Minivans carry families for hundreds of thousands of miles, yet every nameplate collects owner grievances along the way. CarComplaints.com tallies those reports by model, and Consumer Reports adds its own warning on transmissions. Here are twelve minivans that owners complained about, led by the Grand Caravan with 3,426 complaints.
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1. Dodge Grand Caravan: Worst Offender on File
The Grand Caravan tops this list with 3,426 owner complaints in the the Grand Caravan complaints tally. The 2011 model year is the worst, and its top-ranked problem is a faulty TIPM that leaves the van hard to start, at a reported $1,200 and 79,000 miles.
Owners who file complaints tend to describe repair bills and mileage, so the numbers show how failures hit real budgets. A starting problem that arrives well before 100,000 miles is the kind of issue that pushes families to look elsewhere.
2. Honda Odyssey: Transmission Trouble Early
Honda’s minivan draws 2,964 complaints in the Odyssey complaint record. The 2002 Odyssey is rated the worst year, with transmission failure reported at an average of $3,400 and 98,000 miles.
A sheer volume of reports can partly reflect how many vans were on the road, so the total alone does not make the Odyssey a bad buy. Even so, a four-figure transmission bill close to the 100,000-mile mark is the detail that shoppers considering an older used example should weigh carefully.
3. Chrysler Town & Country: Flagged for Transmissions
Consumer Reports owner data singled out the Town & Country in its Consumer Reports transmission analysis of models most likely to need a replacement transmission. The Chrysler appears alongside the Dodge Grand Caravan in that flagged group.
The Consumer Reports list gives no mileage for these models, so the warning is about likelihood rather than a specific failure point. Complaint counts elsewhere also reflect sales volume, so context matters when comparing this van with the rest of the list.
4. Ford Windstar: Axle and Gearbox Woes
Ford’s Windstar has 2,005 complaints in the Windstar complaint page. The 2003 model is the worst year, with transmission failure averaging $2,100 at 102,000 miles, while one 2001 owner reported a rear axle that broke in half.
That axle report, listed at $900 and 117,000 miles, is among the more dramatic entries in any minivan file. Together with the gearbox failures, it shows why the Windstar sits fourth on the list.
5. Toyota Sienna: Power Loss After Slowing
Toyota’s Sienna has 1,002 complaints in the Toyota Sienna complaint listing, far fewer than the leaders above it. One standout report describes a 2007 Sienna that lost power after slowing down, a $3,000 repair at 37,000 miles.
A fix that expensive at such low mileage stands out in the file. The modest total suggests most owners were spared that kind of bill, though the volume of complaints also depends on how many vans were sold.
6. Chrysler Pacifica: Newer Van, Smaller File
The Pacifica has 926 owner complaints logged on the Chrysler brand complaint page. That makes it second only to the Town & Country, with 2,044, among Chrysler minivans on that brand page.
The count covers all Pacifica years, not just the hybrid version, so it blends several versions of the same nameplate into one total. Compared with the thousands filed against older rivals higher on this list, the figure is moderate, though it still lands well ahead of several other vans.
7. Nissan Quest: Nissan’s Quiet Contender
Nissan’s Quest has 453 complaints logged on the Nissan model complaint counts. That is a fraction of what the Grand Caravan or Odyssey collected.
A lower tally can reflect fewer owners as much as fewer faults, since complaint files grow with sales volume. The Quest still earns a spot here because owners took the time to document their problems, and the figure gives a rough sense of where it stands among its rivals.
8. Chevrolet Venture: Tapping Engine, Failing Gearbox
Chevrolet’s Venture has 402 complaints in the Chevrolet Venture complaint page. The 2003 model is the worst year, led by a tapping engine ($1,500 at 89,000 miles), and a 2000 Venture suffered transmission failure at 87,000 miles for $2,100.
Both problems struck before 90,000 miles, which is early for components owners expect to last far longer. The Venture is a reminder that drivetrain repairs can arrive well before a family van reaches the end of its useful life.
9. Kia Sedona: Kia’s Sixth-Place Problem
The Sedona has 270 complaints logged on the Kia complaint counts. Only the Sorento, Optima, Soul, Sportage and Forte have more among Kia models.
That ranking places Kia’s minivan in the middle of its own lineup, not at the bottom of it. Owners of the Sedona filed far fewer reports than the Sorento’s 1,236, which suggests a smaller footprint in the data more than a clean record, since these files track owner reports and not confirmed defect rates.
10. Chevrolet Uplander: Slipping and Sliding
The Uplander has 208 complaints in the Chevrolet Uplander complaint page. The 2005 model leads them, with a transmission that slips at 77,000 miles ($2,500) and power sliding doors that owners describe as unsafe.
Sliding doors that misbehave are a particular concern for a vehicle meant to carry children. Paired with another transmission repair running into the thousands, the 2005 entries show how a single model year can dominate a van’s complaint file.
11. Volkswagen Routan: Chrysler Van in VW Clothing
Volkswagen’s Routan has 184 complaints logged on the Volkswagen brand complaint page. The van was built by Chrysler and sold under a VW badge.
The count is small next to the thousands collected by the leaders, so the Routan sits near the bottom of this ranking. Its place on the list shows that wearing a different badge did not keep a Chrysler-built minivan out of the complaint files of owners who reported problems.
12. Mazda MPV: Smallest File of the Dozen
Mazda’s MPV closes out the list with 69 complaints logged in the Mazda complaint counts. That is just above the 60 filed for the brand’s MX-5 Miata on the same page.
Such a low number is the smallest of the twelve, and complaint files tend to grow with the number of vehicles sold. At the bottom of the ranking, it still proves that no minivan family escapes owner grievances entirely, even at modest counts.
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