NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The Active Head Restraint on the front passenger side headrest failed. The headrest thrust forward at a high velocity, injuring the occupant of the seat. The car was stationary at the time of the incident.
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was left on the side of the road. The contact returned and towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel pump relay inside the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM-7) had failed. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The vehicle was towed back to the residence and had not been driven since. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V115000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
While driving down the road the van just shut down in the middle of the road as other cars are going by honking the horn and coming close to hitting us with children in the van and no way to get off the road without the engine running. We gave contacted dodge in dallas GA they confirmed a recall for the issue but proceed to say thus VIN is not included. I pray we don't stall while trying to turn into somewhere and a car t-bone us. If we survive I will make sure to sue Dodge this is a horrible problem and very dangerous.
After turning the key on, van started and then turned off. Van was restarted and drove normally for awhile. While driving. the van turned off with no notification or warning lights. This almost caused a DEADLY accident. The fault is with the ignition box. Other model years were recalled for the same reason. Dodge failed to make any changes to their known problem with the ignition or recall model year 2013. This is a known problem with the Dodge Caravan and needs to be addressed before someone is killed. I still have the part as I can not replace it without taking it to a Dodge dealership to program it. Dealership wants to charge an exorbitant amount that should be paid for by Dodge.
1 is the Tipm stopped working and dodge says the recall isn't for my VN# doesn't match recall , was lucky it didn't fail in traffic. 2. No recall on failed brake booster which could cause brake failure.
2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. Driver active headrest deployed without warning while sitting in garage and unoccupied. The loud noise and force of the defect could easily harm a passenger or cause a wreck. There are thousands of complaints on-line or through class action suits. I contacted the Chrysler Care group by phone on 10/22/2025. Their rep acknowledged, after asking if anyone was hurt, that this is a "known problem and a safety issue". After dealer inspection, Chrysler would provide a replacement even though it was after the extended warranty. The dealer performed the inspection on 10/24/2025. I notified the care group at this time. Weeks later the company has reneged on this commitment, refused to provide a replacement, and closed the case.
While in a Parked Gear, my 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan Front Passenger Headrest Deployed/Exploded. There wasn't a collision nor accident
The vehicle randomly and dangerously stalls while driving at various speeds and locations. The vehicle will not restart until battery is disconnected and then reconnected. It then starts right up and runs fine until the next episode of stalling. This has been addressed by NHTSA campaign # 19V813 recall for bad fuel pump relay but my VIN # has not been included in this recall even though the vehicle is in the same year as the other vans covered under the recall. This is a very dangerous condition that keeps happening even after leaving the van with the Chrysler dealer for a week to diagnose and they say they don't have a definitive fix for it but offered to replace the entire TIPM for $1700 without a guarantee that the problem will be permanently fixed! The faulty fuel pump relay is well known and has been addressed with an external fuel pump relay kit covered by this recall. Please help us get our vehicle covered under this recall as we are retirees on a fixed income and have already spent too much money (close to $1000) trying to fix this known problem. Already replaced the ignition module which was another known possible cause but the problem still remains.
this is the fourth time i am filing a complaint. My 2013 dodge grand caravan completely dies and looses all power going over 50 miles per hour. no warning, no codes appear, nothing. looses all power, power steering, brakes, etc. have to get to side of road, wait 20 minutes, then car will start. this has happened now over 25 times. The latest time i was driving on the expressway and the vehicle behind me almost crashed into me. this continues to be a safety issue and it is unclear as to why dodge is doing nothing about this despite multiple complaints by hundreds of drivers. I have spent $3000 so far trying to fix this to no avail, new battery, fuel pump, fuel filter, TPM relay, new keys, new programming, still happens. case manager from 2023 told me to take to dodge dealer, spent additional $800, but they had no root cause. happened again. case manager told me to take to a different dodge dealer for second opinion. No codes, no root cause, but charged $400 diagnostic fee. When is Dodge going to do something about this? How many complaints are needed? does someone have to get injured? just tell me how to fix it, that is what i and thousands of others this happens to need to know before someone gets killed.
