Used 1997 Dodge Caravan Minivan Consumer Reviews
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I love my Caravan
Julie Lorentz, 07/26/2005
1997 Dodge Caravan ES 4dr Minivan
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I have had very good luck with my Caravan. I am disabled, and the 4 door design allows me to easily load my walker in the side door. I need a vehicle I can trust, and my Caravan has proven itself trustworthy. When the time comes, I plan to replace it with another Caravan.
Gotcha's all beat!
Unhappy and Broke, 03/19/2008
1997 Dodge Caravan ES 4dr Minivan
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I just may have you all beat on the repairs, lol.One thing a little different, when I turn on my wipers, sometimes they'll come on, and when they finally come on they won't shut off until you are totally aggravated by the wiper dragging across the dry windshield. I have replaced the tie rods, tie rod ends, sway bar, bearings, power steering pump, fuses,taken it in for 3 recalls, only to find I had to replace the tension pulley, the ac doesn't work, the only fan speed left for heat is high,the head lights won't stay on,the parking lights don't work anymore (rusted sockets). Needs rotors, brakes again, this year, had a strut plate put in for the rusted housing, other side needs now and struts, door stripping.
1997 Dodge Caravan Sports
Song, 11/19/2008
1997 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I purchased my 1997 Dodge Caravan Sport new for $22K in 10/1996. 12 years later, the van has 135,000 miles on it. I heard tons of complaints from consumers about this van but I personally never experienced any problems with the van at all! Is it a coincidence or merely lucky? At 135K miles, the original transmission still shifts smoothly, no electrical problems of any knid at all! All I did was to replace brake pads every 30K miles,change engine oil every 7K miles all by myself. I did change front rotors at about 100K miles. Engine never tuned up, transimission fluid never changed either, AC still works like new and blows ice cold air. Changed 3 sets of tires in 12 years, of course!
Good van so far
weldon, 09/06/2002
1997 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
At 60000 miles I cant complain too much.The 3.0 L engine gets 28-30 mpg highway & the 2 sliding doors are great if you have kids.You can also remove or switch around the two back seats.Some things not so great are : Plastic parts inside that have broken, & the wipers that make a swipe on their own. ( dealership said it is the wiper switch ).The headlights are not the brightest either.Still a good buy for the money I think.
My MiniVan
David, 04/27/2007
1997 Dodge Caravan ES 4dr Minivan
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
After researching for another car I decided to look at the ratings for the Dodge I own. It was unexpected to see such lower ratings for it. I figured I would help out and show that my minivan did not fall apart like the others. I bought my minivan in 1999 when it was a 2 year old model. My wife and I have loved every minute of it, and we have 2 kids. I have the 3.3L Sport, and I get at least 19-21 mpg, with good passing power and comfort. I currently have 134,000 miles on it, and I haven't had any issues at all. The engine is still strong, and the interior looks good, even with kids. I can remove the seats, interchange them, and still have plenty of room in the rear. No complaints.
Never Again
Sad and Soaked, 01/17/2003
1997 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
At 100,000 miles, I am replacing the front struts, the links and bushings to the front swaybar, and valve cover gaskets. There is also an as yet undiagnosed problem with an electronic control. Not to mention the three recalls we have had. My first Caravan was a lemon, and I was able to get this Caravan instead. At least we had a few decent years before it started to fall apart. I may not make the repairs, but just get a new van. Not a Dodge.
Dependable
Dan O., 03/29/2002
1997 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
After 150 000 km (90 000 miles) this has been a great vehicle with minimal and only routine maintenance. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone for the money.
Dodge Caravan Sport, NOT RECCOMENDED
RocketMazda, 06/05/2002
1997 Dodge Caravan ES 4dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Van is very roomy, even though it is not the grand caravan. Controls were confusing and hard to get used to sence they were all symbols. Had to replace tranny and differential at 50,000 miles (which is bullcrap) And after that was repaired, the van died 200 miles away from home at a rest area a few days later. I had no power and all the relays were clicking. We treat the fan good, and dont drive it hard. the passanger sliding door comes out of allignment frequently and is very hard to shut unless u push down on it. Passenger side door (front) panel is loose/cracked.
bought 1 year ago at an auction
fairybella18, 07/27/2009
1997 Dodge Caravan ES 4dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I have been blessed with this van, I have had no problems, and just hit 200,000 miles!!!!!!!!!!!!
my minivan
Jeanne, 09/30/2009
1997 Dodge Caravan LE 4dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
i love my minivan, i use it for both business and pleasure, fishing, camping and pulling my boat too , i love it.
It's been there for us
paul, 08/20/2010
1997 Dodge Caravan LE 4dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I bought it in '97 w/ 47k on it--I've had to replace 2 trannies one @75k and another @ 140k and I still like this van, 13 yrs old and still gets 18 mpg avg year round 26+ on the interstate-- I'll drive it 'til it keels over!
Some Design Problems
Dan O., 11/03/2002
1997 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The front strut bearings went at 95 000 miles to the tune of $1000. Now the spare tire assembly has corroded so badly it needs replacing at $300. I can smell oil in the heating air and yes the wipes do come on without requesting. Chrysler is not a fun company do deal with, good thing the product is so affordable.
Decent
chatty70, 12/24/2002
1997 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Since this was my first American make,I was sceptical. It turned out great. I have the 2.4L engine that pumps out 150 HP. That's the same as the 3.0L engine. I travel from East to West and vice- versa on I-70 without any problems. Can't understand why u ppl need gas guzzlers!!
never another dodge
jools, 01/22/2003
1997 Dodge Caravan LE 4dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I bought the van new. It has 60k miles now. It has had persistant electrical problems, brake problems, stalling problems, air conditioning problems, and now two valves are cracked (I don't know what these are but they cost 255.00 each to replace. And the water pump is cracked and needs replaced (so I'm told) It's trade in value stinks too.
