NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 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
Sliding door lock stuck. Door will not open in emergency.
As I was driving home on a city street, the entire car locked. I had no steering control. My brakes didn’t work the Entire vehicle locked. In the middle of the street. I turned the ignition off, put it in park and restarted the car only then did it work properly. This is the second time this vehicle has locked. This is very dangerous as I had a child in the car with me and I was in traffic. My brakes didn’t work, I had to use two feet really hard then I was able to stop the vehicle. The steering wheel didn’t work. Nothing worked. I don’t know What’s the problem. The very first time this happened, while dropping the child off at school, I put the car in park, I was not able to get the shifter out of park. The car locked. I sat in my car, wondering what to do decided to go on the web and check out problems with this particular vehicle, then I noticed there is a little door leading to the shifter to change it manually. But when you are in traffic, there is no time to look for a screwdriver to open the door to do anything manually. This is a safety hazard and I really don’t know why there is not a recall on this vehicle.
Sudden total transmission failure while in traffic. Took a while to coax it through intersection. After a while able to coax it the mile home at about 10 mph with transmission screaming. Towed to dealer and full transmission replacement at 50,000 miles. 07
The driver’s side sliding door is stuck in the locked position. It can not be manually unlocked or unlocked using the fob or unlock button. There was no indication the system was failing.
Lock actuator malfunction. Unable to open side door.
This weekend both passenger and driver side power sliding doors seized shut, in the locked position. The doors will not manually unlock with applying a lot of force to the locking lever. Looking online there is a manufacturers warranty that was extended to 15 years or 150,000 miles for this specific problem, pointing out the locking actuator as a faulty product, only on certain models, and years. My make and year qualify but the manufacturer has not added my model to the list of affected parts. I have verified my model has the same actuator MPN as the one affected, but still not added to the list. This is a safety issue as how do we get our kids out in a safe and timely manner in an event of an emergency? This weekend we had to crawl back to the back to safely buckle them in and get them out. Would like for this issue to be forced to add the 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT model to the extension of the manufacturers warranty known problem with rear power sliding and locking door actuators. The manufacturer is aware of the problem and is at risk of a lawsuit of this issue.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds, the vehicle intermittently shifted into neutral(N) without warning. In addition, the contact stated that the instrument panel failed to provide correct gear selection. The contact stated that the gear indicator would show that the transmission was in reverse(R) while the transmission was in drive(D). The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
Hello, My van is having a pcm issue that some vins have that theres a recall is on. U87. While driving the vechile will randomly shut off and turn back on. This has almost cause a accident with my kids in the car. My vin isn't covered by this recall but i would like it to be covered.
Sliding automatic door makes loud buzzing noise when opening. Apparently this is a known problem and Dodge has done nothing about it. After doing some research it seems everyone that has this model has this issue after a few years. It will eventually be a safety issue when the door stops working and we can’t get out in an emergency. Do the right thing and make this a recall. It’s a known issue.
Driver side passenger door is stuck in lock. Can not manuallly unlock from inside or outside. Have tried with key entry and that isn't working either. Had mechanic check and he thinks it could be a mechanical issue and could be very costly to fix because unable to unlock manually and would not be able to remove door to fix. This could possible be a safety issue if ever in an accident. Our daughter has the same year and is experiencing the same issue.
The driver side sliding door lock actuator has failed. I found MOPAR Warranty Bulletin number D-21-15, dated November 10, 2021 that indicates Dodge has extended the warranty for this part to 2015-2017 year Grand Caravans because this part commonly fails. However, Dodge is refusing to cover the replacement of this part for my vehicle. Mileage is 72,000.
Both sliding door actuators are malfunctioning. The door locks have to be manually locked and unlock. Searching the internet, I found that if the door is not lock, the door can disengage and fly open. This has not occurred and we keep the doors locked. I was told by the dealership that because my 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan was manufactured in Canada that the RT warranty does not pertain to my vehicle. This is a very expensive repair. Since both of my doors are affected, it could cost around $1,300 to repair both. If this was an isolated incident, I could understand having to pay for the repair. However, it seems to be a common problem. The part is defective and the cost should not be bared by the consumer.
Unable to open rear left sliding door, lock actuator is failed. Burning smell from left sliding door 1 year ago. Right sliding door make buzzing noice from the lock actuator area, sometimes unable to open sliding door.
KEY FOB WILL NOT FUNCTION. NO ACESS TO INSIDE VEHICLE.
In March 13, 2024, when unlocking the doors from the driver's side control panel there was an audible buzzing sound from the passenger side sliding door. The door was still able to unlock and lock. After doing some research online I found that there was a problem with the locking door actuator that would cause a buzzing sound when engaged. This continued to happen anytime that sliding door was either locked or unlocked. In June of 2024, using the driver's side control panel, I attempted to unlock the passenger sliding door. The door didn't make the buzzing sound, but it also would not unlock. The door was seized shut. I use this vehicle to transport my three children to and from school. Their drop offs are on the right hand side. With the passenger sliding door being seized shut, because of the faulty actuator, my children have to get out on the driver's side door and into incoming traffic! This is a great risk to my children. I called to get it repaired from the dealer I purchased it from with the actuator recall that was issued only to be told thaty vehicle wasn't covered in that recall, yet I still have a door that is seized shut from the recalled actuator part.
The driver's side sliding door is stuck in the locked position and the passenger side sliding door is making a loud buzzing noise when unlocked which means that one is next to go out from what I read. If both of them get locked this poses a major safety issue getting small passengers out of the back in case of emergency. There have been many instances of this reported on these vehicles and even extended warranties issued but only for a select amount of vans even though it seems to happen on every one ever made.
We found a warranty extension for Dodge Caravan Driver and Passenger Sliding Door Power Lock Actuators, but when I searched for our VIN, it is not included, but we are having the same problem. All of a sudden, our driver side sliding door was stuck shut, and would not open manually or with the key fob. I found a workaround from an online forum to hold the manual lock to open position, while pressing the unlock button either on the driver door or the key fob. Since then, when the sliding door shuts and wouldn't open, this is what we do. And then shortly after that, we noticed a loud buzzing sound coming from the same door when accelerating and the automatic lock activates.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the rear driver's and passenger's side sliding doors failed to unlock as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown assessment was made, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The automatic sliding rear door is stuck in the lock position causing it to not be able to open automatically or manually. This poses a huge risk of there was a vehicle fire or other incident that wouldn't allow my back seat passengers to get out of the car. The door will not lock or unlock.
There appears to be an electrical problem when locking/unlocking the doors, and a loud buzz occurs and at times, the doors hesitate to lock or unlock, which in my opinion, is a safety hazard.
Both electrical doors don't want to open.
Travelling at the speed of 55 miles per hour the vehicle seemed to completely shut off on its own, thus causing immediate loss of power steering and power brakes. I was able to very carefully bring the vehicle to a complete stop after a half a mile or so. Fortunately, I was travelling on a long straight county road without any surrounding traffic. Once I turned the ignition totally off and back on again at the side of the road, everything seems to operate as normal. No check engine light, no other warnings came on thereafter. After doing some research online I found customer complaints experiencing the very same issues with certain Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles, however Dodge doesn’t seem to have any sort of recall for this extremely hazardous issue. It seems like it may be a faulty ignition switch problem!
Car randomly stalled out without warning or signs of issues. We just purchased this used from Automax Hyundai. It has happened a total of 4 times this week.
It started off as the can stalling occasionally when I came to a stop. Then it became more and more frequent. Video is available to see the RPM move and then drop to 0. I then have to restart the vehicle which causes a delay which other drivers are not patient about. They immediately want to go and I have to flash my hazards and restart the van. Mechanical issue is unknown by the mechanic and dealer service department.
The car stalls and shuts off when coming to a stop. When attempting to stop, sometimes it keeps moving forward as if the breaks weren’t working properly. It only happens when I’m slowing down. No codes comes up nor does the check engine light turn on. It had been checked by different mechanis and they cant figure out what is wrong with the car.
*The passenger side sliding door will no longer lock. It will not lock with the clicker, the indoor power lock or manually. *This is a dangerous risk as an intruder may be able to access the interior of my van even if my kids or I are in it. Also, because it doesn't lock it could open while the car is driving injuring someone, etc... *I have not yet had it checked at a dealer. I found MANY other complaints from people saying the same thing. I assumed there was already a recall for this and was very disappointed that is not the case. I did not check with insurance, etc.. as our warranty has already expired and it wasn't caused by an accident, etc. *There was no warning that this was going to occur. It worked one day and didn't the next. I first noticed the problem about 3/4 weeks ago and have been looking for information, etc.. on recalls or what to do with this. It is obviously a safety hazard and it was not caused by anything we did.
2017 Grand Caravan - check engine light came on at about 90000 miles. Confirmed that it is a cylinder 2 misfire. Repair shop indicates that the cylinder needs to be re-machined (or the entire engine replaced) and also indicated that the cylinder 2 issue is well-known with the Chrysler/Dodge engines and was part of a recall for earlier models. Estimated repair cost is $4K - $5K.
door lock actuator failed - driver side sliding door - door stuck closed will not open
The passenger headrest busted open. There was no warning or anything like that. Also prior to that my window fell in the door well. I took it to the dealership and paid for repairs. I am glad the window did not break while I was in the car. I am taking the car to the dealership this week concerning the passenger headrest.
Cylinder 2 misfire and breaking
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, the passenger’s side headrest opened without impact or a crash. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,787.
The drivers side door remained locked when all other door are set to unlock. The drivers side door will not come unlocked whether by remote or manually pushing unlock. This happened on its own. A mechanic looked at it and said he would not mess with it because he was scared he we break the door and suggested going to a dealer. The car manufacturer issued a recall (Mopar X98) for this very same issue but it didn't include my car serial number. So, they don't want to honor the recall on my car. This is a serious safety concern on this vehicle as it is used for the transportation of several children and should an accident happen the chance of being trapped is very high since the door will not open at all. I located a service bulletin 23-036-21 that was issued and a Mopar Warranty Extension bulletin which states it includes this model year but Dodge has stated this particular VIN is not part of it. How does a VIN determine whether the actuator is going to go bad?
Driver's side passenger door will not open due to a faulty actuator. Other vehicles with the same make/model and year have this exact issue covered under warranty, but for some reason this one is not. I believe the warranty should be expanded to cover more dodge vehicles.This is a Safety issue as it prevents a safe and timely evacuation from the vehicle.
Passenger seat neck head rest exploded without any warning or no vehicle accident. I was at a stop light when this happens.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated when she attempted to start the vehicle there was no sound of the starter motor and the instrument cluster remained black when she turned the ignition on. The contact had attempted to jump start the vehicle and had to have the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the TIPM panel had failed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V813000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
Was on vacation and when I returned from a 9 day trip my car, which had not been drove at all, the drivers side head rest had popped out. This is part of the air bag system. That happened July 2023. September 13, 2023 at 6:01 pm I was driving down the road and my passenger head rest popped out hitting my daughter in the back of the head. The noise it made scared me to death. I am no longer covered under any type of warranty and now expected to pay for something that is a manufactured defect.
Cylinder 2 Random mis-fire. Began fall 2022. Multiple attempts to repair failed. Cylinder head replaced in Feb/Mar 2023. September 10, 2023 same issue reoccurred. Engine began to mis-fire violently, needed to be towed back to Dodge dealership where original repair was completed. Mileage at the time of the head replacement 91205. Mileage when problem reoccurred 97108.
The sliding doors in my van are not functional. One side does not open at all which is a safety hazard for my children/other passengers to be able to get out of the back seat if an accident occurred. The other side does not lock so it is a safety concern too because someone could enter my vehicle without my knowledge. I would like these fixed so that I can feel safe in my van.