Passenger front seat headrest deployed while vehicle was parked. The plastic housing supporting a small metal bar broke causing it to open. I had no idea this could happen when I bought the car. I have kept this van longer than any I have owned as my Chrysler dealer closed and the van is no longer made! A new one form Chrysler is about $6-800! I was able to find a lightly used replacement headrest on Ebay and using a youtube video swapped it out myself. I have since learned Chrysler extended the warrantee 10 years, but my car is older than that. It only has about 65,500 miles on it. I am going to try and zip-tie the driver's side headrest so I do not get it in the back of the head when driving!! I presume the passenger side will remain intact for a while.
Driving down the road and my van cuts off. After leaving about 15 minutes it starts back up. I can go around 500 miles between cut offs. Had to 2 different garages with no solution. Replaced fuel pump, did not help. This is very dangerous especially on major highways.
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who replaced the motor mounts and transmission. Five months later, the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle began driving roughly. The PCM update was completed by another local dealer, but the failure recurred. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The transmission was shifting through the gears erratically. The vehicle was not drivable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The coil packs and spark plugs were replaced at an independent mechanic. Several days later the RPM was fluctuating, and the vehicle lost motive power while driving up an incline. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was due to the torque converter failing. The local dealer was previously contacted, but no longer accepting calls. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated there were no codes retrieved. The dealer informed the contact that there was no warranty coverage for the issue. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.
Unknown what causes the issue. I've read it could be the tpim. I was driving down the highway when the insturment cluster stopped working, no speedometer, no gear indicator, gas gauge not working, no dash lights. the wipers turned on and would not turn off lose of both turn signals (I pulled over and checked) thankfully there was not traffic behind me when I was making a turn. Speedometer stopped working. No warning lights, insturments cluster was black. Not sure if my Brake lights were functional I couldn't check as I by myself. This has happened 3 times in the last month and a half. Not sure if the airbags are still functional. This is a major electrical issue.There are numerous forums of this same issue affecting different year/ models of Dodge and Chrysler vehicles.
While driving my van it will randomly shut off, it starts back up right away after I get to a safe location to do so but this is very dangerous. I've taken it to shops and they cannot replicate it and there are no codes on the reader to indicate any issues.
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact’s son stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's head restraint became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact’s son stated that the head restraint inadvertently imploded. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was needed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V282000 (Electrical System, Air Bags) The contact was referred to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 121,887.
It won’t start right away,takes a lot of attempts to start and worse part is Vehicle is Running and suddenly turns off totally or die and it scares me and my Family.That way it’s really hard what to do because steering is out of balance and just stop wherever you at.This happens many times
Don't work the wireless switch starin and the key
Active front seat headrests deployed without an accident for the second time. Had them replaced and paid for myself the first time years ago. Was compensated by FCA as part of special coverage after the fact. When they deployed again I brought it in and had it diagnosed at Hopkins dodge, it was covered under the special policy. They ordered parts. It took forever for the parts to come off back order. They just arrived in August 2024, I verified with their parts department. I am now told that I am out of the special coverage window and they won’t cover unless I pay the dealership over $200 to diagnose the same problem again. It has not changed. They already said it was covered and now they are trying to back out because it took forever for them to supply the required parts. I need this repaired like they said they would two years ago when I got it first diagnosed and the parts ordered.
While driving our key in the ignition will loosen to the left and completely shut off all electrical for the car. The first time this occurred we were driving 55mph on the highway and had to safely steer off of three lanes of traffic with our kids in the backseat, at the time we thought it was a fluke. Now this is happening more frequently. It is the exact same issue listed under recall L25 “the ignition key inadvertently moves into the OFF or ACCESSORY position, the engine will turn off, which will then depower various key safety systems including but not limited to air bags, power steering, and power braking. Loss of functionality of these systems may increase the risk of crash and/or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.”
