2002 Dodge Grand Caravan EL review from North America

Brakes have gone bad twice so far.

Tires wear out in under 20K miles.

Body rust already showing.

Has some kind of electrical problem.

Ignition key sometimes won't turn.

We really liked this minivan when we first got it. My dad had an old Dodge Aspen and never had a day of trouble with it. This vehicle on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired.

The first thing to go wrong with it was the ignition key wouldn't turn one day. After messing with it for a few minutes, my wife finally got it to turn. This started happening more frequently so we looked it up online. We found a site that said to whack it a couple of times with a rubber mallet and it would work, so we tried it, and it worked. We now keep the mallet in the car and have to use it at least a few times every week.

The next problem was the electrical system. I had noticed one night that the lights flashed a few times, and the dash lighting seemed to dim and come back. Then every now and then the electrical warning light would come on. The mechanics can't find anything wrong, but it still does this sometimes.

Tires on this vehicle make me crazy. They wear out in under 20K miles. I have them rotated every 3000 miles, or else the front ones wouldn't last 10K. The tire guys always tell me the GC is notoriously bad on tires. Now I have them put on the cheapest tires they can find.

I am also getting ready to have the brakes replaced for the second time. I suppose it's just like the tire problem, the brakes wear out fast on this vehicle.

I am seeing rust already along the bottom of the sliding doors. I'm not really surprised since we live in the northeast where we get a lot of road salt in the winter.