repaired · 2026 Q3
Latch/anchor:
NewRisk. An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
2012 Dodge Grand CaravanProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 584 owner complaints about the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 17V-376 the manufacturer reports only 53% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 7, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan has problems
584 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
337Electrical system11 crash/fire/injury
119Engine3 crash/fire/injury
68Fuel/propulsion system
48Power train
38Service brakes
24Vehicle speed control
19Structure
18Air bags
18Electronic stability control (ESC)
6915 other systems7 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 337 | 11 |
| Engine | 119 | 3 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 68 | 0 |
| Power train | 48 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 38 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 24 | 3 |
| Structure | 19 | 2 |
| Air bags | 18 | 1 |
| Electronic stability control (ESC) | 18 | 0 |
| 15 other systems | 69 | 7 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
6 recalls
2012 Dodge Grand 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.
repaired · 2018 Q4
Air bags: frontal
Risk. Unexpected deployment of the driver's frontal air bag increases the risk of a crash or driver injury.
repaired · 2016 Q1
Electrical system
Risk. An overheated switch may result in a vehicle fire.
no report yet
Equipment
Risk. THE POWER LIFTGATE DOOR MAY CLOSE ON AN APPENDAGE, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Show 2 more recalls
no report yet
Suspension: rear
Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN A DECREASE IN DURABILITY, WHICH MAY LEAD TO WHEEL SEPARATION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
no report yet
Engine and engine cooling
Risk. CONNECTING ROD FAILURE MAY LEAD TO ENGINE SEIZURE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
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 electrical system problems start?
100kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 179 electrical system complaints. 47% were reported before 100,000 miles.
9under 30k miles84under 100k miles95100k 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.
Electrical system
17 owners mentioned a cost$826median
Middle half: $600 – $1,200
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
2012 vs. every other Grand 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 Grand Caravan median. How we score
'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2012 Dodge Grand Caravan safety ratings
2012 Dodge Grand Caravan VAN FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★Overall rating
- Rollover: 4 stars (16.4% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan, and the recalls they led to.
- Totally Integrated Power Module FailureNo recall
- Active Head Rest Inadvertent DeploymentNo recall
In owners' words
What Grand Caravan owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
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,…
My van tipm went out..it would cut off going down the road the safety door locks was not working the fuel pump was running all the time with switch off
While driving, the vehicle will periodically shut down/lose all power. This appears to occur when a slight bump in the road occurs. The loss of power to the vehicle is obviously a significant safety issue. We have been able to restart it when switching to neutral and turning the key; however, this…
Own a 2012 Grand Caravan?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.