2000 Dodge Grand Caravan SE 6 cylinder regular

Summary:

The best minivan ever!!! Only had one problem in the past years

Faults:

Metal was found in the motor in 2007, and was fixed.

General Comments:

One of the best cars ever!!!

My minivan is 9 years old and I have had it for 7 years, and it still runs like new!

I have only had one problem with it, and that was metal in the motor in 2007, it was fixed and no problems since.

It is very roomy, been on almost every trip to Pigeon Forge TN, Maggie Valley NC, and Myrtle Beach SC.

The seats are very soft, the best windshield wiper arms make driving in the rain easy, very easy to drive, very safe, heavy hood for safety, lots of trunk room, lots of leg room, lots of room all over!!!

It does need new head light's due to cloudiness, and what 4+ year old car wouldn't if not in a garage.

Overall one of the best cars, you can't go wrong, I would never trade it for any other car!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th October, 2009

2000 Dodge Grand Caravan SE 3.3 V6

Summary:

Great cars

Faults:

Radiator-to-transmission cooling hoses started very slow leak at about 125K miles.

AC pump went at about 150K. Replaced with an aftermarket 2nd idler pulley, temporarily disabling the system.

Passenger heating/cooling fan is down to one speed (full blast).

Link for the drivers side of the anti-sway bar detatched at about 140K. The passenger side is loose. We do a lot of bumpy dirt road driving, not slow, so this may not be typical.

General Comments:

Not quite as reliable as our Honda Civic, but close. This is our second Dodge/Plymouth minivan, both 3.3V6s, and we've had good service from both.

You need to put the proper transmission fluid in these (ATF+4). Also, I pull the trans pan, clean it out, put in a new filter, and new fluid every 50K (I use Valvoline synthetic at about 4.50/quart). I also use full synthetic in the motors, about every 6-7.5K. I have had not problem with the drivetrains, in either the 2000 or the 1993 we had previously, though the original owner of the 1993 did replace the trans. Put about 140K on the 1993 (60K to 200K), and have put 100K on the 2000 (72K to 177K current). The 3.3 has plenty of beans, though it's not as quick as our 1993.

I use Raybestos front brake pads which are softer (correct), wear faster but wear the PADS rather than the ROTORS. More importantly, the softer pads mean more powerful & predictable front brakes. Even in the Rockies they worked great.

Just getting ready to trade up to a new one (that's why I'm on here), rather than fix the AC.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th June, 2008

2000 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport 3.0 V6

Summary:

I'll never be stupid enough to buy another Chrysler

Faults:

The car has been making a horrible squeaking noise almost since the day we got it. And we were going through tires like crazy. We had the struts changed and the front end aligned. Now it's going through tires again. Turns out, the lower A-Frame cradle is worn out. Just the part is going to cost me over $1,000.00 (US).

General Comments:

I'm an idiot for buying a Chrysler product.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 14th September, 2007

2000 Dodge Grand Caravan SE 3.3 flex fuel

Summary:

This is a great and reliable minivan!

Faults:

This van has been great to me and my family, and I will now own nothing, but a dodge minivan! Just a few small issues with it. Shortly after I bought it, the down-shift solenoid in the transmission went. Expensive part, but not uncommon. The only other issues I have had is recently the driver's window stopped going up and I had to replace one rear wheel bearing. Nothing that any other car couldn't have had go wrong. Other than that, this van has been great. I have had no problems that the other people have had with the brakes or the serpentine belt. Folks, it all comes down to preventive maintenance. For those with the front brake problems; are your rear brakes properly adjusted? If they're not tight enough, you're putting too much stress on your fronts, causing them to wear prematurely. Also, after any brake job, you cannot do any hard stopping for about 500 miles or you will cause them to wear prematurely. Same thing with the belt, check the alignment of all the pulleys. I have never had to take my van into a mechanic. I just keep up on all the little things, and it treats me well. When this thing finally does die out, I will be definitely buying another one!

General Comments:

Comfortable.

Good gas mileage for it's size.

Inexpensive to upkeep with regular preventive maintenance.

Not the most maintenance friendly though (plugs are a nightmare to change on the v6 models)

All in all though, a great van.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th December, 2006

26th Dec 2006, 11:32

If your experience is typical of Dodge/Chrysler minivans you should have many, many more miles of trouble free driving ahead. I don't know of anyone who has owned one of these great vehicles who hasn't been very pleased with it. One of our last Dodges went 240,000 miles with virtually ZERO maintenance. One thing I was surprised at in your review, however, was the remark about the spark plugs. We never changed ours (not even in the one with 240,000 miles on it). How come they needed changing? My dealer tells me American made vehicles no longer require changing the spark plugs.

29th Dec 2006, 19:46

Unless the vehicle is a diesel, ALL vehicles will require spark plugs at one time or another, some sooner than others.