DODGE CARAVAN · model year

2018 DODGE CARAVAN

6 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2018DODGECARAVAN carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2018 CARAVAN is power train with 1 filings, followed by service brakes (1) and structure (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 20 investigation files overlapping the 2018 CARAVAN, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

6
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

6 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN1
SERVICE BRAKES1
STRUCTURE1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES1

Recent Complaints

20220323LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

The contact owns a 2018 Dodge Caravan. The contact stated while getting into the vehicle, the passenger’s side sliding door would not open. The door was unable to unlock completely. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 65,000

20210312STRUCTURE:BODY

DRIVERS SLIDING DOOR WON'T OPEN. IT'S STUCK IN THE LOCK POSITION WHICH MAKES IT A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. DOOR WORKED ONE EVENING BUT NEXT DAY WENT TO OPEN THE DOOR & IT WOULDN'T OPEN. PRESSING THE KEY FOB UNLOCK & THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE DRIVERS DOOR DOESN'T DO ANYTHING. NO NOISE OR ANYTHING WHEN PRESSING UNLOCK BUTTON. FROM ALL THE RESEARCH I'VE DONE, IT SEEMS THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE & SHOULD BE A RECALL AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

Mileage: 46,400

20210312ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DRIVERS SLIDING DOOR WON'T OPEN. IT'S STUCK IN THE LOCK POSITION WHICH MAKES IT A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. DOOR WORKED ONE EVENING BUT NEXT DAY WENT TO OPEN THE DOOR & IT WOULDN'T OPEN. PRESSING THE KEY FOB UNLOCK & THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE DRIVERS DOOR DOESN'T DO ANYTHING. NO NOISE OR ANYTHING WHEN PRESSING UNLOCK BUTTON. FROM ALL THE RESEARCH I'VE DONE, IT SEEMS THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE & SHOULD BE A RECALL AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

Mileage: 46,400

20190910STRUCTURE

2018 DODGE CARAVAN. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN GAS PEDAL AND THE SPACE BETWEEN STEERING COLUMN IS TOO WIDE AND MAY TRAP A FINGER MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER VEHICLE. *LD *JS

20190528CrashSERVICE BRAKES

MY WIFE REAR-ENDED ANOTHER CAR. SHE CALLED ME AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE POLICE HAD BEEN CALLED. I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE SHORTLY AFTER THE POLICE. MY WIFE WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP ACCORDING TO HER. SHE WAS NOT DISTRACTED AND FELT LIKE THE VAN SHE WAS DRIVING HAD AMPLE ROOM TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING UP AN INCLINE ON A HIGHWAY, TRAFFIC CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. THE VEHICLE MY WIFE HAD THE WRECK IN IS A RENTAL VEHICLE, HOWEVER; SHE HAD DRIVEN IT FOR THREE DAYS LEADING UP TO THE ACCIDENT. THE UNFAMILIARITY OF THE RENTAL COULD HAVE HAD A PART TO PLAY IN THE ACCIDENT, HOWEVER; THE STOP WAS ON AN INCLINE AND IT SEEMS TO ME THE INCLINE WOULD HAVE HELPED WITH THE STOP AND SOMEWHAT COUNTERACTED SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CAR. MY WIFE SUSTAINED BRUISES AND SWELLING IN THE ANKLES, KNEES AND WRISTS AS WELL AS SOME NECK INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. I AM NOT AWARE OF THE INJURIES OF THE

Mileage: 38,146

20190412CrashPOWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, IT SHIFTED FROM PARK INTO REVERSE AND ROLLED AWAY ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER THE CONTACT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LEFT ANKLE, TWO TORN LIGAMENTS, PAIN IN THE LEFT LEG AND BACK, AND BRUISES ON THE TORSO AND RIGHT LEG. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AIRPORT AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD BE NOTIFIED TO SEND SOMEONE TO RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,600.

Mileage: 34,600

Compare 2018DODGECARAVAN to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2018 DODGE CARAVAN have?
The 2018 DODGE CARAVAN has 6 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 DODGE CARAVAN?
The most-complained component for the 2018 DODGE CARAVAN is POWER TRAIN with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES and STRUCTURE.
Is the 2018 DODGE CARAVAN safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.