This morning the headrest on the passenger side was deployed the van was parked in driveway overnight. Not sure how this happened. I feel this is a safety issue. If I was driving and someone was sitting in that sit that could have hurt them. This is a default on your vehicle .Please contact me.
On July 28, 2024 I was getting ready to go to work. I got into my driver seat and sat down and the headrest deployed. Hitting me quite hard in the back of the head there was no accident or bumping of the vehicle, which would cause this. I had to go to work, but had a headache the entire evening due to this and woke up the next day being today still with a headache from the injury caused by the van headrest exploding
this is the third time i am filing a complaint. My 2013 dodge grand caravan completely dies and looses all power going over 50 miles per hour. no warning, no codes appear, nothing. looses all power, power steering, brakes, etc. have to get to side of road, wait 20 minutes, then car will start. this has happened now over 16 times. The latest time with my grandchild in the car, the vehicle behind me almost crashed into me. this continues to be a safety issue and it is unclear as to why dodge is doing nothing about this despite multiple complaints by hundreds of drivers. I have spent over $3000 so far trying to fix this to no avail, new battery, fuel pump, fuel filter, TPM relay, new keys, new programming, still happens. will never buy another dodge/chrysler again, and have told family and friends the same potential hazard of this brand.
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front driver's seat headrest deployed independently without impact. The check engine and TPMS warning lights were illuminated. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was received. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.
Driving down the road at aproximately 40 mph and van shuts down. I turned on the hazard lights, coasted to the side of the road, put the van in park, turned the key to the off position waited about 30 seconds then turned key to on and the van starts up and seems to run fine. This is the second time in two days this has happened. No warning, no check engine lights. Very dangerous when driving at any speed when suddenly your vehicle turns itself off. Will contact my mechanic today to see if he has info on this problem. While doing research I have found that this is a problem that has been reported for many years and has been investigated. Wondering why they have not issued a recall for this????
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the passenger's side active head restraint deployed independently. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the headrest. The contact was informed that the headrest needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,000.
Doors make loud buzzing sound every time opened
I was driving down the road and the drivers side head rest popped off and hit me in the back of the head/neck. There were no warning signs and has not been taken anywhere to be inspected as of today. Will be looking into that.
Front seat passenger headrest has deployed. Vehicle was not in an accident. Don’t know when it happened. I noticed it when a friend was getting in the car. Who is responsible for this one? And I am afraid the driver headrest will deploy when I am driving.
While I was driving, the passenger seat headrest exploded forward. Chrysler calls this the "Front Seat Active Head Restraint." This is a safety mechanism supposed to be triggered in a crash, but the plastic holding back the force of the strong springs gave out and the plastic broke. This is a known issue that has caused others concussions, neck injuries, etc. As of yet the person who was sitting in the seat has not shown adverse symptoms, but his safety was put at risk. Chrysler is aware of this issue and had sent out a letter extending the warranty to 10 years, but this vehicle is just past the 10-year mark. No dealer, police, or insurance representatives have inspected this specific incident. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to failure.
It is unknown at this time what is wrong with the vehicle. The problem started two weeks ago. Initially after driving sustained highway speeds, the van will hesitate to brake when driving through town. When approaching a stop it would stutter to a stop and then stutter to drive again when pressing the gas, the delay was about 2-3 seconds. In two weeks time with approximately 200 miles driven, it started stalling at stops. Once at a traffic light and also at a stop sign. These incidents happened in the same day and since then, it had not been driven due to it being a major safety concern. It has been taken to an auto shop that has run the full diagnostics on it and the computer system is not catching any issues, there are no lights are on the dash. After the engine stalls, it runs if it is turned off and back on again. The brakes, rotors, and tires were replaced when I started noticing that there was an issue with stopping, I figured the problem was that they needed replaced since I have owned the vehicle 2 years and it hadn’t been done since I purchased the van. March 17 was the date it stalled twice and it was the only time the engine stalled in the past two weeks.
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Caravan. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 30 MPH, the headrest inadvertently deployed. The headrest struck the contact on the head. The driver sustained no injuries. Medical attention was not sought. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jolted and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Upon further inspection, the contact became aware of excessive white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission and catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 199,000.
