no report yet
Air bags: frontal
Risk. THIS CONDITION WILL MANIFEST ITSELF THROUGH ILLUMINATION OF THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP, AND COULD EVENTUALLY RESULT IN A DRIVER'S AIR BAG OPEN CIRCUIT, IF THE…
1996 Dodge CaravanProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,403 owner complaints about the 1996 Dodge Caravan, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 9 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 3, 2023. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1996 Dodge Caravan has problems
1,403 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
251Air bags30 crash/fire/injury
215Engine and engine cooling17 crash/fire/injury
215Fuel system, gasoline16 crash/fire/injury
213Electrical system18 crash/fire/injury
185Power train10 crash/fire/injury
139Service brakes, hydraulic11 crash/fire/injury
121Visibility1 crash/fire/injury
115Vehicle speed control
65Steering
41417 other systems20 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 251 | 30 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 215 | 17 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 215 | 16 |
| Electrical system | 213 | 18 |
| Power train | 185 | 10 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 139 | 11 |
| Visibility | 121 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 115 | 4 |
| Steering | 65 | 5 |
| 17 other systems | 414 | 20 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
9 recalls
1996 Dodge Caravan recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system
Risk. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.
no report yet
Delivery: fuel pump
Risk. IF A FUEL LEAK OCCURS IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
no report yet
Child seat
Risk. THIS CAN CAUSE DIFFICULTY IN RELEASING A CHILD FROM THE RESTRAINT.
Show 5 more recalls
no report yet
Seat belts: integrated child seat
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT, THE CHILD SEAT MAY NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO THE OCCUPANT.
no report yet
Tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE A SPARK TO OCCUR WHEN FUELING THE VEHICLE AND POSSIBLY IGNITE THE FUEL VAPORS.
no report yet
Engine: gasoline
Risk. INADEQUATE SEALING AND RETENTION OF THE PLUG CAN RESULT IN OIL LEAKAGE WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
no report yet
Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk. FUEL LEAKAGE INCREASES THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE FIRE.
no report yet
Seats
Risk. IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, THE BOLT MAY FAIL AND CAN CAUSE THE SEAT TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE SEAT RISERS, WHICH INCREASES THE POTENTIALOF INJURY TO ITS OCCUPANTS.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Dodge.
Mileage at failure
When do air bags problems start?
102kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 28 air bags complaints. 46% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 8% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
0under 30k miles13under 100k miles15100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Air bags
8 owners mentioned a cost$315median
Middle half: $250 – $611
Power train
8 owners mentioned a cost$2,175median
Middle half: $1,675 – $4,250
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
1996 vs. every other Caravan year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Caravan median. How we score
'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
14 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 1996 Dodge Caravan, and the recalls they led to.
- DEFECTIVE AIR BAG CRASH SENSOROpen
- AIR BAG CLOCKSPRINGLed to recall 02V-293
- SLIDING DOOR LATCH FAILURENo recall
- FUEL TANK LEAKSNo recall
- INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT BELT LOCKUPLed to recall 97I001000
- POST COLLISION FUEL SYSTEMNo recall
- AIR BAG CLOCKSPRINGLed to recall 02V-293
- FUEL LEAKEAGE FROM ROLLOVER VALVELed to recall 95V-236
- SAFETY BLT LATCH OPERATIONNo recall
- SLIDING DOOR LATCH FAILURENo recall
- FUEL LEAKS FROM THE GAS TANKLed to recall 99V-216
- POST-COLLISION FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITYNo recall
- DC MINIVAN FUEL INJECTOR RAIL LEAKLed to recall 00V-268
- INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT BELT LOCKUPNo recall
In owners' words
What Caravan owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
I PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE FROM OWNER IN DEC. 2013 AND START HAVING PROBLEM THE OWNER I PURCHASE IT FROM PURCHASE IT FROM A BANK BACK IN 2006. THEY DID KNOW ABOUT AN RECALL OR ETC. ABOUT THIS VEHCLE. THE ELECTRIC HAS PROBLEM AND AIRBAGS, THE FUEL TANK IS LEAKING AND FUEL INJECTION AND ETC,. WHERE CAN…
TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT DOING 3 OR 4 MPH, WHEN THE DRIVERS SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AIR BAGS UNEXPECTEDLY DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NEVER HIT ANYTHING. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BRUISES ON HER FOREARM. THE CONTACT DIDN'T…
MAY 7, 2005, I WAS IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. THE OTHER CAR WAS A 2004 HONDA ACCORD. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ACCORD HIT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF MY 1996 DODGE CARAVAN JUST IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG INFLATED, THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT. THROUGH THE COURSE…
Own a 1996 Caravan?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.