2011–2019 Dodge Grand Caravan: Oil or coolant leak at the back of the engine (3.6L oil filter housing)
Likely causes, ranked
- Cracked or warped plastic oil filter housing or coolerShop
- Leaking housing or cooler sealsDIY
Real-owner fix counts will appear here as reports come in.
DIY or shop: See DIY or shop section
Parts to check
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Symptom: Oil or coolant pooling in the engine valley and running down the back of the engine onto the transmission, falling oil or coolant levels, or oil and coolant mixing.
Likely causes
- Plastic housing and cooler. Owners on minivan and oil forums describe the plastic assembly under the intake cracking, warping or leaking at its seals.
- Seals and installation. Owners stress using the right year part (2011–2013 and 2014+ differ) and new OEM gaskets without RTV.
DIY or shop?
DIY for experienced owners, since the intake has to come off. Otherwise a shop.
Useful steps
- Find where the fluid is coming from before buying parts.
- Use the correct year-specific housing.
- Change oil and coolant if they mixed.
Vehicle focus: 2011–2019 Dodge Grand Caravan.
Safety / mechanic note
Oil or coolant on hot parts can smoke or catch fire, and losing coolant can overheat the engine. Verify with a mechanic or dealer.
Recalls & service bulletins
No recalls or service bulletins are listed for this page yet.
NHTSA complaints: 51 keyword-matched complaints for Dodge GRAND CARAVAN 2011–2019 (of 4,096 unique complaints queried, NHTSA complaints API by model year, queried 2026-10-15).
Always check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Sources
What actually fixed it?
Had this problem? Tell other owners what the real fix was. Reports are counted above; we never show made-up numbers.