Faults:

Fuel pump @ 156,000 miles.

Coolant lines for rear heater @

155,000 miles. (2nd set, previous owner had also replaced them.)

Alternator failing now, to be replaced this week. Also replaced alternator earlier @ abt 120,000.

Starter replaced @ abt 130,000.

Replaced belt twice.

Replaced Overdrive switch in column.

Replaced spare tire winch @ 155,000. (Hung up half way down, wouldn't lower sufficient to remove spare. I ran out and bought a bolt cutter!)

Seems like I had some brake work done, but nothing serious, more in the nature of preventive maintenance.

A bit hard on tires, but vans are known for that. (Rotate often!!)

Gas mileage unimpressive, as one would expect in a V8 van. 10-12 city, 16-18 highway.

Rear door gasket leaks in heavy rain.

General Comments:

If I had read some of the reviews, I don't know that I would have bought this, and I would have missed out on my favorite vehicle. Going on 6 years and I still enjoy driving it. Very roomy and comfortable on long trips. Rear bench seat/bed has come in very handy!

Good visibility, no problems with accessories. Upholstery holding up very well, even driver's seat.

Body holding up well, though a bit of rust is starting. Doors work fine, still tight, no air leaks.

Heaters more than adequate, even in extreme cold (-20), I could roast a turkey.

Uses no oil.

I seem to have lucked out and gotten a good one. (Plus previous owner had taken care of 2 expensive repairs: oil pan and rear heater lines.) Repairs are not out of line with what one would expect in a vehicle of this age and mileage, though being a van, repairs often run a bit higher than on a sedan.

Handles well, even in deep snow. Starts easy in extreme cold. (Buy a GOOD battery!)

In short, I am very happy with mine. I'd be happier if I never had to fix anything, but she IS getting up in age, after all.

Faults:

Transmission wouldn't shift into reverse, rebuilt. This was the 4-speed overdrive.

Replaced front brake pads (semi-metallic) and rotors, then had to replace again less than 1 year later. Used ceramic pads this time, but within several months the front rotors were warped and had to replace rotors again. Ceramic pads still holding up OK, but they cost $70 so they'd better last more than a year.

Replaced radiator.

Starter went bad, replaced.

Right exhaust manifold cracked, replaced.

Left exhaust manifold now cracked, needs to be replaced.

Oil pan gasket blew out, will cost about $400 to replace because engine must be raised to replace gasket. Meanwhile, it leaks massive amounts of oil and smokes badly from under the engine while driving, especially on highway.

Replaced blower motor.

Replaced heater core.

Shifter component (not sure what to call it) broke inside the steering column allowing the shift lever to flop back and the van was stuck in park. The shop showed me the part, it was made of cheap cast pot metal. They said the dealer they order from goes through these things because they have a habit of breaking. Another $200.

Doors inside mixing chamber for heat/AC broken, so even though fan runs, heated or cooled air does not come out ducts, it just kind of drifts out under the dash.

Cigarette lighters quit working, so can't plug in accessories.

Replaced water pump.

Passenger door window no longer goes up with switch on driver's side.

Control arm bushings are worn and need replacement.

I'm not even counting the normal maintenance stuff, like battery, hoses (some were real buggers to get to), etc.

Supposed to have rear anti-lock brakes, but they don't work. Shop said it would cost about $750-800 to fix.

Cable mechanism that lifts spare tire up under the van malfunctioned, so tire is now stored under back seat. When cable got stuck I had to have a shop use a torch to cut the cable so I could get the spare tire out from under the van.

General Comments:

This is a Mark III conversion van that I had high hopes for when we first bought it. Within a couple of months the trouble started, with the transmission going out. We figured it would be worth having it rebuilt because we planned on keeping the van, but it's turned into a money pit and for now it's just parked in the backyard. I'll do a few more repairs and sell it within a couple of months and I'll be glad to see it go.

Yeah it handles like a truck, but I expected that when I bought it. The ride is reasonably comfortable except that the driver's seat padding is broken down. If I were keeping the van I'd replace that.

The 5.0 engine is adequate, but I wouldn't care to have the smaller engine that was available on this model. I'd probably look for the larger engine if you planned on doing much towing.

Take it easy with driving with this thing. It wears front brakes way too fast and is pretty hard on front tires, too.

It goes without saying that gas mileage goes out the window with something this huge, so only count on 10-12 MPG in town and 13-14 on the highway. I rejoiced when I could actually get 14 on a road trip.