Brake lights turns off when parked and engine off. But even with the engine off and nobody in the car the brake lights turn on. A mechanic replaced brake light switch. Engine off and brake lights off. Later the brake lights turns on when engine off and nobody in the car. Replaced brake pedal assembly and still same problem. Is this a common problem with Dodge Grand Caravans? Mine is 2013 model.
Driver's-side, rear-passenger sliding door in stuck in locked position. It is available for inspection. Without the use of this door passengers can be trapped in the van during an emergency. There are many others with this problem a simple search online can confirm it.(this page alone is evidence this is and has been a persistent issue: [XXX] ) No it has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were no warning signs when this issue appeared. It first appeared November of 2023. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The driver side headrest was deployed (I was heading to work when I opened the door to get in the van, I noticed the headrest was deployed). The vehicle was parked in my driveway all night and had not been in any type of accident. It is available to be inspected. Had I been driving when it deployed, there’s a strong possibility it would have caused an unsafe driving condition and/or an accident. I have searched for a recall, but there isn’t one. However, other Dodge caravan drivers have reported similar incidents with their headrest deploying for no reason. The component has not been inspected yet, as it occurred just today. No warning lights or signs were present before the deployment (the night before when I parked it).
My passenger headrest deployed at night. There was a recall but I did not get the notice. The recall is expired.
While driving on expressways vehicle will suddenly lose all power. making it difficult to get to vehicle off the road. this has occurred 5 times in the past year, most recently 09/192023, all times with adults and children in car. One of the incidents, I was unable to get off road as was in a construction zone with no shoulder, so had to sit in lane with oncoming traffic and was very fortunate not to have been rear ended and hit. This is a major safety issue. No warning lights, no symptoms prior to each occurrence, vehicle just dies. Once completely stopped, try to start vehicle and it just rumbles and then dies. Wait 30 minutes, then vehicle will start up and run normally until next incident. Have taken vehicle to 2 different mechanics with no solution and no diagnosis as there are no engine error codes reported.
Ignition problems the vehicle would not start I had to have roadside come jump my vehicle off. After letting the vehicle run for about 30 minutes I shut it off and waited a minute and it started up fine. After about 3 hours of sitting I went out to the vehicle and it wouldn't start. I had to put It in neutral and it tried starting until it ran out. After turning the wheel and playing with the key it finally cranked over. I know there have been recalls regarding the tpim. It is available for inspection upon request.
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that on several occasions while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle did not start as intended. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, and the vehicle vibrated abnormally and then stalled. The vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The contact stated that electrical tape was placed on the tip of the key fob to allow the extra space where the key fob and key fob ignition were not touching. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
The 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan side door locks malfunctioned. While they were unlocked one side would not open causing potential safety concern if in an accident. The other side would not lock even when lock is activated. I took the door panels off and was able to free the stuck lock but now both door actuators make a buzzing sound and i am afraid of failure again. I also sometimes transport my elderly parents who would have difficulty getting out if it malfunctioned. I have not taken to a shop yet but will have to get it fixed. There is a 15 year 150,000 mile warranty extension on the 2015-2017 years but not prior with same actuator. My vehicle only has 140,000 miles and should be covered but is not. There were no signs of the issue before it happened.
The driver's seat headrest came apart like it is supposed to in the event of an accident. However, my vehicle was not in an accident; it was sitting in the driveway. The plastic tabs that hold the headrest together broke apart. It is available for inspection. If this had happened while driving, my head would have been hit and pushed forward suddenly, which could have resulted in an accident/loss of control. This has been a problem on different models, and extended warranties have been offered. However, the dealership says mine is not one of the covered vehicles.
