Good mileage, comfortable good hauling ability. Nice looking. Good visibility.

Car developed a leak in the transmission with one month left on the lease. I am unable to drive it due to risking doing more damage to it. Was told by a transmission specialist that it would cost $350.00 to pull the transmission and put new seals in it. I was told that stress and metal fatigue causes this and that a lot of caravans have this problem. It would cost 1800 for a new transmission if the differential was damaged beyond repair. I am uncertain what to do since we have only put 31,500 miles on it and the 3 year 36,000 mile warranty has expired due to us having the car almost 4 years. The first owner put around 7000 miles on it. I cannot afford the transmission repairs, make one more car payment plus a $250.00 disposition fee when this car is turned in. This car did not end up being very dependable and has put a lot of stress on my family. It seems as if Chrysler should have beefed up this transmission since so many buyers have had problems.

We are very unhappy about our last 1996 caravan and the leaky transmission.

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1990 extrended caravan. It had engine problems and adversely effected our trade in value on the 1996 dodge. The transmission was rebuilt before we bought it so we never experienced any more problems other than the engine leaking oil. We have had a bad experience on our caravans and will not buy anymore dodges.

Versitle, comfortable, fun to drive

Over all I like my van, the way it fits me, the room the way the seats come out. When you first look at a Caravan you are fooled into thinking it is a real nice vehicle. .

I originally bought the vehicle used with 38,000 miles on it, I turned down the extended warranty(Big mistake). Right after I bought it, it developed a major oil leak, it was a blown head gasket. Then a week after that it sheared a Cam Shaft key pin. Then the brakes went out, 1 year later new brakes agian, I must admit that I am a little hard on brakes. Lately I haven't had any problems, for about 80K miles, mostly because I just ignore all warning lights and sounds and drive the f'n thing till the wheels fall off. I have a 106K on it now. I have been wondering what the strange sound from the front wheel is when I turn corners, It probably has somethig to do with the fact that my front tire are wearing out on the outside edges unevenly, but I dont even want to know. The cruise control airbag and horn quit working. I decided to try and fix it my self rather than getting screwed by the dealer again. The clock spring was broke, it costs $115 to buy a new one. Probably costs mopar $2 to make in Mexico. I finally figured out a cheap way to get free parts and screw you frienly Dodge dealer, it is called a test drive. They don't want to recall a fix thier junk thats ok there is just a 2001 out there somewhere with a bad clock spring.

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My last van was a 1986 Dodge Caravan with the 2.6 Mitsibishi engineThat thing just kept on ticking. It was still running when I sold it for $500, with 480,000 miles on it, It was on its second engine and tranny but that is to be expected. The 1996 - 2001's look niced but they are junk as far as I am concened.

After replacing 35 PSI rated factory tires with 65 PSI rated premium tires it now drives wonderfully no more excessive leaning and I can feel the road. It didn't take my wife a mile of driving to notice the tremendous difference those tires made. Pleasure to drive. Love the Power of the 3.8

26,000 miles replace radio Cd player, oxygen sensor, outside temp sensor, and door lock solenoid 27,000 miles , front rotors and pads, 50,000 miles side gear differtial pin came out breaking transmission case, cost to replace transmission $2000. This pin is a major cause of caravan transmission problems as noted in an earlier reveiw by a transmission mechanic. Phantom car alarm (talk about annoying!), phantom wipers Numerous recalls, plastic guides for rear seat removal to weak Complicated negative ground activation for acessories such as interior lights. Diodes have to be installed for remote start and lock because of the negative activation.

We purchased this vehicle with 26,000 miles. We like its drivability, looks, comfort, and the power of the 3.8. I feel that Chrysler has cut corners with quality: tires, front rotors, to much plastic where stronger materials are needed and failed to address transmission problems that obviuosly could be corrected. We would like to keep this van but are considering trading it due to the many repairs, and are scared of the future repairs after reading other reveiws.

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Much nicer ride than Astro but to many repairs on the caravan.

I cannot think of any...

Everything, the list is to massive to go into..

