S & P both repaired and Transmissioned serviced again because my van started stalling out at stops and the jerking happened again no check engine or diag faults 6) Around 138,000 - D/S Sliding door hatch pin repair by Coos Bay Area Dodge. On 24Mar2026 - Around 142,000mi my transmission overheat warning came on and my van would not go any faster than 45 to 50mi, the RPMs went from 1.5 to 4 to 5 then 7 and back down, I immediately pulled over and sat for about 40min turned my van back on there was no overheat warning so I drove around 50mi per hour in the emergency lane to the next exit which was Hood River, Or and trailer towed my van from Hood River, Or to AAMCO, North Spokane Wa for transmission service. - I believe my vehicle 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan R/T model - transmission was built with some underlying transmission serious safety defects and should have been recalled and a part of Part 573 Safety Recall Report 16V-461. My vehicle malfunctioning could have caused an accident if not for my quick thinking that day and keeping my vehicle maintained at a high standard. I do keep all my service records.
NHTSA complaint #11727028 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was coasted to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was then coasted into a nearby parking lot. While coasting into the parking lot, the vehicle jerked and bucked abnormally. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission was replaced by the dealer three times within 107,000 miles. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
NHTSA complaint #11725559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that she had stopped the vehicle on the street on a slight incline with the front of the vehicle pointed up the incline and had shifted to park (P). The contact stated that she was not sure if she engaged the parking brake. The contact stated that she thought she had left the keys in the ignition, but had not heard a key warning chime when she exited. The contact stated that she had stepped away from the vehicle and almost immediately, it started to roll backwards. The contact stated that she ran after the vehicle. The contact had left the driver's side window down and was able to jump into the vehicle. The contact stated she attempted to shift the vehicle to park (P), but could not reach the shift lever. The contact tried to open the door, but it was locked, and she lost her balance; the top half of her body was in the vehicle, and she was balanced on her stomach in the window. The contact fell onto the roadway. The contact stated that she watched the vehicle roll down the road, and it veered to the left into a residence's front yard, where it came to a stop. The contact stated that she was able to drive the vehicle off the person's yard and drove herself to an urgent care facility. The contact stated that she had broken her left ankle and had a contusion on the back of her head. The contact stated she had scrapes on her right ankle and pain in her right shoulder. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.
NHTSA complaint #11723944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We purchased this car in 2019 at 55k miles. We had a transmission failed at 92k miles. My wife was left at a light and had to baby it home. It was replaced by a Mopar remanufactued unit that was supposed to be reinforced and have fixed parts from design flaws. A local dealership fixed it after several weeks and getting a loaned car. Next failure was 2 years later in 2023 at around 130k miles. This part was under Mopar 3 year 100k mile warranty and left my wife stranded on the road. The transmission was replaced by the local dealership this time cars were scarce and they didn't have a loaner. We had to get a rental and we're reimbursed. At 177k?miles it's happening again. I can't do this anymore. This transmission is defective and should be recalled. Timeline 92,000 miles – original transmission failed 130,000 miles – Mopar reman failed 180,000 miles – slipping, hard shifts, high RPM
NHTSA complaint #11723600 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Yesterday I left to run errands and noticed that my vehicle shifted fine into reverse, but did not want to go forward when put in gear. I thought maybe it was cold and let it warm up the more I drove the more sluggish it became going forward I came back home after driving about 4 miles when I pulled in the garage. I noticed there was transmission fluid on the floor. My grandson came and looked at it and added 2 quarts of fluid. I took it to my Dodge dealer this morning and they told me the fluid was so low that it burned up the pump and now I need to replace the transmission Itself. My drive yesterday was the only warning that I had that there was a transmission problem. It did not seem the amount of fluid on the floor could have made it that low. See the picture attached and you will see the amount of fluid.
NHTSA complaint #11721978 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road and drove into the gas station parking lot. The mechanic was able to restart the vehicle, and an abnormal sound was coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic and DTC P084B (Pressure Switch Rationality - TCM Detects Abnormal Hydraulic Pressure in a Specific Circuit). The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to another independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with a solenoid pack failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,950.
NHTSA complaint #11721812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased this van from a used car lot in December of 2025. After driving it for a little over 2 weeks the check engine light came on. My mechanic did a computer check on it and it showed that the transmission is bad. Apparently, through much investigation work on my part, the warranty I paid for on the vehicle is “void” because the dealer that I purchased it from was well aware that it needed a transmission! They reset the computer according to what I was able to find out, and then sold it to me. It’s a 2019 model and for the transmission to be in need of replacement already, I’m questioning why! I’m surprised that no other owners have evidently had this issue. Please let me know if there have been other owners that have experienced transmission issues in this van. Thank You
NHTSA complaint #11715905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am writing to formally request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration review and consider an investigation into a potential safety-related defect affecting 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. My vehicle recently experienced a failure of the engine oil filter housing, which cracked and leaked oil and required an expensive repair. According to the repair facility, Pro Auto Service, this failure is not isolated. I was advised that the shop has repaired a significant number of identical failures over the past year, to the extent that replacement parts have at times been difficult to obtain. The repair facility also indicated that many similar failures have occurred in recent weeks, coinciding with extreme cold weather conditions. The oil filter housing is a critical engine component responsible for maintaining proper oil circulation and pressure. Failure of this component can lead to oil loss, reduced lubrication, engine damage, or potential engine shutdown if not immediately addressed. Because this defect directly impacts engine operation, it presents a powertrain-related safety concern. Based on the frequency of reported failures, the consistency across the same model year, and the apparent correlation with cold weather conditions, this issue appears to be the result of a design or material defect rather than normal wear and tear. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this matter for possible investigation and recall consideration to protect vehicle owners from unexpected engine failure and costly repairs. Thank you for your attention to this concern and for your continued commitment to vehicle safety.
NHTSA complaint #11714179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
See Attached Documents: 1.) NHTSA- Questions Answered 2.) Service 2016 Dodge Grand caravan Note: The Dodge Dealership is not compliying with the mandated repairs. The diagnostic summary provided by [XXX] on December 17, 2025, significantly mischaracterizes my complaints and omits the relevant factory campaigns. It has been over 30 days and it is apparent that they have no intention of complying with the mandated repairs or providing me any paperwork for my repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11711381 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.