DODGE VAN · model year

2001 DODGE VAN

19 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2001DODGEVAN carries 19 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 1 fire, 9 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 2001 VAN is visibility:power window devices and controls with 2 filings, followed by seats:front assembly:recliner (1) and power train:automatic 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 2001 VAN, 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.

19
Complaints
4
Crashes
1
Fires
9
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

19 filings

Crashes Reported

4 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS2
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION1
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD1
SUSPENSION1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1
SUSPENSION:REAR1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING1
STRUCTURE1
SEAT BELTS1
AIR BAGS1

Recent Complaints

20110613STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE VAN. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING BOX RUSTED FROM SUB FRAME AND DETACHED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE STEERING SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT HAD NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,017.

Mileage: 93,017

20070727ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

ON OR ABOUT APRIL 5, 2007, I BROUGHT MY 2001 DODGE CARAVAN TO A LOCAL DODGE DEALER FOR THE REPAIR OF THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY CAR WHICH STOPPED FUNCTIONING & STOPPED MEASURING THE SPEED OF MY VEHICLE. THE DEALER KEPT THE CAR FOR ONE DAY AND CLAIMED THAT THEY RECALIBRATED THE SPEEDOMETER AND "ALL IS WELL." APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS LATER, THE SPEEDOMETER CEASED WORKING AGAIN. SO, ON OR ABOUT JULY 19,2007, I CALLED MERRICK DODGE & REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY HAZARD OF DRIVING A VEHICLE WITHOUT A WORKING SPEEDOMETER. ON JULY 23, 2007, I CALLED AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT BUT WAS ADVISED THAT I COULD NOT RECEIVE AN APPOINTMENT UNTIL 8/8. I TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE IN VIEW OF THE POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS CONDITION AS WELL AS VIOLATION OF NY STATE VEHICLE & TRAFFIC LAW SEC. 375 IF I DROVE A VEHICLE WITHOUT A WORKING SPEEDOMETER. THEREAFTER, I WAS GIVEN AN APPOINTMENT ON 7/26/07. ON 7/26, I ARRIVED AT THE NEW ADDRESS OF THE DEALER AT OR A

Mileage: 42,300

20070727ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

ON OR ABOUT APRIL 5, 2007, I BROUGHT MY 2001 DODGE CARAVAN TO A LOCAL DODGE DEALER FOR THE REPAIR OF THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY CAR WHICH STOPPED FUNCTIONING & STOPPED MEASURING THE SPEED OF MY VEHICLE. THE DEALER KEPT THE CAR FOR ONE DAY AND CLAIMED THAT THEY RECALIBRATED THE SPEEDOMETER AND "ALL IS WELL." APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS LATER, THE SPEEDOMETER CEASED WORKING AGAIN. SO, ON OR ABOUT JULY 19,2007, I CALLED MERRICK DODGE & REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY HAZARD OF DRIVING A VEHICLE WITHOUT A WORKING SPEEDOMETER. ON JULY 23, 2007, I CALLED AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT BUT WAS ADVISED THAT I COULD NOT RECEIVE AN APPOINTMENT UNTIL 8/8. I TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE IN VIEW OF THE POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS CONDITION AS WELL AS VIOLATION OF NY STATE VEHICLE & TRAFFIC LAW SEC. 375 IF I DROVE A VEHICLE WITHOUT A WORKING SPEEDOMETER. THEREAFTER, I WAS GIVEN AN APPOINTMENT ON 7/26/07. ON 7/26, I ARRIVED AT THE NEW ADDRESS OF THE DEALER AT OR A

Mileage: 42,300

20060802CrashSTRUCTURE

ON MAY 14, 2006, MY DODGE CARAVAN WAS TOTALLED AFTER A COLLISION CAUSE BY A NEGLIGENCE DRIVER. DURING THE ROLLOVER, THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ROLLED OVER TOO EASILY. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT DISENGAGED WHEN NEEDED "PUSH" ON. *NM

20060802CrashSEAT BELTS

ON MAY 14, 2006, MY DODGE CARAVAN WAS TOTALLED AFTER A COLLISION CAUSE BY A NEGLIGENCE DRIVER. DURING THE ROLLOVER, THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ROLLED OVER TOO EASILY. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT DISENGAGED WHEN NEEDED "PUSH" ON. *NM

20060802CrashAIR BAGS

ON MAY 14, 2006, MY DODGE CARAVAN WAS TOTALLED AFTER A COLLISION CAUSE BY A NEGLIGENCE DRIVER. DURING THE ROLLOVER, THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ROLLED OVER TOO EASILY. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT DISENGAGED WHEN NEEDED "PUSH" ON. *NM

20060719VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN'S DRIVERS WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP AND DOWN. WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY WITH A NEW MOTOR. IN 2005, I GAVE THIS VAN TO MY SON AND THE PASSENGER WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP AND DOWN AND BY THEN THEY NOT ONLY PUT IN A NEW MOTOR BUT A COMBINATION MOTOR/REGULATOR. THEN THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT WORK AGAIN AND WAS REPLACED WITH A MOTOR/REGULATOR COSTING $1000 TO FIX BOTH WINDOWS. *NM

