Power Train Problems of Dodge Grand Caravan - part 1

We purchased this car in 2019 at 55k miles. We had a transmission failed at 92k miles. My wife was left at a light and had to baby it home. It was replaced by a mopar remanufactued unit that was supposed to be reinforced and have fixed parts from design flaws. A local dealership fixed it after several weeks and getting a loaned car. Next failure was 2 years later in 2023 at around 130k miles. This part was under mopar 3 year 100k mile warranty and left my wife stranded on the road. The transmission was replaced by the local dealership this time cars were scarce and they didn't have a loaner. We had to get a rental and we're reimbursed. At 177k?miles it's happening again. I can't do this anymore. This transmission is defective and should be recalled. Timeline 92,000 miles – original transmission failed 130,000 miles – mopar reman failed 180,000 miles – slipping, hard shifts, high rpm.

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The contact owns a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that she had stopped the vehicle on the street on a slight incline with the front of the vehicle pointed up the incline and had shifted to park (p). The contact stated that she was not sure if she engaged the parking brake. The contact stated that she thought she had left the keys in the ignition, but had not heard a key warning chime when she exited. The contact stated that she had stepped away from the vehicle and almost immediately, it started to roll backwards. The contact stated that she ran after the vehicle. The contact had left the driver's side window down and was able to jump into the vehicle. The contact stated she attempted to shift the vehicle to park (p), but could not reach the shift lever. The contact tried to open the door, but it was locked, and she lost her balance; the top half of her body was in the vehicle, and she was balanced on her stomach in the window. The contact fell onto the roadway. The contact stated that she watched the vehicle roll down the road, and it veered to the left into a residence's front yard, where it came to a stop. The contact stated that she was able to drive the vehicle off the person's yard and drove herself to an urgent care facility. The contact stated that she had broken her left ankle and had a contusion on the back of her head. The contact stated she had scrapes on her right ankle and pain in her right shoulder. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

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Yesterday I left to run errands and noticed that my vehicle shifted fine into reverse, but did not want to go forward when put in gear. I thought maybe it was cold and let it warm up the more I drove the more sluggish it became going forward I came back home after driving about 4 miles when I pulled in the garage. I noticed there was transmission fluid on the floor. My grandson came and looked at it and added 2 quarts of fluid. I took it to my Dodge dealer this morning and they told me the fluid was so low that it burned up the pump and now I need to replace the transmission itself. My drive yesterday was the only warning that I had that there was a transmission problem. It did not seem the amount of fluid on the floor could have made it that low. See the picture attached and you will see the amount of fluid.

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I am writing to formally request that the national highway traffic safety administration review and consider an investigation into a potential safety-related defect affecting 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. My vehicle recently experienced a failure of the engine oil filter housing, which cracked and leaked oil and required an expensive repair. According to the repair facility, pro auto service, this failure is not isolated. I was advised that the shop has repaired a significant number of identical failures over the past year, to the extent that replacement parts have at times been difficult to obtain. The repair facility also indicated that many similar failures have occurred in recent weeks, coinciding with extreme cold weather conditions. The oil filter housing is a critical engine component responsible for maintaining proper oil circulation and pressure. Failure of this component can lead to oil loss, reduced lubrication, engine damage, or potential engine shutdown if not immediately addressed. Because this defect directly impacts engine operation, it presents a powertrain-related safety concern. Based on the frequency of reported failures, the consistency across the same model year, and the apparent correlation with cold weather conditions, this issue appears to be the result of a design or material defect rather than normal wear and tear. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this matter for possible investigation and recall consideration to protect vehicle owners from unexpected engine failure and costly repairs. Thank you for your attention to this concern and for your continued commitment to vehicle safety.

I purchased this van from a used car lot in December of 2025. After driving it for a little over 2 weeks the check engine light came on. My mechanic did a computer check on it and it showed that the transmission is bad. Apparently, through much investigation work on my part, the warranty I paid for on the vehicle is “void” because the dealer that I purchased it from was well aware that it needed a transmission! they reset the computer according to what I was able to find out, and then sold it to me. It’s a 2019 model and for the transmission to be in need of replacement already, I’m questioning why! I’m surprised that no other owners have evidently had this issue. Please let me know if there have been other owners that have experienced transmission issues in this van. Thank you.

Vehicle only has 93,000 miles and has been well maintained. I was was working and the transmission pump failed. It kicked out of gear going 55mph down a road. Could have caused me to have a major accident. Why are these not part of the 2015-2016 transmission recall?.

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On December 29, 2025, my wife put her van in park, turned off the vehicle and proceeded to exit the vehicle. The drive is on an incline after exiting the vehicle it began to roll backwards. She was caught in the door and attempted to press the brake to no effect. She was drug about fifty feet before separating from the vehicle. The vehicle then rolled down a steep embankment and continued another hundred feet or so where it struck a building. Upon entering the vehicle, the gear shift was in the park position and the engine was turned off. The vehicle sustained over $5,000 in body damage from the impact to the building. And an unknown amount of damage to the steering and exhaust system from rolling down the embankment.

