Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Dodge Caravan submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 103 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 103, in the owner's own words
DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 1996 DODGE CARAVAN. HAD TO HAVE SEAT WELDED BECAUSE IT WOULD LEAN ALL THE WAY BACK. THIS WAS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT, AND IT WAS A HIGH BACK. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE SEAT HAS BEEN WELDED. HE KNEW A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHERE THE SEAT FELL BACKWARDS WHILE THEY WHERE DRIVING ONTHE HIGHWAY. THIS SEAT COST $216. 00. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVERS SEAT BACK IS BROKEN. THE SEAT DOESN'T COME UP ALL THE WAY AND IT DOESN'T RECLINE BACKWARD *JB ...TOOK VEHICLE TO MEROKE AUTO REPAIR IN MERRICK, NY, AND MECHANIC STATED THE SEAT SHOULD BE RECALLED. IT IS A MAIN STRUCTURE IN THE VEHICLE.*AK CONSUMER CALLED JUNK YARDS LOOKING FOR A SEAT AND THEY SAID THAT THE SEATS THEY HAVE ARE EITHER THE SAME OR WORST.*SB
THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK WAS NOT STABLE. *NM THE BASE ATTACHMENT TO THE SEAT HAD BROKEN. *SC *JB
DASHBOARD GUAGES INOPERATIVE, NO SPEEDOMETER, GAS GUAGE, TEMP GUAGE. THIS FAILURE SHOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. RESEARCH SHOWS IT HAS HAPPEND TO OTHER VEHICLES. *AK
1996 DODGE CARAVAN SUFFERS FROM INTERMITTENT "BODY CONTROL MODULE". ONE OF THE POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS OF THIS FAILURE IS RANDOM FAILURES OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THIS FAILURE IS UNPREDICTABLE AND APPARENTLY WIDESPREAD OVER SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. THE BODY CONTROL MODULE IS REPLACEABLE ONLY AT CHRYSLER DEALERS WHO CHARGE OVER $700 TO REPLACE THIS MODULE. THEY HAVE CONTRACTED WITH SOME NATIONAL SERVICE FACILITIES TO REPAIR THE MODULES (INCLUDING "UNITED RADIO" IN SYRACUSE NY) BUT THESE SERVICE FACILITES ARE CONTRACTUALLY PROHIBITED FROM PERFORMING REPAIRS ON MODULES SUBMITTED BY ANYONE EXCEPT DAIMLER-CHRYSLER. THIS FAILURE IS DANGEROUS AND DAIMLER/CHRYSLER IS USING IT AS A CASH-COW INSTEAD OF REPAIRING IT AT NO CHARGE.*AK
THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A POPPING NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING. ALSO, THE AIR CONDITIONER DID NOT WORK, THE ELECTRICAL DOORS WERE DEFECTIVE AND HORN DID NOT BLOW. *AK *SC *JB
VEHICLE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVERS SEAT BACK SUDDENLY COLLAPSED. THE DRIVER ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. *NLM
REAR DOORS ON VEHICLE WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. DOOR LEVER LINKS WERE REPLACED IN THE REPAIRED DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE'S SLIDING DOORS DOESN'T SHUT ALL THE WAY, AND DOORS WILL NOT OPEN. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS
CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE'S BACK SEAT WILL NOT LOCK EVEN WITH OCCUPANTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS
NO SUMMARY. DT
SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR CARAVANS, SAFETY IS DEFINITELY COMPROMISED WITHOUT THE HORN OPERATING PROPERLY. DT
FAILURE IN SAFETY COMPONENTS, HORN AND AIRBAG ALSO CRUISE CONTROL. ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHERE AIRBAG WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY "ON" HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL COMPONENTS NO LONGER FUNCTION. ITEMS ARE OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT SINCE THEY INVOLVE SAFETY FEATURES, A RECALL FOR ELECTRICAL FAILURES IN THE STEERING COLUMN/DASH AREA IS REQUESTED. DT
AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINS ON, CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK, AND HORN DOES NOT WORK. MR
FIRE STARTED WHILE DRIVING. SPREAD QUICKLY, FULLY INVOLVED TOTAL LOSS. INSURANCE ADJUSTER FAMILAR WITH DODGE FIRES. THANK GOD CHILDREN WEREN'T IN AND STRAPPED AT THE TIME.*AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT THE SEAT COLLAPSED, THERE WAS ONE INJURY.*JB
WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE INOPERABLE DUE TO DEFECTIVE BODY CONTROL MODULE. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE AT A STOP ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED CONSUMER AT ABOUT 55 MPH. BOTH PASSENGERS' SIDE SEATBACKS COLLASPED. AS A RESULT OF SEATBACK COLLASPING CONSUMER FELT SOME OF THE INJURIES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO BAD. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
TAILGATE DOES NOT LATCH, AND WILL NOT SHUT. TAILGATE STAYS OPEN. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK *TT
DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBACK COLLAPSED UNEXPECTEDLY. CONSUMER FEELS LUCKY NOT BEING ON A FREEWAY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND NOTICED A BURNING SMELL. AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON DASHBOARD. THERE WAS NO HORN, AND A SMALL FIRE STARTED IN THE BACK OF PANEL. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
LATCH TORE IN HALF AT RUBBER COMPOUND. *AK
PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON GOING SINCE 1998... TILL PRESENT ... MODULAR HAS BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES ... AND DASH BOARD KEEPS GOING OUT ... THE ODOMETER, MILLAGE, SPEEDODMETER, GAS GAUGE, MILLAGE NUMBERS GO OUT, LIGHTS FOR PARK, NUETRAL, DRIVE, LOW, ETC, GO OUT, (WHILE DRIVING, OR WHEN YOU SHUT VECHILE OFF OR WHEN YOU START IT) WINDSHIELD WIPERS GO ON SPONTANIOUSLY,PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES NOW ,, AND THIS TIME HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN INTERIOR LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON, USING THE DIMMER SWITCH SETTING, WHILE THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING, THE DIMMER SWITCH STARTS TO BURN, INTERIOR LIGHTS DIM AND GO OFF AND ON, AND A ELECTRICAL FIRE SMELL FILLS THE VEHICLE.
EA 01 007; AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING: AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ON, AND HORN ASSEMBLY DID NOT OPERATE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK HEAD GASKET AND TIME CHAIN REPLACED DUE TO TREMENDOUS OIL LOSS, ENGINE LIGHT IS NOW ILLUMINATED, VEHICLE'S TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP AND VEHICLE LOCKED UP. WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON BY THEMSELVES. SLIDING DOOR LATCH INOPERABLE. *SLC
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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