1996 Dodge Caravan SE review from North America

Where do I start? For those not too sure, for mileage 100000 miles = 160000km.

Broken glove box, from day one.

Front turn signal bulbs burn out every month or so.

Taillight stays on even after vehicle turned off.

Door ajar warning goes off on bumpy roads.

Replaced many serpentine belts, too many to remember. The one time I had the dealer do it they forgot to put the a/c belt back on, another 1/2 day wasted and lucky me they did it free of charge!

Replaced 2 tensioner pulleys, one at 90000km, the other at 120000km, conveniently while on holidays.

Replaced 2 timing belts, one as per Dodge recommendations at 96000km, the other as per holidays, the serpentine belt shredded and found a new home in the timing belt.

Replaced valve cover gaskets.

Replaced shocks and struts at 80000km, dealer did this and now the ride is worse than ever.

Replaced hub and bearing today at 125000km.

Could not replace the 3 stupid sparkplugs on the firewall side.

May be insignificant, but we are on the 3rd windshield, funny my Honda at 80000km is still on the original. Makes you wonder.

All expected replacements happened far too early in the vehicles life, tires, brakes, my sanity.

I cannot stress enough, do not buy one of these. Heed the warnings you are reading. This vehicle will cost you thousands in repairs. Hmmmmm, Odyssey costs a few thousand more and doesn't break down every month. Lessons have been learned.

Also, do not contact Dodge. They will not help you. I described all of my heartache to them and asked for a free air freshener to call it even, they sympathized with my plight, but would not even extend that simple gesture. Once your warranty is over, they DO NOT care.

I do not understand how anyone in their right, or not right, mind could engineer something as crappy as this vehicle. If this piece of garbage was supposed to be revolutionary and the best in its class, what does that say about the standards we have as consumers? Imagine if everything you ever bought behaved as a Dodge. The handles on your frying pans would fall off, your TV tube would blow every month or so. My God, have I ever been ripped off.