19th Apr 2004, 22:05
At 63,500 miles. the ABS went out any comments please email kfivestares@aol.com.
12th Jul 2004, 20:25
We bought our 1994 Dodge Caravan 4 months ago. So far the back windshield motor went out, the transmission seals blew AND they were "SUPPOSEDLY" fixed by Cottman Transmissions. Since we got it back from them it has ran like CRAP!! And after 2.5 weeks the whole tranny is shot! I just want to thank Cottman Transmission Shop for ruining my van!!
19th Dec 2004, 11:08
We bought our 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan LE about 4 years ago and it was totally spotless both inside & out. It has a 3.8 L motor which gives big pick-up out on the highway. It has most of the bells & whistles, including a great 10 CD stacker, and I love the vehicle, except for:
Transmission was replaced, 1 1/2 years ago to the tune of $2200. Can. Now the transmission is acting up again, doing the same thing that the original poster had with his. It gears down on acceleration and therefore over-revs. I have to put it in park or neutral to rev the motor, then it settles down. That's just one of the transmission problems.
The ABS doesn't work.
The front axles crack.
The motor on the rear window wiper keeps blowing a fuse, which the airbags are also connected to, so therefore the airbags don't work either.
The automatic locks on the Driver's door don't work and the child-proof locks on the slider seems to be part of the problem. This means that the passenger and slider doors have to be unlocked with the remote.
The 3.8 seems to be OK, but because of it's size, the placement of the inner workings under the hood restrict the turning radius.
The van has been well maintained since we've had it, but we've also had large bills to the tune of another $2500. to replace the fuel pump, the water pump, the catalytic converter, etc.
I'll be looking for a new mini-van next year and although I like the feel of the Caravan, and I'm used to the short turning radius, I'll be looking at the Chev minis rather than the Dodges.
Anyone wanting to comment is welcome or if you've had permanent solutions to things like the rear wiper motor or door lock problems, let me know. Thanks.
27th Jul 2005, 11:12
I bought a 1994 Dodge Caravan in 1996 and still have it. We love the van and with 139,000 miles on it still use it as our primary vehicle. The transmission went at 113000 and cost $1,100 to get it rebuilt. Over the years I have replaced the starter, 1 head gasket, a ball joint some bushings and the radiator. The biggest problem we have know is rust on the sliding and passengers doors which is due to the salt from northeast winters. The 3.3 engine uses a quart of oil now between oil changes, but still has plenty of get up and go.
21st Aug 2005, 21:56
Interestingly enough... i have an '86 caravan w/a trans that has 222,000 miles on it... no problems whatsoever... so I decided to buy an '94 grand caravan w/101,000 miles... imagine my surprise when I accidentally pulled the comments for the '94...maybe I got a Tuesday through Thursday '86 which made me view the '94 in a more positive light, but I do notice a hesitation when going into reverse... the van cost me $1600...i love my '86 but my timing chain skipped after 75,000 on a jasper rebuild and I don't want to put anymore $$$$ into it... i was struck w/fear after reading the negative press about the '94...hopefully once I chk the tensioner and service the trans it will follow in the footstep of the '86 that I paid $350 for 4 years ago...
30th May 2006, 14:06
I bought my '94 new off the showroom floor. It's been the best vehicle I've ever had. It's got 120K miles. Except for brakes and batteries at normal intervals, I've replaced the water pump, starter, belt tensioner, and the cooling fan. Today, it's getting a new fuel pump and purge solenoid. I feel like I should replace it (everyone else seems to have transmission problems), but it's just a great vehicle.
5th Jun 2006, 10:50
My '98 Dodge Caravan, with 76,000 miles and professionally maintained, just puked up its transmission as I was driving to work, at 30 mph, on a back street with no traffic. My service shop says a rebuilt one will cost over $3,000, including installation. There is absolutely NO excuse for the complete failure of a fundamental part of a well-maintained, never-abused, vehicle at such relatively low mileage. I will be calling Chrysler about this, and expect to be met with the basic, "tough s**t" response, but am posting this to warn others about the problem. Had I known then what I know now--that transmissions in these vehicles are infamous for failure--I NEVER would have bought it.
5th Jun 2006, 11:15
My folks own a 1993 Grand Carvan with the 3.3L V-6. Shortly after purchasing it, it too started having transmission problems. After fixing these problems twice, the van still shifts very abruptly. I should add, however, that this van has run for over 130,000 miles, so it shouldn't be seen as a loss. Chrysler has known about the transmission flaws in their minivans since their inception, and to this day, the same problems arise.
5th Jun 2006, 14:53
The problem is not with the transmission. its the same transmission in the Cirrus, Stratus, and other Chrysler products without problems. the problem is the size of the van compared to the cars and that's the problem... plus also you need to put in the CORRECT transmission fluid and keep it cool down.
18th Jun 2006, 05:59
I have a 1994 Grand Caravan with 150,000 miles on it. I had the transmission rebuilt when the van had about 60,000 miles on it. My brother-in-law also had transmission problems with his 1995 caravan. There is no doubt that these vehicles had a serious problem with their transmissions. I think that the problem is a Chrysler problem. My father had a Chrysler Eagle that had at least 4 transmissions replaced by the dealer who at least for that vehicle acknowledged that they had a transmission problem. For the most part, though I really like the Caravan. I don’t like the transmission problem or Chrysler’s denial of the problem.
7th Mar 2008, 15:57
Two weeks I bought a 94 Grand Caravan Conversion. TV, DVD player, the works.
It's a really nice van, but it's in my driveway dead. The transmission wont shift out of 2nd gear, but was intermittent at first. 3000.00 wasted. I am really mad, anyone know what the problem is with this junk transmission? Oh it had a transmission put in it before I bought it. I saw the bill for it; 40000 miles on the used install.
1st Jun 2008, 13:15
My husband and I just bought a 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan, we paid $250.00, and so far have put almost $2,000.00. So far we have replaced both hub bearings, a CV shaft, all brake lines, fuel lines, etc... At this point in time it still does weird things when shifting, before we replace the transmission my husband says to check the motor/transmission mount bolt! But I LOVE MY VAN, its got great get up and go! Other than that, I would recommend this vehicle to anyone!
26th May 2002, 19:15
I, too, owned a Dodge Caravan, and the transmission died at 68,000 miles with no warning signs. It cost me $1,400.00 to fix, and later I used it for a trade in on a Kia. Big mistake; very, very light car. And, now I am buying another van (1994 Dodge Caravan 10th year Limited Edition, fully loaded). I really wish I hadn't sold my old van. That was the only major problem I ever had with it.
Overall the van is good, as long as it's not abused.