IllustrationAFTER GOING THROUGH WATER PUDDLES, THE CAR BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE WHEEL TURNED BUT AS IF THE ENGINE WAS OFF. THE CAR ALSO HESITATES AS IF THE ENGINE WILL STALL. *JS
2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 284.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Grand Caravan years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
180–25K
1125–50K
1150–75K
2175–100K
17100–150K
15150K+
93 reports with mileage · 23 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports1 fire reports2 injury reports
Steering complaints
13 reports2004 DODGE CARAVAN WITH 3.3 ENGINE. RACK AND PINION BINDING IN TURNS. CORRECTIVE ACTION HAD TO REPLACE RACK AND PINION. 83000 MILES ON VAN. STARTED OUT AS A POPPING NOISE AND GOT PROGRESSIVE WORST. *TR
UNUSUAL GRINDING NOISE WHEN BRAKING AND TURNING AT THE SAME TIME. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON A COLD DAY, THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE FAILED AND WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V38600 (STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST: HOSE, PIP…
Read full complaint
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON A COLD DAY, THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE FAILED AND WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V38600 (STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST: HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS). THE SECOND REPLACEMENT WOULD COST $400. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY DECLINED TO ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT WILL HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,355.
EVERY MORNING THE STEERING GROWLS AND MAKES NOISE UNTIL THE VAN WARMS UP. THE DEALER THAT HAS DONE ALL REPAIRS ON THE VAN SAYS THE RACK IS GOING OUT. I HAVE WATCHED THE FLUID, AND SEE NO LEAKS, NOR HAVE I HAD TO ADD ANY TO IT. IT SEEMS THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF GRAND CARAVAN OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY VAN, THAT I LOVE, IS A 2…
Read full complaint
EVERY MORNING THE STEERING GROWLS AND MAKES NOISE UNTIL THE VAN WARMS UP. THE DEALER THAT HAS DONE ALL REPAIRS ON THE VAN SAYS THE RACK IS GOING OUT. I HAVE WATCHED THE FLUID, AND SEE NO LEAKS, NOR HAVE I HAD TO ADD ANY TO IT. IT SEEMS THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF GRAND CARAVAN OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY VAN, THAT I LOVE, IS A 2004 WITH 110,000 MILES. I AM GOING TO CHANGE THE RESERVOIR TO SEE IF THIS FIXES THE PROBLEM. BUT I THINK DODGE SHOULD PAY FOR REPAIRS WHEN LOTS OF THEIR VANS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, IT IS CALLED DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. *TR
VEHICLE HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT AND RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IS LEAKING. BASED ON RESEARCH OF OTHER COMPLAINTS, IT IS APPARENT THAT THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT AFFECTS STEERING. THE POWER STEERING DOESN'T FAIL, BUT IT WILL DETERIORATE UNTIL ALL OF THE…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT AND RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IS LEAKING. BASED ON RESEARCH OF OTHER COMPLAINTS, IT IS APPARENT THAT THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT AFFECTS STEERING. THE POWER STEERING DOESN'T FAIL, BUT IT WILL DETERIORATE UNTIL ALL OF THE FLUID LEAKS OUT AND THEN POSSIBLY DAMAGES THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS ULTIMATELY COULD CAUSE THE PUMP TO LOCK UP OR IN SOME CASES, LEAK FLUID ON TO THE EXHAUST PIPE AND CAUSE A FIRE. THE REPAIR COST FOR THIS ISSUE IS ~$800-900. MY ESTIMATE WAS FOR $820 (EXCLUDING A NEW ALIGNMENT). *TR
POWER STEERING RESERVOIR FILTER CLOGS CAUSING POWER STEERING FAILURE. IT IS MORE SEVERE IN COLD WEATHER. HAVE HAD VAN IN DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY OBSERVED THE PROBLEM. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER AGREE THERE IS A SEVERE PROBLEM, BUT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT IDENTIFY THE "EXACT COMPONENT" CAUSING THE PROBLEM, THEY WILL NOT FIX. DAIM…
Read full complaint
POWER STEERING RESERVOIR FILTER CLOGS CAUSING POWER STEERING FAILURE. IT IS MORE SEVERE IN COLD WEATHER. HAVE HAD VAN IN DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY OBSERVED THE PROBLEM. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER AGREE THERE IS A SEVERE PROBLEM, BUT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT IDENTIFY THE "EXACT COMPONENT" CAUSING THE PROBLEM, THEY WILL NOT FIX. DAIMLER CHRYSLER REFUSES TO FIX UNDER WARRANTY OR NOT. IF THIS WERE ISOLATED ISSUE, I WOULD IGNORE. BUT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CASES POSTED ONLINE WITH SAME ISSUE. RESULT IS LOW SPEED AND HIGH SPEED STEERING FAILURE.*CN
TIE RODS ARE WEARING OUT VERY RAPIDLY. AT 25500 MILES, THE DEALER IS REPLACING TIE RODS FOR THE SECOND TIME. THEY ADMIT THERE HAS BEEN A BIT OF A PROBLEM WITH THEM. THEIR OWN COURTESY VAN HAD NEW TIE RODS AND BALL JOINTS BEFORE 25000 MILES. *JB
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SWAY BAR VIBRATED T CAUSING AN OVERALL ROUGHNESS WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE SWAY BARS. ALSO, THE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING RACK AND UPPER STRUT BEARING. NO FURTHER PROBLEMS SINCE THIS REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. *AK
ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN THAT HAS 11,500 MILES HAS STALLED. THE FIRST TIME THE VAN STALLED WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT INTO TRAFFIC. THE VAN WAS STUCK IN THE ROAD WITH CARS COMING FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS, AND LUCKILY WAS NOT HIT. THE SECOND TIME THE VAN DID NOT REALLY STAL…
