1990 Dodge Caravan Power Train:automatic Transmission Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · data through 07/14/2026

65Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints

23.4%Of all 278 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train:automatic transmission ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION65 · 23.4%

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:LOCK40 · 14.4%

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE17 · 6.1%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE16 · 5.8%

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT14 · 5%

Share of the 278 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1990 Dodge Caravan overview page.

What owners report

“THE VEHICLE SHAKES WHILE DRIVING,THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AT 63,000 MILES. TT”NHTSA complaint 978772 — filed 02/06/1996

“AUTO-TRAN: WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE OVERHEATED, LOST DRIVE AND SECOND GEAR; NOT CHANGING GEARS; VARIOUS SPEEDS. TT”NHTSA complaint 976948 — filed 12/26/1995

“POOR PERFORMANCE ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION 5 TIMES. TT”NHTSA complaint 976485 — filed 12/12/1995

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1990 Dodge Caravan have power train:automatic transmission problems?

Power Train:automatic Transmission is the most-reported problem area on the 1990 Dodge Caravan: 65 of 278 complaints on file (23.4%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1990 Dodge Caravan have in total?

278 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 12 involved a crash, 7 involved a fire, 10 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train:automatic transmission category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.