Owners' Stories

266,000 miles and still running good. Starting to nickle and dime me but after 10 years it is still a good rig.

overall its a good vehicle except for the transmisson overheating.

Too many little problems

brakes out at 12,000 miles, again 6 months , again 1 yr. FIVE times the rear brakes have been replaced. also once on front brakes. Air conditioner out once ,electronics repaired once. So what do you think???? there is presently 33,000 miles on this car and brakes have had to be replaced 5 times....

I bought this vehicle second hand back in '97 and other than the usual maintenance issues I haven't had too many complaints. Love the van and the local dealer is really good. Here in 2011 I have 150 thousand miles on the car and it's starting to show some wear and tear. If it wasn't for the stuff on the ceiling the headliner would be down around my ears. The front shroud is coming loose, the starter grinds, the A/C died three years ago, and a couple of the door locks are iffy. Still it is a good reliable vehicle,and yes, I'll buy another.

I now have 161,000 miles on my van It has been a money pit. Anything electrical I had to replace door locks, all the window motors, ( and there is 6 ) the temperature control panel Thank goodness I got that at a junk yard for 45.00 because that is a 700.00 part the transmission went at 100,000 now the back hatch door wont open because of rust or the power lock went again. Paid to have clock spring replaced because I didnt know it was a recall, and that was after I almost got in a accident because horn wouldnt work. I will never never buy Chrysler again (as I have 2 more as lawn ornaments as they wont run because they are 2.7 engines that Chrysler wont admit are bad engines

dogde grand caravan is a lemon!!! I will never recommend it to anyone. It has been one headache after another. While driving, the steering wheel fell off into my hands,almost causing an accident. The window regulator , taillight,fan motor ,electric tailgate,power side doors and fuel pump all broke. After an oil change at the Dodge Dealership, my " check engine" light came on. It's still giving me problems. Now the power door locks stopped working . All this before the van had 77,000 miles. A TRUE LEMON TO THROW YOUR MONEY AWAY ON!

This is my 2nd 2001 Dodge Grand Carvan. I like them but don't know why i bought another. At 55k I have so much going wrong. So far changed the pully and belt, links and barons, evap hose under the van (check engine light kept coming on) I need a power steering pump now, and the TWO biggest things. my brake pedal is making noise and more noise (I can't stand it) and MOST of ALL the AC/heater blower. had warranty replace the blower. THAT was'nt the problem it's got to be that heaterbox. It whislte and whistle I can't take it! i have to turn the radio loud. It has to go back in!

have owned two grand caravans since 1999. The first was a 96 with the 3.3L adn 41,000 miles, we loved it. Mostly maintenance. The water pump and trans pump seal started leaking shortly after we purchased. Took back to dealer and they repaired free of charge. Had electrical issue where lights would blink constantly, radio would be noisy (ineterference), and at times would not start with a fully charged battery. I was able to fix after it fter messing around with it. Transmission went out at 98000 miles. Replaced with a Jasper and it was shifting fine when my wife totaled it in 2003 with 128000. It did have brake issues for awhile, it had Disc/drum brakes. I finally stopped the problem by replacing shoes and pads along with rotors and drums all at one time. I used the titanium metallic Bendix products. No more brake problems. We really loved it. We replaced it with a used 2002 GC Sport with 3.3L and 24000 miles. It has four wheel disc and we have no brake problems. It has the normal sway bar bushing rattle, change bushings, it will last for 40,000, then start again. The power steering system blew the return line off one day. I replaced the hoses and used better clamps. I ended up replacing the pump. We libve in Ohio. Radiator has been replaced, due to pin hole leak at 101,000. The transmission stopped shifting one day. After a couple of days scratching my head and staring at the service manual. I discovered a broken wire that went to the trans solenoid pack, replaced the wire and works fine. We started using it to tow a 2500 pound pop up camper in 2007. It tows great on downhill and flat. SLight uphill OK, steep grade 45 MPH in second gear, but hey it's a minivan. December 2009, it started to have electrical problems.The battery goes dead if it is not driven 2-3 days in a row. We ended up replacing the battery. December 2010 it started doing it again. This time I am trying to find out what is draining it. I have narrowed it down to the Transmission control module. I will fix it. We love the van and probably will purchase another when it dies. I am a mechanic, so it will last a long time. I think it will rust out before I let it die. Overall they are nice vans. Some have issues some don't. Other manufacturers vans aren't any better. My dad and I have replaced numerous trasnsmissions and engines on GM and Ford minvans. In-laws have a Toyota Siena they haven't had too many problems, but I just don't like it. It just doesn't feel right when I am driving, maybe it's me. Our neighbors had a Honda Odessey, they hated it. they traded it in adn got an 08 GC. They love it.

