Bryn blogged earlier this month that our Caravan was experiencing a few other problems. Well, the B-pillar creak hasn't gone away (over bumps and changes in the vehicle's momentum) and if the brakes aren't squeaking when coming to a stop, they're grinding as if the pads were made of corregated concrete. This was the first time I had experienced these problems and they're both aggravating given this minivan is only 13,000 miles old.
(UPDATE: Magrath just walked into the office and informed me that we actually did take the Caravan in to get it's brakes fixed. They allegedly ground down the rotors (they were pitted). That obviously didn't work. We're also waiting on a part of some sort to fix the rattle.)
If you were wondering about our brand new back bumper, well it appears to be on its way to warping just like the original piece and just like every other Caravan/T&C I've seen on the road. As the above photo shows, it is difficult to see on today's cool morning, but if left in some heat, it baloons up. Nothing that would prevent the failgate from opening, but if we were to take a Palm Springs vacation...
And now for a previously unreported problem: the seats are stained.
Yes, our tan-leathered Hyundai Azera and Audi Q7 both suffered from wear-and-tear staining on the driver seat. But that was just the driver seat. The same type of staining is everywhere in the Caravan, including non-leather surfaces. The outboard butt bolsters are particularly bad. True, we did run the Caravan at high speeds through a salt flat with the doors open, but all that dust has been extricated and we've had the vehicle detailed numerous times. The seats still look like this.
Click photos for larger images. Upper Left: Driver seat. Upper Right: Driver armrest (not made of leather. Lower Left: Side of Driver Seat. Lover Right: Driver-side Second-Row Seat.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 13,586 miles
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This thing is pathetic... even more so at $40k. Why would anyone get this over the Oddy and Sienna is beyond my imagination.
LOL
Nice footprint on the armrest.
louiswei I can tell you why someone would get it over a Sienna: it is a heck of a lot more enjoyable to drive, and in a 10 minute test drive the abysmal quality doesn't come to light. As to why anyone would buy it over an Odyssey just ask my wife, it is still beyond me why she wanted the DGC. I am just thankful we finally got that thing sold. 5 months was enough to realize that it was NOT the car for us.
rondo rondo rondo!
That's a real shame- I remember how ahead-of-the-class the Chrysler minivans were 10 years ago. The fact they've slid this much is a serious testimony as to how much Daimler has screwed up Chrysler. I'd still look at one for the stow-n-go, but I could accept a crummy interior appearance if it was at least built well, but that seems to be far from the case.
If I was moving my apartment, a Stow-N-Go DGC would be my first choice. It's a big box with a flat floor. Can't beat that. Beyond that, I mirror dougtheeng's sentiment...Rondo!
I'm curious to see what the resale value for this thing is after the year is up. I'd be surprised if you get more than mid-20s for it.
Are you sure it's not just dirty? Not trying to defend the van, but you'd be doing everyone a disservice if it was just dirty.
Let me clarify, that armrest, looks like it's plastic? That should come right off with a damp rag.
There's a hater walking all over the seat.
Who's walking on the seat with all those footprints? You?
Doors (resolved)
Sat/Nav Radio (replaced)
A/C (leaking from the factory - twice in before they found it)
Rear Bumper warp(just starting to happen now)
Front Bumper (watch the upper corners near the headlights the clips might fail)
Windshield whistling at 65 -70 mph (Sounds like a recorder..you know, that musical instrument that kids play with- not yet fixed)
Keep an eye on your transmission too...I have had mine downshift a couple times going around a corner and braking where it feels like someone rear ended me. Had the same issue in my 2005 grand cherokee.
Seat staining I better not have but I have the fabric seats where everything is supposed to be stainproof...so far so good (in that area)
I kept this entry in mind while driving around town earlier and what do you know? I saw a Dodge Grand Caravan with a warped plate, a Chrysler Town & Country with a warped plate, and a Chrysler Town & Country with the beginnings of a warped plate.
As much as I like domestic manufacturers and want them to succeed, this is just embarrassing. It is semi-comforting knowing this is the Germans' fault, but I'm not optimistic about Cerberus' management either. When it is time to get rid of this failure, I suggest taking inspiration from a couple episodes of Top Gear, namely the one where they turn the Reliant Robin into a Space Shuttle mock-up and launch it, and the one where they hurl cars off a cliff and Jeremy shoots them with increasingly powerful weaponry.
"louiswei I can tell you why someone would get it over a Sienna: it is a heck of a lot more enjoyable to drive, and in a 10 minute test drive the abysmal quality doesn't come to light. As to why anyone would buy it over an Odyssey just ask my wife, it is still beyond me why she wanted the DGC. I am just thankful we finally got that thing sold. 5 months was enough to realize that it was NOT the car for us."
mercedesfan,
That's too bad for you and your wife. What did you guys end up getting instead?
"As much as I like domestic manufacturers and want them to succeed, this is just embarrassing. It is semi-comforting knowing this is the Germans' fault, but I'm not optimistic about Cerberus' management either."
How would this be the Germans fault as the D/C vans never were really great examples of superb materials or build quality to begin with? Its a Chrysler product and I blame them.
My neighbor owns a DGC (infact, same color). And what do you know, it's bumper also is warping.
I agree with everyone here; a Kia Sedona or Hyundai Entourage is a better choice. No reason to buy this POS unless one really wants a Dodge or Chrysler brand.
Just pathetic. I don't think many would shed a tear when Chrysler collapses.
This reminds me of why I'm selling my SRT-4. I wouldn't touch a Chrysler product this side of a Viper even for the cost of the insurance. I don't see a DGC or T&C without that warped bumper. It's not long before all Chrysler vehicles watch their values drop like a stone from the Sear's Tower. I hate to see this happen, too, as watching the .5 of the Big 2.5 go away makes me quite sad.
@HondaAcura4: The prior 2 generations of Chrysler minivans were competitive or better-than their competitors for their time. Sit in a 1997 Chrysler Minivan (if you can still find one around that's been cared for) vs. anything else from the competition (Windstar.... or Venture... or Sienna.... or Quest..... ) , and Chrysler was leaps and bounds ahead in almost every way. They weren't paragons of reliability, but nowhere near this bad (and it tended to be things like the transmission or engine- not every little piece.)
Daimler's management is responsible for shaking out a lot of Chrysler's talented employees, mandating supplier arrangements (radio, bumper, etc.) , and implementing this CAD software that appears to be far behind what Chrysler was capable of 10 years ago. In other words- this is Daimler's fault almost entirely.
"True, we did run the Caravan at high speeds through a salt flat with the doors open"
Priceless!
regarding the brake noise of this new DGC, is chrysler still using the same type of brake pads from 2 generations ago? my parents 1997 dodge caravan had the brake noises after 4,000 miles. the noise was gone when the brake pads were replaced with aftermarket pads at 20,000 miles.