1993 Dodge Caravan 3.3 V6 from North America
Summary:
A dreadful waste of money
Faults:
The transmission died at 114,000 miles.
General Comments:
I took a gamble, and it has badly backfired. I paid $3000 just six months ago for a 1993 Grand Caravan, with 109,000 on the clock.
The guy selling it was good, he even agreed to get it serviced at his expense the day before he sold it to me, cost him $800. I thought I was getting a bargain, I was VERY mistaken.
After 5,000 trouble free miles, and with no warning, the dreaded transmission demon reared its ugly head. As I was going 55 on the Beltway, with a wife and 8 month old baby in the back.
After $200 towing and fault diagnosis, I am now faced with the choice over the weekend of spending $2200 replacing the transmission, or writing off the $3000 I spent not seven months ago. With no transmission, I'd be lucky to get $500 for parts and scrap.
I looked at this website before buying it, I read about all the problems, and I thought that my Van would be different. Do not make the mistake I made.
NOBODY should buy a Dodge older than 1996 without a warranty, which you're unlikely to get. In other words, NOBODY should buy a 1993 Dodge Caravan.
Yours, impecuniously.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 11th July, 2003
12th Jul 2004, 11:30
You wrote..."NOBODY should buy a Dodge older than 1996 without a warranty"
The newer Dodge Caravans are worse! They haven't done a thing to fix the tranny problems. Granted you will have a warranty, but when it runs out the problems and expenses will be just as bad. The older Dodge Caravans seem to be a lot better, (1984-89). The 1984-89's have the least amount of problems. In 1990 or 91 Dodge started building them real cheaply. Buy a low mileage 84-89 with a four cylinder and three speed tranny, you will have good all around van!
8th Feb 2007, 16:27
Our 1993 Grand Caravan finally gave up the ghost last week when the ABS and power brakes failed together while I was driving on icy roads. Hairy time. We had 130,000 miles, but a lot of time and money went into keeping that baby going. By its end, it had no air conditioning systems (replaced twice, finally the lines rusted underneath), a death rattle in one of the six cylinders (burnt cylinder probably), and peeling paint (repainted once by Chrysler in its first two years of life, once by us). These cars are lemons. I don't recommend buying them new or used. I would get a used Sienna for half the price of a new Chrysler -- used Toyotas go for 200,000 easily. that wasn't an option when I bought my car new in 1993 because I had six people to haul around.
3rd Feb 2009, 00:27
I agree, don't get a Caravan or a Voyager Van older than 1996. I had a Voyager Van, don't have any more. I now own a New Yorker, wish I did not get it. Tranny went out. Every one that I know who owns any Chrysler products has tranny problems.
I refuse to own any Chrysler products now.
15th Jan 2004, 11:20
It appears this guy bought a 3.3 Liter with overdrive. These are known for transmission problems. Get the 3.0L one without overdrive and you will have no problem except oil seeps past the valves after around 130K. But just watch your oil level every 500 miles and your OK.
I have 160K on my 94 3.0 Liter v-6 and haul Amish with it daily and no problems!