The 1993 Dodge Grand Caravan has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 7 recurring issue clusters, led by “Automatic transmission failure and shifting problems.” Dodge uses Stellantis' Oil Change Indicator — it watches engine load and duty cycle and messages when to change oil, capped at 10,000 miles or 12 months. Know your engine: the 3.6L Pentastar V6 goes 100,000 miles on plugs, while HEMI V8s carry sixteen plugs (two per cylinder) on a roughly 30,000-mile interval — that's a real cost difference at the service counter. HEMI models with MDS cylinder deactivation are especially sensitive to overdue oil.
No open recalls on file. NHTSA lists no unrepaired safety recalls for this year, make and model. A recall can be issued at any time, and a specific car can still have one open — check yours by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 1993 Dodge Grand Caravan.
POWER TRAIN
22 NHTSA complaints · 1999-01 → 2005-06
“THE FIRST TRANSMISSION FAILURE OCCURRED AT 56,000MILES AND WAS REPLACED BY CHRYSLER”
“TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ENGAGE IN ANY SELECTION IN COLD WEATHER”
“ONGOING PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE FROM 120,000 TO THE PRESENT OF 135,000 MILES”
SEAT BELTS
13 NHTSA complaints · 1999-10 → 2007-08
“DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL JAM UP AND NOT ALLOW MOVEMENT”
“THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT STICKS IN THE RETRACTOR AND WILL NOT COME OUT”
“THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WOULD NOT PULL OUT”
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
4 NHTSA complaints · 1999-07 → 2005-01
“THE SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER FELL OFF THE VEHICLE. I STARTED THE ENGINE AND NOTICED I COULDN'T STEER THE VEHICLE”
“TENSIONER PULLEY FOR SERPENTINE BELT SHEARED OFF ENGINE, CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL”
“WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH TENSIONER OF VEHICLE SHEARED OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING”
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
5 NHTSA complaints · 2000-11 → 2007-10
“THE CAR HAD A STRONG ODOR OF GAS AFTER I STARTED IT”
“FUEL RAIL IS LEAKING ON RIGHT SIDE CORNER EXCESSIVELY WITH FUMES ENTERING COMPARTMENT”
“HIGH PRESSURE FUEL LINE IS LEAKING”
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
8 NHTSA complaints · 1999-06 → 2004-06
“AT THE TIME NO PAINT PROBLEM WERE PRESENT. THEN GRADUALLY THE ROOF STARTING PEELING AND BECOMING RUSTY, NOW THE HOOD IS DOING THE SAME THING”
“PAINT IS FLAKING FROM HOOD AND ROOF, PARTICLES CAN BE INGESTED”
“THIS VEHICLE HAS A DOCUMENTED PAINT CHIPPING OFF PROBLEM”
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
69 NHTSA complaints · 1999-01 → 2024-04
“THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING”
“POWER BREAKS FAILED AND ALMOST CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE PETAL WENT ROCK HARD AND WOULD NOT STOP THE VAN SAFELY”
“MY ABS SYSTEM FAILS INTERMITTENTLY, LEAVING ME WITH NO POWER BRAKES”
STRUCTURE
6 NHTSA complaints · 1999-02 → 2005-03
“ON 2/12/05, THE LIFTGATE BOLTS ON MY 1993 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FAILED SUDDENLY”
“THE BOLTS IN THE HYDRAULIC STRUTS TO LIFT THE REAR DOOR SNAPPED OFF”
“WHEN CONSUMER OPENED THE HATCH DOOR IN THE REAR OF VEHICLE THE ROD BROKE FREE FROM ATTACHMENT, FALLING ON CONSUMER'S HAND, SHE WAS INJURED”
Issues on other model years
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 20, 2026.
We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.
Critical for safety and preventing major damage
Change when the indicator says so — never beyond 10,000 miles or 12 months. Pentastar 3.6L: 0W-20. HEMI 5.7L: 5W-20 (0W-40 for 6.4L SRT). MDS-equipped HEMIs punish stretched oil intervals with lifter and cam wear.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$120–$160
Shop
~$85–$115
DIY
~$25–$55
Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.
Rotate every 8,000 miles. Charger/Challenger R/T and Scat Pack: staggered-width setups can't rotate front-to-rear — budget rear tires accordingly.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.
Inspect pads and rotors at every oil change. Heavy Durangos used for towing and hard-driven Chargers both run through rear pads faster than the front-pad-first rule of thumb suggests.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.
Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently
HEMI 5.7L: sixteen plugs roughly every 30,000 miles — check your year's manual. Pentastar 3.6L (Charger/Challenger V6, Durango V6, Journey, Grand Caravan): 100,000 miles.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$390
Shop
~$200–$275
DIY
~$25–$100
Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.
Grand Caravan/Journey (62TE): ATF+4 service every 60,000 miles in family duty. Charger/Challenger/Durango with the TorqueFlite 8-speed: no published normal interval, but specialists recommend service around 60,000-100,000 miles — sooner with towing.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$330–$500
Shop
~$235–$355
DIY
~$60–$180
Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.
RWD Charger/Challenger and AWD Durango: replace rear diff fluid around 60,000 miles, sooner with towing or drag-strip duty. Limited-slip units need the friction-modifier additive.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$150–$195
Shop
~$105–$135
DIY
~$20–$50
Drain plug + fill plug — straightforward DIY. AWD vehicles have two; budget for both.
Replace every 30,000 miles. HEMIs pull serious airflow — a clogged filter costs measurable power before it throws a code.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.
Inspect from 60,000 miles, replace on cracking or glazing. On the HEMI, a shredded belt can take the cooling drive with it mid-drive.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$195–$235
Shop
~$135–$165
DIY
~$20–$50
DIY-friendly if you can reach the tensioner. Inspect for cracks rather than swap on a strict mileage interval.
Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort
Replace every 20,000 miles where equipped (behind the glovebox on most models). Some earlier Journeys and Avengers shipped without one — check before buying a filter.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.
Stellantis OAT coolant is scheduled for 10 years / 150,000 miles; shops commonly refresh by 100,000. OAT-compatible coolant only — mixing chemistries gels the system.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$330
Shop
~$200–$235
DIY
~$25–$60
Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.
Test annually after year 3. Big-audio Chargers and tow-package Durangos lean on the battery hard; weak batteries surface as gremlins in the electronics before they fail to crank.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$225–$390
Shop
~$160–$280
DIY
~$130–$250
Most auto-parts stores test and install batteries free with purchase. Skip the dealer markup.
Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)
380 crashes 1990–2024
How the 380 occupant deaths break down
223
driver deaths
157
passenger deaths
380
occupant deaths
Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 1992 crashes. Older models have had more years on the road to appear in these crashes, so a higher count here does not by itself mean a vehicle is less safe.
FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number
FARS 2024 data is an annual report file. NHTSA revises these records when the final file is published, so this count can change.
Every vehicle has exactly one driver seat, so driver deaths line up fairly when you compare one model to another. Occupant deaths include passengers, so a three row SUV can show a higher number than a two seat car simply because it carries more people.
Both figures are plain counts, not rates. A rate would need to know how many of each vehicle are on the road, and that registration data is not public, so we do not publish rates or scores of any kind.
IIHS publishes driver death rates using this same driver only idea, paired with a registered vehicle years denominator we do not have. Their rates and these counts answer different questions, so do not read either number here as a safety rating.
Owner-reported problem signals
Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.
12
complaints mentioning a crash
0
complaints mentioning a fire
Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.
How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.
This maintenance schedule for the 1993 Dodge Grand Caravan reflects Dodge's published service intervals and the Oil Change Indicator System system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.