Cons of buying a Caravan?

We're looking at buying a Caravan (probably between 1998 and 2000) as my Windstar is now toast. I was wondering if anyone could tell me the issues that these are known or prone to have?

Thanks in advance!

Don't buy one with a leak(oil, Trannie fluid or antifreeze). If possible, get a local trade-in. Ask to see maintenance records if available. Get either a 3.3 or 3.8 engine, not the 3.0. Look at antifreeze and A/C lines going to the rear of the car and see if they are heavily rusted. Look at the top of the strut towers in the engine compartment for heavy rust/deterioration. During the test drive listen for groaning from the front suspension when going slowly over a speed bump or something like that, may be bad sway bar bushings/links.
Try ALL the power equipment(windows, every door lock etc.) Remote door lock/unlock, wipers, all lights, turn signals. Gas tube supports for rear gate. Verify the A/C works on all speeds of both the front and rear blowers(if equipped), verify air comes out where it should, based on the control position(self explanatory). Make sure cruse control works. I still think it is the best cruse in the industry.
Just a few things that come to mind, there are some others that I am sure others can think of, some real pros here.

Don't buy a van that old unless you are married to a mechanic. Maybe you enjoy having some one else's headache.
If you are poor, go lease a new van. You only die once.

Please refrain from replying unless you have useful information to add. Purchasing a vehicle in this range of years has nothing to be with being poor or not...its simply means that there is not a payment every month for the next 3-5 years.

As far as headaches go...I have a 1996 Windstar that I've had for quite a few years now and have had no real issues until about a month ago and it's got just over 375K on it. Purchasing an older vehicle does not always mean you're taking over someone elses problems.

In the future please only reply if there is something useful to add.

Thanks.

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You may not have a payment every month, but you will have huge repair bills. Maybe you will get lucky and buy a van with some intermitant problem that only happens once every three weeks, and I am sure the seller will cheerfully inform you of that.
Good luck getting 375k miles on a Chrysler product without paying for it twice.

The threadstarter asked for advice, try giving them some intelligent replies.

There is always someone on these forums that comes up with that totally useless BS. Must be a very unhappy person.

nomi123 - Here's a bit more info: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=720450

blazee - Glad to see we have a moderator again. Welcome aboard.

Stretch58 - Bernard has does have some good info to pass along now and then but, yes, there's times when he has the tact of a bull moose with roids.

Bernard Feltzer - We all know these vans have their problems, just as many other vans do. Best to be both informative and positive (or at least neutral).

These vans,(including the Chevy Venture which nomi123 is also inquiring about in another forum,) are used by many schools , governments, and municipalities racking up hundreds of thousands of miles each year. There are literally hundreds of thousands of these vehicles on the road today and have become very popular over the last 25 years. Each vehicle has it's "quirks" and idiosyncrasies, but knowing what those are and roughly how much to repair it before you buy the vehicle is a good move. This site is a good place to get a sampling of what goes wrong with each respective vehicle. Unfortunately, we also have to put up with those who would rather make rude comments instead of assisting another member with some helpful info.

The truth of the matter is that, I have had two caravans, and both of them went over 500,000 miles with no major problems, they were both 3.0 v6's and they were both 88 models. The 3.0 is not a bad motor, they are easy to work on, have lots of power, and are plentiful and cheap to repair. The only problems that I have had with the 3.0 is the valve seals. I was able to get a professional shop to fix them for $125.00. all the valve seals do when they go bad is make the van smoke. Replace em' and your good to go! ;-).

________________:grinyes:

You should turn the van on and off multiple times at the beginning and end of your test drive. Make sure it starts right away each and every time you start it. I've heard from quite a few people (and have substantiated it myself with the Grand Caravan I would gladly give you for $3) that a common fault of these vans is some loose connections which cause them to quit mid-drive and sometimes simply not start when the key is turned.

Also, make sure the plastic headlight covers are very clear.

Check under the battery to see if it has leaked acid down on the main harness connections. If (when) that harness corrodes it is over $1000 to be replaced.

Look at the brake rotors to see if they are smooth or grooved. Smooth is good, grooved is definitely bad.

Check the door seals. If they are torn they are about $100 each to replace.

Check both front and rear tires for EVEN wear. if ANY of the tires show more wear on the inside or outside it means worn out suspension parts or shocks/struts.

If you live in the northeast like I do, check out the rust situation. One would think Chrysler didn't anticipate selling these in the northeast where they are exposed to salt. I've had rust issues in some unusual spots. My Voyager is 5.5 years old. I can no longer lower the spare tire because of rust. I went to put a trailer hitch on after 5.5 years and after breaking the weld on one of the nuts (nuts are welded on a bracket that slide into the frame rail and bumper had to be removed to get them out and put new ones in...$50 each from dealer) I had an additional $300 in installation costs because of rust. My hood is rusting through at the front lip where the metal folds over and is welded on the underside. My hatch is rusting where the glass and metal meet. That started between year 2 and 3. Even if the car was never washed I think that is unusual for that age. The botton seam of both front doors started rusting at about year 4. A coworker of mine has a 2000 GC and the bracket under the engine area which is apparently supposed to help hold the engine and tranny in, rusted and had to be replaced. Apparently this was supposed to be somewhere around $2k but was covered because it was a known issue for that year (I can't speak any better on this issue as I got the info second hand). It's really sad because my van drives nice and is comfortable, but it is falling apart around me. Brakes seems to be an issue but I would bet that all vans are tough on brakes. To me it seems excessive to have done 3 front brake jobs in 62,000 miles. I don't think brakes would deter me from buying a van though, since if you can do the work yourself it's not terribly expensive. drums, shoes, rotors, pads and front calipers cost me about $400. I have the 2.4L 4 cyl with 3 spd transmission. It is a dog in terms of power with the a/c on but it seems to be holding up well. When the a/c is off power is not too much of an issue. I can always get up to highway speed comfortably, you just can't be one of those people that enters a 3 lane highway and shoots across to the left lane.

I had a 92 for 3 years for my job. Major problem was a head gasket. 4 cylinder had an aluminum block and they had this problem. Just don't overheat them. Other problem was rust. I just bought a 93 with an excellent body. Ended up putting a new motor in it, but now it should be good for a lot of miles. Both were 5 speeds. Not good if you intend on hauling a lot of people around because they're underpowered, but for myself they're great. I take the back seats out so I can put a cot in and it's perfect for my travels. Nice thing about older vans is you can get cheap parts from the wreckers.