97 Dodge Caravan
cnoyes, 11/12/2003
1997 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This has been an excellent vehicle for us!
Reliable
june, 07/26/2005
1997 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This car is fun to drive and also reliable as long as you take good care of it. If something is wrong with the car, take care of it as fast as you can, and it will never give you any problems
It does everything
Paul Revere, 09/24/2005
1997 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
One of best I have ever owned, along with Honda. Enjoyed driving every time. No back pain on long drives.Properly serviced made it dependable.When not carring dogs and people,it always had room to carry the things I needed to finsh building a cabin.The exterior finish is still like new.
can't complain
whitewiz, 09/25/2002
1997 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
1 of 3 people found this review helpful
i bought this van about 160kkms and it is now 230kkms. Things broken; transmission, rad, a/c, computer. Really the transmission went because the tranny cooler in the rad got a pinhole and sent prestone into the transmission. Not a good design on Chryslers part. I would recomend an external cooler and bypass the rad cooler to anyone who owns one of these. i got my cooler off a junked ford tempo, $10. There is a known problem in the computer on this year it makes the check engine light come on and an the van idles rough. The windshield wipers come on by themselves once in a while, this is a known problem with the wiper switch.
My experience with my Grand Caravan SE
L. Daudelin, 07/10/2002
1997 Dodge Caravan SE 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I've been very pleased with this vehicle. Never regretted. I have over 100,000 miles right now and didn't have any major problem. The only one I got was the AC compressor that had to be replaced recently.
Dodge sucks...
G-manxwa, 09/23/2003
1997 Dodge Caravan LE 4dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is my first American vehicle...and it will be the lost one too. Got patriotic and bought this, but it hurt me more than anything. It is not reliable at all. I had to change the serpentine belt atleast 3 times (after it givingup in the middle of the road during our road trip), had to change power steering pump (during our roadtrip), had to change waterpump twice and now the dealer wants me to spend another $1000 dollars to check the service engine soon alarm light. It is about time to take the loss and dump this junk. You may save a couple of thousand dollars when you buy new...but you won't be able to get the peace of mind while driving.
No Mo' Dodges
No-Mo' Dodges, 01/02/2004
1997 Dodge Caravan LE 4dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
OK ride. Styling has gotten a little long in the tooth. Some electrical problems have arisen as was the case with friends who own the same style/make vehicle.
Unsatisfied American/now going foreign
foreigner now, 03/03/2004
1997 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
7yrs old&76,000 miles&it's shot. warranty expired, various items going wrong,Cupholders frontpanel busted, electricalproblems,the service engine light keeps going on(which they kept telling me nothingwas wrong but a short circuit in thecomputer, which was never fixed),several oil leaks later(valve covergaskets replaced twice), struts&linkage needs to be replaced,now problems with more oil leaking &overheating only to find out that the head gasket is bad and needs to be replaced amongst other things. What's the trade-in-value now.NOTHING. I guess I will just have to donate it for a tax deduction. NO more dodges for me. It will now be foreign all the way.
One Great Van.
Kelly Lloyd, 12/14/2006
1997 Dodge Caravan LE 4dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This has been a terrific van. It has never failed to start and had no repairs except for brakes and normal maintenance. It is a pleasure to drive, gets good fuel mileage, and rides very good. I like it so much, I bought a 2006 Town & Country last December, but I am not getting rid of my '97.
Disappointed
Disappointed in SD, 07/03/2003
1997 Dodge Caravan LE 4dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Within 2 years things just started to go wrong: wind noise in the driver's side, which after many attempts it is still not fixed. The wipers go on without anyone touching anything (like there is a ghost). Same thing with the cruise control. The latest is a gas leakeage in the a/c system that will cost $1,200 to fix. It's been one problem after the other. I will never again purchase a Dodge product. To add insult to injury even though I had tried to get the wind noise repaired at the dealer many times during the warranty period and they were not able to fix it, once the warranty expired Dodge pretty much said it was out of their hands!
lemon
Di, 06/28/2016
updated 01/08/2018
1997 Dodge Caravan LE 4dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This has been the biggest lemon i have ever had! the tranny went at 137 thousand miles,everything has been replaced from the brain to the brake pedal light switch more then once. and ive on 20 thousand miles on it since i got it at 137 thousand miles. Will never own one of these again
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It still runs great, because....
PF, 09/02/2017
updated 03/06/2018
1997 Dodge Caravan LE 4dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
These Chrysler vans have one big problem. It's poor quality solder they used throughout the vehicle. If you pull the dash apart, and resolder everything (heater control wires, instrument cluster, radio speakers, etc.), they suddenly becomes great vehicles again. I picked mine up for a thousand bucks, and it now runs as good as a new one. Mine has the 3.8 V-6, and it's still awesome. I did have a shop change the rear spark plugs and wires for me, however, because at age 62, I am no longer willing to be a contortionist. Edmunds asked me to update this a year later. It's still running strong with minor stuff going sour. The oil pressure sensor gets frozen every morning in this Montana weather, and an annoying alarm goes off until it warms up. The sliding doors often freeze shut until it warms up, too. Wishing for Spring.
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Horrible
Mark, 10/02/2022
1997 Dodge Caravan 3dr Minivan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Called it the Auto Zone mini van, cant think of one thing I had not replaced after only 50,00 miles. Finally the tranny went. asked my mechanic for a bat so I could destroy the thing and never put another penny on this total piece of crap.
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