1996 Dodge Caravan SE review from North America
"A poor excuse for 'the best mini-van on the road today'"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Transmission went out after 6 months. The first time the dealer looked at it, they were unable to find anything wrong. When the transmission finally failed they 'found' the defect which was a stuck solenoid valve inside the transmission.
Passenger side rear door has a history of opening on its own. Very disturbing when you have three children.
Seems to have some problems with the front end. It shakes very badly at times, and new tires did not fix that problem.
Rear seal leaks oil, and at $500.00 to fix I guess I'll keep pouring oil in the engine.
Air conditioning went out 2 months ago. Found out the fans had quit working, total cost to fix all that was $700.00.
General comments?
I wish I could trade this heap for something better, however these vans hold no re-sale value and I would take a serious loss trying to trade.
Dodge needs to get into the citrus farming industry, hey they've the lemon thing down to an art. They need to admit publicly that their Caravans are all defective from tip to tail and take them back.
The only redeeming quality is the interior room.
Recommended reviews
| 1996 - Caravan 3.0 liter 6 cylinder Makes you want to buy a Honda |
|
| Great Van with low maintenance costs |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 1 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 0 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 0 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 35000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 87000 miles |
| Previous car | Chrysler Neon |
| Date of Entry | 20th September, 2001 |