See attached documents: 1. ) NHTSA- questions answered 2. ) service 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan note: the Dodge dealership is not compliying with the mandated repairs. The diagnostic summary provided by [xxx] on December 17, 2025, significantly mischaracterizes my complaints and omits the relevant factory campaigns. It has been over 30 days and it is apparent that they have no intention of complying with the mandated repairs or providing me any paperwork for my repair. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Drove down the highway, took an exit, came to a red-light, turns green, press the gas car won't move for about 2-4 seconds then jumps into gear and stays stuck in first. . . Look up the problem see there was a recall for the transmission on the year and model but only some of them.

Driving down hwy 95 south without warning my transmission went out going at about 65 mph 5 hours from home.

09/26/2024 transmission had to be replaced at 47,000 miles. Without warning, the van began lurching forward at a stop light almost causing a collision and then completely stalled having to be towed to the shop. Luckily, I bought a service plan and only had to pay $100, but the parts list was $6,000+. Sliding rear doors have the electric assist option. On several occasions myself and my children have nearly been closed in the door as it malfunctions and randomly starts closing. Once I was getting my child out of the car seat when the door began closing on me, it did not stop closing as it met the resistance of my body. I have not had this issue serviced, as it is very intermittent. 10/28/2025 my driver's side headrest exploded. Thankfully no one was injured and I wasn't driving at the time. This could have caused a really dangerous situation had the vehicle been in motion. I was in the parking lot with nothing touching the headrest. Looking at the headrest there are jagged pieces of plastic that just crumbled to bits. Upon further investigation, this is a known issue with this type of vehicle, but it's not a recall. 70,000 miles. I'm waiting to see what the bill for this repair will be, but I'm concerned it is going to be replaced with the same malfunctioning equipment and I may not be so lucky next time this happens.

The contact owns a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the vehicle suddenly came to a stop. The rpm increased to 4,000 and then decreased. The brake pedal was depressed to avoid a crash. The contact stated that the transmission became inoperable. The transmission downshifted unexpectedly, and the vehicle bucked for 1/8th of a mile. There was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed there were no open recalls associated with the VIN. The dealer emailed the VIN to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

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Vehicle lost propulsion power and was not able to move due to failed transmission pump. Same issue as a existing recall but my vehicle was not included in recall per VIN search. Nhtsa campaign 16v461000.

Transmission fluid pump has been really loud and now slipping. Dodge had a recall on pumps from the 2015-2016 Grand Caravan however it seems a very widespread problem that they are not including all the vehicles that have the issues. My issue is exact to what the recall was for and I am not sure how my vehicle does not qualify.

At 99500 the transmission went kaputt! repair man says metal shavings obstructed flow of fluid, through the filter, into the transmission, not allowing for running the car forward or backward. Very dangerous as we were driving down a highway when it just stopped working. Vehicle is only 6 years old. Why would this happen so soon?.

Transmission shuddering while accelerating and intermittent code for "low pressure" this vehicle checks as not being a part of recall despite the issue similar to the recall.

2019 Dodge van gt when driving in about 2/3 gears(automatic trans. ) was slipping and hesitating around August 2025. In July 2025 I decided to have the trans. Fluid and filter exchanged. The dealership was said it was on the schedule for it to be done. After that is when the problem started. Took back to dealership and they ran some tests and noticed the problem. The tech told me to drive it for a while that could be that the transmission needed to get use to the new fluid. It started getting worse. I took it to a transmission shop. They said the fluid was burnt and they needed to open the transmission to look closer. $1500 to check. They said they found issues. Total cost to repair/rebuild would be $6700. I thought it was a lot but it’s my main vehicle and needed it. The van has 92k miles and the transmission should not go out that soon. I’m filing a complaint because I believe the transmission should last longer than it did.

Transmission slipping in first gear. Codes from dealership. P0944 loss prime p0868 low pressure.

While driving, transmission went out without warning. Prior, it was driving fine. While on the highway the vehicle lost power from the accelerator and the check engine light illuminated. When pressing the accelerator, rpms would go all the way up and the car would not accelerate at all. It was checked out shortly after by a mechanic. They ran a scan for the check engine light, which reported several codes being thrown for failed transmission components.

Transmission lost hydraulic pressure. How do I find out if a recall has been repaired on my vehicle because I know that's a recall from the past my transmission just lost the ability to shift out of nowhere just wondering how to find out if it was do to this recall thank you .

Transmission had a complete failure on July 24, 2025. There were no warning signs it was operating fine until that moment. Odometer 86,948. Had van towed to my mechanics shop where he diagnosed the problem. A new factory trans was ordered and installed at a cost of $6,316. 23.

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission would slip when switching gears. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission solenoid may be defective. The transmission solenoid was replaced. The failures persisted. While driving approximately 65 mph, when decelerating, then accelerating, the transmission would slip, and there would be a winding noise coming from the transmission. While idling and pressing the brakes, the vehicle would slightly jerk every couple of minutes. The jerking would occur intermittently. The contact had made it to their home, then had the vehicle towed to the mechanic. The mechanic stated the transmission pump was showing low pressure; however, they were unable to diagnose the cause of the failures with certainty. The contact found information for NHTSA campaign number: 16v461000 (power train), and the mechanic referred them to the dealer. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16v461000 (power train). The manufacturer was contacted, but was not able to speak with an actual agent. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

Transmission.

