Opinions on Dodge Caravan?

[monalsw]

I hate shopping for a new car almost as much as i hate paying for one, but...we've outgrown the truck and the camaro and have to get something else!

local dealer has an '04 Caravan SE, stickered at $22000 and discounted to $15,999. any owners/drivers with opinions on this minivan? tia!

 

[Otto's Doll]

Well, mine is a lot older (I have a 2000 Grand Caravan, and just sold my 99 Caravan) but I like it a lot. Yours would have lots of bells and whistles mine doesn't have, but I love it anyway. Mine has the console on the top above the rear view mirror, with the temp./mileage/trip meter. I can't believe how much I use it!
Anyway, just a vote for yes!

 

[caseylouandtyler2]

I have a 99 Grand Caravan SE 60K miles on it. Two weeks ago it was in the shop for repairs, some sort of sensor thingys, I don't know it was stuck in a gear, wouldn't shift, I could only drive 45 mph. Just dropped it off to repair again. It has an oil leak. Hopefully its nothing major, but the mechanic is going to call tomorrow to let us know whats wrong with it.

Other than the repair issues, I really like it for the room and it is great for the kids. The newer ones have some cool bells and whistles I wish I had. Like the fold down seats. Those seats are heavy to take out.

Good luck with your decision.


UPDATE: It wasn't an oil leak. It was transmission fluid. O.K. just two weeks ago two censor thingys were put in the transmission. Did they not see the leeking hoses?

 

[Blondie]

My opinion is they look like a shoebox with wheels.

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

I LOVED my Caravans.

 

[6_Time_Momma]

Big big big big big (did I say big?) NO NO NO vote! We have had nothing, but problems with ours!

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Have a chrysler town and country(same as dodge) HATE IT!

 

[Mskanga]

I had a 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager, NEVER again I will buy Chrysler again!!

 

[sha_lyn]

I had a 96 and now own a 2001. Really like both. No real problems with either one except a weird sound w the brakes problem w the 96 that no mechanic could find or hear (of course it wouldn't make the sound for them) sold it to a co-worker of DH's and his mechanic found the vaccum hose leak right off.

However I really want something a bit higher off the ground (can't drive the caravan into many of the campground we frequent) and w/ better gas mileage so we are trading in for a Toyota Highlander electric hybrid when they come out in the fall.

 

[CPM]

We have a 2003 SE. I like it, never thought I'd own a van! We had to buy a large car FAST & that's what we ended up with. I kind of wish we spent the extra money to get a Toyota or a Honda since they seem to have less problems. We have 18,000 miles on our and it isn't even a year old yet!
It's comfy & roomy, no problems yet (knock on wood!)

 

[swea_pea1]

My first car out of college was a Dodge...drove it for 7 years and then traded it in on a 1999 Dodge Stratus when I was pregnant with DD. Never had any problems with either one and the only money we put into them was for normal maintenance. We bought the 2003 Grand Caravan Sport after we had DS and we love it (and we're still driving the 1999 Stratus). No problems and tons and tons of room.

Three times in a row and never a problem. I'll never own anything but a Dodge!

 

[tiggerlover]

I got my Caravan in January of 1999 and have only had one major problem with it (something to do with the oil and it cost me $1000 to fix), but other than that no mechanical problems. I like the van, however, I wish it had more of the bells and whistles. I have enjoyed my van, but after 5-1/2 years I am ready for something else. But this car has served us well and I am stuck with it for a while longer.

Have you researched the year and model that you are interested in? I know like Consumer Reports (I think) rates each model year, that may be worth looking into because certain model years have certain problems that other years do not.

Good luck! Happy shopping!

 

[Kristi1357]

We bought a 2003 Grand SE last summer and LOVE it! Never, ever thought I'd say that about a minivan.

My grandparents traded in their older Caravan a couple years ago, bought a Town & Country with every option you could get, and they hate it! They wish they had their old Caravan back.

 

[Mercy]

We had a '94 Voyager, bought it used, never had any problems with it. We then bought a new '00 Caravan Sport, never had a problem with that as well, great vans. We just got rid of the '00 only because I work for Toyota and nowdrive a 4Runner.

 

[aprilgail2]

I have a 2003 Caravan and I love it! I can't believe the pick up it has companred to my old saturn!!

 

[my3kids]

I had a Grand Caravan. I really loved the features, but sorry to say, the thing was a mechanic's dream. It was back to the dealer literally almost weekly for some problem, most major. Any system that could break, did break, and most more than once. We had purchased the extended warranty and it paid for itself the first week we came off the factory 3/36. I knew that since I was a responsible car owner, and would take care of my car, I would do the routine maintainance and be a careful driver, that my van would NOT be like the ones Consumer Reports warned against.

Sadly, it was just like the ones Consumer Reports alerted me to. I will NEVER buy another Chrysler product. I've been watching those new commercials with the seats. It LOOKS like a great car, but underneath those 7 fancy hide away seats, it is still a Dodge.

 

[JetMom]

I have a 2000 Grand Caravan that we bought almost a year ago and I love it! We've put about 15,000 miles on it and it is a dream to drive.

we had one problem with the power doorlocks/windows right after we got it, but the dealer took care of it with no charge. It realy wasn't a big deal at all.

We also have a '97 Dodge Neon with 112,000 miles on it that is still going strong. I am a big Dodge fan thanks to these 2 vehicles.

 

[bballmom56]

We have a 1999 Caravan and I love it. About 93,000 and never a major problem. It is a base model (crank windows, manual door locks, no tinted windows). I remember before we bought it, DH had done some internet research on it and found the Grand Caravan seemed to have many more problems (drive train related I think) than the regular Caravan. I would buy another one, but would definitely add tinted windows for the large side windows and hatch. It can get pretty hot! So definitely do your research - different models of vehicles can vary greatly. Good luck in your choice!

 

[Mskanga]

My advice is if you do buy the Dodge Caravan, buy the extended warranty with it, I have bought three Chrysler vehicles, the first one was admitted to be a lemon , it besically went to the shop very other week, the second one I had it for a year and then sold it to FIL , he had nothing else but problems, the third one ( the van ) I had for three years without a problem but when it started having problems, it was one after the other, I traded it in for the one I have now ( Chevy Venture ) and the mechanic from the dealer told me that there were quite a few things wrong with the old van and I should be happy to have gotten rid of it, it would have cost me a few thousand dollars to fix it. In each case I had the extended warranty , but in the van since I bought it used , the miles were already over the extended warranty.
The other two I had bought new , and the one in the first vehicle paid itself off more than once.

 

[Big V]

We have a Grand Caravan and have no problems with it. It sounds like a really good deal.