1982 Dodge Van review from North America

Water pump pulley cracked and fell apart.

Carburetor developed NUMEROUS issues. Van was very hard to start due to leaking float, something not adjusted properly, etc. Carb was rebuilt twice and problems with starting remained.

Smog pump bracket broke twice (probably affected the water pump bracket) Replacement brackets were flimsy.

Ignition key illumination timer stuck on and drained the battery.

Seat belt retractor got stuck and would not retract.

After-market conversion wiring shorted constantly.

This van was given to me by another family member. The idea was to use it occasionally for camping. However, I found the seats extremely uncomfortable (after-market conversion) and the van developed a lot of problems in a very short time-frame. It did not have as solid build quality as several GM products I have owned. The after-market conversion seemed to have been done in a hurry, I ended up rewiring quite a bit of the harness because it kept blowing fuses. Much of the wiring rubbed against metal and caused multiple shorts. Seats were also very uncomfortable, and driving position was not good. I decided not to chance this vehicle leaving me stranded with a problem and sold it after driving it only 4000 miles. A van with under 100,000 miles should not have this many issues. No wonder somebody wanted to give it away.