U.S. public vehicle records

1999 Dodge CARAVAN problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

529 owner complaints analyzed

5 distinct recall campaigns

84,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1999 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 230 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 80 of 529 complaints (15.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	72	13.6%
Braking behavior	68	12.9%
Steering behavior	52	9.8%
Electrical and battery issues	25	4.7%
Engine operation	23	4.3%
Fuel system concerns	14	2.6%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys

Electrical System:Horn

Air Bags:Frontal

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Vehicle Speed Control

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Air Bags	80
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	71
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys	34
Electrical System:Horn	32
Air Bags:Frontal	29
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	27
Engine And Engine Cooling	21
Vehicle Speed Control	17

Air Bags: 80; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 71; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys: 34; Electrical System:Horn: 32; Air Bags:Frontal: 29; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 27; Engine And Engine Cooling: 21; Vehicle Speed Control: 17

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 14; 25,000 to 49,999: 28; 50,000 to 74,999: 56; 75,000 to 99,999: 50; 100,000 to 149,999: 58; 150,000 and above: 24

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (58). 299 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1995

2000

2001

2002

2003

103

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2020

2022

1995: 1; 2000: 43; 2001: 57; 2002: 66; 2003: 103; 2004: 98; 2005: 43; 2006: 14; 2007: 21; 2008: 18; 2009: 14; 2010: 13; 2011: 16; 2012: 5; 2013: 2; 2014: 5; 2015: 4; 2016: 2; 2020: 2; 2022: 2

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 72 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 68 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 52 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10000876 · 2003-01-09 (January 9, 2003)

I NOTIFIED THE FIRST INCIDENT TO THE DEALER ABOUT ITS SPEED SENSOR, OVER THE PHONE, WHICH BLEW AWAY JUST AFTER THE TWO WEEKS OF BUYING THIS CAR FROM HIS SHOWROOM. LAST MONTH, THE BREAK WENT BAD AND WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, I HAD TO END UP REPLACING THE ROTOR AND COMPLETE BRAKE SET, PAYING AROUND $300 FROM MY POCKET, FROM A MIDAS IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE THIRD INCIDENT WAS MOST DANGEROUS, AND DON'T KNOW HOW I SAVED THE LIFE OF MY TWO LITTLE KIDS INCLUDING THE ONE WITH 11MONTHS INFANT BABY, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BLEW AWAY WHIL…

Owner-reported narrative. 34,581 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000876 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000989 · 2003-01-12 (January 12, 2003)

SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2001, FOLLOWING DEALER OIL CHANGE, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE EPISODES OF STRONG RAW FUEL FUMES, ESPECIALLY AFTER PUTTING ANY AMOUNT OF FUEL IN VAN. MANY WITNESSES DOCUMENT FUMES. I AM AFRAID OF FIRE RISK AND OF THE HEALTH RISKS OF FUMES. I HAVE A SMALL CHILD AND I HAVE ASTHMA, SO THIS IS A HARMFUL SITUATION. ANYTHING LEFT IN CAR SMELLS LIKE A GAS STATION. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES. THEY SAY THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. STARTED AT 20K MILES. NOW 30K. ALSO HAD CYLINDER #3 FUEL INJECTOR FAIL AT 27K. (AUTOMATI…

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000989 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002100 · 2003-01-06 (January 6, 2003)

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM POP, CAUSING THE AXILE TO BRAKE. PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002100 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003354 · 2003-01-24 (January 24, 2003)

MY DODGE CARAVAN 99, STALLS. I CAN BE TURNING A CORNER, PUTTING ON THE BRAKE, SLOWING DOWN AND THE CAR STALLS. THIS HAS PUT ME IN VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. MY VAN HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP TWICE NOW. I HAD TO ASK FOR A MONITOR TO BE PUT ON THE ENGINE TO DETECT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THIS WAS NOT OFFERED TO ME, BUT SOMEONE I WORK WITH HAD A DODGE VAN WITH THE VERY SAME PROBLEM AND THEY HAD A MONITOR PUT ON THEIRS. CURRENTLY THE VAN IS STALLING, I AM PUSHING THE BUTTON ON THE MONITOR HOPING THE PROBLEM WILL BE DETECTED. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME T…

Owner-reported narrative. 62,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003354 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10012175 · 2003-03-20 (March 20, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE RAN OVER A MEDIUM POTHOLE WHICH CAUSED SERPENTINE BELT TO CAME OFF. THIS RESULTED IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL/ CRASH. *NLM. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 53,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10012175 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10015569 · 2003-07-10 (July 10, 2003)

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT WITH THE CLOCK SPRING AS STATED IN RECALL NUMBER 02V 293 000 BUT THE MODEL YEAR AND VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WERE NOT INCLUDED. *NLM AN ELECTRICAL SHORT STARTED AND WAS REPLACED PER MECHANIC. THE HORN STOPPED WORKING DUE TO THE AIR BAG. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE SAME PART MALFUNCTIONED IN THE 1996, 97, AND 98 DODGE CARAVAN'S. *SCC

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10015569 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10022100 · 2003-06-03 (June 3, 2003)

WIRING HARNESS IS BAD ON VEHICLE.VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10022100 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10006276 · 2003-02-04 (February 4, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A PIN IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS COMING A LOOSE, AND HAD BLOWN A HOLE IN THE TRANSMISSION. PH SCC

Owner-reported narrative. 88,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10006276 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000206 · 2002-12-18 (December 18, 2002)

1999 DODGE CARAVAN: STRONG FUEL ODERS ENTER CARGO/PASSENGER AREA OF VEHICLE - ODERS ALSO NOTICIBLE OUTSIDE OF VAN. FUMES ARE POTENTIAL FOR SPONTANIOUS COMBUSTION. ALSO, EXPOSURE TO GAS FUMES (DURING EXTENDED TRIPS AND OVER CUMULATIVE TIME) CAN BE HARMFUL TO MAJOR ORGAN COMPONENTS WITHIN THE HUMAN BODY - ESPECIALLY TO DEVELOPING INFANTS. A FORMER COMPLAINT WAS SUBMITTED USING ODI ID: 748730 SURROUNDING DATE: 09/06/2001. "COMPONENT: FUEL: FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY: TANK SUMMARY: SMELL GASOLINE COMING FROM THE FUEL TANK, A SMALL AMOUNT OF GAS …

Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000206 at NHTSA ↗