2016 Dodge Grand Caravan Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 60,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

It was dark, wife and I were driving, suddenly the begin dash began to go blank, more like a flicker. As I kept driving the flickering began to be more often and more pronounce. At some point we were worried that we won’t be able make it home. Almost approaching home the all the gauges went off a light came on the dash (don’t remember…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The driver's window was left unrolled last night and it rained. When I got in the car, the electrical window control for the driver's window wouldn't roll up. But the others appeared to work normally. This was annoying, but it didn't stop my from driving to work. About half an hour into my drive, the window controls started smoking. I…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 60,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (201), Body: door (27).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The rear sliding doors do NOT open. The locks are stuck and won’t allow the doors to unlock and open. Prior to the locks malfunctioning they made a very loud buzzing sound then completely stopped working.Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the passenger's sliding door had failed to lock as intended, and the driver's side sliding door had failed to open as intended. The dealer was notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 120,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 88,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then to the dealer, where it was determined that the transmission pump needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 115,000 miles

The transmission on this vehicle has started to make a whining noise from the transmission which is consistent with the symptoms of a failing transmission pump cover under recall S44. If this were to fail while driving it can lead to a serious or fatal accident. I have not yet taken the vehicle in to be serviced as I am trying to work…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 80,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, with the check engine warning light remaining illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted.…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 140,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the contact's husband smelled an abnormal burning odor coming from the front of the vehicle. Upon inspection, both the contact and her husband noticed that there was an oil leak. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 85,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 66,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Passenger seat headrest popped open and hit the passenger in the head. She said it hurt, but didn't seem severely injured. Plastic inside headrest had broken away from a metal bar. It doesn't seem to be repairable.Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that soon after purchasing the vehicle, it was discovered that the second-row passenger’s side seat belt failed to latch as needed. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired.…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 105,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 59,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Vehicle pulses while shifting through gears, google shows a recall s44, for transaxle oil pump. I called dodge customer service and was told by operator that it does show up in the service notification. So I called dealership to schedule appointment, and was told it's not a recall. So I called customer service again, got a different…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 87,000 miles

Van stopped going in and out of gear in the middle of traffic and almost caused a severe accident. Van was in motion on a city street and moving.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 76,142 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 56,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The break calipers keep sticking and need to be replaced at least once per year. The stick and cause an awful black smoke. The last time they were replaced was almost a year ago to date.Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2016 dodge grand caravan. The contact stated that the traction control warning light had illuminated on the instrument panel at vehicle start-up. The contact stated that the remote start failed to operate and that the brake lights inadvertently remained illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to five star chrysler…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 86,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 58,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owned a 2016 Dodge Caravan. The contact stated that while her son was drunk driving and passed out at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle crashed into a sign and a guardrail causing the vehicle to flip over and come to a stop at a ditch. The contact stated the vehicle was in a previous collision where the air bags deployed and…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 130,000 miles

Airbag light came on with no collision or impact toy the vehicle, took it to dealership and they advised that it is the passenger side Active Headrest Restraint system. Even after admitting it was a faulty safety system, dealer will not replace it or fix it without compensation.Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 72,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at various speeds on three separate occasions, the accelerator pedal was sticking. The contact stated there was a warning indicator light illuminated but, was unable to identify the warning light. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 70,000 miles

When approaching a red light going slow speed and slowing down, car suddenly [VIN] as if it was regaining cruise control speed, therefore slamming into the car in front of me. Pressing on break did not help. Is this a recall issue? I see others on here with same issue. I received a citation. Car was totaled. This is not right.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 73,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 58,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The steering and wheel alignment of the vehicle is habitually misaligned and pulling drastically to the right. The vehicle has been serviced and aligned multiple times, and the auto mechanic shop says that the alignment can no longer be set properly. They charged me extra for some additional part to help correct this and allow the…Owner complaint, filed 2023

While pulling into a parking lot, the engine suddenly died with no indicator lights or warning of any kind. Steering locked up and brakes were not functional. Coasted to a stop in a stall and put the vehicle in park. Restarted it without incident but I'm afraid it will happen in much more dangerous conditionsOwner complaint, filed 2021

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 17,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

Tires 225/65R17 Cooper driving on interstate and stared bumping at 55mph.van towed and tires replaced.. no warning lights.. Whitten Brothers in Ashland VA inspected tires and indicated on a video that passenger side tires had come apart.. I had all four tires replaced because I was afraid the other two would come apart.. I think the…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Vehicle has slightly over 17000 miles and front tires are bald. We have taken to dealer for all scheduled services and tire rotations. Last rotation of tires 3/18 with no comment or caution from technicians. During discussion with service manager she had all sorts of excuses for why this could occur. I asked about the tire warranty and…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 17,200 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

There is a creaking noise in the front end of the Dodge Caravan. Upon inspection at a service station, it was identified as a bushing that was partially missing on the front subframe crossmember attachment to the chassis. When attempting to purchase a replacement bushing from Chrysler it was discovered that the bushing was no longer made…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Driver side strut failed. The strut makes a terrible squeaking sound as you drive. I took it to a mechanic and he said "yep this is a known issue, I know exactly what you are talking about". Both front struts have to be replaced. Why isn't this a warranty or recall issue?Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 66,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

Headlamps started leaking water into them a year ago, problem is getting much worse. Unsafe to drive in rain as headlamps dim badly with water inside.Owner complaint, filed 2021

I was rear-ended and the windshield on the drivers side come loose from the adhesive that holds it in. the windshield is not damaged but water comes into my vehicle now that the adhesive has failed.Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

The driver's side passenger sliding door has been in the locked position for some time now and it cannot be opened manually or electronically. I came out of the store into the parking lot and tried to open the side door to load my groceries with no success. I have been doing some research and apparently this is a common problem in the…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 80,900 miles