21st Aug 2009, 12:03
NO CAR MADE BY THE BIG 3 USA MANUFACTURERS WILL LAST PAST 100-130K WITHOUT BIG BIG MAINTENANCE $$ & REPAIR $$ SPENT JUST TO GET IT THERE.
The economy speaks LOUDLY for the American automakers every single day, showing people are tired of buying crap that isn't worth the $ they put in it every single month just to keep it driveable.. That guy is just one of those people who are a die hard fan of something terrible and will be til the end, regardless of what actual fact or research is..
This Dodge Caravan, as well as the Ford Windstar (Check the Review) and the Chevy Venture (Check The Review) are junk and if you want to drive them past the first 90 days you get them, expect to spend big bucks to keep them running and on the street. Don't believe me? Check the other reliability reviews by ACTUAL consumers who own them like this one.
Or Go check out the Honda's Odyssey Review or the Toyota Sienna Review... and see what people who own them are saying. The reviews are STRAIGHT from the people who buy them.. Not ALL American cars are bad. Older Ford Trucks will run forever and take a tremendous beating, (not new ones, read the reviews) and well GM & Chrysler.. even if the engine or trans makes it to 100k miles, your knobs will have fallen off, all plastic parts breaking and warped, A/C always inoperable/unfixable without big $$, door panels removing themselves, door handles broken and ALL window motors going out every time you fix one, exhaust leaks from poor design, and now that you're at 100k miles, count the days you're lucky enough to have a working transmission or engine.. Cherish them because it won't be long.
BUY FOREIGN if you want reliability, buy American if you like supporting your local mechanic shops, and also your automakers putting you there more often than on the road.
21st Aug 2009, 20:52
I do agree with this, however, I did once have a Ford Focus that made it to 140,000 without any repairs. But I didn't like that it went through its brake pads every 25,000 miles. I tried basically every pad available, and changed my rotors everytime I changed my pads. But I owned a '92 Accord before my Focus that made 450,000 miles on the original engine and drivetrain, only thing put into it was gas, oil, and basic maintenance items. I prefer "foreign" (I use the term lightly since most Honda's and Toyota's are made in the U.S. unlike there "domestic" counterparts that are usually made in either Mexico or Canada.) Honda's and Toyota's especially are the best vehicles out there for reliability. But if your somebody who doesn't mind spending money on a vehicle that's disposable by 100,000 miles, then be my guest.
12th Oct 2009, 08:55
Our 4 Caravans have been a great family vehicle since our first in 1998. Regular maintenance never hurts... In my opinion, IF I ever got the known tranny problems, I would rather spend 1,200 on a used Caravan worth 12,000 than own an overpriced Toyota van without issues... in my mind I would probably still be 5,000 ahead of the game comparing same year vehicles.
12th Oct 2009, 17:01
I note that the original poster put 100,000 miles on the van in 2 1/2 years. For such hard usage, I'm really not sure what he's complaining about. We had a 2001 Caravan for our pool vehicle at work, and it was a really good car. Decent gas mileage, good ride, plenty of power, and we drove it to 80,000 miles with no trouble at all and no maintenance except oil changes, at which time the company arbitrarily traded it on a 2005 Chevy Venture. Based on that experience, I disagree with the other people who are disparaging Dodge vans.
10th Nov 2010, 20:30
I have owned my 01 Dodge Grand Caravan for more than 3 years. I REALLY have to agree that these are NOT the greatest for sure!
I first got it on 9-07 with 97k miles. One week later, the trans went to "limp" mode. Mechanic tells me I need a NEW trans. I had it done $1800 later. Of course the check engine light goes on. To do with the EVAP system. Has an oil leak, A/C works in 1 speed only. Starter did not operate, the cable needed work. Later on, sensors on trans had problems. $200 later, it's OK.
Now TODAY 11-10-2010, it seems like the computer on the van is SHOT. (I think anyway) at 130k miles. How MUCH is that going to cost me... hmmm I wonder. Engine cranks, but does not start. Speedometer goes haywire, check engine light flashes. I have 6 codes that all came on at the same time. ALL of them to do with "voltage low input".
All this by 130k.
11th Jan 2011, 08:35
One in five U.S. drivers is "very likely" or "likely" to consider purchasing an electric-only vehicle when shopping for a new car, according to an IBM survey released Tuesday.
...
Cheap cars.
13th Feb 2011, 22:53
People this whole Japanese thing is hype, they are no better than any American car - this comes straight from the mechanics. If you don't do maintenance, your car is not going to be reliable for you. Honda has some of the worst vehicles on the road according to carcomplaints.com. Toyota have ended up being death traps, and Dodge gets the bad name?
The Caravans will always be top in the minivan segment.
28th Jun 2009, 22:17
After putting 240,000+ miles on my last Dodge with virtually no problems, 325,000+ miles on a Ford with less than $500 in repairs and 277,000+ miles on a Buick LeSabre with NO repairs I'm not ABOUT to stab my fellow Americans in the back by giving my hard-earned money to Japan. 91% of U.S. auto related jobs are held by people who work for the Big Three. Only 9% of U.S. citizens work for Japanese companies. Running to a Japanese import due to minor annoyances in a domestic is cutting off your nose to spite your face. In the past we fell for Japanese ad hype too. Our Honda didn't even MAKE 100,000 miles. It was sold to a junk dealer at 99,000 miles. We were told it wasn't worth fixing. Our Mazda (one made in Japan before Ford took over and upped the quality) was a nightmare. It was one of the worst built cars we ever owned. I traded it at 86,000 miles for a Ford with 139,000 miles. The Ford was by far the better car.
Our best friends put over 240,000 miles each on two Dodge Caravans before buying their current Chrysler Town and Country (same thing). They NEVER had to replace an engine or transmission and routinely drove them on 800+ mile trips after they had well over 200,000 miles on them. They also own a 16-year-old Dodge car that has well over 150,000 miles on it. Before they bought it they had a Dodge Daytona Turbo with well over 200,000 miles on it.
People who know little about cars and do not properly maintain them will have trouble with ANY car. To brush off the entire U.S. auto industry and hurt our country's already devastated economy is NOT the answer. Also, if you'll bother to do a bit of research you'll find that the most reliable cars in the world are Buick (J.D. Powers and Associates) and the Ford Fusion (Consumer Reports). The Ford Fusion ranks 2 full levels ABOVE Camry in reliability and one full level ABOVE Accord in reliability. DON'T BE MISLED BY JAPANESE AD HYPE!!