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2003 Dodge Grand Caravan Owner Ratings & Reviews

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4.0
Overall
2 Reviews

2003 Dodge Grand Caravan - Good car for family with 5 kids, but maintenance.

Grand Caravan Owner
Geneseo, New York
Overall
3.0
Value
3.0
Performance
4.0
Style
4.0
Comfort
4.0
Fuel Economy
3.0
Reliability
2.0
This vehicle had 4,000 miles when we bought it. We had heard about transmission problems and had them but fixed them at a wonderful mechanic near us. Overall positive, but found it in the shop a lot. No catastrophic failures but little things that added up once your $239 a month payment is done to the bank you don't want to start a new payment stream to the mechanic three months after it's paid off. My wife found it easy to drive despite it being so much bigger and taller than a Honda Civic. The trunk opens very high and accommodates furniture, camping gear, plywood or drywall (or both) from Home Depot, etc. A roof rack (which I did not plan on) gave extra capacity and made a turtle shell carrier or sheet goods on the roof (tied down, of course), possible.
Story
This dark green minivan is always out with its 10 or more siblings. I came out of Home Depot one time in a hurry and was cursing when the key would not go in and I would be late for a kid's game. That's when a woman came up and said 'let me try my key' and I walked away so embarrassed when my van was the next spot past hers and looked identical to hers.
Pros
This car was great when our 5 kids were ages 12 to newborn. The bench in the middle row swapped out for a pair of captain chairs which helped on long car rides. The ride is fairly quiet for a large van. CD, tape and audio were more than adequate. Third row was critical. Roof rack made it possible to drive from NY to DC easily. Trunk is not that large, needed to get a turtle luggage carrier or similar. Lots of room. Seats are removable but unless you are a gym rat you can easily hurt yourself. Stow and go seating of later models is far preferable. For the handyman, the roof rack and size of... (more)
Cons
We have an excellent transmission shop locally that repaired our transmission twice (60K and about 95K). We have heard horror stories about the transmission about 50K. It happened at 60K for us, minor repair and only $80 at the shop. We were expecting another zero on that repair. Same the second time. Some gears to be swapped, clean and grease, about $100. Very lucky. This year was when Daimler Chrysler took over. Radiator broke, $95 part. Took three hours to get the part in and out. Serpentine belt the same. Any design issue this model year put the engineer's happiness ahead of the mechan... (more)

2003 Dodge Grand Caravan - Awesome mini van for multiple purposes

Monica
03279, New Hampshire
Overall
5.0
Value
5.0
Performance
3.0
Style
3.0
Comfort
5.0
Fuel Economy
4.0
Reliability
5.0
I have had my Grand Caravan for five years now, and I love it. I have driven across country with it at least five times and have never had a single problem with the engine, transmission or drive train. For a six-cylinder, the gas mileage is good, averages around 21 MPG. Over 200,000 miles now, and it is still going strong. The engine and transmission are tight and sound awesome.
Story
I use my van for all sorts of purposes, one of them being hauling farm animals. I had my goat, Becky, with me once when we had to go through the drive through. The back windows are tinted, so the lady at the drive-in window had no idea Becky was there until she stuck her head over my should and yelled at the lady. The poor woman was so startled, she dropped the drinks she was holding!
Pros
It is a very comfortable ride. I have driven it across country and slept in it with my three children comfortably during our trip. If you take out the short middle seat, there is enough room to put in a full-size mattress while leaving the rear seat in place. I have been hit twice while driving and neither time did the impact really jostle anyone inside the vehicle so great for impacts. I love the dual-sliding doors too. It makes it easy to get to anything from either side. It is very spacious, the seat fold down, and there is exactly enough room to slide in 8'x4' sheet rock and plywood sh... (more)
Cons
It rusts easily and the body crumples easily. I was caught by a trucks brush guard, and it creased my side like it was nothing. My husband dented the rear hatch door just by pushing it closed. Also, blind spots are horrible. When merging in traffic, you have to take your eyes off the road to ensure no one is in your blind spot. With all the seats in, the trunk space is small. Cleaning can be an issue, too. The tracks holding in the seats collect every bit of detritus that makes its way inside.

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