2001 Grand Caravan has been very expensive to own and repair. Gave up on check engine light and have been driving around with it on for a long time after each "repair" has been futile. Have spent a total of $10,133.14 in maintenance and repairs on a vehicle driven carefully and in no accidents since purchasing it new. Have had these repairs done at both dealerships and small shops and distrust them all at this point.

The engine had to be replaced after 180000 miles. The transmission had to be replaced and the water pump is now shot. Also I had to replace the radiator and thermostat. Idle control sensor took me back another $85 also. All in all...NEVER AGAIN!

One of the best vehicals I have owned. At 45K mls. it has no problems. Just drove from Aptos, California to Key Largo, Florida. The only negative observation is, when driving in the night, once in a while the voltage drops from around 14volts to about 12 and recovers again. Not much of a problem at all but might get worst.

This is a great van but I've had brake problems since I purchased it. My friend also owns it and he has brake problems too. My dealer told me it's because I live on a hill.

The van i bought has not worked right since i bought it.

hade my car for two years now runs great didnt pass smog due to a po406 to hight need to get fixed but car runs great

This is an exceelent vehicle. My only problem was the air conditioning and it was repaired under warranty.

Great Family vehicle. Get 3.3L motor. 3.0L had oil issues. Transmission went as well as trans computer. However at 150000 miles, still a great family vehicle. Have fun changing rear 3 spark plugs.

Really quiet engine. You don't hear the outside noises. High freeway mileage. Low maintenance while I owned. Great sound system and very comfortable.

Front rotors need to be replaced too often. Clunking caused by stabilizer bushings. Easy replacement with NAPA blue bushings. 20 bucks. 140,000 miles and still going strong. This was a great buy for me. (new in 2002)

This has been a fairly trouble free vehicle which is enjoyable to drive. It is an AWD and while it does not get used often, when it does, it has made a very significant difference.

This van has been very dependable and still looks great

Have had sooo many problems with mine. I go through brakes like crazy(way faster than my husbands s.u.v) have had the tranny replaced, twice. stop light swtich, the blower on fan only works on high(thats the next thing) a valve cover leak.....again. my windows have been a mess, my suspension sucks. and the child seats are a joke, i dont even use them, they lock my kid in there, which seems deadly. I have spent sooo much on fixing stuff in this van I could have bought another, but I keep putting money into it, cuz I have no other choice now. 22,000 miles on Brakes? YEAH RIGHT! Firestone knows me by name now!!it IS a comfy van, and other than the floating feeling in it, I love driving it. I just wish I didnt have to put so much money into it all the time, if its not one thing....its THREE!!

I've owned my 2003 Grand Garavan Sport for about 3 years now and got it used with 29,000 miles under it's tires. It's at 82,000 now and I have to say the only thing I've replaced so far has been all 4 tires, a rear drivers taillight, front brakes(3 times), and rear brakes (1 time). The engine is the smaller 3.3 V-6 which is a little pushed on hills and on-ramps when getting power to accelerate, but other than that, what can you say about a family transport van. It gets the job done and it is functional and looks nice. Amenities are not great, but that just gives little ones more things to possibly break. It is a big heavy vehicle so the brakes get worn down fast in the hilly area we live in, and the fish-tailing is a little scary during (some) rainy and winter driving conditions I must say! I do feel safe with the higher seat view it affords you over cars and it doesn't feel pea-sized beside 18 wheelers on the freeway either. Overall a nice family mover for our 5 person group!

I've owned 4 Dodge Gran Caravans totaling over 800,000 miles (194,000 on this one). Good bang for the buck and I just bought a 08 for my wife. In my 96 I blew the transmission at 100,000 but was only $1,000 for the repair at the time. Other than that no major mechanical issues. I maintained them all according to owners manual service recommendations. All were bought 2 years old with under 50,000 miles (usually half the price of a new one). My 2001 is starting to get some major rust since I'm in Michigan and haven't driven as many miles a week in the last 2 years with the slow economy.

We bought this off the showrom floor in 2003. we now have 186xxx miles on it with great service. Very little work needed on this van over the years. We chage oils regularly and trans oil too. Has made a great famil ride to fla about 20 times.. Just now having some sensors going bad. 3.8 litre is plenty strong still.

I bought this 2006 SXT new. It has been a huge disappointment. The power doors do not work, power seat does not work, leaks oil from oil pan, front suspension has been fixed twice and it only has 93k. I will NEVER buy another Dodge again. Forgot, I had to get the AC fixed also

good so far.

Bought 2008 with 39,000 at 41,000 A/C is out, not sure why. Mech says they had problem with lines. The car idles loud and rattles, then gets quieter as it warms up. Not real impressed with comfort of seats, the cushions are to thin and the hand rests are hard plastic. Cool looking, but our 2000 van was more comfortable and only develped one small leak, which was fixed. Bought for people moving and utility only.

I will NEVER buy another dodge Caravan AGAIN!!!!! We have a 2002 that we bought used 3 years ago, with only 29,000 miles on it. We have had NOTHING but problems. Where do I begin? Brakes have had to be changed several times, and I drive that car very easy and dont put that many miles on it a week. Problems with the transmission, the transmission selenoid pack, The entire steering column needed to be replaced because it started leaking power steering fluid, needed several front end alignments in a 1 year period, the power window motor broke (That was a $300 repair bill alone!!!) NOW, the A/C stopped working today. BEWARE

EXCELLENT,VERY RELIABLE....

Bought this motor in 09 with 6000 on clock. 4.0 ltr auto loaded. Red. Like the style but not happy with the flexible plastic front. Can not understand why they put the air intake down so low to the ground. I have had to remove the first stage to avoid getting road spray in to engine. Do not try to drive thru flood water or ford unless you want to kill your engine. Lousey headroom for driver and not good for second row either. Much better in my old 89. Rides nice and great sound and vision system. Do not try to move a swivel seat unless you are well sick insured. The lack of a good rear spoiler means that the rear glass gets in a mess wet days and the wiper is too small to cope. Reverse camera works well but interupts the music. Overall glad I have it but should have stuck with a 2006/7 and dropped a nice 3.3 crated engine in there. Would have been a lot cheeper as well.

Bought this in 2003 w 47K miles. Pros: I really like the roominess...I can fit the family one day, or fit a ton of equipment another, or haul a load of firewood or stuff from Home Depot on another. It seems to be perfectly sized for most everything I do. The 3.8L motor is really strong and could probably humble many of the sporty cars out there in a race from stop. Fuel economy is excellent for the size. Normally get 18 mpg with mostly town driving, 20 all around with a fair mix of town, rural, and highway, and up to 24-26 on some long stretches of highway...almost as good as my sporty import. Interior has held up well, paint still shiny (although with some dents), tires wear well. Car now has around 140K miles. Cons: Couple years back went through a year of trying to figure out why the thing would occasionally not start...no click, no nothing after a couple false starts. Also occasionally psycho gauges. Final verdict? Bad solder joints on the instrument cluster board. A new board installed by the dealer wasn't cheap, but it fixed the problems. Suspension has been getting worn which you can hear when you hit bumps. The tranny seems to be getting a little tired with some hard shifts at low speeds. The automatic door lock mechanisms have been replaced but still they act all psycho most of the time, wanting to relock after I unlock them with the key. Brakes seem to last adequately...Kristi from SLC, have you ever considered that maybe your brakes don't last because of where you are getting them replaced, not the fact that they are going into a Caravan? Service Grade brakes are very different from Professional Grade...I would suspect the mass merchandiser you mention is using the cheapest they can get so they can have you come back in 12-18 months for a new set of brakes. Looks like it is working :) Anyway, this baby is still awesome for long trips, but starting to be a pain for just around town because of general clunkiness in the suspension and tranny. Over the 7 years I've had it, all I recall replacing is the above circuit board and automatic door lock mechanisms, one set of wires and plugs, starter, alternator, tensioner and belt, a couple batteries, EGR Valve, a couple sets of tires, tranny flush, and lots of oil changes. The motor is still very strong.

We bought the 2010 Grand Caravan in February 2010, it is now September and for the past 3 month it has been in the shop over 6 times for the same issue. What issue? well while driving the van's engine simple turns OFF! No warning. After the shop could not recreate the problem they sent me out with a computer attached to the engine. I was told to hit the button when the van stalls again. Not a safe feeling being a crash test dummy. After getting two readings Dodge said the data did not support my story! Yesterday, going 60 mph the engine stopped the steering locked the breaks went hard. A slow traffic day is the only thing that saved me from a serious accident. I drove directly to the dealer gathered my things and left the van with them to DIAGNOSE. I am done being a test drive dummy. After 10 years with a Mazda MPV with roll down windows we saved our pennies and purchased a loaded van to travel with our three kids. No matter how many bells and whistles if the engine doesn't work it is not worth it.

Had a 1993 and a 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan, and I have had nothing but problems with both of them, my 93 the rear wiper is missing and can't seem to find the parts I need for it at the parts stores, there is a lot of electrical problems that I can't find and I am usually pretty good with tracking that sort of stuff down with me being an army mechanic, and also the drive train keeps slipping then suddenly a quick thud and it works, othertimes you sit there for about 15 seconds with your foot on the gas before it engages, Never been a huge fan of them and decided to try them for the heck of it because the price was right on both and both turned out to be nightmares, would never wish these vehicles on anyone, THEY ARE COMPLETE JUNK AND GARBAGE!!!

Overall my 2003 Grand Sport with the 3.8 V6 has been reliable with liitle problems other than the normal things that wear out. Replaced a water pump at 118,000 miles and a front wheel bearing assembly at 110,000 miles. The electric rear lift gate stopped functioning last year (a very common problem among thousands of Caravan owners). The problem is electronic and seems to be narrowed down to a temperature sensor called a "thermistor" that is faulty.

I have owned this van for 7 years. Its been great. No major problems at all. I did install a new sliding door motor, gave it a tune up. Very easy to work on. I have the 3.8 liter engine and it really moves for a mini van with 200 hp and 250 tq. NICE!!!!!!

I bought this van with 154,000 miles on it. It has since taken quite a beating as I used it for construction work, visiting multiple sites per day and just beating the crap out of it on each site. It has done the job of full size trucks and come out still strong as ever with 210,000 miles on it now. (Engine-wise) The suspension in the rear is a little clunky now, and Ive replaced the inner and outer rear wheel bearing as well as the rear shocks. (To be expected I haul about 500lbs of equipment + some when I pick stuff up from the site) I put a new AC compressor on it, and a new wiper motor. New axles on the front. Sounds like a lot, but not when you consider the miles and what I do with it. All of this work took place around 200,000 miles give or take except the bearings which Im doing now at 210,000. I once had to change the tranny fluid and filter to make it go again, but that was it. Been fine since. All in all Im very satisfied with this van. Its had a tough life for the last 60,000 miles and who knows what kind of life it had before that. The 3.3l is very strong though I usually drive it nice. When I need to get up to speed fast though, it has no problem doing so. The thing just chews right through snow with a good set of tires; I was able to give it a LOT of gas and when one wheel spun, the other was moving us forward without hesitation. Excellent van.

08 Dodge Grand Caravan. Purchased at the end of 07. Many problems. Poorly built. It's been in the shop many times. We even had to write to Dodge for reimbursement b/c the repairs on a new van were so outrageous and ridiculous. It took a long time and many, many calls with long hold times. But we finally got them to pay for 1/2 the repairs. Now, it's 2010. Radiator problems. Part only dealer sold. As are most of the parts that blow. What a surprise.

I will never own a Dodge ever again. 67k miles and needs a 2nd set of brakes, rear evap replaced under warranty due to horrible design, now it wont start every time. Battery, alternator, and starter all test ok. oh, and not to forget, the passenger window works on only intermittently. Overall just very cheaply made.

Love, love this van. I have had six mini-van's - two were Plymouth Voyagers which they say are the same thing, one Nissan Quest and the other's were Caravan's. Two of the Caravan's I was not crazy about. One was a four cylinder and I would never recommend a four cylinder mini-van of any kind. It would also just sit there sometime because the transmission would not engage and suddenly with a thud, it would work. We called the dealer several times and finally they admitted there was a problem with those vans. They were going to fix it for free but we got a great deal on the Quest before it was fixed. The other was just a van instead of a Grande Caravan and I can't say an exact problem but we just never liked it. As soon as the warranty had expired on the 1999 Plymouth Voyager, it overheated and we could see water coming out from under the engine. Mechanic and everything I read said this was a head gasket problem and would cost about $2,000 to repair or the mechanic said we could put Stop Leak in it. We know this isn't recommended but we did and had to several times over the years. We had this vehicle 11 years and it was hard to give up but we replace the radiator, had work done on the transmission and the driver's power window was broken. It had started getting loud and just felt like things weren't right. Could drive it for months without it overheating but suddenly it would. Put in fluid and would be good for several more months. We've had a 2007 Dodge Caravan for three years and we love it! Love the stow and go seats; love the bucket seats in the middle row and the bells and whistles of telling me how far I can drive before running our of gas, temp outside, etc. Great highway miles but pretty much as expected on short trips. The back lock is just starting to give us a problem as it sometimes has to be unlocked by hand before the door will slide open with the key or the inside button. May need brakes soon but every vehicle does sometime. We love it and judging from the number of them we see on the road, we are not the only ones. There are so many like it in every parking lot we have to remember where we parked it. Don't give up on them if you get a lemon - every brand has one sometimes. Most people love the Cavelier but we had such a horrible lemon that we wouldn't even touch a Chevy again. I will say that I would never, never buy a vehicle from the dealer who sold us our van because they lied to us. Said we had a cheaper price but when paper work came through it was higher; promised to put in automatic rear gate but didn't and would not take our calls when we tried to get in touch with them. It was not a Dodge dealer.

rear wiper broke cannot change it need the hole unit cost 200. 00 dollars no auto parts have it only dealler t

I bought mine new in March of 2007 for $18,000 out the door. I got a great deal on the van but it did not have many options. It has 48,000 miles on it and I just replaced the front brakes. In addition, the rear air evaporator went last week but the dealership repaired it for free. Apparentely, there was a recall for this problem and I was fortunate because it would have cost $700 bucks if there wasn't one. Plus, the passenger side power lock on the sliding door stopped working quite some time ago. I also have filled the power steering fluid twice since I had the vehicle but cannot find the leak. I have 4 kids so this vehicle suites us well with all its seating and storage. I really like the sto-n-go seating and the ease of putting the seats down when I need space for hauling things. I am not sure if I will buy another Dodge or not. The basic thing that concerns me is the reliability of this vehicle. I also have a Pontiac Montana and I wouldn't give it great marks for reliabilty either.

well they are really ba at eating up trannys and the fan relay goes alot they have been known to just stop working and not start again they are spacious and greatfor families but they have alot of issues that i believe that since it is defaults that alot of them have that dodge should have to fix them so if you want a dodge caravan know sometime you will be replacing a tranny they are ot the year you wanna get i believe its the worst glitch year of them all

Bought used with 119,000 miles. 3.3 runs good, gets the job done. Original 4-speed automatic is junk and riddled with problems. Replaced with used trans which also failed in 4000 miles, planet set and pump cover this time. Replaced with updated unit from Jasper. $$$$! Works great so far, we'll see! Electronic systems are glitchy at best. Steering rack pressure lines rusted through but I live in the salt belt so it was expected, sort of.. Body held up well, not much rust & still looks good. I bought it for the roominess, but the maintenance is killing me- Never had to repair a vehicle so much! Won't buy another & DEFINITELY won't recommend!

We bought ours used at Dayton andrews Dodge after doing a car fax report. Only one owner no accidents serviced regulary great looking vehicle.After only having it a few months fans went out .replaced them then the starter went replaced it then tranny went replaced it.just quit running we replaced the fuel filter and fuel pump and fuel sensor and it still wont run.What a money pit we will never buy another dodge ever. Dodges motto should be all show no go.....

WE bought our grand caravan in 2000 new. I just retired from the military after 25 years and its been nothing but reliable. Its now 2010 and we have just now started to have problems with it. We have driven it from military from NC to Texas back to Sc over 10 years. Its good on gas and like i said very reliable.WE have a Navigator a Expedition and a Tahoe and we drive the Caravan before them to save money. I am going to give this one to my daughter when i get it fixed and buy me and my wife a 2010, thats how much i loved this van,

Great vehicle ,now have 175000 miles with little trouble,only slight oil leak from valve cover