Total Complaints
12 filings
DODGE GRAND CARAVAN · model year
1988 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN
12 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988DODGEGRAND CARAVAN carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 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 1988 GRAND CARAVAN is seat belts:front:retractor with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper (1) and power train:manual transmission (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 1988 GRAND 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.
12
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20061027ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
WHILE DRIVING IN LIGHT RAIN, MY SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF AGAIN. THIS BELT CONTROLS THE POWER STEERING, ETC. IT ALMOST CAUSED A SEVERE WRECK. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH DODGE GRAND CARAVANS OF THE LATE 90'S AND EARLY 2000'S. IT IS VERY UNSAFE. WE HAVE HAD THE TENSIONER REPLACED, INSTALLED A SNOW SHIELD, ETC. TO TRY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, ALL TO NO AVAIL. THE BELT HAS COME OFF 4 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR, EVEN IN VERY LIGHT RAIN AND VERY SHALLOW PUDDLES. *NM
Mileage: 126,000
20020514SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
WHILE REAR ENDING A VEHICLE THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR DID NOT CATCH CAUSING CONSUMER TO SUSTAIN INJURIES TO THE HEAD, NECK AND RIGHT KNEE. *JG
20011206SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
WHILE REAR ENDING A VEHICLE THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR DID NOT CATCH CAUSING CONSUMER TO SUSTAIN INJURIES TO THE HEAD, NECK AND RIGHT KNEE. *JG
20001128LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
THE DOOR LOCKS ON THE VEHICLE DO NOT WORK, CONSUMER CAN NOT GET THE LEFT FRONT DOOR TO LATCH, THE SLIDING DOOR AND PASSENGER FRONT DOOR HANDLES WILL OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE BUT NOT FROM THE INSIDE. *SLC
19991129POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED. NLM
19991129ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING ENGINE PROBLEMS WHICH INCLUDED VALVE GUIDE, TIMING CHAIN AND HEAD GASKET FAILURES. NLM
19990318STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
DRIVERS SIDE RUBBER DOOR SEALS DETERIORATED.
19990305FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
THE BAKERSFIELD DODGE DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT THEY DO NOT PROVIDE ANY REPAIR TO ANY VEHICLE THAT IS MADE BEFORE 1990
19970709LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH
95I- 001000; OWNER HAS TAKEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES WITH NO PERMANENT SOLUTION. *AK
19970228SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
BOTH FRONT ROTORS BROKE DURING HEAVY BRAKING. *AK
19970207POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION MOUNT BROKE.
19960923SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
BRAKE CALIPERS REPLACED TWICE DUE TO SMOKE.
Compare 1988DODGEGRAND CARAVAN to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN have?▼
The 1988 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN has 12 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER and POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1988 DODGE GRAND 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.