We purchased the van new in January 2008. The ride was very quiet in the beginning, but over time it has developed a few interior and exterior rattles. The suspension still provides a smooth and comfortable ride, and the steering is quick and responsive.
Braking for the van is a little soft for a vehicle this heavy, and the front rotors and pads suffer as a result. I replaced the front pads and rotors at 25,000 miles because the rotors were already to thin to resurface. I opted for aftermarket rotors, since the factory rotors seems to fade too quickly in my opinion.
Seating is ample room for a small family, and the stow and go seating makes the van versatile for transporting small cargo. Leg room for the front and 2nd row passengers is good, but the lack of telescopic steering and limited drivers seat travel may make the drivers' position a bit uncomfortable for people over 6' tall. Seating in the 3rd row is best left for small children, as the lower roof line toward the back makes the rear seats a bit uncomfortable.
The optional DVD entertainment system with satellite radio is nice for kids and adults. The system has two DVD players that can play independently. The wireless headphones are a nice touch, but are too large for small kids (under 4 or so). You can even listen to AM/FM or satellite radio independently from the drivers and second DVD console.
3.8L engine has adequate power, but seems to consume a quart of oil every 3K miles. I have already replaced the spark plugs at 40K miles, since they appeared to be fouled, and the electrodes had worn thin and still have a semi-rough idle.
Another problem experienced with the van was with one of the sliding doors. From the start, one of the doors would randomly get within inches closing then reopen. The dealer first reprogrammed the computer per the TSB (this is a know issue) but the problem came back a few days later. The problem would not replicate for the dealer on two occasions, but they finally reprogrammed the computer on the 4th complaint and the problem appears to be resolved.
More recently, the air conditioner failed. At 42,200 miles, the A/C vents blew white puffs of smoke from the vents and smell like ammonia before it quit. The dealer replace the discharge A/C line, which I found out is a common problem with these vans due to a suspect design flaw with the line.
Some premature system and part failures put Chrysler quality into question.
