Purchased the vehicle with 41,000 miles.
By 47,000 miles, it needed a new transmission.
Chrysler customer service totally ignored my complaint.
I told them they lost a customer and they didn't care.
No vehicle made should need a transmission rebuild at 47,000 miles.
My next vehicle will be Japanese.
I completely agree with this comment. I have a 1996 Caravan that has been nothing but one problem after another and we are now having to replace the transmission for a 2nd time!! I would urge anyone considering a Dodge to run the other way.
Purchased a brand new 1996 Dodge Caravan. Kept experiencing serpentine main drive belt failure. After replacing belt 6 times, service department finally aligned. Same belt has been on for 40,000 miles on (knock on wood).
A/C compressor locked up. Had to be replaced.
Clock spring had to be replaced. Air bag light on, cruise control quit, horn stopped.
Brake rotors replaced twice. Vibration in front end. Rotors almost cracked in half. Purchased after market rotors.
Starter failed. Bendix stayed engage in flywheel. Luckily close to home. Disassembled starter, Bendix retracted and replaced entire starter unit with rebuilt.
Driver's side door switch failed causing locks to cycle and door ajar light on. Thought it was $300 body control module, but found bad door switch.
Transmission slipping at 111,000 plus miles. May only need transmission fluid, but need a reliable car.
Bought a Trail Blazer. Very pleased so far. Going back to GM. Can't bring myself to buy a foreign car yet.
I have a 1999 Dodge Caravan with an extended warranty through the 5 year lease that we have on the vehicle.
Recently, I took the van into our local dealership.
The air conditioning system was blowing warm air.
After checking the system, they determined that the
Body Control Module needed replaced, which is under
warranty.
Now get this. The warranty company is in provisional
liquidation (bankruptcy proceedings) and I was told that
I would have to pay for the cost of the repair (even though it is covered under my warranty agreement!!) and that when (or if) the warranty company received additional money, I MIGHT be reimbursed for the repair costs!!
At this point, they say that nothing else can be done, but
I can think of another option - NEVER BUY A DODGE PRODUCT AGAIN.
I agree completely. No more Dodge vehicles. My step-son has a late 90's Dodge Dakota. I have a 98 Grand Caravan. They have both had enough problems to keep one or the other (and sometimes both) in the shop each month for the past year. His transmission went on the same day that the van wouldn't start.
I've had the serpentine belt replaced twice. They finally replaced a pulley and that fixed it... knock on wood.
The clock spring went out.
The transmission is acting funny and I'm certain it's just a matter of time until it goes.
The starter had to be replaced. The power steering is acting up intermittently.
Sigh...never again!!
As far as those transmission issues go, I know of numerous Caravan owners with frequent problems in this area.
However in my particular case, I've been told 4 times from different service centers, dealer and non-dealer franchises that my 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan "probably" needs a transmission.
In EVERY one of these incidents the real problem turned
out to be only a bad drive axle. Had I not gotten a second opinion being the skeptic I am, then plenty of money would have been wasted.
The axle has a drive cluster at the end of it that mates
into the transmission, and usually the CV boot surrounding it tears causing the lubricant to leak out.
Once that happens the gears start to grind down and then
will not mate probably with the transmission and you will start to feel a slipping motion when accelerating.
To replace the axle is usually $200 - 400.
I have a dodge caravan that the fly wheel is broke on. have not had the van very long, but I can't believe all the problems I hope I'm one of the few that don't have any more probs.
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