1995 Dodge Caravan Base review from North America

We bought this van new with 6 miles on it. In the nine years we have owned it the Caravan has been reliable with few maintenance issues. The 3.0L V6 is quick and has been trouble free.

It has the 3-speed transmission which is generally more rugged than the 4-speed available in this year. At about 200 miles I installed a $40 trans oil cooler and to date the tranny has run very well.

The 2nd to 3rd gear shift is abrupt at low speed, common in this vehicle.

An exhaust gasket between the manifold and Cat converter was replaced twice under warranty.

About 4 times in 9 years, the engine will just quit in low speed traffic. When restarted 3-4 times it returns to normal and I'm off on my way.

Tire wear is above average, this is the third set of tires at 90k miles. I have tried several brands.

Front brakes have been replaced twice, each time with new rotors at a total cost of less than $100 (my labor).

A/C system was checked and recharged in year 6 at a cost of $110.

Fuel tank sending unit was replaced in year 5 under extended warranty.

The rear wiper motor broke in year 9; cost to replace (part only) was $90 and 1 hour of my labor.

Overall a great vehicle for the money.

Depreciation in the first 4-5 years is about $2k per year for this body style.

Average fuel mileage is 20 mpg, highway is 23 mpg.

Amazingly I still have the original exhaust system (stainless steel) after 9 winters.

Paint still shines after 9 years; it is garaged about 6-7 months of the year.

If you can do basic repairs yourself the Caravan is easy to work on and parts cost is generally low. Total cost for all routine maintenance and repairs is about $1500. Sure beats a Land Rover!

Based on comments by others, I expect this engine to easily exceed 160k miles.