Faults:

Paint peeling.

Transmission went at 145k.

Minor body rust.

Seats starting to rip at time of selling.

Minor electrical faults.

Radio died.

General Comments:

Great dependable minivan for its day!

In April of 2000 we were looking for a used but reliable minivan for the family to replace our reliable but small '87 Escort. Lo and behold, on the lot there she is; a shiny white 95 Grand Caravan ES! Low miles and one of the top trims: we jump on it and don't regret it! It was safe with dual airbags and integrated child seats. Powerful, too, with the most powerful engine available, the 3.8L V6. And oh was it spacious! It was an incredible van and served our family for 15 years. The transmission conked out at 145k, but it only cost about $400 to get a new one! The radio also went out, but was easily replaced by a BestBuy unit.

In the end, however, the van was 20 years behind on safety and technology, and was starting to show its age. Body rust was reappearing, wheels and bumpers scuffed up, grille cracked. We decided it would be better to sell it than to fix it, so I sold it on Craigslist for $800 (about 1/15 of what I bought it for), and got a brand new Nissan Rogue.

Nowadays, Dodges are notorious for unreliability. I don't know what happened! They used to make great cars. At one point I rented an Avenger, and to sum it up, it was craptastic. Cheap and underpowered. It's a shame how a brand can take such a sharp decline!

Faults:

A/C needs a couple of cans of Freon every 3-4 months, but runs cold!

Burns oil at the rate of 1 quart every 1000 miles.

Wiper motor went out at a really bad time.

Sometimes it starts, sometimes I have to hit the breather with starter fluid. NOT the fuel pump (spent 2 days at mechanics).

Side door gave me fits.. The boy next door took it apart and now it works great...

The gas mileage sucks, but she is still cheaper than another purchase.. I paid $600.00 for her.

General Comments:

VERY comfortable.. lived in it once when running from a hurricane and couldn't find lodgings.

Hauls anything I need it to haul.

A/C will freeze you out; you have to turn it down to the 2nd lowest setting.

Hauls every dog, kid and adult I cram in it.

When "she" is running good, I wouldn't trade her for anything but a new van.

Faults:

Door hinge on driver's door separated from body.

Sliding door unlocks intermittently.

Driver's seat back bolt stripped off causing seat to snap back.

Electronic hatch release quit 1 month after purchase.

Fuel pump starting going out after 6 months.

General Comments:

I am fairly impressed at the general sturdiness of this vehicle. I have used it for a multitude of things and have been pleased with its versatility.

I plan on purchasing another minivan, but likely not a Chrysler product.

The vehicle has never left me stranded because of engine problems.