Model year report

2011 Dodge Grand Caravan: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan

On the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan, the failure owners report most often is other electrical problem, and the reports cluster around 80,000 miles. The earliest to appear is other body or interior problem, reported by a median of 55,000 miles. Overall it scores 68 out of 100, high risk for a 2011.

High risk for a 2011 — 209th riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. 821 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

What owners report breaking

Owners have reported 50 named failure modes on the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan, and the three most-reported carry 53% of everything filed.

Other electrical problem leads with 158 reports, about 1.5 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 59k to 100,000 miles.

Fuel pump failure follows with 144 reports, usually reported between 61k to 111,000 miles.

No-start or intermittent start failure follows with 135 reports, usually reported between 70k to 108,000 miles. 6 of those reports mention a fire.

By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (233), engine (212) and fuel (169).

The mileage the reports cluster at

606 of the reports on the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 80,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 20% by 50,000 miles, 70% by 100,000 miles and 91% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 9 filed above the top of the chart.

The busiest stretch is between 90,000 and 100,000 miles, which alone holds 13% of the dated reports.

13% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.

In the order they tend to show up: other body or interior problem around 57k, other powertrain problem around 61k, other driver assistance problem around 65k and other brake problem around 74k.

Median

Other electrical problem

80k
Fuel pump failure

88k
No-start or intermittent start failure

93k
Alternator or charging system failure

93k
Other engine problem

86k
Stalling while driving

79k
Other powertrain problem

61k
Other fuel system problem

106k
Other body or interior problem

57k
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure

90k
Other brake problem

74k
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure

58k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 50. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 80.3k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 9 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Dashed the median reported mileage

Severity, and what it costs

Across the named modes, 6 mention a crash, 22 a fire, 16 an injury and 1 a fatality. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.67, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, fuel pump failure at $600–$2,600, no-start or intermittent start failure at $200–$1,800 and alternator or charging system failure at $450–$1,600. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

31% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Other electrical problem	electrical	158	75	59k	80k	100k	1.5	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Fuel pump failure	fuel	144	114	61k	88k	111k	1.4	$600–$2,600	High
No-start or intermittent start failure	engine	135	119	70k	93k	108k	1.3	$200–$1,800	Moderate
Alternator or charging system failure	electrical	43	31	65k	93k	100k	0.4	$450–$1,600	High
Other engine problem	engine	36	29	70k	86k	121k	0.3	$300–$4,000	High
Stalling while driving	engine	30	30	67k	79k	94k	0.3	$300–$2,500	Critical
Other powertrain problem	transmission	21	18	14k	61k	106k	0.2	$400–$4,500	High
Other fuel system problem	fuel	20	12	84k	106k	123k	0.2	$300–$2,200	High
Other body or interior problem	body	19	13	38k	57k	90k	0.2	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure	electrical	18	13	65k	90k	146k	0.2	$250–$1,500	High
Other brake problem	brakes	13	11	33k	74k	117k	0.1	$300–$1,800	High
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	11	5	—	58k	—	0.1	$700–$3,000	High
Overheating	cooling	10	3	—	44k	—	0.1	$400–$3,500	High
Loss of power steering	steering	10	10	87k	110k	122k	0.1	$600–$2,800	Critical
Misfire or rough idle	engine	9	9	75k	75k	93k	0.1	$250–$1,600	Moderate
Other driver assistance problem	adas	9	8	44k	65k	81k	0.1	$250–$1,800	High
Other visibility problem	glass	9	7	—	38k	—	0.1	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault	airbag	8	7	—	80k	—	0.1	$300–$1,600	High
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	7	7	—	19k	—	0.1	$200–$900	High
Tail light, brake light or signal failure	lighting	7	6	—	76k	—	0.1	$100–$900	Moderate
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	7	6	—	40k	—	0.1	$200–$1,500	High
Other speed control problem	adas	7	4	—	109k	—	0.1	$250–$2,000	Critical
Premature brake pad or rotor wear	brakes	6	5	—	45k	—	0.1	$300–$1,400	Moderate
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure	fuel	5	5	—	30	—	0.0	$250–$1,800	Moderate
Cruise control failure	adas	5	5	—	34k	—	0.0	$200–$1,400	High
Other steering problem	steering	5	3	—	96k	—	0.0	$350–$2,400	High
Backup camera failure	infotainment	4	3	—	542	—	0.0	$250–$1,200	Moderate
Parking brake failure	brakes	4	1	—	38k	—	0.0	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Harsh or jerky shifting	transmission	3	2	—	57k	—	0.0	$600–$4,000	Moderate
Master cylinder or brake booster failure	brakes	3	0	—	—	—	0.0	$450–$2,200	Critical
Other suspension problem	suspension	3	3	—	32k	—	0.0	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Transmission will not engage a gear	transmission	2	2	—	75k	—	0.0	$1,500–$6,000	Critical
Complete transmission failure	transmission	2	1	—	32k	—	0.0	$2,800–$8,000	Critical
Wiring harness or short circuit	electrical	2	2	—	182k	—	0.0	$400–$3,500	High
Audio or connectivity failure	infotainment	2	1	—	38k	—	0.0	$150–$900	Low
Loss of braking	brakes	2	2	—	29k	—	0.0	$400–$3,000	Critical
Steering column or shaft failure	steering	2	2	—	62k	—	0.0	$600–$2,500	Critical
Strut, shock or spring failure	suspension	2	2	—	42k	—	0.0	$500–$2,000	Moderate
Tire pressure monitor failure	wheels	2	2	—	50k	—	0.0	$80–$600	Low
Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure	body	2	2	—	57k	—	0.0	$250–$1,500	Moderate
Electrical fire or melted wiring	electrical	1	1	—	52k	—	0.0	$1,500–$9,000	Critical
Complete engine failure or seizure	engine	1	1	—	77k	—	0.0	$4,500–$12,000	Critical
Lifter, cam or cylinder-deactivation failure	engine	1	1	—	190k	—	0.0	$1,800–$7,000	High
Water pump failure	cooling	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$500–$2,200	High
Thermostat failure	cooling	1	1	—	68k	—	0.0	$250–$900	Moderate
Brake line, hose or caliper failure	brakes	1	1	—	106k	—	0.0	$250–$1,600	Critical
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash	airbag	1	1	—	100k	—	0.0	$1,000–$5,000	Critical
Airbag inflator rupture	airbag	1	1	—	140k	—	0.0	$0–$0	Critical
Wiper or washer failure	glass	1	1	—	107k	—	0.0	$120–$800	Moderate
Other seat belt problem	airbag	1	1	—	4k	—	0.0	$200–$900	High
Unclassified problem	other	24	17	33k	67k	77k	0.2	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan draws about 7.9 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 90th percentile of complaint rates among 2011 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 104,567 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2011 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Fuel pump failure

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 dodge grand caravan. The contact had to make repeated attempts to start the vehicle. The failure occurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic stated that the failure could possibly be contributed to the fuel pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,000.

34,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1097575 filed 2014-08-13

Van tries to start but just can't turn over. It stalled while trying to pull out in traffic. Took it to the dealer where they first told me it was the alternator. When I tried to leave the van wouldn't start. They tried to jump start it and it wouldn't work. They asked me to leave it over night. The next day I receive a call from the dealer. They tell me not only in my alternator bad but so is my fuel pump. I tell them we will come get it to move it out side. 4 hours later I get in the van turn the key and it starts. I drive the van home and it starts the next morning but not at lunch. This van has left me and my family stranded so many times I could cry. I am just hoping for a repair I can afford or a recall. *tr

91,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1128673 filed 2014-11-08

No-start or intermittent start failure

I have a 2011 dodge grand caravan with about 52,000 miles on it. On day the radio just went off and then turned back on. It did this multiple times before we sent it in to the shop. Then one day it would not start. It would turn over but would not fire until I tried it 6 to 10 times and then it would start. We took it in to the dealer for a misfire in cylinder #2 ( recall on left head) but it started all the time for them, until I went to leave, and then no start. The tech was able to duplicate it and said we would trouble shoot it. A week later they called and said it is more then likely the tipm causing the problem and the part is backorder nationally and would cost me $1037 plus tax for the parts and labor. If it is back ordered then there is a big problem and chrysler knows about it. I hope they issue a recall soon so I can get my money back. *tr