Mileage: 52,900

20060504ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

WHENEVER THE DRIVING OR HEADLIGHTS ARE ON THE SWITCH GETS WARM TO THE TOUCH. *NM

20050825STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

AT APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET IN HOT WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON AND ATTEMPTED TURNING RIGHT INTO A PARKING LOT AND THE POWER ASSIST WENT OUT ON THE STEERING. I HAD TO USE ALL MY MIGHT TO GET THE WHEEL TO MAKE THE 90 DEGREE TURN. AFTER EXPERIENCING THIS, I HAD TO FIGHT TO GET THE VAN INTO A PARKING SPOT. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, OPENED THE WINDOWS, AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER MANEUVERED THE VAN OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE TO WHERE IT COULD BE TOWED, HE POINTED OUT TO ME THAT HE HAD NO TROUBLE WHATSOEVER TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD THE VAN TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY CHECKED ALL THE FLUID LEVELS AND THE STEERING SEEMED TO BE WORKING FINE AND CHARGED ME $45 FOR NOTHING. AT ALMOST 79,000 MILES, THE STEERING PROBLEM SHOWED ITS UGLY HEAD WHILE ON VACATION LAST WEEK AND I WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT IN AGAIN AND INSIST THAT IT BE FIXED. I WILL TAKE IT TO A DI

Mileage: 59,098

20050727VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

WE OWN A 2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN (MINI-VAN) WHICH HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT POWER WINDOWS GETTING STUCK INTERMITTENTLY, EITHER UP OR DOWN OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN. SOMETIMES IT WOULD GET STUCK DOWN WHEN IT WAS RAINING OR STORMY OUTSIDE, OR IT WOULD BE STUCK IN THE UP POSITION WHEN I NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO SOMEONE (I.E. TOLL-BOOTH ATTENDANT). I TOOK IT IN YESTERDAY TO BE REPAIRED, AND THE WINDOW REGULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET AND TALKING TO A NUMBER OF OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR, I DISCOVERED THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM WITH OUR CAR. SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, HTTP://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/REVIEWS/LONGTERM/ARTICLES/45220/PAGE013.HTML, OR HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/REVIEW_78539.HTML, BOTH REPORTING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE PROBLEM APPEARS UNRELATED TO MILEAGE ON THE CAR (I.E. SOMETIMES APPEARS BEFORE WARRANTY IS EXPIRED, OR SOMETIMES AFTER IT HAS EXPIRED). HOWEVER, DODGE REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A PROBLEM OR TO PAY TO CORRECT IT.

Mileage: 60,000

20050628TIRES:TREAD/BELT

TIRES HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR AT ONLY 12000 MILES.

Mileage: 12,000

20050628SUSPENSION:REAR

OIL PRESSURE GAUGE KEEPS DROPPING AND ENG HAS POWER LOSS. REAREND HAS HIGH PITCH NOISE WHILE DRIVING

Mileage: 1,100

20050331SUSPENSION

MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A 2001 GRAND CARAVAN. WE LOVE THE VAN VERY MUCH. WE STARTING HEARING A STANGE NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END. WE TOOK IT IN TO A DEALERSHIP NEAR US AND WE WERE TOLD THE SWAYBAR END LINKS AND BUSHING WE GONE. LUCKILY WE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRNATY TO COVER THE COST OF IT. WE FEEL THAT IS IS NOT A WEAR AND TEAR, THIS IS A DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND ARE BEING TOLD THAT IT IS WEAR AND TEAR. WE HAVE OWNED ALOT OF CARS AND NOT ONE OF THEM EVER HAD A SWAYBAR LINK PROBLEM. WE TAKE VERY GOOD CAR OF THE VAN. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS RECALLED BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS TO SOMEONE.

Mileage: 57,965

20040609FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS 2001 DODGE B VAN WITH 4827 MILES. THE VAN WAS PARKED IN A CUSTOMER'S DRIVEWAY WHILE THE DRIVER PERFORMED PHONE REPAIRS INSIDE THEIR HOUSE. THE CUSTOMER NOTICED THE VAN BURNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. AN INVESTIGATION BY TROOPER INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES CONCLUDED THAT THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE AND STARTED IN THE HEATER BOX AREA OF THE VAN. RESULTS OF A FIRE INVESTIGATION BY DODGE HAVE NEVER BEEN RELEASED TO VERIZON. VERIZON HAS EXPERIENCED MANY BLOWER MOTOR FAILURES AND BLOWER RESISTOR FAILURES IN THIS MODEL VEHICLE. VERIZON HAS EXPERIENCED SIMILAR FIRES IN THIS MODEL VEHICLE AND FEELS THAT THESE FIRES WARRANT FURTHER INVESTIGATION. *AK

Mileage: 4,827

20030611POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION CLUTCHES WENT OUT. VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. *AK

20030611POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

TRANSMISSION CLUTCHES WENT OUT. VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. *AK

20030211CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. *JG *JB

20010723POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

20010314SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

SEATBACK LATCH IS FAULTY. WHILE DRIVING LEVER CAN BE BUMPED LIGHTLY, AND SEATBACK COLLAPSES. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK DEALER REMOVED LATCH AND ROTATED IT AND CONSUMER HAS HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE. *SLC

Compare 2001DODGEVAN to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2001 DODGE VAN have?
The 2001 DODGE VAN has 19 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 1 fires, 9 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 DODGE VAN?
The most-complained component for the 2001 DODGE VAN is VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 2001 DODGE VAN 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.