11th May 2009, 16:03
Just wanted to make a note on that last fellows comment. I agree that every auto manufacturer can have problems but there are many happy caravan owners. I have had 5 Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth mini vans and each one were great! Only one of them had the transmissions go on it. The rest were nice vehicles (old too!) that only really needed regular maintenance work. Caravans are a lot of fun to drive as well.
Thanks.
Rick.
28th May 2009, 08:45
I bought a 2002 Dodge Caravan a few years back from a dealership, and now there is a jerky motion in the front end. As when you are slowing down it jumps or jerks ahead. Feels like the front brakes are grabbing too quickly or it may be the transmissions.
Please let me know what you think it may be at langford1@hotmail.com
Thanks
Harvey.
20th Jun 2009, 08:28
I've had a Grand Caravan Sport 2002 since 2002. I bought it off the lot as a low km model with about 9000km on the clock. I have had virtually no problems with this van. The only odd thing is that I find I must put new front link kits on the vehicle every 70,000 km or so. I now have 210,000km on the vehicle and it runs fine and looks good.
I find it a great highway car and I get a little under 10 Liters per 100km when driven at 100km/hour.
8th Jul 2009, 05:08
I have question if anyone can help? I own a 2002 grand caravan and it will not start on the key, it will start however with the remote, and I was wondering if anyone else had this same problem? I have unplugged the remote under the dash and this has not helped.
13th Oct 2009, 04:36
My 2002 Dodge Caravan Sport at 114,000 just broke down for transmission. As for brakes; being front wheel drive, it's standard for every year I think, even if you're not hard on them.
Also driver's window gets stuck in cold weather or damp; which is bad for drive thru and ATM's; otherwise I love it; good luck with yours; hope my transmission (a rebuilt one is under $2,000) which is also too much right now.
21st Dec 2009, 12:29
I have a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan EX model that I purchased new. I am currently in the process of taking it to the garage to fix a clunking problem from the front end that is probably from the sway bar bushings. This is my first Dodge and will certainly be my last.
I have had the AC compressor, water pump, transmission and a few other things replaced/repaired not to mention recalls. Thank goodness for the extended warranty I purchased.
Overall, Dodge does not produce a reliable, long lasting, durable vehicle. You think that they would get it right, but they can't seem to find the right formula for good quality. In the long run I can't see Dodge/Chrysler surviving as a viable corporation for much longer.
5th Jul 2010, 11:56
I'm on my 4th Caravan now.
We bought a used 1985 in 1988 with 60,000 miles on it, and ran it until 1994 when I lost the tranny for the 2nd time at about 150,000. I replaced it and ran the 1994 for 150,000 miles and, again, the tranny played out. This was in 2003. I replaced it with a 2003.
I still have that van and it has 184,000 miles on it. I had to replace the water pump and radiator on it at about 140,000 miles, and it was a snap to do it myself.
It has a recurring problem with the A/C where a hose leaks behind the engine. Otherwise it's been a great running car.
We just bought a 2010 (actually a Town and Country, but off the same assembly line), and other than having a teenager rear-end us when the car was 12 days old, it's been perfect.
(These new cars are like driving my living room around!)
9th Apr 2011, 14:46
I had to replace the driver's side window motor on my 2002 Dodge Caravan... it is not a relay or switch causing your problem... it is the motor assembly for sure... even after market, I paid about $250 for a new motor assembly... not the easiest to change out either... you virtually need to dismantle the inside of the door to remove the old assembly... you need a disc grinder as well to cut the fasteners for the old motor off... there is no way to take a tool these fasteners that I could see... Make sure you support the window in the halfway position, so that you can disconnect the old window clamps and reconnect the new ones... all in all, about a two hour job for the layman...
17th May 2011, 18:05
I also have a 2002 Caravan with many warning lights and ECM issues. I found an intermittent problem with the engine harness plug, took it apart and sprayed it with electronic parts cleaner, reassembled it, and all the electrical problem are gone.
Now the van has another problem; sometimes it won't accept fuel, it will only idle. Most times it's fine. I changed fuel pump and filter, and did a tune-up. Still having problems. Almost feels like a rev limiter. Any suggestions?
19th Apr 2009, 11:31
Maybe you don't know as much as you think. My family has owned Dodges, and more recently Fords, Mercuries, and Chevrolets that were purchased used at 5-10 years old, generally with nearly 100,000 miles or more on them. Our cars of the 1970s:
1971 Dodge Charger
1971 Plymouth Barracuda
1973 Dodge Charger
1974 Dodge Monaco
1975 Dodge Charger
1976 Plymouth Volare
1977 Plymouth Volare
1977 Dodge Tradesman.
Were all really good vehicles. They were dependable and didn't give us any problems. Most were bought with nearly 100,000 miles for less than $1,000 and we kept them for another 100,000 miles. Sorry, no crap there, and whoever tells you different must have been driving something else. In fact, we are STILL driving the Chargers and Barracuda. The rest were bought to be workhorses and runabouts, and they served that purpose admirably.
Our cars of the 1980s:
1980 Plymouth Volare
1983 Chevy Cavalier
1984 Plymouth Reliant
1985 Dodge Ramcharger
1989 Chevy Van 20.
Were also good cars and very dependable, though the Cavalier was quite cheap. We bought each one for less than three thousand dollars (Cavalier for $275) with nearly 100,000 miles, and drove them to over 200,000 miles with no problems. The Ramcharger was bought with 163,000 miles on it, and I drove it for another 11 years! Once again, wherever you "learned" that American cars of the 1980s were junk, you were obviously driving something different than us.
Our cars of the 1990s:
1992 Pontiac 6000
1993 Cadillac Seville STS
1997 Mercury Sable.
Were also great cars. We bought the Pontiac for $350 and drove it until the transmission locked up at 240,000 miles. We bought the Cadillac for $1,300 and drove it with zero repairs until 180,000 miles. We are STILL driving the Mercury with 190,000 and it has NEVER needed a repair. Still not sure where your American crap cars of the '90s are, but we didn't own them.
Our cars of the 2000's are:
2002 Ford Explorer
2008 Cadillac Deville.
The Ford has 104,000 miles and has never needed a single repair. Ever. The Cadillac is too new, and it goes without saying that nothing has gone wrong.
I'm interested, truly, what are the cars that you have specifically owned that led you to this erroneous belief that American cars are crap? I can't believe they were any of the cars that my family owned. Either your family has not chosen wisely, or doesn't know how to treat a car.