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Dodge Caravan/Chrysler Voyager

13468945

Comments

  • poochsterpoochster Member Posts: 7
    According to the very nice brochure from Dodge,17" tires are not an option for AWD. Also of note, from the Chryster brochure, also a very nice peice of work, they do not have 17" tires listed at all. I don't know if this is true, I noticed some typo's in the Dodge brochure.
  • poochsterpoochster Member Posts: 7
    Just having a little bit of fun on the distrustful theme.
    Are you following any special break in period for your van. The manual says not to drive over 55 till 300 miles. This seems a bit severe.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    rushe,

    sounds fishy to me. however, any number of things can cause a temporary hold on production...certain paint colours, suppliers not able to supply parts, etc. anyway, if production is indeed on hold, it won't last long...
  • bettygbettyg Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for the feedback
    ...I also have both
    brochures but in checking KBB, they had
    ES AWD with 17" tires.
    Just wanted positive
    info and you provided
    that. Now I can take
    my numbers and try to
    make a deal...thanks
    again!
  • rolfe2rolfe2 Member Posts: 81
    You're welcome. I see that I had a typo on my earlier post. I should have said AWD makes a difference on the 29S, not AWD makes a difference on the ES.

    As I'm sure you understood -- 29S non-AWD on the ES includes 17" wheels (I think); 29S AWD on the ES includes 16" wheels (for sure).

    Good luck.

    --rolfe.
  • rolfe2rolfe2 Member Posts: 81
    I did baby it for 300 mi or so. Have about 500 on it now.

    I plan to change oil and filter at 1,000, then revert to recommended interval.

    I'm considering changing tranny fluid early on also, since the tranny has been a chronic problem since 1989. I'll probably use a shorter service interval on it for the duration, since I consider it the weak link in the system.

    --rolfe.
  • brians5brians5 Member Posts: 23
    I have reached an agreement to purchase a 2001 T&C Limited for $34,088 from a dealer in Oregon. I added options of: Heated seats, Engine block heater, In-dash CD changer, Integrated child seat, Tow prep package and cargo net.

    Since there is no sales tax in Oregon, the only other cost will be $43.00 to register and title the van.

    Is this a good deal? It seems so, as this price is actually below invoice price. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

    -Brians
  • joseph2000joseph2000 Member Posts: 2
    I read somewhere --I think a piece in Detnews.com/auto that both rebates were going to offered this week for persons leasing caravans & chrysler vans. Has any one else heard anything about this?
  • poochsterpoochster Member Posts: 7
    I'll stick with the recommended plan and take it easy till 300 miles. Rolfe2, have you given any thought to using synthetic oil or tranny fluid? I live in Northern Ohio so the winter mornings can get pretty cold. I do not have a heated garage (they only make the car rust faster up here) and the lower viscosity when cold sounds good. I also have a co-worker who had good luck with synthetic tranny fluid. Here has around 180K on his Caddy. Perhaps I'll check click and clack website, I'm sure they covered this.
  • axle59axle59 Member Posts: 28
    I highly recommend synthetic oil, especially in cold weather areas. 5W30 is your best all around bet. The synthetic will not thicken up like conventionals at below freezing temperatures, making for easier starts and oil flowing faster to critical engine parts. If you do decide to use a synthetic then I would use Mobil 1. It is the only one to use a %100 synthetic base stock. All of the other brands switched to a conventional stock with synthetic improvements. Mobil took Castrol to court over it and the court upheld Castrol's side saying that a modified base stock can still be labeled as %100 synthetic. The real kicker though is that even though the modified base stock is about %50 cheaper than a full synthetic, they still charge $4.50 a bottle just like Mobil. I would also recommend using a engine treatment like Prolong. It too will also make starting easier and protect your engine in the cold weather. One more thing, when you switch to a synthetic you should notice a MPG increase. I got about a 1MPG increase in my 2001 T&C with the 3.8 but I had a honda civic at one time when I was single that got an increase from 32MPG to 36MPG just by using synthetic.
  • rolfe2rolfe2 Member Posts: 81
    poochster, I am considering using synthetic oil, and I appreciate axle59's comments.

    I'd like to read more... does anyone have a pointer to reviews or studies? Does the use of synthetic oil change the oil-change interval?

    Do you have to do anything special to make the switch-over, other than to drain the oil and change the filter?

