- The problem
- Vehicle description: mini vans equipped with 2-spoke luxury wheels manufactured july 1992 through june 1993; or equipped with 4-spoke sport wheels manufactured from july 1992 through september 1993. The steering wheel armature stamping can crack and separate from the center hub attachment to the steering column.
- The risk
- If the steering wheel separates from the center hub attachment to the steering column, loss of control can occur increasing the risk of an accident.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the steering wheel for cracks and any wheels with cracks will be replaced. All other vehicles will have a reinforcement plate installed to prevent steering wheel separation in the event cracking occurs.
Vehicle safety record
1994 Dodge Caravan Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 667 complaints about the 1994 Dodge Caravan with NHTSA, most often about the body, doors & structure (131) and the transmission & drivetrain (105). Those complaints describe 93 crashes, 7 fires, 103 injuries and 3 deaths. It is covered by 5 recalls, the latest in October 2000 for the steering wheel / handle bar. For comparison, the 1993 has 962 and the 1995 has 493.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Caravan year, for its age
#3 most complained-about 1994 vehicle
- Complaints
- 667
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes
- 93
- Fires
- 7
- Injuries
- 103
- Deaths
- 3
Most common 1994 Dodge Caravan problems
Share of all 667 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
1994 Dodge Caravan recalls 5
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Vehicle description: mini vans. The bolts used to attach the strut to the body and the rear liftgate can accumulate fatigue damage if three factors combine. If the bolt is loose, the gas strut is over-pressurized, and the frequency of opening and closing cycles is higher than for the average customer, the bolt can fail.
- The risk
- Personal injury could occur if the bolts break allowing the liftgate to fall suddenly.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect for loose fasteners, if the fasteners are loose, the strut (and integral bolts) will be replaced. If the bolt shows evidence of torque, the bolt will be removed, larger washers will replace the existing washer and the bolt will be reinstalled and hand tightened to the target torqued.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: mini vans. The wiring that initiates the driver and/or passenger air bag could electrically short circuit to ground. A short circuit to ground that exists immediately after turning the ignition key to the "on" or "start" position can cause the air bag(s) to inadvertently deploy.
- The risk
- Inadvertent air bag deployment can injure a front seat occupant.
- The fix
- Dealers will perform an electronic diagnostic check. Any short circuits identified in either the driver's or passenger side air bag initiator wire circuit will be repaired.
- The problem
- 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 fix
- Chrysler will replace the liftgate latch with a new stronger latch assembly without charge. Chrysler began notifying owners during december 1995.
- The problem
- 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 fix
- Chrysler dealers will replace the liftgate latch with a new stronger latch assembly without charge. Chrysler began notifying owners of these vehicles beginning september 1995.
What owners say
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667 complaints about the 1994 Dodge Caravan
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 27.
My air bag light is on because the rear wiper shorted out and blew the fuse, and the air bags are on the same fuse.
Driving down interstate vehicle just quit. Was able to coast to side of road. Attempt to restart failed.4 Times. Let vehicle sit for about 10 minutes and normal restart. This is third time in three weeks. Other two no starts were after vehicle sitting overnight. No error codes or check engine light. First no start replaced air filter. Second no start replaced battery. Info provided because of 2010 dodge grand caravan issue an potential for it to exist in early vehicles. I do not believe it is the ignition switch. *Tr
As I slowly was turning the car to park in a parking lot in vienna va shopping center, the van suddenly accelerated on its own and stopped when it crashed into handicap parking pole marker ( no damage). Damage to my van which is visable appears to be the front of the hood of the car and a damaged but functioning radiator as best I can see. Note: the air bags were not activeated, and wondered why they didn't.( Is this another problem ?) *Tr
1994 Dodge caravan gas tank leak. The consumer stated she was searching for information regarding a gas leak and came across recall 99v216000 and was wondering if it applied to her vehicle? And if so, will dodge honor the recall and fix her vehicle?
Went to work on april 1, 2009 had brakes, when I went to go home the brakes went all the way to the floor, and anti brake light came on, changed front brakes , did not need it , but did it anyway, was going to change the back but they did not need it, bled the brakes, all worked fine , then went oklahoma april 11th , stayed in motel and brakes where fine, got up next morning and went to do some things and again the brakes went all the way to the floor and abs light comes on ,still has plenty of fluid. *Tr
Have gen 3 seatbelt, unsafe, could unlatch in a car accident. Can also be pushed into a false hole causing a false latch. *Tr
I tried to open the hood of my minivan and the release broke off. The release was on the inside of the 1994 dodge minivan and I don't know what caused it to break off. I've checked the safety defect notifications for "1994 dodge minivans" and could not find any other mentions of failure of the hand release for the vehicles' hoods. *Tr
Rear window on lift gate shattered in a thousand pieces for no reason while parked (glass inside and outside). Outside temp was about 20 f and cloudy. Glass type is a privacy tinted with window defroster. It appears glass was not required to be a safety glass type as compared to a windshield with a "plastic sandwich in-between. About 10 hours of clean up required. Many small glass fragments and "glass dust" traveled as far as the front dashboard. Owner will be replacing glass. Cost estimated to be between $300 to $400 parts and labor. I have pictures available if needed .*Cn
Serpentine belt comes off...Dry, wet, snow..Big, little ...Literally no puddles...And the gatorback belt doesn't fix it, nor the snow shield on the pulley shield.....With all the complaints and the numerous times my belt has come off..You'd think chrysler would have fixed this long ago...No just soak people for money..If they r not mechanically inclined( which thanks to my father, brother, and husband) I am.....And I know about the internet site forums that help each other out...In times like these. Some...
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unfortunately..Several hundreds and thousands of dollars later...How unfair of chrysler...And we're talking.... This problem has been around awhile...You'd have thought they would've fixed it long ago ..Even before putting out new ones with the same problem....I bet those new buyers are fit to be tied right about now!!!! Hopefully all these complaints and I hope you people are complaining...Gets something done!! *Nm
1994 Dodge caravan mileage 66.873 With wheelchair lift rear liftgate hinge, bolt holding the hinge together broke due to metal fatigue, letting hinge separate, causing liftgate to drop down. This is a very serious safety problem. Chrysler/dodge 1-800-992,1997 ref.#15261363 Was contacted by phone several times. I was told that ii was not on the recall list. Sorry car is out of warranty. The van is always parked in my carrage. Like new. I have the old parts and 17 color poctures. *Jb
Lacks power, wants to stall like it's not getting any fuel, have replaced numerous parts including what was listed on the diagnostic scans, clunking noise under van. Nothing seems to correct the problem. Have spent over $600 in parts alone, not counting labor. *Nm
Dt: consumer states his 1994 dodge caravan that he purchased used about 8 months ago had transmission problems immediately. The transmission will pop out of gear when it is hot. The vehicle has to be shut off and then it will start again. The first time it happened, september 2004, he took the vehicle to a dealership and was told that they could not duplicate the problem. It happened again about 30 days ago and happened again yesterday. *Jb
While stopped at a light, another vehicle rear ended the consumer. The consumer proceeded to strike the vehicle in the front of him. Both passenger and driver seats collapsed. The driver seat fell onto the child passenger, breaking several bones in his face and had to undergo surgery. *Jb
Nhtsa recall campaign 99v213000, the bolt to the hatch broke, causing the piston to break in half. A stick must be used to hold the hatch up. Consumer was aware of recall for this particular model. *Ak
The serpentine belt continuously slips off which causes the steering to become inoperable. The power steering completely fails. *Ak
The passenger sliding door fell off the hinges. It would be difficult to open/close door. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *Ak
Have a 1994 dodge grand caravan. Already replaced one transmission and I am looking at replacing another. Told by transmission mechanics and others the transmissions in these vehicles are notorious for failure and that the company knowingly install such equipment at the consumer's ultimate expense. *Jb
The paint is peeling off the roof of the van (the roof is now almost bare, a year later) and now has begun to peel off the hood, as well. We contacted our local dodge dealer and they said that this is not covered by any sort of warranty or lemon law and that we would have to pay to repaint the van. Other than the paint problem... The van is in excellent condition other than the fact that soon it will no longer have any paint. It is a dark blue color, and we have seen many other dodge grand caravans from that same year with exactly the same problem. Others have sold their vans rather than pay to repaint an aging, high-mileage vehicle.
I have not actually tried to have the problem fixed because I heard through the grapevine there might be a recall for this particular defect, and I am simply trying to find out if that is true. My problem is we have a light blue dodge caravan and the paint is peeling badly!!!! I have seen other light blue dodge caravans the same year and model that are also peeling badly. What can I do to get it repaired?
Plastic headlights are fogging over making night drivinga chore. So far i;ve had to add accesory lighting and brighter bulbs in hope of just staying even.*Ak
Transmission felt like it went into neutral while on our way home, at night, then it just stopped in the middle of the road on a corner. We pushed it somewhat off the road and turned on the hazards. Then I proceeded to haul my five kids out of the vehicle and down the road to try to phone for help. Walking at night with 5 young children on the shoulder of the road is dangerous. I tried to get it repaired and was told that this was a common problem with dodge. I was also informed that it would take...
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approximately $3,000.00 To fix and then it could turn around and happen again. No indicator light ever came on. The dealer told me these were good vans and very dependable too. Does someone have to die by being hit by oncoming traffic before someone does something? These transmissions should be declared lemons, recalled and made good on. *La
Rear window shattered while vehicle was in park and turned on. Will be taking vehicle to dealership to determine cause of window problem.*Ak
While driving vehicle began to shake violently. Vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the mechanic found that automatic transmission exploded internally, and had to be rebuilt. *Ak
While driving, the seat broke. Vertical and horizontal cracking where the cab mounts to the frame on both sides. *Nlm *cb *jb
Transmission failure on our 1994 dodge grand caravan without any warning - the van is just under 9 years old and had 86292 miles. It has been regularly serviced and is maintained in very good condition. It is used to commute to work and as a family car without any towing or heavy loads. Regular transmission service and checkup has been performed with last one before the failure at 72456 miles. No problems were found at this service, otherwise I would have taken appropriate action. The failure happened in an...
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office underground parking lot and the car would not move when my wife tried to park it. It had to be towed to the dealer for repairs. This could have happened while driving on a busy highway or on a busy street and could have been dangerous to her safety and to other people on the road. I researched into the issue on the internet and found a lot of chrysler/dodge caravan owners with similar problems over the years. I even talked to friends and people I know who are caravan owners and several told me it is a known problem with these transmissions but chrysler has failed to remedy the problem. Failures even happen at lower mileage than my van and to older models. Replaced transmissions are also known to fail with low mileage in several cases that I came across. I have filed a complaint with chrysler on this matter and the ridiculous cost of $2500 that I had to pay to replace the transmission with a remanufactured one. The dealer that checked the problem on my van found that there were 4 problems found including worn out clutches and he had no explanation for the failure. Chrysler informed me that there is no recall on this problem at this time but they may have one later on. I strongly believe that chrysler/dodge is well aware of this defect problem and that it is also a safety hazard. Chrysler should issue a recall and replace the transmissions with a better designed one for the sake of safety to their customers and other people on the road.
Dodge Caravan: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 641 | 14 | F |
| 1997 | 720 | 15 | F |
| 1996 | 1,402 | 18 | F |
| 1995 | 493 | 4 | F |
| 1994 | 667 | 5 | F |
| 1993 | 962 | 10 | F |
| 1992 | 929 | 11 | F |
| 1991 | 623 | 11 | F |
| 1990 | 283 | 6 | C |
1994 Dodge Caravan vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 Dodge Caravan | 667 | 5 | F | |
| 1994 Dodge B250 | 32 | 2 | F | Compare |
| 1994 Dodge Colt | 18 | 0 | D | Compare |
| 1994 Dodge B Series | 12 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 1994 Dodge BR Series | 6 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 1994 Dodge B150 | 3 | 0 | B | Compare |
| 1994 Dodge B350 | 2 | 1 | C | Compare |
| 1994 Dodge BR2500 | 2 | 1 | - | Compare |
| 1994 Dodge D Series(light) | 2 | 0 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 1994 Dodge Caravan
Does the 1994 Dodge Caravan have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 1994 Dodge Caravan: steering wheel / handle bar (October 2000); hinge and attachments (September 1999); air bags (May 1999); lock (March 1995) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 Dodge Caravan?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the body, doors & structure (131), transmission & drivetrain (105), airbags (93).
How many complaints has the 1994 Dodge Caravan had?
667 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on April 22, 1994 and the latest on September 14, 2018. Of these, 93 describe a crash and 7 a fire, and together they report 103 injuries and 3 deaths.
Is the 1994 Dodge Caravan a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 11 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Dodge Caravan year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Dodge Caravan years have the most complaints?
1996 (1,402), 1993 (962), 1992 (929). See every Dodge Caravan year compared.
What should I do if my 1994 Dodge Caravan has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data