NHTSA #s - Sienna lookin bad VS Caravan
RIP
08-01-2011, 01:46 PM
http://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-caravan/299345-toyota-sienna-vs-dodge-grand-caravan.html
Anyone have a reasonable explanation for these lousy numbers for the 2011 Sienna? 61 complaints vs 5 for the Caravan. Are we buying the wrong van?
Anyone have a reasonable explanation for these lousy numbers for the 2011 Sienna? 61 complaints vs 5 for the Caravan. Are we buying the wrong van?
Weekend_Mechanic
08-02-2011, 09:01 PM
RIP,
I would say NO, we're buying the right van, and here's why. I had a '90 caravan and it was junk. At first it seemed great, then the starter went out, and the paint flaked off, and then the tranny failed, and finally, while driving between states, it died on me in Atlanta. A local mechanic kept it for three weeks and couldn't get it to die again. My wife refused to drive it and I was fed up with it, so I traded it in on the Sienna. That was 2004 and I couldn't be happier..unless, of course, someone would have bought the Sienna for me.
I'll stick with Toyotas and avoid Chryslers at all costs.
Cheers!
-WM
I would say NO, we're buying the right van, and here's why. I had a '90 caravan and it was junk. At first it seemed great, then the starter went out, and the paint flaked off, and then the tranny failed, and finally, while driving between states, it died on me in Atlanta. A local mechanic kept it for three weeks and couldn't get it to die again. My wife refused to drive it and I was fed up with it, so I traded it in on the Sienna. That was 2004 and I couldn't be happier..unless, of course, someone would have bought the Sienna for me.
I'll stick with Toyotas and avoid Chryslers at all costs.
Cheers!
-WM
RIP
08-18-2011, 09:33 PM
Yup understand that and can't blame you but I'm looking for more than anectodal evidence. Only thing I've found since was the Sienna was on the market 9 months earlier than the Caravan. That may account for a few but 61? Even the Odysee had more reported problems than the Caravan by a wide margin. Did Chrysler really get it that right this time? It's hard to believe considering the track record. Maybe Sergio and his Fiat gang aren't the wanna bees we thought they were.
Weekend_Mechanic
08-23-2011, 12:23 PM
RIP,
I understand your concern and respect your skepticism of my personal experience being presented as evidence. Perhaps Dodge has improved their quality, which would be a welcome surprise (I hope all US manufacturers surpass foreign quality). And, based on anecdote evidence (found in the press) it appears that Toyota quality has declined some in recent years.
That being said, I suggest keeping an eye on this to see how the two brands compare in 2-3 years. NHTSA maintains a database of all recalls for vehicles.sold in the USA (see link below). Historically Toyota and Honda have had few recalls compared to the big three US manufacturers. This trend is seems to be changing, with Big 3 quality improving. (http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm?type=VEHICLE&SearchType=DrillDown&step=2).
Having owned both Big 3 and Asian vehicles, and being one who used to preach "buy American," I now preach "purchase a quality automobile that will run for many years." Based on my purchasing experience, the Asian brands have high reliability and quality. I hope that, in the near future, I can make the same statement about one, or all, of the Big 3 brands.
=wm
I understand your concern and respect your skepticism of my personal experience being presented as evidence. Perhaps Dodge has improved their quality, which would be a welcome surprise (I hope all US manufacturers surpass foreign quality). And, based on anecdote evidence (found in the press) it appears that Toyota quality has declined some in recent years.
That being said, I suggest keeping an eye on this to see how the two brands compare in 2-3 years. NHTSA maintains a database of all recalls for vehicles.sold in the USA (see link below). Historically Toyota and Honda have had few recalls compared to the big three US manufacturers. This trend is seems to be changing, with Big 3 quality improving. (http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm?type=VEHICLE&SearchType=DrillDown&step=2).
Having owned both Big 3 and Asian vehicles, and being one who used to preach "buy American," I now preach "purchase a quality automobile that will run for many years." Based on my purchasing experience, the Asian brands have high reliability and quality. I hope that, in the near future, I can make the same statement about one, or all, of the Big 3 brands.
=wm
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