RoadVitals

1986 Dodge Grand Caravan

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
0
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Mar 27, 1995
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
2
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1986 Dodge Grand Caravan. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 2 NHTSA investigations name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
95I001004

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:LOCK

Mar 27, 1995
411,678 units potentially affected
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PASSENGER MINIVANS WITHOUT REMOTE RELEASE. THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL. THERE HAS BEEN NO DETERMINATION THAT A SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS WITH THE MINIVAN LATCHES. CHRYSLER IS CONDUCTING A SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE LIFTGATE LATCH ASSEMBLY OF THE AFFECTED MINIVANS. IN A COLLISION, THE REAR LIFTGATE LATCH ASSEMBLY COULD OPEN.
The risk: IF THE LIFTGATE LATCH OPENS, OCCUPANTS CAN BE EJECTED RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH.
The remedy: CHRYSLER DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LIFTGATE LATCH WITH A NEW STRONGER LATCH ASSEMBLY WITHOUT CHARGE. CHRYSLER BEGAN NOTIFYING OWNERS DURING NOVEMBER 1995.
CHRYSLER CORPORATIONView on NHTSA.gov
95I001008

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH

Mar 27, 1995
1,262,000 units potentially affected
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PASSENGER MINIVANS WITH REMOTE RELEASE. THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL. THERE HAS BEEN NO DETERMINATION THAT A SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS WITH THE MINIVAN LATCHES. CHRYSLER IS CONDUCTING A SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE LIFTGATE LATCH ASSEMBLY OF THE AFFECTED MINIVANS. IN A COLLISION, THE REAR LIFTGATE LATCH ASSEMBLY COULD OPEN.
The risk: IF THE LIFTGATE LATCH OPENS, OCCUPANTS CAN BE EJECTED RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH.
The remedy: CHRYSLER DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LIFTGATE LATCH WITH A NEW STRONGER LATCH ASSEMBLY WITHOUT CHARGE. CHRYSLER BEGAN NOTIFYING OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES DURING JULY 1996.
CHRYSLER CORPORATIONView on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

EA94005ClosedEngineering Analysis

LIFTGATE LATCHES

Opened Jan 31, 1994
Closed Oct 25, 1995

LIFTGATE LATCHES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES HAVE FAILED IN LOW AND MODERATE SPEED IMPACTS RESULTING IN OCCUPANT EJECTIONS, INJURIES, AND FATALITIES.THERE ARE TWO FAILURE MODES ASSOCIATED WITH LATCH FAILURE: FORK BOLT-DETENT LEVER BYPASS, AND INERTIAL UNLATCHING.NHTSA ANALYSES OF CHRYSLER AND PEER MINIVANS TOOK THE FORM OF STATIC AND DYNAMIC CRASH TESTING, ENGINEERING EVALUATIONS, COMPLAINT AND FIELD ANALYSES, AND REAL WORLD DATA ANALYSES.A TECHNICAL REPORT DISCUSSING THESE ANALYSES CAN BE FOUND IN THE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TECHNICAL REPORT IN THE PUBLIC VIEWING FILE.CHRYSLER HAS ADVISED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE LATCHES ON ALL THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE CHRYSLER CAMPAIGN WILL CONSIST OF NOTIFICATION LETTERS TO ALL OWNERS; FREE REPLACEMENT OF ALL LATCHES WITH STRONGER, SAFER LATCHES REGARDLESS OF THE AGE OF THE MINIVANS; NATIONAL ADVERTISING TO PROMOTE CUSTOMER AWARENESS OF THE CAMPAIGN; QUARTERLY REPORTS REGARDING CAMPAIGN COMPLETION RATES; AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO ENSURE A HIGH COMPLETION RATE, ABOVE AND BEYOND THE ACTIONS THAT NORMALLY WOULD BE TAKEN IN A FORMAL SAFETY RECALL.THESE INCLUDE FOLLOW UP WRITTEN AND TELEPHONIC NOTIFICATIONS TO OWNERS WHO DO NOT BRING THEIR VEHICLES IN FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION.NHTSA FIRMLY BELIEVES THAT THE CRASH PERFORMANCE OF THE LATCHES ON THESE MINIVANS RAISES SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS, AND THAT THE CAMPAIGN ADDRESSES THESE CONCERNS.THE CHRYSLER CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF THE LIFTGATE LATCHES AND DECREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR INERTIAL UNLATCHING, THEREBY REDUCING THE RISK OF CRASH-RELATED OPENINGS OF THE LIFTGATE AND POSSIBLE OCCUPANT EJECTION THROUGH THE LIFTGATE OPENING.OWNERS OF CHRYSLER MINIVANS WILL GET A STRONGER, SAFER LATCH FREE OF CHARGE AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME, WITHOUT THE NEED FOR FURTHER TECHNICAL INVESTIGATION AND COMPLEX AND TIME-CONSUMING LITIGATION WITH AN UNCERTAIN OUTCOME.BASED ON THE ABOVE, ODI IS CLOSING THIS INVESTIGATION.

STRUCTURE
EA91010ClosedEngineering Analysis

TRANS PARK SYSTEM FAILURE

Opened Dec 10, 1990
Closed Dec 31, 1991

There is no summary currently available

POWER TRAIN

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Dodge Grand Caravan by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2024000—
2020191052.6
20192384163.3
20182694155.9
20174113153.6
20169986257.2
20152784159.2
20143575262.6
20134704257.8
20125836256.3
20115304257.3
20108676357.4
20095437255.6
20081,2918255.7
20071823156.3
20062844559.2
20059956758.5
20041163149.1
20032193358.3
20022906561.7
20012985355.7
20004428361.2
19994325661.9
19985596664.2
19975836664.5
19961,157111160.7
19951083554.9
19941996561.4
19932899859.6
19922558665.0
19911298761.5
1990553254.8
1989243256.2
1988103255.6
1987222—
1986Viewing022—
1985122—
1984022—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.