Read full complaint
ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY 2004 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN THAT HAS 11,500 MILES HAS STALLED. THE FIRST TIME THE VAN STALLED WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT INTO TRAFFIC. THE VAN WAS STUCK IN THE ROAD WITH CARS COMING FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS, AND LUCKILY WAS NOT HIT. THE SECOND TIME THE VAN DID NOT REALLY STALL, IT JUST DIED BACK ON DEC 31ST 2004 WHILE GOING 50MPH HOUR ON A 6 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY. THE VAN JUST DIED IN THE MIDDLE LANE, NEARLY, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE VAN DID NOTHING WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED, AND THE POWER STEERING QUIT. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST OFF THE ROAD, PUT THE VAN IN PARK, AND BACK TO DRIVE, AND EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. THE THIRD TIME BACK ON JANUARY 9, 2005 THE VAN DIED AGAIN WHILE PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION. THIS TIME THE CAR STALLED, AND THE POWER STEERING QUIT. THIS CAUSED US TO LOSS CONTROL OF THE VAN, CROSSING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH NO SHOULDER, NEARLY HITTING SOMEONE HEAD ON.*AK I HAD THE VAN IN THE DEALER?S SHOP ON JANUARY 11, 2005 AND WAS TOLD NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE VAN. HOW CAN A BRAND NEW VAN STALL 3 TIMES FOR NO REASON? THE NEXT TIME THE VAN DIES I MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY, AND PEOPLE MAY BE INJURED.
Official recalls
104V386000 · Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections
Aug 5, 2004
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS EQUIPPED WITH 3.3 OR 3.8L V-6 ENGINE, THE UPPER POWER STEERING COOLER HOSE MAY SPLIT AND CAUSE A FLUID LEAK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN AN UNDER HOOD FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE UPPER POWER STEERING COOLER HOSE. THIS RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP14002 · Engine Stall After Refueling
Opened Sep 5, 2014 · Closed Apr 6, 2015
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
This defect petition evaluates July 7, 2014 allegations from an owner of a model year (MY) 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan minivan that engine stall occurs in these vehicles without warning after refueling.The petitioner's vehicle is a Chrysler RS platform minivan.The RS platform includes MY 2003 through 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country and Chrysler Voyager minivans.NHTSA evaluated the petition by analyzing consumer complaints submitted to the Agency, analyzing field data, reviewing technical information provided in Chrysler's response to an Agency information request and testing an RS minivan identified by its owner as experiencing post-refuel engine stalls.After completing this evaluation, NHTSA has concluded that further investigation is unlikely to result in a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists.The stalls occurring in these vehicles only occur immediately after filling up the fuel tank and happen at low engine speeds. The failure rate is low, even after 8 to 13 years of the vehicles being in service, and there are no reports of crashes or injuries resulting from the stall condition.In the Agency's view, additional investigation is unlikely to result in finding the existence of a safety-related defect in the subject vehicles.Given the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to best accomplish the Agency's safety mission, the petition is denied.This action does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency will take further action if warranted by future circumstances. More details concerning our review can be found in the Federal Register Notice for this action.The following 161 VOQs are included in the petition evaluation: 10209242, 10229468, 10240708, 10260923, 10275939, 10276532, 10296487, 10298175, 10328669, 10330144, 10346517, 10349789, 10354758, 10363689, 10372112, 10372368, 10372514, 10378031, 10379764, 10382938, 10387448, 10394063, 10398877, 10413918, 10418652, 10420924, 10427063, 10437525, 10445392, 10446902, 10470028, 10471249, 10473733, 10502231, 10503114, 10504260, 10509862, 10511988, 10512120, 10512385, 10512650, 10513147, 10538154, 10549841, 10551763, 10555188, 10555418, 10556754, 10565367, 10574012, 10574398, 10586555, 10587212, 10587559, 10593433, 10607841, 10607913, 10608922, 10615810, 10622468, 10628141, 10632112, 10632128, 10632172, 10632175, 10632231, 10632262, 10632266, 10632270, 10632305, 10632316, 10632326, 10632370, 10632385, 10632399, 10632492, 10632542, 10632765, 10632833, 10632928, 10633197, 10633281, 10633409, 10633421, 10633483, 10633507, 10637752, 10637804, 10637950, 10637975, 10638032, 10638289, 10638290, 10638401, 10638968, 10639218, 10639623, 10641157, 10641603, 10641614, 10641836, 10644339, 10644705, 10649713, 10649895, 10649932, 10650313, 10652590, 10653147, 10653783, 10654533, 10655226, 10658900, 10659679, 10660320, 10662588, 10662645, 10662662, 10663473, 10667056, 10667437, 10668081, 10668094, 10668131, 10668612, 10668969, 10668970, 10669584, 10669678, 10669729, 10669775, 10669866, 10669895, 10669992, 10670422, 10670506, 10676348, 10676732, 10677120, 10679795, 10679934, 10680057, 10680290, 10680342, 10680714, 10681512, 10682584, 10682906, 10683022, 10683114, 10683549, 10683620, 10683697, 10683743, 10689898, 10690761, 10691284, 10691556, 10691751, 10693061, 10694300