2390 messages,
Last post on Jan 10, 2013 at 6:55 PM
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Chrysler/Plymouth Voyager, Dodge Caravan Forum.
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Chrysler Voyager, Dodge Caravan, Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Grand Voyager, Van
#2030 of 2390 Beware the "small" stuff.
by pauln
Dec 29, 2004 (12:26 pm)
In 2001 we bought a new Grand Caravan ES with with all the bells and whistles. What we've found out is that the quality of the bells and whistles is pretty poor. So far with only 68K miles we've had to replace a power window motor for $250 and a whole power seat assembly. for $465. Note the power seat assembly is all one part with 3 motors and all the operating hardware. Our power seat motors were fine, but something was jammed causing the seat to only move 2 notches. The dealer says they can only replace the whole thing.
When I communicated with Dodge they sent a kiss off letter. Both things occurred just after warranty. I kept the seat assembly to find out what really went wrong and to remind me to avoid Chrysler products in the future.
Buyer beware.
#2031 of 2390 Expensive repairs on "bells and whistles"(pauln)
by hansienna
Dec 29, 2004 (12:53 pm)
Excellent post. That is why I have avoided power windows, power seats, NAV, etc. as long as I could.
Same with high tech OHC engines.
#2032 of 2390 Re: Front end clunk [masterpaul1]
by mfahey1
Dec 29, 2004 (1:53 pm)
Thanks. It goes in tomorrow so we'll see what the mechanic says. They are very competent and most of all, honest, so if they say something needs to be replaced, I believe them.
Dec 30, 2004 (11:20 am)
I know what you mean. We bought our 2001 GC EX in Sep. 2003. In a few days after purchase, both front power windows regulators went. It only cost us $100 since we purchased the MaxiumCare Warranty. I can't really comment on this to much since we are not the original owners, but I will be able to in five or so years from now. All other bells and whistles still work. As far as your power seat is concerned, make sure to not put anything under the seat in the future, since this can cause a problem. We have a 98 Pontiac Sunfire with no power anything. (My wife is the primary driver) The front passengers seat could no longer be moved forward or backwards. After looking underneath the seat, I found a bunch of stuff my Wife had placed there that interfered with the cable/spring mechanism that allowed you to adjust the seat forward and backwards. I fixed it, but only after three different tries. I prefer to have power and manual. But I know that with certain things, you can't have both power and manual for that item if it brakes.
#2034 of 2390 Re: Front end clunk [masterpaul1]
by mfahey1
Dec 30, 2004 (2:47 pm)
Ours wound up being the sway bar links and the sway bar bushings. The mechanic said that he is seeing a lot of these on the 1996+ Caravans. Since ours spends the summers in rural Maine on what could barely be called roads in most areas of the country, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that these parts wore out. The total for parts and labor was $198.
He also showed me where the front rotors were starting to spall and flake off. He said that as a general rule, the Chrysler rotors aren't even worth trying to turn and that for no more than they cost(get what you pay for?), you just replace them.
#2035 of 2390 Re: Front end clunk [mfahey1]
by masterpaul1
Dec 30, 2004 (3:52 pm)
I'm glad you got your van fixed. You bring up a good point about what kind of roads you drive on. We live in Chicago and for the most part the roads are decent. But Chicago has it's share of pot holes and rough roads from the different weather conditions all year around.
#2036 of 2390 The incentives or discounts didn't seem to matter
by jtheron
Jan 04, 2005 (6:28 pm)
When we bought our 2004 T&C van we received about $12,000 off of a $36,000 MSRP van. We saw all kinds of incentives or discounts or bonuses advertised for loyalty and conquest and farm bureau and military and college grad and mail certificate and national and TDM (whatever that is)and trade-in allowance and such, but the dealer didn't ask us what rebates applied and didn't seem to care which ones we may have qualified for or not.
#2037 of 2390 2005 Dodge GC radio
by marine2
Jan 13, 2005 (6:08 pm)
I just noticed the other day ( I've had it almost two weeks now) that the face on the AM/FM radio, CD/cassett, not only tells you the station it's on, but also the song being played and the person singing it.
I have a 2004 Honda Civic and had a 2001 Dodge P/U and they never did that. Is this something new they just came out with, or is it that I just have a better radio in this van?
Jan 15, 2005 (6:44 am)
Its called RDS. It's been around for a few years now. My 2003 Chrysler has it. It only shows up on stations that transmit such information. I used to live in metro Atlanta and almost all radio stations there broadcast the name of the station along with the name of the artist and title of the song. I moved down to Columbus, GA (100 mi southwest of Atlanta on the AL state line) last Spring and none of the stations here do it. It is a neat feature.
#2039 of 2390 Re: marine2 [uga91]
by marine2
Jan 15, 2005 (7:03 am)
It is a neat feature. I usually listen to talk radio on AM as the speakers were not all that great on the truck and Civic for music. But the six speakers on the mini van are very nice, so I have been listening to music much more. Wonder what it would sound like with the eight speakers instead of the six I have now?
I have noticed radios don't sound half as nice as they use to, since they took the speakers out of the dash and put them all in the doors, on the two and four speaker systems. I think they sound much better in the dash and on the rear deck then in the doors.