I have never seen a bigger piece of ****, this vehicle has been nothing but a problem since the first day we leased it. Hmmmm where do I start?...the rear door seal had to be repaired 3 or 4 times, the gear indicator broke off, the wipers do what they want, when they want, the rear shocks make hideous groaning noises when its cold, the rear view mirror falls off when its hot, the check engine soon light used to come on , at that time it took them 4 times to locate a cracked spark plug,the horn started blowing one day and wouldnt stop till I pulled the fuse,ther are more problems I cant recall them all, ( lets put it this way we had rentals more often than we had our van for the first few years).Minor problems flaired up, the mirror still falls off and ocassionally the gas gauge sticks. We decided to keep our van after the lease ran out( WHAT A STUPID IDEA) because hey , basically it was a good vehicle once it worked the bugs out....NOT!!!!! It took close to $ 1,000.00 to pass inspection ( feb.) this year ( what fun that was), optimistic to the last , we even put new tires on it , thinking after the work they did for inspection what else could go wrong? hahahahahahahhha..I went to work, it's time to leave work, van will not start....ok maybe it's the battery( after all its the original ), NOT....BOUGHT NEW BATTERY....still no go...well lets see I call the dealership( they are also a joke) get it towed there..I am told they will look at it asap..van broke down tues. night- van towed wed . morn....they " look " at van on thurs. eve... ( the whole time they tell me they will get to it asap and will call with the info) well I call them to see how it's going fri. morn......yes they have finally looked at it, and they have to order a part ( fuel intake manifold and sensor ( not sure)) and I will probably get my van back monday....I am so pissed , this is my only vehicle, I havent been to work since tuesday, I have 3 children, and stuff to do. I 'm sorry I couldnt have been more informative about the actual problems but all the repair paperwork is in the glove box of my van.. we went with our van because we have 3 sons and at the time it fit into our budget, but I WOULD NEVER RECOMEND THIS VEHICLE!!!!! If you want a dodge caravan , you cant afford to have a family and if you want to be able to do things with your family, you cant afford to own a dodge caravan... I'm sorry that I am ranting at you all, but have you ever been, stuck at home with 3 kids in the boonies, missing work for almost a week and anticipating yet another repair bill... this is enough to make me start smoking again...NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER BUY A DODGE!!!!!!!!! i WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT IF I HAVE TO GIVE THIS THING A RATING OF AT LEAST ONE STAR, I WOULD ACTUALLY GO INTO THE NEGATIVE NUMBERS TO RATE THE 96 DODGE CARAVAN, PLEASE NOTE THE ACTUAL VALUE OF THE STARS 1 STAR IN VALUE = COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY & 1 STAR IN OVERALL = AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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None

Bigger than a sedan.
Transmission is still working.

Do I really need to repeat what others mentioned? Mine(92') is only 90500 miles, but engine started leaking from 60000 miles. Spent over $500 in Dodge dealer, nothing changed. Need a SECOND overall paint!!! Horn died!! Rear wiper died!! ..... etc.
This is really a piece of JUNK.

Check out the Honda or Toyota van before you go to a Chrysler dealer. Even a Nissan or Mazda van is much better.

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My first Chrysler van and definitely my last Chrysler van!!!

Excelent Minivan, roomy and comfortable to drive and travel.

Brakes, and interior quality too "plastic"

No complains by now.

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No

fits 7 people

transmission, (went out twice) Neither passenger, or driver's door open, is cracked and pulling apart from frame, hood release broke, trunk release cylinder broke, numerous brake repairs, a/c broke, rear parking lights stay on sometimes, who knows why. Also, alot of the accesories in the inside have broke off. Also, a seatbelt in the back has come unnattatched .

We bought this vehicle so we could have a good family vehicle. This has been the worse purchase we have ever made!!!! Pretty soon we will be crawling out the windows (hope they keep working) Unfortunately this vehicle is not paid off!!! I would be interested in a class action suit, cuz this is pure bad workmanship and a ripoff!!!!

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None

1)Quiet, Smooth Ride with adequate power from 3.3 liter V6. No Rattles or Squeaks. Comfortable seating position. Wider car than GM or Toyota minis.
2)I still have the Original Brakes, and Michelin MX4 tires. Resurfaced the rotors for $20. and think that this is very reasonable. Miles driven 63,000. I expect to go 80,000 on original tires. Gas mileage averages 22 MPG, all types of driving.
3)All weather floor mats that cover entire floor area.
4)Excellent Candy Apple Red Paint Finish. Looks like new.
5)No problems. This is an excellent Car!
6)Cruise control works great and controls on steering wheel are convenient.
7)Infinity stereo sounds incredible. FM stations a little too much bass, but cassette sounds almost CD quality.

1) Occasionally, the wipers come on once for no apparent reason.
2) At 50,000 miles, one front engine mount replaced. Not very expensive-$125 plus labor.
3) Roof rack may rattle in the wind when not in use if support strut is not moved to the rear most position.
4) Battery went dead 2 weeks before the warranty ran out. Dodge picked up the vehicle, and installed a new 60 month battery at no charge.

I have had a totally positive experience with this vehicle. I have test driven most minivans and compared them, and I think most of the other minivans are comparable in terms of ride and features, but I cannot comment on their reliability.

I would not hesitate to recommend the short wheel base versions of the Dodge Caravan Sport, and this is my second Dodge Caravan. (I had a 1989 Caravan with 100,000 miles driven, and it was also good, but did have to fix the Air Conditioning system.)

I plan on keeping this car for a long time, and would consider alternatives if there was a clearly superior vehicle out there, but there isn't. The Honda dashboard looks cheap, I dislike the slow motion electric doors ( the newer redesigned Dodge is better by far with the override feature) and the access to the compact spare on the Honda is a fatal error. Do consumers know that if you get a flat that the full size flat tire cannot fit into the space provided for the compact tire? And the Toyota engine problems that I have read about, are worrisome, to say the least.

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1989 Dodge Caravan, 2000 Chevy Venture, 1999 Mercury Villager, 1999 Toyota Sienna.

Ha Ha Ha!

Let's see where do I begin? I've heard that the Ford Aerostar was considered the antichrist by auto mechanics. Apparently this was before they started working on Voyagers & Caravans. I know its a tall order trying to name the weaknesses of this vehicle after reading all the horror. However today I feel up to the task as I finally feel some salvation from this evil van after reading the failures of others like myself. Let's begin. The FIRST DAY I experienced problems with the transmission, returned to the dealer to get an "adjustment." Fast forward one year and the air conditioning went out. The dealer said the warranty had just expired and it would cost $1000 to fix so I said forget it. Then the **** hit the fan. In any particular order the paint peeled off the roof and hood, the radio is a complete nightmare, the motor burns oil continually, the rear seats are impossible to remove and replace, the rear view mirror fell off, the possessed rear view wipers come on and off at their convenience, not mine, the left turn signal goes out and no one knows why, the headliner droops down over my face while I drive, brake rotors, transmission (again) doesn't shift when on freeway with two young children in van, locks on doors no longer work with key leaving me to enter van through side door which sticks instead of sliding and now the windshield has cracked after it saw its reflection in a window. Have I painted a clear enough picture? I'd call it a Picasso of what a complete disaster Chrysler has created. And by the way they didn't invent the minivan, Volkswagen did back in 1950 or so. Did I fix any of the above problems? Not many, because the day I repaint this beast is the day the motor falls out and laughs at me as it lays on the driveway. Will I buy another? No. Does Chrysler care? NO. They continue to screw their customers over and over. Don't be the next in line.

Why is Dodge currently airing commercials 24 hours a day promoting their products with rebates and cash back etc. The answer is listed above in the weaknesses category. They are trying to lull you into submission, forget what you know is right and buy one of their vehicles. Be strong and relent. May the force be with you.

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My next minivan will be the Honda Odyessy or the soon to be made Volkswagen microbus 2000+ edition.

Rides great, handles lots of passengers, duel doors are very convenient.

We had no problems until just before the warranty went out. The battery went dead (on a Saturday of course when the dealer is not open), and when replaced by a local shop, the lights on the rear wiper buttons, etc went to flashing and would not stop. The local shop said this was a problem that they didn't have the equipment to deal with and that I'd have to take it to the dealer to be fixed. When I got it there, they told me they wouldn't fix it under warranty because they hadn't put the battery in. I told them that the battery was a loaner because I couldn't get it there without it, and that they could put the Chrysler battery in now and fix the flashing lights under the warranty. After much bickering, I finally got them to agree. They replaced the battery and did a computer reset to stop the flashing lights. I found out that this flashing light problem will occur with each battery outage and will need a computer reset each time a new battery is required. I guess this is Dodge/Chrysler's way of getting you to get only thier batteries when this occurs. Anyway, as soon as the warranty ran out which was about as long as it took me to drive home from the dealer on the battery fix, I went to having problems with the intermittant wipers that did all kinds of crazy things. They would come on when not turned on, do their intermittant thing, once, twice or ten times (no pattern to when this would occur), and I've recently gone to having problems with the dome lights. The front dome lights will sometimes light when the door is open and sometimes not. My van is in the shop even as I write this. The problem now seems to be that there is a "check engine now" light on even though there appears to be no problem with the engine. When I asked at the dealer for them to check out the other problems I'm having with the wipers and dome lights too, they said that these two problems along with the "check engine now" problem were three separate issues and would cost $85 each to check them all. I've only requested that they check the one engine problem for now, as my husband and I decided we could live a little longer with the other two. Maybe we can see if our local mechanic can check out the wiper and dome light problems. He has some diagnostic equipment and doesn't charge and arm and a leg for checking stuff out. In the meantime, I'm not sure, especially after reading the other reviews here, I'm as enamored of my Dodge Cravan SE as I originally was. I have also had to replace the brake pads after only about 40K on the front brakes which could be considered only normal maintenance.

I'm not ready to give up the ghost yet on this van, as it still is under 50,000 miles. I also paid a lot of money for it. I'm just not as in love with it as I once was based on the comments I put in weaknesses above. It seems that Dodge built a vehicle that would start falling apart immediately after the warranty period was up. We've have a 1986 Nissan Stanza Wagon (original owner) that we are still driving at almost 150K miles, and it's still chugging along without all these problems. We are good car owners and always make sure we do regular maintenance. We don't feel we should be having these problems.

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This is our first mini-van, although our 1986 Nissan Stanza Wagon had duel sliding doors before Chrysler ever had a glimmer of the idea. Unfortunately Nissan doesn't make the Stanza Wagon anymore, and it was Chrysler's duel sliding doors on their vans that attracted us in the first place.