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Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler Minivan Problems & Solutions - READ ONLY

4276 messages,  Last post on Oct 23, 2006 at 2:11 AM

You are in the Chrysler/Plymouth Voyager, Dodge Caravan Forum.

What is this discussion about? Dodge Caravan, Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Voyager, Plymouth Voyager, Chrysler Town and Country, Van

Messages Page 117 of 428

#1160 of 4276 eneth by 4aodge

Mar 03, 2002 (4:41 pm)

eneth accuses carl of attacking the credability of people who question the reliability of DC minivans. If this is the case, eneth is just as guilty of doing just the opposite. eneth has never said a single possitive thing about DC minivans and bashes them at any chance he gets. i wouldnt be one bit suprised if i saw him standing on a street corner waving a sign in red ink that says ,"don't buy DC vehicles, they are unreliable death traps." personaly, i would much rather take the advice of someone who has owned two DC minivans and occasionaly drives a Honda Odyssey along with test driving many other makes and and models, as in carelton's case rather than listen to someone who constantly trashes DC at any opportunity he gets.
 
for eneth, a trouble-free chrysler van is a very rare occurance. however, i have know many people who have had great experiences with their dc vans as well as some who have had minor to serious problems with theirs (which is sadly a larger than should be minority). we have owned two chrysler vans and both have been excellent, trouble free vehicles. basicly, it does not matter what chrysler does to eneth. they could offer a 20 year 200,000 mile warranty and he would still say they dont have confidence in their powertrains and are still unsafe deathtraps. with eneth, chrysler can do no right.
 
i prefer to live in the present rather than the past and aknowledge the progress chrysler has made over the last few years in safety and reliability. the 41te 4-speed auto trany is now able to compete with the competition in terms of reliability and performance. even edmunds said their 2001 town & country limited's 3.8 engine and 4-speed transmission worked better together than that of the 2001 odyssey. i have driven two 2001 DC minivans and their transmissions shifted much smoother than the one in our 2000 town & country does.

#1161 of 4276 minivans aren't fun to drive? by 4aodge

Mar 03, 2002 (4:47 pm)

maybe not, but chrysler sure has done it's part to make them more exciting to drive than those from other makes. a 2002 grand caravan es is the perfect example. not only is it a looker as far as minivans go, but it has some very sporty equipment including the torquey and powerful 3.8 v6, 17 inch chrome wheels with performance tires, load leveling suspension, sway bar, fog lamps, autostick transmission, and excellent handling. as edmunds.com says, "it is a drivers minivan."
 
oh and lets not forget, a disc cd changer with the infinity sound system to pump out the jams during all those fun trips to the soccer tournament and grochery store!

#1162 of 4276 by eneth

Mar 03, 2002 (5:35 pm)

"Driver's minivan" ranks right up there with "exciting refrigerator". People don't buy minivans for driving excitement - they buy them out of necessity. Unfortunately, what started out as a simple exercise in an alternative to large station wagons has similarly grown bloated and less efficient over time - which again, is one reason minivan sales have cooled rapidly.
 
As many of my friends and relatives have found out with large SUVs, they're cumbersome to live with after a while - and tastes shift. The minivan has already peaked in popularity and is on the decline overall - unfortunately for DaimlerChrysler, which is still very dependent on them.
 
Even DaimlerChrysler sees the handwriting on the wall - witness the production testing of the Citadel, and the next-generation of Mercedes wagons. There'll still be a role for minivans, but I suspect a lot of people have figured out that for day to day use, a wagon works as well or better - and that they can rent a minivan when they need one, rather than having to drive the beast everywhere.
 
It'll also be interesting to see how things shake out as demand falls - remember that some automakers are capable of shifting production from vans to cars on the same assembly line, with no lost production. Others end up forced to discount products so they can keep the lines running.
 
As for Chrysler Group's progress in minivan safety, well - given all the past problems, it wouldn't take much to improve (and it should be noted that the new vans still trail those from Ford, Toyota and Honda in crash safety, despite DaimlerChrysler's longer experience building them).

#1163 of 4276 A 10 Year/120K mile Warranty is Nice But!!!! by dchopp

Mar 03, 2002 (7:30 pm)

While driving in Rural Western Pa. I came across a Honda Accord along side the road with the hood up. I stopped to render assistance and He informed me his 2000 Accord died. Then He was on the cell phone and was mad as hell when he was informed that the closes Honda Dealer was State College about 2 hours away. Had he bought a Gm Ford or Chrysler, help was only about 2 miles down the road in the next town. Thank God it wasn't a Kia because the closes dealer was 3 1/2 hours away in Pittsburgh. I love my Van and the best warranty is knowing that if I need help its only a few miles away in the next town.

#1164 of 4276 by emale

Mar 03, 2002 (9:47 pm)

hummm, let's see. the last time i checked, the dc minis had the lowest rate of insurance claims and costs vs other vans...boy, they must really be unsafe!!!
 
it is truly amazing how much faith people will put in one stop shopping...ie crash test star ratings...!

#1165 of 4276 driving excitement by 4aodge

Mar 04, 2002 (12:04 am)

'"Driver's minivan" ranks right up there with "exciting refrigerator"'
 
perhaps. but id much rather have an exciting refrigerator (dc minivan) versus a boaring refrigerator (honda odyssey).

#1168 of 4276 by steve_ HOST

Mar 04, 2002 (9:42 am)

I think we've covered most of this before.
 
Anyone can comment anywhere on Town Hall so long as they are civil, on topic, etc.
 
So feel free to discuss problems or solutions here - any more off-topic bashing will fall under my housekeeping broom.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

Messages Page 117 of 428

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