My wife drove to and from a doctor's appointment. When she went to leave the vehicle did a hard jolt and would not drive anymore. There was no indication or prior warning lights about the transmission. Had it towed to a shop. Did my research and between 2016 -2018 there was a known issue with power trains on the Dodge Grand Caravan.

I have the oil changed regularly and keep all records and receipts. I've had the coolant and transmission fluid flushed, the thermostat changed twice, the coolant temperature sensor changed, the oil cooler changed and I checkmy transmission fluid regularly. My van was over heating frequently and no one could figure out why. I changed the coolant our and the temp. Sensor. It doesn't overheat now, but the heater quit working the day it was changed out. It hard shifts from 40 mph and up. Transmission fluid is good. I reset the power module by unhooking the battery for an hour. Still hard shifts . Scanner doesn't bring up any codes. 98,800 miles on it. Back sliding doors won't lock and tire sensor and radio dont work. What can I do? I cant afford a new transmission. The van was bought 2020 and for $19,000. I'm broke.

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormal sound. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was informed that the vehicle manufacturer information was like the recall specifications. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

I purchased a used 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan se in April of 2025 with only 52,973 miles on it, and a one owner. On June 26, 2025, the van lost pull power, wouldn't accelerate, check engine light came on and I was stranded. Towed to dealer, had metal in the transmission fluid and a new transmission was ordered and installed under the extended warranty I had purchased when I bought the van. Within an hour or so after picking up my repaired van, after business hours and on the weekend, I broke down again. It was determined this time that two sensors on the new transmission were bad. Picked up my van and drove it for four days, and again after business hours and on the weekend, my van did the same thing, slipping transmission, wouldn't accelerate, only this time I was almost in a car wreck. I pulled onto a four lane interstate under construction (now one lane) from a dead stop and was almost ran over by a truck. Trying to get the van to a safe spot I had to pull over and let it sit, like to cool off maybe. This time there was no check engine light or codes the dealership reported. They apparently drove it some, said they couldn't find anything, couldn't do anything because there were not codes or check engine lights, that I could come and get it. I not only could have been in an accident, but could have been killed, and they want me to come and get it! after those remarks to them, they said they would keep it a couple days and drive it more. I have an extended warranty, but this warranty which also covers towing or rental is not covered because it now goes under the actual bought transmission warranty. I have been without my work vehicle for about a month now and know I can't trust this van any longer when I get it back. My only hope is with the extended warranty someday it will be repaired or van replaced. The carfax report from where I bought it had "no recalls reported". Really!? five so far.

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving 10 mph, the contact heard a grinding sound coming from the transmission. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road for 5-10 minutes, and then the vehicle was driven to an auto body shop. The vehicle was still drivable, and an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 16v461000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 123,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA campaign number: 16v461000 (power train); and linked the failure to the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Two dealers were notified of the failure, and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The van started to make a loud whining sound while going down the highway around 60 miles an hour. When we slowed down and turned onto a smaller road and tried to accelerate the rpm’s went to around 5,000 and it was barely moving. Had to stop for a long time and was able to drive it the last couple of miles home very slowly. Several children in the car were at risk if someone had hit us at hwy speed.

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The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, and the vehicle failed to shift into gear properly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact became aware there was oil leaking from the front end of the vehicle near the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 225,419.

The contact owns a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle made an abnormal sound, hesitated while responding, and the transmission shifted hard. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at various speeds, and the vehicle felt like it was going to stall. The contact stated that while coming to a complete stop, the vehicle jerked, the transmission shifted hard and made an abnormal clunking sound. Additionally, the contact stated that the passenger's side sliding door automatic locking mechanism was inoperable, requiring the contact to manually unlock and lock the door with the interior door lever. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving 5-10 mph and pulling out of the parking lot, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast into a gas station. The contact stated that the engine was running, but the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving near the residence. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle responded as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that the sliding doors had failed to close and lock automatically and sometimes opened while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that one of the windows failed to roll down. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

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The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered, and the transmission failed to properly shift intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,715.

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Transmission has begun to slip in first gear and has shaking noticeable between 35-45 miles an hour and again much more noticeable shaking from 55-65 miles an hour. Letting off the accelerator seems to assist in this issue. There is an open recall for the transmission of this year vehicle for the transmission pump failing. For some reason our vehicle is not included in this recall. It is available for inspection, and I have contacted a dealer that already informed me the issue is not under the recall, but that the transmission is going bad and will probably no longer function by the end of this year due to the pump failure. I am not sure why our vehicle would have been excluded from this recall as this is a known issue. There are no check engine lights on and we were told by the dealership that the lights would not come on until the transmission failed due to the pump issue not a low fluid or sensor issue. I am going to have a second mechanic look at the vehicle tomorrow and I can provide further information at that point.