2009 Dodge Caravan Problems: Electrical (115 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2009 Dodge Caravan is Electrical (52% of 115 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Electrical — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 115 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 2009 Dodge Caravan?

60 of 115 filings named Electrical (52% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (12 reports).

There are 2 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2008 has 298 reports on file; this year has 115. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2009 Dodge Caravan

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 2 campaigns on file below.
Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
Skim a few owner reports below for Electrical. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Electrical 60 complaints · 52.2% of the file

Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:

Crashes 3
Fires 3
Injuries 2
Deaths 0

All Dodge Caravan years →

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table

System / Component	Complaints	Share of Reports	Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)	60	52.2%	1 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE)	12	10.4%	0 crashes · 1 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS)	7	6.1%	2 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)	7	6.1%	0 crashes · 2 fires
Tires (TIRES)	6	5.2%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS)	5	4.4%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)	2	1.7%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING)	2	1.7%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)	2	1.7%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover	20	17.4%	0 crashes · 2 fires

NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

View timeline records as a table

Date	Record type	Count	Record identifier
2010-Q4	Owner reports	1
2011-Q1	Owner reports	1
2011-Q2	Owner reports	2
2011-Q3	Owner reports	3
2011-Q4	Owner reports	4
2012-Q2	Owner reports	2
2012-Q3	Owner reports	4
2012-Q4	Owner reports	1
2013-Q2	Owner reports	3
2013-Q3	Owner reports	2
2013-Q4	Owner reports	2
2014-Q1	Owner reports	2
2014-Q2	Owner reports	5
2014-Q3	Owner reports	6
2014-Q4	Owner reports	9
2015-Q1	Owner reports	20
2015-Q2	Owner reports	15
2015-Q3	Owner reports	11
2015-Q4	Owner reports	6
2016-Q1	Owner reports	7
2016-Q2	Owner reports	1
2016-Q4	Owner reports	1
2017-Q1	Owner reports	2
2017-Q4	Owner reports	3
2018-Q4	Owner reports	1
2019-Q1	Owner reports	1
Apr 2010	Recall campaign	1	10V148000
Apr 2010	Recall campaign	1	10V164000
Sep 2014	Defect investigation	1	DP14004

NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (2)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system and Suspension.

Recall campaign 10V148000

Fuel system

Report date

Apr 13, 2010

Component:

Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)

Consequence:

CONTACT BETWEEN THE TIRE AND FUEL FILL PIPE MAY WEAR A HOLE IN ONE OR THE OTHER COMPONENTS OVER TIME. THIS MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL IN THE EVENT OF TIRE PRESSURE LOSS, OR A VEHICLE FIRE IN THE EVENT THE FUEL PIPE IS COMPROMISED.

Remedy:

BRAUN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 4, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BRAUN TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-488-0359.

View authoritative NHTSA record →
Recall campaign 10V164000

Suspension

Report date

Apr 23, 2010

Component:

Suspension (SUSPENSION)

Consequence:

CONTACT BETWEEN THE TIRE SPRING HAT MAY WEAR A HOLE IN THE TIRE OVER TIME. THIS MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL IN THE EVENT OF TIRE PRESSURE LOSS INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy:

BRAUN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 4, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BRAUN TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-488-0359.

View authoritative NHTSA record →

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07

Showing 10 of 115 complaints · page 1 of 5

2019-01-07Unclassified NHTSA leftover

NHTSA ODI 11165551

CrashFireInjuryDeath

THE DOOR IN THE BACK WILL OPEN AN CLOSE ON IT ON ALMOST CLOSED ON MY DAUGHTER WHILE GET OUT OF CAR AN NO BUTTON WAS PUSHED TO CLOSE THE DOOR. GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND ALL GAUGES ARE COMING ON AN WIPERS COMING ON BY THEM SELF . KEY GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION.

2018-12-18Airbags (AIR BAGS)

NHTSA ODI 11162264

CrashFireInjuryDeath

VEHICLE (2009 D. CARAVAN) WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A CITY STREET. AFTER HAVING STOPPED AT A 4-WAY INTERSECTION, DRIVER PROCEEDED INTO INTERSECTION AT VERY LOW SPEED AND WAS STRUCK BROADSIDE ON THE RIGHT WHEN A 1999 CHEV. TAHOE FAILED TO STOP. TAHOE SPEED ESTIMATED AT 30-35 MPH. RT. SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AT WHICH TIME FRONT SEAT PASSENGER (FEMALE, APPROXIMATELY 5' 1" ) WAS STRUCK ON HEAD BY AIRBAG WHICH MOVED TO HER LEFT CAUSING PASSENGER'S HEAD TO HIT SIDE WINDOW. AIRBAG REMAINED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HER HEAD UNTIL HER HUSBAND, THE DRIVER, FORCIBLY MOVED IT OVER TO HER RIGHT IN ORDER FOR EMT SERVICE TO TAKE HER OUT THRU LEFT FRONT DOOR. PASSENGER HAD ABRASIONS OVER TOP OF HEAD AND ON LEFT ARM, NONE WERE OF A SERIOUS NATURE; HOWEVER SHE EXPERIENCED IMMEDIATE SIGNIFICANT HEARING LOSS. TRIP TO ER AND CT SCAN REVEALED NO CONCUSSION, NO RUPTURED EARDRUMS AND NO OTHER SERIOUS INJURIES. ACCIDENT OCCURRED 13 DAYS AGO AND THERE HAS BEEN NO IMPROVEMENT IN HER HEARING, THE LOSS OF WHICH IS MORE PRONOUNCED IN LEFT EAR AND INCLUDES A CONSTANT RINGING. SHE IS AWAITING A JAN. 2019 APPT. WITH ENT DOCTOR FOR EVALUATION. THERE WERE NO REAR SEAT PASSENGERS AND THE OTHER TWO PERSONS INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WERE NOT INJURED. IN THIS ACCIDENT THE SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT PROTECT THE PASSENGER AS IT SHOULD, AND IN ADDITION CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT HEARING LOSS. *DSY *DT*JB *JS *BF *TR

