1998 Dodge Caravan SE review from North America
"Do not think about buying one"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The A/C Compressor was replaced twice in less than a year (the bearing has an engineering design problem - DO NOT RUN THE ENGINE OVER 4500 RPM. It will happen to you as well). I have spent already $1800 to fix that.
The belt tensioner was replaced at 67K.
The wipper motor went wrong after 60k.
Right now I suspect a front strut will die on me.
The steering became hard (might be a joint).
General comments?
The car is comfortable and quiet, but has a lot of diseases and it's unreliable.
The service at the Chrysler Toronto dealer is expensive and horrible. When I had the problem with the windshield wiper motor, they spent one hour to diagnose the problem and had to conclude that the universal switch was broken while in fact the electric motor went wrong. By the end they had replaced both parts at their expense.
I have had a lot of frustation with this car and am thinking of selling it.
Recommended reviews
  | 1998 - Caravan Base 4 cylinder Low cost, however repairs will make up for it |
| You should forget it and buy a better vehicle for what you'll pay to keep this thing on the road. |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.3 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5/10 |
| Reliability marks | 4/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 33000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 89000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Lumina |
| Date of Entry | 24th January, 2002 |