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1998 Dodge CaravanProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 629 owner complaints about the 1998 Dodge Caravan, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 5 safety recalls.

27
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid2.7× the Caravan median · #6 of 32 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Free fix at dealersOwner complaints62994 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage72kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 13, 2019. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1998 Dodge Caravan has problems

629 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling13511
Power train1038
Air bags9923
Electrical system685
Steering421
Service brakes, hydraulic418
Fuel system, gasoline393
Suspension371
Vehicle speed control333
19 other systems18023

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

1998 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

Air bags

Recall 04V-480 · Oct 6, 2004 · 955,344 vehicles

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Air bags: frontal

Recall 02V-293 · Nov 7, 2002 · 1,500,521 vehicles

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Seat belts: rear/other

Recall 02V-076 · Mar 8, 2002 · 545,311 vehicles

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system

Recall 00V-268 · Sep 13, 2000 · 1,163,000 vehicles

Risk. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall

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 engine and engine cooling problems start?

72kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 43 engine and engine cooling complaints. 70% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 29% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
4under 30k miles30under 100k miles13100k 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.

Power train

9 owners mentioned a cost

$2,021median

Middle half: $1,600 – $2,417

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

1998 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
NHTSA crash tests

1998 Dodge Caravan safety ratings

1998 Dodge Caravan in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

1998 Dodge Caravan frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
7 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1998 Dodge Caravan, and the recalls they led to.

  1. AIR BAG CLOCKSPRINGEA01007 · closed Nov 22, 2002
    Led to recall 02V-293
  2. DRIVER AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING FAILUREEA04013 · closed May 25, 2005
    Led to recall 04V-480
  3. POST COLLISION FUEL SYSTEMEA99013 · closed Aug 10, 2001
    No recall
  4. REAR SEAT BELT MALFUNCTIONPE02004 · closed Mar 11, 2002
    Led to recall 02V-076
  5. POST-COLLISION FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITYPE99010 · closed Jun 11, 1999
    No recall
  6. DC MINIVAN FUEL INJECTOR RAIL LEAKRQ00008 · closed Mar 18, 2002
    Led to recall 00V-268
  7. DRIVER AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING FAILURERQ04001 · closed Jun 4, 2004
    No recall
In owners' words

What Caravan owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE WAS PERSISTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED…
Complaint 10917173 · Oct 18, 2016
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH OVER A PUDDLE, THE SERPENTINE TIME BELT DETACHED FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000.
Complaint 10670100 · Jan 5, 2015 · 119,000 miles
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE SERPENTINE BELT BROKE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH TO OCCUR DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED THERE…
Complaint 10381500 · Feb 10, 2011 · 470,000 miles

Own a 1998 Caravan?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.