2015 Dodge Grand Caravan vs 2015 Honda Odyssey
Two minivans, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2015 Dodge
Grand Caravan
6/10
The last-gen Grand Caravan is a $6k family hauler that'll do everything you need — as long as you budget for a transmission before 100k.
VS
2015 Honda
Odyssey
6/10
Best-driving, most family-friendly minivan of its era, but you MUST buy one with the piston-ring warranty extension work done — or a VCM-disabled example with documented oil consumption checks.
Dead heat: both score 6/10. The tiebreaker is which specific car you find.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Dodge Grand Caravan |
Honda Odyssey |
| Known failure points | 6 | 7 |
| NHTSA complaints | 278 | 203 |
| Safety recalls | 4 | 6 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 52 | 68 |
| Cheap to own | 58 | 65 |
| Fun factor | 15 | 45 |
| Holds value | 25 | 72 |
| Enthusiast cred | 10 | 25 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
62TE automatic transmission pump/solenoid pack failure — slipping, flare-shifts, or complete loss of drive
$2,500–$4,50040k–90k mi
2015 Honda Odyssey
J35 VCM piston ring wear causing oil consumption and P0301–P0304 misfire codes (subject of 2025 Honda warranty extension)
$3,500–$8,00060k–120k mi
If you buy one, buy this one
✅ 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
A 2015 SXT with the 3.6L Pentastar, documented transmission fluid/filter service history, and ideally a prior cylinder head replacement already done under warranty — that means the ticking time bomb has already gone off and been fixed for free.
✅ 2015 Honda Odyssey
2015 EX-L (not Touring/Touring Elite) with under 100k miles, timing belt service done, all three seat recalls closed, and — critically — either the piston-ring warranty extension work performed OR a documented history of a VCM-disable controller and no oil consumption. Bonus if it's the 5-speed.
Narrowed it down? Get the full report
This comparison is model-level.
Milo's report goes car-level — the one you're actually looking at:
- A line-by-line negotiation script
- The pre-purchase inspection checklist
- VIN-specific open recalls
- What it's really worth right now
- Your next 15,000 miles, forecast
- Hidden features & money-savers
Run my free report →
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Scores and findings blend documented NHTSA recalls and complaints with
patterns synthesized from owner communities. Always inspect the specific vehicle and
verify open recalls by VIN before buying.