2017-11-08Airbags (AIR BAGS)

NHTSA ODI 11044641

CrashFireInjuryDeath

ON OCTOBER 24, 2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 NOON MY VAN WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND ALL OF A SUDDEN BOTH SIDE AIRBAGS IN THE VAN DEPLOYED. NO ONE WAS IN THE CAR. CAR WAS TOTALED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I REPORTED THIS TO CHRYSLER AND THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE TOTAL LOSS OF MY VEICHLE

2017-11-01Wheels (WHEELS)

NHTSA ODI 11041930

CrashFireInjuryDeath

THIS IS THE SECOND (TPMS) TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR THAT HAS SNAPPED OFF IN MY HANDS AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PUT AIR INTO A LOW TIRE. THESE THINGS ARE DANGEROUS AS THE METAL FATIGUES WITHOUT WARNING OR VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF SUCH. ESPECIALLY LIVING IN AN AREA LIKE MINE, WHERE ROAD SALT, MOISTURE,ICE AND SNOW AND CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE OCCUR REGULARLY THESE SENSORS CAN CAUSE A SUDDEN DEFLATION OF A TIRE IF THEY BREAK WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO A CATASTROPHIC CRASH. LUCKILY FOR ME THE TWO TIMES IT HAS OCCURRED IT HAS HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY. HOWEVER, BOTH TIMES IT NECESSITATED JACKING MY VEHICLE UP WITH FULL LOADS AND ON UNEVEN GROUND, DANGEROUS IN ITSELF.

2017-10-13Wheels (WHEELS)

NHTSA ODI 11033249

CrashFireInjuryDeath

STEM VALVE BROKE OFF WHILE DRIVING.

2017-03-30Unclassified NHTSA leftover

NHTSA ODI 10969459

CrashFireInjuryDeath

MY DODGE CARAVAN JUST STALLS WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 5 TIMES THIS PAST YEAR. THE ENGINE CUTS OFF AND I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND RESTART. IT HAS ONLY HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 20-40 MILES PER HOUR. IT HAS NOT HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY I HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED SO I KNOW IT IS NOT THAT. SOMETIMES WHEN MY CAR WILL NOT START I HAVE TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND IT STARTS. OUR MECHANIC CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG BUT DID SEE THE ENGINE FAILURE WHILE RUNNING A DIAGNOSTIC.

2017-01-20Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)

NHTSA ODI 10946709

CrashFireInjuryDeath

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH DOWNHILL AND APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN BACK TO THE HOUSE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED THREE OTHER TIMES. ON ONE OCCASION, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AT THE SAME TIME AS IF THE VEHICLE WERE RESTARTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. *TR

2016-12-27Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)

NHTSA ODI 10937520

CrashFireInjuryDeath

INSTRUMENT PANEL WHILE DRIVING SUDDENLY AT NIGHT DOES NOT LIGHT UP, VANITY LIGHTS, INTERIOR OVERHEAD LIGHTS, AND UNIVERSAL GARAGE DOOR OPENER DOES NOT WORK EITHER. DANGEROUS AS YOU CANNOT SEE GAUGES(SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, TACHOMETER ), NOT EVEN THE TURN SIGNALS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. *TR

2016-04-09Unclassified NHTSA leftover

NHTSA ODI 10854522

CrashFireInjuryDeath

EVERY TIME I USED MY VEHICLE, MY KEY WOULD GET STUCK FORCING ME TO PULL THE FUSE SO THE KEY WOULD RELEASE. I GOT THE RECALL COMPLETED ON FEBRUARY 18, 2016 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IT WAS WORKING FINE UNTIL RECENTLY (MARCH 24, 2016), MY KEY HAS BEEN GETTING STUCK SEVERAL TIMES, NOT JUST A ONE TIME OCCURRENCE, IN THE IGNITION AGAIN, IT EVENTUALLY RELEASES, AND I HAVEN'T HAD TO RESORT TO PULLING THE FUSE, I'M JUST AFRAID IT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THAT AGAIN.

2016-03-01Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)

NHTSA ODI 10839213

CrashFireInjuryDeath

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V373000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2009 Dodge Caravan?

Owners named Electrical most often — 60 of 115 reports (52%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2009 Dodge Caravan?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2009 Dodge Caravan?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21

Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources