2001 Dodge Caravan Sport 3.3 from North America

Summary:

Good concept, workmanship questionable

Faults:

- Noisy Steering pump

- Van continues to pull right even after several "repairs"

- Rear Auto-gate doesn't work all the time

- Electrical problem with "check engine" light. Still not fixed

- Fan relay went out & replaced.

General Comments:

Steering the van requires more attention as it seems to "wander" more than previous model.

Like comfort of the van.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 19th May, 2004

2001 Dodge Caravan from North America

Summary:

I think that Dodge vehicles are no good and they worry about fixing the problems

Faults:

Brakes and new tires had to be replaced 3 times.

Rotors had to be replaced.

Sway bar had to be replaced.

Bad fuel pump and we now need a sending unit.

The sliding door does not stay open when putting my children in.

The back door key lock doesn't work.

None of these things were covered under warranty, we had to pay for them out of our pocket.

General Comments:

We will not buy another Dodge vehicle.

The van has not been reliable and when it does break down, we're left without a vehicle and we have 4 children, 2 of which have to be driven to school. The van is in the shop now and won't be fixed for 4 or 5 days.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 14th April, 2004

5th Jun 2005, 17:05

Get an '89 Olds Custom Cruiser wagon, much better family transportaion!

2001 Dodge Caravan ES 3.3L V6 SMPI from North America

Summary:

Unexpectedly good value for the price

Faults:

O2 sensor failed and replaced quickly under warranty.

Replaced sway bar bushings twice in 6 months (Sept 2003, Mar 2004) under warranty.

General Comments:

Excellent response power wise.

Smooth riding with good mileage on long trips. Comfortable seating with lots of leg room.

As older adults we enjoy the convenience of the minivan; no bending over to find things in a trunk.

We generally remove the middle seat to give more room and storage space on trips.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th April, 2004

9th Jun 2004, 10:12

Very reliable? It's been in the shop 3 times with 34000 miles and you call that reliable.

22nd Mar 2006, 08:51

I purchased vehicle new for my Wife and have had nothing, but problems, The A/C leaked, The radio stopped working, Sway Bars replaced, new condenser, brakes, fuel system problems and now the O2 Sensor has gone bad. I recommend that you do not walk away from this vehicle, but RUN! Did I mention it only has 52,000 miles on it and Dodge Reps are no help and neither is their dealer's service department. If your interested in a dodge I recommend you do your research and make a educated decision or you'll end up getting burned. Had a Dodge truck also, but that's a total different disappointing story.

21st May 2006, 23:25

My family and friends have owned a number of Dodge Caravans and none of them have ever had any problems. Two of them went nearly a quarter of a million miles. I'd call that getting your money's worth.

2001 Dodge Caravan Sport from North America

Summary:

In my opinion, Dodge Caravan are not trustworthy and their manufacturers customer service, horrible

Faults:

My engine blew at 8,580 miles. The fan belt broke in half causing the engine to fail. The dealer is quoting over $5,000 to install a new engine. We feel the van has a defect at no time did any indication of a problem show up on the dashboard. The manufacturer is trying to say the car was not maintained properly. What would cause the fan belt to break on a car that only has 8500 miles on it? Do you really think an engine with such low mileage should go? According to their own mechanics the engine blew due to the fan belt breaking in half and the engine having to work harder. The manufacturer's adjuster is saying sludge in the engine. I don't know why, the mechanic advised me that the oil was clean. They checked the vehicle out overnight and couldn't understand why the fan belt broke in half. The mechanics even said there's probably a defect in the vehicle. Also the heating is not working well on the passenger side. It's freezing during the winter when you sit on that seat. In my opinion, I would never buy or recommend someone to buy a Dodge vehicle.

General Comments:

At first when I purchased my vehicle I was delighted, however, noting that with such low mileage an engine should cease, makes me very weary.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 25th July, 2003

1st Aug 2003, 06:11

Unfortunately the transverse mounted engine does not use a fan belt. The fans are driven by electric motors.

I'd go back to the service department and ask more questions to determine what they are talking about is true.

7th Dec 2003, 17:58

He may have been talking about the timing belt. That would make much more sense. Even if it did have a belt driving the fan (all modern cars have a single belt called a serpentine belt.) and even if it did break, the most that would happen is

1. battery would stop charging since the alternator would stop spinning

2. power steering would fail since pump would stop

3. engine would overheat because a. fan would stop running. b. water pump would stop

4. a/c and other accessories would stop working.

So even if the belt did break, it would not necessitate a new engine (the head gasket "could" have blown due to the overheating. But even then that is only a 1000 dollar repair VS 5000 for a new engine.)

8th Mar 2004, 06:33

Something doesn't ring quite right here... You said that there were 8550 miles on the vehicle, and that you acquired the vehicle in 2001 with 0 miles on it. The current mileage is 8550 in 2003. That means that you drove the van only between 3 and 4 thousand miles a year which seems unlikely.

If, in fact, that is the case and unless there's something you're not telling us, more than anything else, you need an attorney. Your new vehicle warranty should certainly cover a failure such as you evidently experienced.

2001 Dodge Caravan ES 3.8 from North America

Summary:

Excellent cruiser and comfortable

Faults:

Nothing yet.

General Comments:

Car came with a very good standard of equipment as standard. Nothing broke, nothing fell off. Great value family van!

Performance is excellent, with the engine being brilliant. The engine is smooth, refined, torquey, while still also being willing to rev high.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th January, 2003

2001 Dodge Caravan Sport 3.8 from North America

Summary:

Best minivan on the market

Faults:

Only thing wrong was O2 sensor, repaired under warranty, free of charge.

General Comments:

Bought 2001 Caravan. Loaded with all the power everything. Have the built in dvd which is already a huge hit with my kids. Great ride and comfort. The van is nice looking and rides well. Good quality.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th December, 2002