dodge caravan minivan? - Page 2

[mysonshine]

We had one for a while. Sold it only to get to the point that I could SAHM. Sometimes I wish I still had it.

DH has said he'll never get another one. It was a good van but hard to work on for some things. Friend of ours is a mechanic and (I can't remember the specifics) something that is easier to do on some vans/cars was horrible on the Caravan because whatever it was was behind something else. KWIM?

But it was a good van just hard to DIY work on (from DH's and friends POV)

[cappuccinosmom]

We had a '94 that got over 200K before it it finally died in 2007. It survived many vacations, being stolen and hotwired, and was very reliable for a very long time. My dad had it for 9 years before he passed it on to us to let us wear it out. We loved it.

I think they do tend to have transmission issues, but we had heard here and there that it's the *Grand* Caravans that are most likely to be a problem with that.

[wildmonkeys]

Oh ladies! I think I found an even better deal on one! We are going to see a 2003 tonight with only 32,000 miles and she only wants 6,500 : It was her father's and he is no longer driving (he is in his mid-80's) and they don't need it. She is having it detailed right now and is getting an inspection tomorrow and is thrilled to get it somebody with kids.

I never wanted a minivan (not an image thing just not used to larger vehichles, but I am feeling pretty excited about this!!!!)

[vm9799]

*i* wouldn't do it, but my inlaws had a caravan that was nothing but problems, and we had a chrysler town & country (which i think is essentially the same thing) and we HATED it. traded it in for a honda odyssey and will never own anything else.

i hope you have much much better luck than we did.

[ollineeba]

Originally Posted by wildmonkeys

Oh ladies! I think I found an even better deal on one! We are going to see a 2003 tonight with only 32,000 miles and she only wants 6,500 : It was her father's and he is no longer driving (he is in his mid-80's) and they don't need it. She is having it detailed right now and is getting an inspection tomorrow and is thrilled to get it somebody with kids.

I never wanted a minivan (not an image thing just not used to larger vehichles, but I am feeling pretty excited about this!!!!)

That sounds like a pretty good deal. Nice, low miles.
Let us know how it goes!

[straighthaircurly]

We run a car repair shop and generally those are pretty reliable. However, most minivans have undersized transmissions and so they are a weak point on those vehicles and many a Caravan transmission has been replaced at 30,000 miles. That being said, I can name a weak point on just about any make/model of car, they all have an Achilles heel. Before you buy any used vehicle spend the $ to have a thorough inspection by an independent mechanic. An experienced mechanic can find hidden problems like water exposure, accident damage that isn't on a Carfax report, etc. Over the years we have saved many customers from buying a lemon that looked perfect to the inexperienced eye. If you don't have a trusted mechanic familiar with these vehicles, you can check on iATN which is network of experienced techs around the world.

[velochic]

Originally Posted by mysonshine

DH has said he'll never get another one. It was a good van but hard to work on for some things. Friend of ours is a mechanic and (I can't remember the specifics) something that is easier to do on some vans/cars was horrible on the Caravan because whatever it was was behind something else. KWIM?

Yes! I do know what you mean! We had something really simple like a blown fuse and it could be seen from inside the glove box... but the mechanic had to take the ENTIRE DASHBOARD off to get to it. It was like a $2 part, but cost us a fortune because of the way he had to get to it. Although we trust this mechanic (has been our mechanic for 15 years), I still did a google search to make sure he wasn't pulling a fast one. Sure enough. A $2 repair cost us $200 because of stupid engineering.

[vm9799]

Originally Posted by straighthaircurly

We run a car repair shop and generally those are pretty reliable. However, most minivans have undersized transmissions and so they are a weak point on those vehicles and many a Caravan transmission has been replaced at 30,000 miles. That being said, I can name a weak point on just about any make/model of car, they all have an Achilles heel. Before you buy any used vehicle spend the $ to have a thorough inspection by an independent mechanic. An experienced mechanic can find hidden problems like water exposure, accident damage that isn't on a Carfax report, etc. Over the years we have saved many customers from buying a lemon that looked perfect to the inexperienced eye. If you don't have a trusted mechanic familiar with these vehicles, you can check on iATN which is network of experienced techs around the world.

WONDERFUL advice!

[nd_deadhead]

Originally Posted by wildmonkeys

Oh ladies! I think I found an even better deal on one! We are going to see a 2003 tonight with only 32,000 miles and she only wants 6,500 : It was her father's and he is no longer driving (he is in his mid-80's) and they don't need it. She is having it detailed right now and is getting an inspection tomorrow and is thrilled to get it somebody with kids.

I never wanted a minivan (not an image thing just not used to larger vehichles, but I am feeling pretty excited about this!!!!)

Definitely have a trusted mechanic look insoect it before you buy - it might cost you $100, but it could save you thousands. If nothing at all is wrong with the vehicle, the money spent on an inspection is worth the peace of mind.

We've been driving a Grand Caravan or Town and Country since 1996, and even though it is big, the huge windows make it a lot easier to drive than you might expect.

We did have transmission issues with the Caravan, but haven't had any trouble with the 2002 Chrysler (after 110K miles).

[Mama Dragon]

Originally Posted by velochic

Yes! I do know what you mean! We had something really simple like a blown fuse and it could be seen from inside the glove box... but the mechanic had to take the ENTIRE DASHBOARD off to get to it. It was like a $2 part, but cost us a fortune because of the way he had to get to it. Although we trust this mechanic (has been our mechanic for 15 years), I still did a google search to make sure he wasn't pulling a fast one. Sure enough. A $2 repair cost us $200 because of stupid engineering.

Ouch. I am so glad DH is a mechanic (schooled and everything)! Minivans, especially ford and dodge have craptastical transmissions. Or, they can. We had a ford aerostar (2 actually) and the transmissions on both just crapped out on us at about 175k miles. Dodges are known for the same problem, but it usually happens at about 30k like a PP said, and again at 125k. We're pushing 125k and we're getting ready to find a junk tranny and having DH rebuild it so when it goes, he can just do a quick drop and replace. I plan on having this van for at least 4-5 years.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, I LOVE the cupholders and seperate climate controls (driver, passenger and back all have their own controls) and the stereo in mine freaking ROCKS

[wildmonkeys]

Yeah, the one that sounded like the better deal was fishy. When we got there she told us that her dh had taken the keys to church on accident and she could call him in church because his cellphone was off. That would have been but all the doors were open and no interior lights were on (it was drying out from being detailed) but when I closed the door the light came on --- so it seems like there was a battery issue (no big deal if it hasn't been driven much in months, but it seems like she lied to us)

Then she told me she had somebody who wanted to buy on Friday, but when dh asked if the car was in her name or her father's she said her father's and since her sister has power of attorney she won't have the title until next week. SO WHO IS GOING TO BUY IT ON FRIDAY WITHOUT A TITLE? Anyway, seems like lie number two so we just sort of don't want to deal with it.

We are going to try to get to the dealer to see the other car, asap.