Get my offer

Selling a junk Dodge Caravan

Any Caravan sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

Step 1 of 3 · Your car

Your car and location

Free · No obligation · We name the buyer before sharing your number

What owners report about the Dodge Caravan

NHTSA has 9,276 owner complaints on file for the Dodge Caravan, model years 1995 to 2017, the 51st-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are electrical system (1,269, 14%), air bags (1,078, 12%), transmission and drivetrain (913, 10%). 547 complaints involved a crash, 251 a fire, and 42 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 70,000 miles. The 1996 model year has the most complaints (2,178). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is electrical system, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car that doesn't run: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Dodge Caravan by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
1995656Transmission and drivetrain747490,000
19962,178Engine and cooling74661896,000
19971,028Air bags51621592,000
1998840Engine and cooling62311480,000
1999745Air bags64211484,000
2000613Transmission and drivetrain8571378,425
2001341Air bags961055,000
2002326Air bags26111055,000
2003252Steering166940,000
200484Fuel system34872,500
2005691Latches and locks240965,000
2006231Electrical system134661,000
2007115Fuel system62465,537
2008421Electrical system136270,000
2009175Electrical system33276,500
2010257Electrical system88264,000
2011112Electrical system13065,000
2012116Electrical system53063,500
201334Electrical system110—
201427Electrical system100—
201529Transmission and drivetrain50043,386
20162Electrical system000—
20173Brakes301—

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Dodge Caravan recalls

NHTSA lists 48 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for lights (7), fuel system (7), seat belts (6). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2017 model year, lights (campaign 18V098000, Feb 2018): Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017 Dodge Caravan and Jeep Wrangler vehicles. The brake switches on these vehicles may malfunction, keeping the brake lights illuminated and/or allowing the vehicle to be shift…
  • 1996 model year, equipment (campaign 10E034000, Aug 2010): CURT MFG IS RECALLING CERTAIN CLASS 3 RECEIVER HITCHES, P/N 13347, SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON 1997-2007 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY VANS, 1996-2007 DODGE CARAVANS, AND 1996-2004 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER VANS. WHEN TH…
  • 2008 model year, suspension (campaign 10V164000, Apr 2010): THE BRAUN CORPORATION IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2010 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY AND DODGE CARAVAN MOBILITY CONVERSIONS WHICH WERE ALTERED BY BRAUN BETWEEN JANUARY 21, 2009 AND MARCH 19, 2010. DURING CONVE…
  • 2008 model year, fuel system (campaign 10V148000, Apr 2010): THE BRAUN CORPORATION IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2010 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY AND DODGE CARAVAN COMMERCIAL ENTERVANS WHICH WERE ALTERED BY BRAUN BETWEEN JANUARY 21, 2009 AND MARCH 19, 2010. DURING CONVE…
  • 2005 model year, air bags (campaign 10V008000, Jan 2010): CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 DODGE CARAVAN, GRAND CARAVAN AND CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDI…

What a Dodge Caravan is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Caravan on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

Other Dodge models

All Dodge models · All makes · Cash for junk cars by state

Questions people ask

What is a junk Dodge Caravan worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Caravan gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Dodge Caravan that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Dodge Caravan?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Dodge Caravan numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.