    As far as tranny fluid is concerned, I'm so nervous about the 41te transmission (having had one in my 1990 Caravan and reading too many horror stories), that I won't consider using anything but the DC recommended product, especially during the factory warranty period.
  • rolfe2rolfe2 Member Posts: 81
    Check my math here (all prices invoice, as per Edmunds):

    T&C Limited FWD - $31423
    tow package - $149
    heated seats - $213
    quad seats with child seat - $106
    engine block heater - $30
    4 disc CD - $128
    cargo net - ???
    TOTAL - $32,049 + cargo net

    So, I get $2,039 more than invoice
    for your $34,088, unless I'm missing something, like you forgot to mention AWD or something.
  • mib111mib111 Member Posts: 1
    What can you tell me about how to avoid paying the $550 plus advertising fees for the 2001 T&C Ltd.? The dealer said "everyone has to pay it." Looks as though some postings say they didn't.

    Sounds like a line to me....feedback? Thanks.
  • gcintendergcintender Member Posts: 36
    ...what are the magic words you used to make the advertising charges disappear?

    I'm currently dealing for a Dodge Grand Caravan ES, and here in the Philadelphia area the costs are $210.00 for local advertising and $270.00 for national. My saleswoman is being obstinate about it, saying, "We pay it, so you pay it."

    Well, I'd much prefer not to, and in fact deleting these fees would seal the deal for me. Any pointers on how to get it done?
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    Tell her exactly that - that she'll lose the deal if the charges aren't removed. Given the softness of the market right now, it just might work - the same tactic worked for me when I bought my last car.

    Or, tell the salesperson you'll want to order a van from the factory - which will not need to be advertised, so there should be no fee (grin).
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    check out this link for a recent review of the 01' grand caravan...

    http://www.usatoday.com/money/columns/healey.htm
  • brians5brians5 Member Posts: 23
    OOPS!!

    Please disregard the spelling errors in the last posting (#356). I am most embarrassed!
  • ruthw1ruthw1 Member Posts: 2
    Very interesting! But didn't you have to pay tax, license and registration, and documentation fees?
  • gcintendergcintender Member Posts: 36
    Thanks for your very precise description of your deal. You did a great job! I'll follow your lead soon, and let everyone know how it turned out.

    ruthw1 - I think I remember brians5 saying in a previous post that Oregon has no sales tax, and he was charged only $43.00 for license and registration. Delaware, too, has no sales tax but you must pay the 6% Pennsylvania tax when you register the car in this great Commonwealth. Plus, I've been quoted wildly varying license/registration fees, from $55.00 to $131.00. Every dealer is different, and charges what the market will bear above the state-mandated $26.50 title transfer fee.
  • brians5brians5 Member Posts: 23
    Dear Ruth;
    Yes, Steve (gcintender) was right when he said Oregon has no sales tax. Zip, nada!

    As far as registration goes, Oregon DMV charges $43.00 to title and register a new vehicle. (No matter what the value.)

    Any fees over and above what your state actually charges for title and registration are dealer add-ons and should not be tolerated. Yes they will kick and scream like an insolent toddler, but don't give in. Tell them, as in the case of the customer loyalty fee and document prep fee, that if they must charge them, then it will have to eat into their profit, not your bottom line!

    Incidentally, the "customer loyalty" fee as Chrysler calls it is...are you ready for this...a fee they charge to send you surveys as to how you liked your sales experience, any service experience etc. throughout the ownership of your van!! Isn't that a hoot! they charge you to send you surveys! I can't #$%@!! believe it!!

    Steve, please let us know how your deal went. They (dealers) scrap with us over every cent, so don't you give them any more than you have to for DMV. Go dog go!!

    -Brian
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    brian,

    i'm not at all surprised that we get charged for surveys. afterall, nothing is for free now, is it?! just surprising that they haven't actually hidden this cost in somewhere else on the balance sheet.
  • jcrider1jcrider1 Member Posts: 2
    Hi - I'm about to purchase the 2001 T&C limited but want to negotiate the cost of the extended warranty before being sent to the finance folks. Right now they are willing to sell it to me for around $1800 and they told me their cost is around $1400. Does anyone know what their actual cost is for the Maxicare 7yr/100K plan?

    Thanks
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    I just purchased the Honda Care 7yr./100K/0deduct. warranty on my 2001 Odyssey for $885. T&C Limited is $1800, does that tell you the quality of both vehicles.
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    Price of an extended warranty has no relation to quality of any car! If you are so proud of buying an Odyssey, why did you buy an extended warranty for it???? Kinda shows that some people don't have much trust in their so called "quality" product. Pricing of an extended warranty is not relevant to the quality of any vehicle period. a T&C Limited does have more options and features that an Odyssey will never have.
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    Actually, it depends on the source of the warranty. If it's from (or backed by) an insurance company, the repair history of the vehicle does have a bearing on the cost of the warranty - actuaries use historical data to come up with the price of the warranty.

    However, it is often possible to negotiate on the cost of any extended warranty - the actual price may be set at several times the projected repair cost, and remember that companies that deal with warranting more than one make of vehicle, can and do spread the risk between vehicles with historically expensive warranty claims (DaimlerChrysler minivans certainly qualify here) and vehicles with much lower warranty costs (like Toyota Camry models).
  • cesarpcesarp Member Posts: 47
    I have to agree with rbacsafra! We purchased a 2000 T&C AWD Limited earlier this year and did not purchased an extended warranty of any kind.

    jcrider1,

    check out this web site http://www.chryslerwarranty.com/ you might save a few dollars.
  • poochsterpoochster Member Posts: 7
    I did not get the extended warranty with my 2001 Caravan. It was not an issue when I signed the papers. For those who are considering getting one, try this instead. Figure how much interest you could make on the cost of the warranty over three years. Use either the interest rate of your loan or a cd. Then decide if you think you will spend that much on repairs during the extent of the extended warranty.
    Also there are many places that sell extended warrenties. You can usually add these on anytime before the factory warranty expires.
  • brians5brians5 Member Posts: 23
    Cesar;

    If you don't mind me asking, what was the "out the door" price you paid for your 2000 T&C Limited AWD? (van, tax, registration, everything.)

    BTW, thanks for the web site about extended warranties. Very interesting.

    Thanks,
    Brian
  • gpvsgpvs Member Posts: 214
    I'm thinking of getting the 2001 T&C Limited since it has all the extras that the spousal unit wants. We currently have a 97 T&C but with the new stuff they added, it just seemed more attractive. My question is whether anyone knows if Chrysler is going to add an integrated Nav system to the car? Or knows whether that's an option that I'm not aware of?

    Thanks.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    If you are so proud of buying
    an Odyssey, why did you buy an extended warranty
    for it???? Why did I buy it, because I know that in 7 yrs. I am bound to have some kind of problem with it that most likely will cost more than the warranty did now. In six yrs,I bet the labor rate to repair any car will be about $100. Won't take long to get my 885 back. I bet in 7 yrs most vehicles will have a large repair bill. But my Odyssey will have less than any Chyrsler Mini.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    you are right, you'll get your 800 bucks back in a hurry since foreign jobbies are so expensive to fix...! as for an odyssey being any better than an 01 chrysler in the long run...only time will tell but i'd be willing to bet the difference is quite small...and might even favor the chrysler!
  • brianinohbrianinoh Member Posts: 20
    2001 Odyssey--third year of production
    2001 DC vans--first year of production

    Generally, third year production vehicles will have fewer problems than first year production vehicles. First year of redesign for Odyssey (1999) would be expected to have more problems then 2001 model year. Third/fourth year of production for DC vans (1999) would be expected to have fewer problems than first year (2001) models. But as you indicated, in the long run, who knows.
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    Remember that the Caravan/Voyager/Town and Country are "foreign jobbies" now too - products of a German automaker known for expensive parts and service.
  • cesarpcesarp Member Posts: 47
    It is too bad the warranty doesn't cover replacing the timing belt at the 105K miles interval. This service will set you back about $1200 (includes replacing water pump) in today's dollars.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    maybe that's how dc's chrysler group can get their bottom line back in the black. charge mb prices on minivan replacement parts. hummm...a remanufactured 41te for say 2500 bucks. sound good?
  • mnmmikeymnmmikey Member Posts: 1
    Took delivery last month in Michigan. Drove it home to Vegas, 2,000 miles. 3.3L 180hp engine performed well. Started with 250 miles on odo.
    First fill up achieved 17mpg, some 100 miles from Vegas, mileage was 23.8mpg. Can't complain. This is my fourth Caravan and third 3.3 engine.
    The 2001 is much quieter than the '96. Looking forward to at least five years of good rides. mnmvideomikey Las vegas
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    Hondas aren't very cheap to fix especially when it starts to creep near the 100K mile mark. How are you so sure your Ody will have less of a repair bill that a DC minivan? How can you be so assured when the 2nd Gen Odyssey hasn't been out long enough to prove it's reliablity.
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    Isn't it funny how the Odyssey Problems thread keeps growing and growing every day? The Caravan problems thread hasn't been as active as was in the past. Why are people still having tranny problems with their 2001 van? Why are the same problems in the 99 version are being experienced by the 00 and especially to the 01 odyssey owners?
  • echang2020echang2020 Member Posts: 2
    I'm debating whether to lease my new van vs purchasing the van...any thoughts as to which is more advantageous? Also has anyone been given an estimate of the average monthly cost of a lease on a 2001 T&C AWD - my negotiated price was 500 below invoice...
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    It'll be interesting to see how the new management team tries to turn things around - one thing is for sure - you _will_ be seeing incentives on the 2001 minivans - they have no choice, unless they plan to keep the plants closed or reduce the production schedules.

    DaimlerChrysler's shares have fallen almost as if it were a dot.com of late - there sure won't be a lot of money around for new models if they don't move soon. They'll end up having to go back to the 80s "one platform for everything" model that saved them once.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    . Why are people still having tranny problems
    with their 2001 van? Why are the same problems in
    the 99 version are being experienced by the 00 and
    especially to the 01 odyssey owners. I can ask
    the same kind of questions with the D&C vans, plus
    why are the D&C vans still flunking all the crash
    tests year in and year out. The reason you don't hear much on the 01 D&C vans is they aren't selling enough to have problems with. People finally got smart and are buying Odysseys. Thats why they are putting rebates,low fin. on them. Give them a while and there will be plenty of problems. The odds are on my side, from past history.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    dmathews,

    what crash test have the dc minis flunked??

    eneth,

    i'd like to know where the 10 billion in cash reserves went that chrysler had before the merger! seems dc would rather throw money away on the smart car vs anything chrysler group does. or at least that is the way the media is portraying it...time will tell.
  • j199081j199081 Member Posts: 7
    I am looking for 2000 T&C, and few dealers call me back all saying no more 2000 T&C, offer me to consider 2001. AS I check the news headline "DaimlerChrysler ousts Chrysler head", should I wait for two month to see if Chrysler will offer attractive incentives to 2001 T&C LXi and Limited? Now I only saw 0.9% for 2001 LX model. Do you think it is very possible? Thanks.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    oh I'm sorry, I forgot that D&C (sounds like a procedure they do on women) got a 5 star rating all around. Then they drove it.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    huhhh?
  • scannerscanner Member Posts: 295
    This topic reads just like the old Troll Hall.

    A bunch of Oddfiles attempting to hijack the DC topics.

    Why don't the Odyssey owners do the rest of us a favor and work on keeping down the various noises coming from over in Honda Odyssey Problems Part VI before we have to call the cops.
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    Scanner...LOL!

    dmatthews3, have fun with your van. It hasn't proven to be reliable just yet. How are DC minivans flunking crash tests? Flunking a crash test is getting poor ratings like 1 star from NHTSA or IIHS ratings. Say the facts, don't make assumptions on what you think is right. Just because you read someting from a magazine article or see something on TV doesn't make your opinion superior. Your humor doesn't make sense. Why can't you answer why Odysseys are experiencing the same problems time and time again? Even after the 3rd year of production?
  • gbush1gbush1 Member Posts: 13
    I thin the 2001 DC vans could be very good. However as you know, dmathews3 does not like them. But he is the same one who claims Toyota Sienna's are all going to have tranny problems. I hope he enjoys his van and I may yet buy a Honda. But Honda has to fix the tranny and pulling problems first. Toyota did have a T/C problem but is working on it. Point I'm making is that all vans have problems for whatever reason. But don't bash someone else's purchase when the one you bought has not proven to be any better other then in your own eyes. Opinions are helpful, trashing is not. Hey, just an opinion.
  • rbacsafrarbacsafra Member Posts: 85
    amen! That's what i'm talking about.
  • brians5brians5 Member Posts: 23
    Hello Ed Chang!

    A few postings ago, you wanted to know some opinions on buying vs. leasing.

    Consumer Reports has done several studies and articles on the subject. I don't know right off hand what issue the last article was in, but if you go to the index in any issue of their latest magazine, I'm sure you will find it.

    Generally, in the car biz they refer to leasing as "fleecing" because that is exactly what they do to you. In most cases, leasing is not as financially prudent as purchasing.

    By the way, $500.00 under invoice is a good deal on the van.

    Hope this helps,
    -Brian
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