A minivan is usually a family’s hardest-working vehicle, and the things that go wrong on one are expensive and annoying in equal measure. Power sliding doors, transmissions and infotainment screens make up a large share of minivan complaints. We ranked every year from 2012 to 2022 for the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Grand Caravan using owner complaints filed with U.S. safety regulators per 100,000 vans sold.
The quick answer
| Minivan | Best years | Avoid | Model average (per 100k) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Sienna | 2016, 2021 | Be careful with 2012 | 106 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan | 2018, 2019 | 2016 | 319 |
| Honda Odyssey | 2015, 2021 | 2018, 2019 | 371 |
| Chrysler Pacifica | 2020, 2022 | 2017, 2018 | 616 |
Toyota Sienna: the low-risk pick
The Sienna has the lowest complaint rate of the four by a wide margin. The 2016 drew 59 complaints per 100,000 sold and the 2021 hybrid just 42, which puts both among the most trouble-free family vehicles in our data. The 2012 is the year to check most carefully. Takata air bag recalls and power sliding doors that stall halfway or will not close make up most of its complaints, and at 215 per 100,000 it still sits below the Odyssey’s average. Our Sienna sliding door page covers what owners report and what the repair costs.
Dodge Grand Caravan: cheap, but pick the year
The Grand Caravan sells for less than the other two, and in its later years it is far better than its reputation. The 2019 drew only 39 complaints per 100,000 sold, about the same as the best Sienna. The 2016 is the one to avoid. It drew 924 per 100,000, almost three times the model’s average, and the main reason is sliding doors whose locks fail, so the doors buzz but will not open. Chrysler extended warranty coverage on the sliding door locks for many 2015-2019 vans under programs X98 and XV1, so a dealer may still fix it for free. See the Grand Caravan sliding door page for the details.
Honda Odyssey: skip the redesign years
The Odyssey drives better than most minivans, but its 2018 redesign had a rough start. The 2018 and 2019 drew 954 and 1,007 complaints per 100,000 sold, more than twice the Odyssey’s average. Owners reported infotainment screens that freeze or reboot, power sliding doors that will not latch or open on their own and nine-speed and ten-speed transmission behavior they did not like. Honda recalled some vans for sliding door latches. The 2015, the last year of the older design, and the 2021, after a refresh, are the safest picks.
Chrysler Pacifica: buy 2019 or later
The Pacifica replaced the Town & Country for 2017 and offers the only plug-in hybrid minivan in this group. Its first two years were rough: the 2017 drew about 1,370 complaints per 100,000 sold and the 2018 about 950, led by vans that stall or lose power while driving and hybrids that shut down. Several recalls and software updates cover related faults. From 2019 the rate drops to roughly a quarter of that, and the 2020 drew about 250 per 100,000, close to the Grand Caravan’s best years. If you want a Pacifica, start with a 2020 or later and check the VIN for open recalls, especially on a hybrid.
What to check on any used minivan
- Every door, every way. Open and close both sliding doors and the tailgate with the button, the key fob and by hand, several times. Listen for grinding and watch that each door latches fully without bouncing back.
- Recalls. Run the VIN through the free federal recall lookup. Minivans often carry sliding door and air bag recalls that owners never had done.
- The screen. Let the infotainment system run for the whole test drive. Freezes and reboots are common complaints on newer vans.
- Transmission behavior. Accelerate gently from a stop and again firmly. Note any flare, shudder or hard shift.
Our used car check list builds a list for the exact van and year, including its recalls.
Questions
Is a high-mileage Sienna a good buy? Often, yes. The Sienna’s V6 and automatic have a good record, and many vans pass 200,000 miles with ordinary maintenance. Ask for records of transmission fluid changes and check that the sliding doors work properly, because door repairs are the most common big bill.
What about the Kia Sedona and Carnival? We do not yet have complete sales figures to rate them the same way. We plan to add more minivans as data allows.