Today, 6/17/23, I went to Costco. When I got back to my van I noticed that the passenger head rest had popped open. I first thought that it was some hidden compartment feature that I didn't know about but upon getting out of my van and going around to look closer that there were a lot of what looked like electrical components inside. I thought that was weird, why did a head rest have all that inside it? I tried to close it and could not. When I got home I had my son look at it and he said that he could see a little plastic pin or other had broken, he could tell something had broken, but also could not get it to close or figure out any solution, and he's very good with car problems. I did a bit of research and found a lot of information and news stories about the head rests spontaneously popping open, I was not in any kind of accident, just went to Costco and back to my van at approximately 4:30pm. One of the news stories mentioned NHTSA and here I am reporting this, I have not received any notification on any recalls and I see on your site that there have been three recalls regarding my van.
Ignition shuts off to accessory mode while driving at highway speeds causing an extreme safety hazard. Vehicle also is reluctant to start. Dealer has diagnosed a faulty Ignition module which is a known issue amongst Dodge grand caravans but the recall does extend beyond 2010 models.
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at 60-65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the dealer; however, no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,000.
The active headrest deployment activated but our vehicle did not experience any collision that should have activated this feature. This happened while the vehicle was stopped.
A gear part was found within the Transmission when the transmission pan was removed. The Vehicle did not give any warning signs or any faulty messages of the part that was broken. The car dealer then proceeded to flush the transmission which caused the transmission to fail completely. This is due to the fact that there was not a transmission fault error displayed on the panel to indicate a problem or concern. The dealer also stated that after flushing the transmission, the service technician test drove it and confirmed that it was shifting correctly. When I paid and drove it off the lot, the car buckled, stopped in the middle of traffic, and I was unable to drive it at that moment, and was not able to reverse. This caused a safety issue that was unnecessary not only for me but other drivers on the road. After pushing it to the side of the road, I managed to re-start it several times, and managed to take it to a professional Transmission service center called Miramar Transmission and they determined that there was a problem, and the engine light should have come on indicating that there was a problem. The dealer that did not help but actually helped to exacerbate the problem (Pedder in Poway, CA) should not have flushed it with the knowledge that a gear was the known culprit or defect. It is a known fact to NEVER FLUSH a transmission with known internal issues.
While driving at normal speeds, the van shuts down. This is an obvious safety issue when operating the vehicle. A local dealer inspected the van and reproduced the error. They identified the issue with the ignition starter. There are no warning or alerts prior to the vehicle malfunction. The part number identified as being defective is 68105738AF.
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was uncertain if there were any warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted soon after the failure. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and an estimate was provided for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Electrical system-intermittent failure. While driving or idling, the vehicle will randomly shut off. The vehicle has turned off randomly while being driven down the road with little to no warning, even while operating at high speed. When this happens, you are also left without power steering, ABS brakes, fuel pump, and literally anything that operates electrically. Sometimes it will turn right back on without the operator taking any action, but this is not always the case. There have also been times when it is not able to be turned back on for 20+ minutes. When it shuts down, power doors and windows are also inoperable and the side doors and back hatch cannot be opened either by pushbutton or manually, which compounds the risk of a serious collision with that of entrapment. This is especially dangerous given that they are a popular choice for families with children-like mine. My mechanic cited the problem as being the TIPM and said that this problem is endemic with these vans. A cursory internet search confirmed his claims. There are far too many anecdotes of people driving 80mph down the highway and all of a sudden having their vehicle stop operating completely while they are traveling at high speeds. This is a fatal accident (and huge products liability lawsuit) waiting to happen. A recall is absolutely imperative. My vehicle is available for assessment.
The engine stops at any time. It may restart quickly or it may take a couple of hours to start. i had my fuel pump relay replaced, but it continues to stop when ever it wants. the fuel pump stops and then i run out of gas. I have read online of a problem with the TIPM fuel relay going bad. there was a recall in the jeep grand Cherokee and other jeeps, for this same exact occurrence. so, why not for the dodge grand caravan van? i called dodge in LaPorte IN, with this problem and was told that if the TIPM is bad, i will have to pay for it being replaced. If this is a nationwide problem, it needs to be addressed, i was driving thru the city and country when it quits. very little control of brakes and steering. So what is the next step?