26th Apr 2008, 08:36

I wonder how the previous commenter proposes to maintain gaskets or seals. If they start to leak, you replace them. There's no maintenance program.

26th Jan 2009, 20:37

I had a 1999 Dodge Caravan, 3.0 liter, automatic. At 54,000 miles the transmission went, had a new one put in, $1800, 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. It lasted til 90,000 miles, another transmission,

Needed a valve job at 40,000 miles.

I loved the van, sold it, the next owner had to put a third transmission in it at 130,000 miles.

I would love to buy another Caravan, but am worried about the transmissions, have the done anything to improve them? I did all preventative maintenance, fluid changes, etc. Do they use the same transmissions, or have they improved any?

Bob in AZ.

17th Aug 2009, 11:47

This is why the North American auto industry is in the shape it is in. It has nothing to do with a poor economy and everything to do with poor quality.

What do you really save by pouring repair dollars into a 1 or 2 year old vehicle.

Spend the extra money and buy an import.

I'm sorry but that is the sad reality.

17th Aug 2009, 18:42

Unfortunately... he's right... if you want to have a car that's going to live past the warranty, you have to buy an import.

17th Aug 2009, 21:55

For a different view point, we had a 1999 Dodge Caravan at work for our pool vehicle, and we drove it to 80,000 miles with no problems whatsoever and minimal maintenance. Even the oil changes were done at nearly twice the intervals that I would do for my own vehicle. It had great power, good mileage, and was pretty comfortable. Not one thing broke on it, or even went wrong on it, ever. It was actually a much better van than the 2005 Chevy Venture that replaced it when our company arbitrarily decided to get new fleet vehicles.