When locking and unlocking the doors or using the automatic lock when the car is in drive, the driver side sliding door either will not unlock at all (even manually) or when it automatically locks and unlocks it makes an aggressive vibration sound and does not work. I have to go through the passenger side sliding door to take the car seat out of the van. If it were an emergency and I needed to open the rear door it would cause a serious safety issue
I had just finished a 45 minute drive to work without incident. The vehicle was in park and idling in a parking lot, while I sat in the driver's seat. All the sudden the headrest smacked me in the back of my head and made a loud popping noise. After getting out to see what happened, I discovered my headrest had deployed the safety feature, of popping forward.
The drivers side door remained locked when all other door are set to unlock. The drivers side door will not come unlocked whether by remote or manually pushing unlock. This happened on its own. A mechanic looked at it and said he would not mess with it because he was scared he we break the door and suggested going to a dealer.
The left (driver's side) passenger sliding door will not open. The lock actuator seems to be frozen. It is available for inspection as needed. Safety concern is the limited egress from the vehicle. The problem has been confirmed by a dealer and is persistent. No warnings of any kind were present prior to the failure. The failure appeared in August of 2023. An appeal to MOPAR for a repair has been denied, in spite of the fact that other vehicles have had similar problems.
Transmission Went out Last year I just found out I could report it this seems to be a common issue with these Vans and would be nice to get some help with repair costs as I was told around 6k to repair. Also the flywheel has a crack in it I ordered a new oem replacement hoping the transmission shop can replace that while they do the repairs.
The rear drivers side slider door has locked shut and no amount of tries to release the lock will work. This is a major safety concern being that we cannot open the door manually or otherwise in case of emergency
The passenger's side sliding door lock switch is stuck in the locked position, so I can't open that door. There is a huge safety issue because the passengers can't open that door to exit, in case of an emergency. The car manufacturer issued a recall (Mopar X98) for this very same issue but it didn't include my car serial number, because my car is newer by about a month. So, they don't want to honor the recall on my car.
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the passenger’s side sliding door failed to open from inside or outside. The contact stated that he was unable to open the door manually. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the door lock actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
On 7/2/2023 at approximately 12:04pm my family and I were driving home from church. My husband was driving and the driver's side head rest exploded, punching him in the back of the head while driving. We were very fortunate and no vehicle accident occurred. We were on the on ramp of Judge Tanner Blvd. in Covington, LA traveling to get onto Hwy 190 going north. First thing Monday morning on 7/3/2023, I called Dodge Corporation to report the incident and was given a case number (Case #86604720) and was told there was no recall on the head rest but to go to the dealership immediately. I brought my van to Rainbow Chrysler Dodge Jeep at 301 River Highland Blvd, Covington, LA 70433. At the dealership I was told this is a "common occurrence" and was covered under the extended warranty. I asked since it is a "common occurrence" why was it not recalled. I was told it is not deemed a safety hazard by Dodge. Seriously? Being punched in the back of the head while driving is not a safety concern by Dodge? My husband did have a headache for the rest of the day but his situation could have been much worse plus we could have been in an accident endangering our entire family (myself and 3 kids). I asked if I could get the passenger seat head rest replaced too and was told it's not covered unless it explodes. A recall needs to be made on these headrest before a fatal accident occurs.
2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. Check engine light reading code P0302 (cylinder 2 misfire). Mechanic replaced spark plugs and coils, but car is still throwing same code. This is appears to also be an issue with a recall on other year models of Dodge Grand Caravans. Mechanics unsure what to do as components have already been replaced and engine light comes back on after clearing code repeatedly.
The rear drivers side door is locked shut. This is is serious safety issue in an emergency. Especially with small children. This needs to be recalled immediately
The headrest on the front passenger seat randomly deployed due to design defect. The plastic housing that holds the pin broke under the regular stress of the spring causing the headrest to deploy without warning.