Are dodge cars anygood? Because I'm interested in buying one and I would really like to know if Dodge Caravan

Question

are any good providing details would be nice like about them and the car i want to buy is a 1998 dodge caravan i think.

Answer 1

They're good family vehicles. I've had a Caravan and a Voyager.

Ask about the transmission, if it's been rebuilt or replaced. They're notorius for their trannies going out at about 80,000 miles.
My caravan also had an engine fire to to a bad distributor, put it out quickly and replaced. Some have those electric fans near the radiator and they can fail.

If you decide to buy one take it by a trannie shop or mechanic and have them give it a once over inspection. They really are reliable vehicles with Mtsubishi motors and I logged many miles hauling kids.

Answer 2

I have a 97 3.0 6 cyl. I love it! I have 203,667 miles on it. Only major problems I've had were the timing belt break while driving ($500 repair) and the fuel pump go out. The timing belt was just a maintenance thing I overlooked. Properly maintained, a Chrysler engine can go 400K miles +. A lot of people have had trouble with these transmissions, but mine hasn't given me a lick of trouble. There again, it all comes down to maintenance. Ask for the service record on the van, find out what repairs have been done, and ask if it's been in any collisions. You should also think about buying a VIN report that will tell you any collisions, as many people aren't really honest like that when trying to sell a used vehicle. If you get any bad vibes when looking over the service records or if the owner doesn't have any records, just move on and look for a different vehicle.

Answer 3

My wife drives a 7-passenger '99 Grand Caravan Sport with a 3.3 V-6. The only problems she took it back to the dealer for was a leaky transmission(gasket) & battery replacement. It's been a dependable vehicle for us.
It has four buckets & a rear bench. The two middle buckets & bench can be removed to make more room. We've driven it all over Texas fully loaded & I have no complaints.
As far as Dodges go, I've owned several over the past 25+ years & for the most part I've been happy with them. I'm hard on a vehicle as far as driving, but pretty good about the routine maintenance.
Any used vehicle can be a crap shoot. Check the mileage on the '98, ask for available maintenance records & do research to see if it's been in an accident. A well cared for older vehicle can still give you relatively problem free driving. Just do your homework.

Answer 4

I work for a Dodge dealer. I never used to be a Dodge person, or any other specific brand person. If you are looking for a Caravan, you will not be dissapointed. I think of all the used vehicles that I drive daily, the caravan is the most comfortable drive of all the vans. There is ease of entrance of rear passangers with both side doors opening. The Caravan is one of the most roomiest vans there is too.

Answer 5

Caravans are one vehicle which is hit or miss you either have a good one or you have a lemon eventhough they are made the same year. I don't know your preference, but I'd recommend a Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey or a Chrysler Town and Country. Those are the best 3 I have come across. Plymouth Voyagers are so so. Mazda MPVs break down alot along with Ford Windstars. This is coming from my experience as an Auto Technician.

Answer 6

This is what I said to the last person who asked a question about the Dodge Caravan, and I still mean it: "...you should fold all the seats down and pack the back full of explosives and light the fuse and push it over a cliff while all your buddies are firing at it with 50 caliber machine guns and your friend who flies helicopters unleashes a salvo of Hellfire anti-tank rockets into it and your other friend is strafing it at a rate of 4,200 30 caliber depleted uranium rounds a minute with the Gatling gun on his A-10. If there's anything left of it after it hits the ground, your other friend comes in with his C-130 with a MOAB and takes care of the rest. Caravans are the biggest piles of shiit ever. Mine had 60,000 miles on it when I finally got rid of it. I hated that thing so much it still makes me mad after 5 years if I think about it. All I have to do is see one on the road and the memories flood back. Thanks a lot for reminding me of it."

Answer 7

Well I used to own a 1997 one and although it drove OK, it was cheaply made. You could always hear it shaking, and all the plastic parts inside were always loose so you could hear them jiggling around....going up a hill over 60 mph was a crack up, it was like the lil engine that could...I think I can I think I can I think I can... Anwyay, my SIL had one too and one day we swapped stories on them and she had all the same problems.

Answer 8

Consumer Reports Magazine keeps records on how many repairs are needed in different makes/models of used cars. I don't know who exactly you ask for info, but they have a website.

Answer 9

me personally i wouldnt own one cause they are total junk.i have a friend who had 7 of them and he never had a good one in the bunch.every one i saw smoked or broke down but thats my opinion.