Model years Dodge Grand Caravan
2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
Complaints about this year name bags electrical far more often than the other years of this generation — 23% of them, about 58× the usual rate of 0.4%.
First year of a new generation. The Dodge Grand Caravan was redesigned for 2008. A first year carries problems nobody has found yet, and they are found by the people who buy it — which is worth knowing before you become one of them.
NHTSA opened a defect investigation into this model year.
| Complaints filed | 1,291 |
|---|---|
| Median for this model | 411 |
| Involving a crash | 23 |
| Involving a fire | 16 |
| Recalls | 8 |
What the complaints were about
- bags — 28.7% of this year's complaints, against 2.9% across the other years of this generation (10×). Owners wrote it as: bags, air bags, bags electrical, distribution.
- electrical system — 37.8% of this year's complaints, against 10.1% across the other years of this generation (3.7×).
- amount time — 30.2% of this year's complaints, against 7.8% across the other years of this generation (3.9×). Owners wrote it as: amount time, time recall, aware issue, needed repair.
Words owners used for the same problem are counted together, so a fault written four different ways is measured once. Grouped by which complaints they appear in, not by a list anyone wrote in advance.
Also unusual this year
- air bags — 28% of complaints, 19× usual
- electrical system — 38% of complaints, 6× usual
- time recall — 24% of complaints, 8× usual
What owners wrote
NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V373000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE [VIN] WAS NO LONGER PROVIDING THE PARTS FOR THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V373000 (AIR BAGS , ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE CONTACT STATED THE PART NEEDED TO REMEDY THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE [VIN] WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint filings, with identifying details removed.
Recalls for this year
- 20V396000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 16V047000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 14V055000 SUSPENSION Fixed free of charge.
- 14V373000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Fixed free of charge.
- 11V394000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 10V611000 EQUIPMENT Fixed free of charge.
- 09V351000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC Fixed free of charge.
- 10V235000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Fixed free of charge.
How this was worked out
Every year of the Dodge Grand Caravan was compared against its own history rather than against other cars, which removes popularity and age from the answer — a common car draws more complaints at equal reliability, and an older one has had longer to accumulate them. A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints.
This is a fault record, not a review. Nobody files a federal complaint to say the car was fine, so it shows what tends to go wrong — not whether owners liked it, and not whether it is a good car.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . Look this vehicle up directly on NHTSA's site to check anything here.
Own a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan? What happened to yours?
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