1991 Dodge Grand Caravan SE from North America - Comments

Rear Gas Spring:

First the Right Gas Strut/Spring failed. The lower pivot broke that holds it to the door. You can't buy the pivot itself; you must buy the whole Gas Spring Assembly. I bought a new replacement gas spring from Dodge and it cost about $68US. Then the Left Side Broke and I was able to cannibalize the one remaining pivot from the first failed unit. Then the Right Spring failed again; I bought an aftermarket Gas Spring Assembly that had a better warranty. Then the Left upper pivot failed and punched a hole in the headliner. The failure this time was the body metal had fatigued and the whole nut-plate doubler broke out of the sheet metal. I beat it back into place and welded a doubler over the top.

Transmission (Automatic) :

It drove well for the first 65,000 miles and then needed a total overhaul with a new torque converter. Thank goodness the car was under a 7-year/70,000 mile warranty. Then the rebuild transmission started acting up just as before at 72,000. It would not up-shift past second. I changed the fluid and it started shifting somewhat normal again. It still wasn't working correctly and I sold the car before the vehicle left me stranded. I am of the feeling the transmission should last as long or longer that the engine.

Door Warning:

When I filled all of the seats with people, and hit a nominal bump, the warning chime would come on. Sometimes the "door ajar light" would come on. Other times the condition would rectify itself before I could look down at the annunciator panel. I would rarely drive with the vehicle full of people and after many years in this condition, I finely figured out what was happening. The sliding door switch was opening and there was no adjustment for the switch. What a poor design.

Tires: This thing went through tires like my kids eat cereal. I never got more than 20,000 miles on a good set of tires.

Brakes: the only thing worse that the tires were the brakes. I went through 5 sets of brake pads on the front axle in 50,000 miles. I also replaced the rotors or had them resurfaced every time I changed the pads. These brakes are way undersized for the vehicle. They fade on the second brake application.

The car needed a real transmission, real brakes and better execution of quality throughout the whole vehicle. This thing was an Engineering Failure from the start. I resent the Federal Government Loans that kept the firm going!

Transmission:

I have the oil and filter changed every 15,000 miles and 140,000 miles of use out of the trans.

Tires:

The tire dealers won't tell you, but the weight rating of the van puts it in the 6 ply tire group. find a set and you will get 60,000 out of a set of tires.

Breaks:

Made in China break parts only last 10,000 miles if you are lucky. Made in Canada break parts will last 45,000+

Randy.

I'd like to see the roads you drive on that beat up a car that badly. My G. Caravan has 160,000 miles on it and NOTHING like that has ever happened. Sounds like you should be driving a Hummer (or a tank)

To Randy:

Although they may break, they are called and spelled BRAKES!

I'm sure driving habits contributed to all the problems he complained about.. the tire wear problem could have been fixed by getting an alignment.. I have noticed that the caravans cannot handle curbs at 25 mph and will wear tires after hitting something.. an alignment will correct this.. after you replace the bent parts..

I think not, this author has something against Caravans, I have 300,000 and still on the first set of shocks, brakes often, but if you put in garbage parts, they don't last.

This vehicle has been an absolute dream aside from the transmission; a small price to pay for a great van.