52,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1089180 filed 2014-07-22

I have a 2011 dodge grand caravan with about 52,000 miles on it. On day the radio just went off and then turned back on. It did this multiple times before we sent it in to the shop. Then one day it would not start. It would turn over but would not fire until I tried it 6 to 10 times and then it would start. We took it in to the dealer for a misfire in cylinder #2 ( recall on left head) but it started all the time for them, until I went to leave, and then no start. The tech was able to duplicate it and said we would trouble shoot it. A week later they called and said it is more then likely the tipm causing the problem and the part is backorder nationally and would cost me $1037 plus tax for the parts and labor. If it is back ordered then there is a big problem and chrysler knows about it. I hope they issue a recall soon so I can get my money back. *tr

52,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1089181 filed 2014-07-22

Recalls on the 2011 model year

NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan, affecting an estimated 169,967 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover equipment adaptive/mobility:wheelchair restraints/securement, air bags:frontal, electrical system and steering:column. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.

25V876000

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY:WHEELCHAIR RESTRAINTS/SECUREMENT:LATCH/ANCHOR:

86 vehicles 2025-12-17

Defect: Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram Promaster vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. Please refer to Rollx's recall report for specific model year information. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
Consequence: An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Rollx will work with Q'Straint to inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact Rollx's customer service at 1-800-956-6668.

17V376000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

209,135 vehicles 2017-06-13

Defect: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the driver's frontal air bag may unexpectedly deploy if the air bag wiring harness gets chafed within the steering wheel and short circuits.
Consequence: Unexpected deployment of the driver's frontal air bag increases the risk of a crash or driver injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bag wiring within the steering wheel, replacing it if necessary. A protective cover will also be installed. These repairs will be made free of charge. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T33.

14V234000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

644,757 vehicles 2014-05-07

Defect: Chrysler Group, LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, through October 31, 2013. The affected vehicles may experience overheating of the vent window switch in the driver's door armrest.
Consequence: An overheated switch may result in a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vent window switch with a newer version, free of charge. The owner notification letter was issued and the remedy campaign launched on on December 31, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P25.

11V315000

STEERING:COLUMN

11,096 vehicles 2011-06-08

Defect: Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2011dodge journey, jeep wrangler, chrysler 200, chrysler 200 convertible, dodge avenger, dodge nitro, jeep liberty, dodge caliber, jeep compass, jeep patriot, dodge grand caravan and chrysler town & country vehicles. Some of these vehicles may have been built with a missing or incorrectly installed steering column pivot rivet.
Consequence: A missing or incorrectly installed rivet could compromise the ability of the steering column to support the occupant loads in the event of a frontal crash, decreasing the effectiveness of the frontal impact safety system. As a result, the condition may increase the potential for injury in a frontal crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for rivet presence and alignment and repair the steering column pivot as required, free of charge. The safety recall began on july 4, 2011. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 2011 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 2011 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

Left fewer and less serious reports
Right more, or worse
Marker this vehicle

Better and worse years of the same car

High risk for a 2011 — 209th riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.

Across the 25 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2004 comes out best at 58 and 2020 worst at 80, with 2011 itself at 68.

If the model year is negotiable, 2004 and 2001 score lower than 2011 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.

Within the 2008–2014 generation specifically, 2013 is the strongest year at 67 and 2010 the weakest at 70.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 2008-2014 generation, 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan scores best at 67 and 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan worst at 70.

What to look at before buying one

The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other powertrain problem from about 14k, other brake problem from about 33k, other body or interior problem from about 38k and other driver assistance problem from about 44k.

On a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other powertrain problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.

None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.

Where these figures stop being useful

821 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 821 reports, 606 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 74% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan?

The most-reported failures are other electrical problem (158 reports, median 80,000 miles), fuel pump failure (144 reports, median 88,000 miles) and no-start or intermittent start failure (135 reports, median 93,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

At what mileage do 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan problems start?

Other body or interior problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 55,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 40,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 80,000 miles.

Is the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan reliable?

It scores 68 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 209th riskiest of the 283 2011 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2011 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the Dodge Grand Caravan is best?

Within the 2008–2014 generation, 2013 scores best at 67 out of 100 and 2010 worst at 70. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 30 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed