Used 1994 Dodge Caravan Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 1994 Caravan, so we've included reviews for other years of the Caravan since its last redesign.
Dodge Caravan Transmission Warning
EW, 03/20/2003
1993 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
This was the first of two Dodge Caravan purchases. The 1993 has 192,000 miles and the 1996 has 152,000 miles. Both have the 3.0 engine. In both vehicles, the engines are extraordinarily reliable with VERY FEW repairs. On the other hand, both have needed transmissions within 70,000 miles and each van has had three transmissions (two replacements each). Neither vehicle was used in towing or hill climbing nor have they been overloaded. Both were used for daily commuting on the FLAT Chicago area roadways. If it weren't for the poor transmission quality, these would be outstanding vehicles.
Good Choice
wt.pm, 06/06/2010
1994 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
This is the 5th Caravan/Voyager I have owned, all but the one with the 3.0 engine have been excellent vehicles. My first one had the 2.5 4-banger, the rest have had the 3.3, and I have averaged between 190k-300k miles on them. I have back problems, and have not found a vehicle that rides and drives as good around town, or on long trips. I have never had the trans problems associated with the vehicle, but I service my trans, every 75k-100k miles.
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See all 0 listingsGreat MiniVan
GreytHounds, 07/13/2004
1993 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
This has been the most reliable and versatile vehicle we have ever owned.
TIME FOR A CHANGE
NEWVANTIME, 08/19/2002
1993 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Now at 108K miles. New transmission at 70K ($2500) The trans was never right on this car, but dealer ignored complaints and kept "resetting the computer" til it blew out after warranty. major engine work needed by 75K. A clunky car since day one. Recall notices in the mail about every month-I stopped paying attention a few years ago. Off to the Honda dealer soon for a 2003 Odyssey...
after 10 years
anonymous, 07/22/2003
1993 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
1 owner, leaking oil, new shocks, new transmission, new front brake rotors and calipers, new windshield, been stolen once, failed aircare twice this year after 10 years of abuse. the air conditioner doesn't without making a loud screeching noise. engine makes a ticking noice when idling. automatic transmission shifter feels uneasy.
A great vehicle - I hate to let it go!
Roger, 12/06/2006
1993 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
What a great vehicle. I bought in '98 with about 45,000 miles and "commuted" from LA to Vancouver - up to 10 times a year! 2 long days of driving. I am tall, lowered the driver's seat 2 inches, took out the back seats and made a comfortable, almost queen size bed, good for a "micro motor home". Good fuel economy with the 3L engine. The a/c pump is about all I've had trouble with. Engine and tranny are great, after 13 years. Change brakes and tires, oil & tranny fluid - that's it. Thanks, Chrysler, for a great vehicle.
reliable because of stick shift
shimmy4, 07/24/2009
1994 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I still have one of the very rare stick-shift Caravans, discontinued in the mid-90s. So I never had the tranny problems most other owners had. Also, the paint peeling problem was fixed just prior to the 94 models, so, although there's some paint deterioration (hood and roof), no peeling after 180,000 miles. The 2.5 4cyl engine has been very reliable, the only problem being an ongoing (but not major) oil leak. A/C went out a few years ago, not worth fixing. Now trying to cope with fixing wheel bearings. They don't make the rear hubs anymore, so it's uncertain how much longer this van will be on the road. Too bad they don't go back and do this configuration again. Stick-shift vans rock!
All Around Performer
Eric, 05/09/2010
1994 Dodge Caravan LE 3dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Purchased from private party with 97K miles. Now has 233K miles and still running strong and body still solid. 3.3L engine has plenty of power to pull my 16' boat. Hauls kids, plywood and sofas with comfort and ease. Can't say enough great things about it. The new 2010 models aren't as nice as this one. It will surely be missed when it comes time to part with it.
Check for blowby and trans problems
cgijobs, 03/08/2005
1993 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
At 70,000 miles it started leaking oil; was told the problem was blowby, which can only be fixed by replacing engine (I have been told by more than one mechanic that this is fairly common for Caravans like mine). I've been able to live with the oil leak, but now at 133,000 miles the transmission is going out. Talking with other caravan owners, transmission problems are very common. Before buying an older Caravan I would make sure to have a mechanic check out the transmission carefully.
Great Beater & Mobile Tool Box
mike, 06/05/2008
1993 Dodge Caravan ES 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Bought this van for handyman business. It has been a reliable mobile tool box since the purchase. Van now has 160+K Miles. It burns oil, but still hauls plywood and lumber w/out the cost of a V8 pick up.
Not bad for a 16 year run
Alex, 02/19/2009
1993 Dodge Caravan LE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Generally, this car has been a trooper. I got her from my parents in December of 2001, they bought her almost brand new as a program car in 1993. She took us on several 200+ mile trips to visit family, a pretty lengthy journey to Disneyworld, an even lengthier trip to Kentucky - and this was all mostly during her first 60,000. After that point, as I've heard was common with this particular model, the transmission gave out and we had to have a new one dropped in. Since owning it, I've had to have a new compressor installed, and she's having trouble with oil consumption and struts. But for her age, the fact she's still running is quite impressive.
Well worth the investment
virginianx10, 07/27/2003
1993 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We have bought several of these and they have all performed well. This one has broken down only once in ten years. We are keeping it as a pick up vehicle for our company. We made the mistake of getting light blue paint, which failed, the only real problem with the vehicle.
All good except the transmission
Lance, 04/29/2007
1993 Dodge Caravan LE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
My van has the 3.3 litre V6 engine with the 4 speed trans. with overdive. It's not a good tranny as you've read here. The rebuilder said it's similar to unit fitted in the old Dodge Omni and Horizon compacts from the 80's. Guess they had lots of spares. You can expect to replace it about every 40 000 miles. The engine is very good actually, I never had much trouble with it other than a head gasket being replaced once. The ABS system failed at around 150000 miles and it was under warranty for life, low cost repair.
Best (only) van I ever owned
Stephen James, 10/19/2008
1994 Dodge Caravan LE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Had been keeping my eye out for transportation and found this on the lot of a local Dodge dealer - bought it for 1400 less than their asking price. It doesn't leak nor burn oil - between every 3k miles. Excellent power and a good cruiser. I do most of my driving around town on the freeway and consistently get 22 mpg! I think that's great for a Grand Caravan. Took a long weekend trip last spring and the speed limits are 80 mph in west Texas - also climbed a few mountains and still got 25 mpg on that trip. I knew of the reliability issues; but found the positive recommendations out numbered the negatives. Glad I went with my gut feelings about the van.
Has been very good
KC, 10/28/2009
1994 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Caravan SE bought in 1994 with 10k miles from Thrifty Car Rental. Has been a very good car. 3.3 is peppy and fairly economical. Nice and roomy. Not 'sexy' but love the practicality. I don't use the third seat since I usually don't have passengers. Had a starting problem a few times and replaced starter. Air bag light came on but it was just fuse #13. No problems, just regular maintenance. A friend bought a '96 and had many major problems. Strangely, this Caravan has been more reliable than Honda and Toyota of same year/mileage in the family!
Love this car!
jeffrm, 01/23/2013
1994 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I've put 230,000 miles on this van since I bought it new. It's been fantastic. As a geophysicist I carry lots of heavy equipment in place of the middle seat. I can easily work at a small desk I velcroed in. It has been super reliable. The only repairs have been the usual tranny problem, a water pump and starter (rebuilt). I still prefer driving it over our newer Outback wagon. I like sitting jp higher than in a regiular car. It's a good size, too. Our dogs like it. Canoes and sheets of plywood fit on the roof.
Bad Transmission
dodgedupe, 06/17/2002
1994 Dodge Caravan ES 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Bought vehicle, had only 19,000 miles on it. Within 2,00 miles had to replace the torque converter. At 40,000 had to replace with a manufacture rebuild, the transmission w/torque converter. at 54,000 had to have the rebuild replaced. Now, only 24,000 miles from the original manufacture's rebuild being installed I have to have it replaced again. Also note that this next replacement will only be warrantied from the original purchase of the rebuild, leaving me with only 12,000 miles of warranty on this transmission w/torque converter. Is this good old American built reliability or what?
dodge tough
ryan newmen, 02/25/2010
1994 Dodge Caravan LE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
just a really fun car i like it.....
Nice, nice van
Sniperlg, 06/28/2002
1994 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We bought this van brand new in 1994. We have 137000 on it and never had a tune-up or changed spark plugs. We just changed oil, replaced the battery every few years and service the brakes once. It just keeps on going with mininum hassles.
Old Faithful
Petworthian, 10/02/2010
1994 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this van on eBay in 2003. It had 73,000 miles on it, and I bought it thinking I'd use it to take the dog to the park, make Home Depot Runs, and take stuff to the dump. I ended up driving it across the country twice and on numerous vacation trips. The 2.5L 4-cylinder is plenty peppy (my van is a five-speed stick) and can return 30 MPG on a long road trip. Now has 105,000 miles and aside from maintenance items I've only had to replace the starter and the clutch and recharge the A/C. This thing is as rugged (and simple) as an anvil, is comfortable, gives decent performance, can haul lots of stuff, and gets decent gas mileage. I intend to drive it for another 10 years.
Great Vehicle
FMTracker, 09/25/2002
1994 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased used from neglectful owners with 60k miles. Replaced oil in engine and tranny and since have added another 131k miles without a problem. Always a good habit to replace fluids at recommended intervals. Fun to drive, comfortable and cruises like a dream. Large cargo space and plenty of power. No engine or tranny problems in spite of abuse by original owner. A
The Truckster
kenzen, 10/09/2002
1994 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is our first minivan and I'll never be without one in the family. It has the 3.0 V6 and not a problem in 2 years. The transmission shifts a little hard, but no problems with it. It has plenty of power and room although the roof rack could be a bit stronger. Without seats it holds a lot, but getting the seats in and out is no small task; they weigh a ton.
nice
wiggles, 01/17/2003
1994 Dodge Caravan ES 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
At 95K on it. We have a very basic caravan. Only options are AC, tilt, 2 built-in baby seats, rear defog, tint glass, and cruise. it has a 3 liter V6.i installed bosch platinum 4's in it and increased my MPG by 2.
STAY AWAY
dodge NO MORE, 02/03/2003
1994 Dodge Caravan ES 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I'm now on my third minivan, I can only say that I'm the jack--- that continued to buy these vans. the first van: replaced tranny, two air conditioners, two evaportor cores, and finally a blown rod=$25.00 from junk yard to haul away (at 114,000 miles) The 2nd one a 93, air compressor and tranny b 4 55000 miles (sold it) The 3rd, well alot worse than the first!!!
Reliable
Stevenff, 10/14/2003
1994 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Bought this van used in 1998 with 65000 miles on it, now has 138000 and it keeps going. Just completed 3000 mile road trip with no problems. It is very comfortable for a small van. Has the 3.3 engine which performs very well. We use it to pull a small utility trailer and it is adequate for the job. It has just been a "good" van, period!
Base Caravan
Rhonda Diercks, 03/02/2003
1994 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have been extremely happy with the performance of this vehicle. I did have to have the transmission replaced at 69,000 (which is common for this vehicle), however the dealership was very accommodating. Also at 69,000 miles, I had to have several engine oil leaks repaired. Again, under warranty, the dealership replaced all seals and gaskets. This vehicle is maintained with regular oil changes and maintenance, and to this day, even with 105,000 miles, I am extremely comfortable taking long extended trips in this vehicle.
Goodbye, Old Friend
MinnesotaBob, 02/13/2004
1994 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This was a great family car. Comfortable on long trips, yet nimble enough to drive around town. It sure came in handy, too, for those couple times a year when I went to the lumber yard, or my wife went to a garage sale. It treated us pretty well except for two cracked heads ($1600 each), one at 65K, and another at 103K. Just came back from donating it to a place that'll fix it up and give it to a needy person. Even with that major engine problem, there's more right with it than wrong. We thought about buying another minivan, but since our kids are pretty much grown now, we opted for a sedan instead.
so-so
ssb, 11/01/2004
1994 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
transmissions (2) a/C (2) axel (1) other moderate repairs also needs new gaskets and seals 138,000
Why change?
Joe, 11/15/2007
1994 Dodge Caravan LE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I purchased this van with 53,255 miles & B-4 the 7 yr/70K was up, transmission failed. Our local dealer only offered a factory rebuilt, so I decided to have Aamco repair it & pay for repair myself, + get their "life time warrenty" as my experience with Chrysler rebuilts was not good. No more problems. This is a handi-cap van & does not handle in winds as good as my previous non-handicap van, but with the 3.8 it runs out great. I've decided to have it re-painted, upgrade suspension, brakes & just keep driving it.
Duct tape helps
still runs, 03/16/2008
1994 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
the van i have has been fairly reliable with only some minor repairs. nothing to major has broke yet, still waiting for tranny to go, it does slip now and again. very comfortable seating, love the room inside for my kids and dogs. I bought the 94 over a newer 99 design because i really don't like the ext. style or the poorly laid out interior of these vans. I also love the ext appearance with the right package of skirts and rims the van does look some aggressive. Handling sucks but it is a box on wheels after all. fuel eco. is not bad for my 3.0l about 450 to 500 km tank still. Very good passing on the highways and comfy to drive very long distances. still going after 300,000 km. hope for more!
best vehicle ever
Ahhhhhh, 12/03/2002
1993 Dodge Caravan LE 3dr Minivan
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
this is a great van
This beats an SUV any day, more room/ visibility
Terry, 08/10/2018
updated 02/18/2020
1993 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
This is my second Dodge Caravan. I purchased the first one new in 1988, with the 2.5 4 cyl. and 5 speed. These engines are basically a Slant 6 with 2 cylinders removed....ergo....high durability. I lost the first one in a divorce and searched for a long time for a replacement. I finally found this '93 used, 10 years ago, with 81,000 original miles. I'm approaching 100,000 miles with no issues. It achieves the EPA fuel mileage rating of 20 city/30 hwy. My '88 got the same mpg and even after abuse by those who owned it after me, it still ran 200,000 miles before the trans axle went out. As expected, these are somewhat anemic on hills and I have to shift down often, from 5th OD. But, I am all about optimum mpg, over speed. These vans will cruise comfortably at 70 mph. Overall very pleased as this van is comfortable and can go anywhere. It came with A/C, CC, a full interior light pkg. and a nice after market CD radio. No issues in the 10 years that I've owned it.
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