2002 Dodge Caravan problems
Owners have filed 326 complaints about the 2002 Dodge Caravan with NHTSA. Air bags account for 18.7% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of steering at 12.6%.
Complaints326
Crashes26
Fires11
Injuries15
Deaths2
What owners report breaking
Air bags 18.7% · 61
Steering 12.6% · 41
Electrical system 10.4% · 34
Power train 8.6% · 28
Engine and engine cooling 6.1% · 20
Service brakes, hydraulic 4.9% · 16
Equipment 4.6% · 15
Exterior lighting 4.6% · 15
Severity
Of those complaints, 26 describe a crash, 11 describe a fire, 15 report an injury and 2 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 22 model years of the Dodge Caravan in this data, 2002 sits 15th by complaint volume. 1996 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 8 in the last three years against 26 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 52,476 miles.
In owners' own words
Airbag clock spring on 02 Dodge Caravan had to be replaced for $207. Chrysler denied reimbursement saying the car is out of warranty. I maintain the airbag system is a required safety item that should last the life of the car. I should not have to pay more than $200 extra to protect against an air bag deploying accidentally while I am driving or failing to deploy in case of a collision. Air bags · reported at 81,413 miles
: The contact stated while driving 50 mph on normal road conditions the air bag light illuminated as an alert that air bags sensors were not activated. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership eight times. The contact expressed concern that lemon laws do not apply when the purchase transaction was more than two years old eventhough the vehicle has only 50.000 Miles Air bags · reported at 5,275 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Dodge Caravan. While driving 25 mph, the passenger side air bag deployed without warning. There were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bag was defective. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 152,000. Updated 8/10/15 Air bags · reported at 152,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…