Opinion on 01-04 Chrysler Town & Country

[rowekmr]

I am thinking of getting one or a comparable Grand Voyager with the 3.3L or 3.8L engine and wanted to know what are the problems/issues with these. I had plan on getting one without the stow away seating (2005) and getting an extra bench seat to replace the 2nd row captains when I need to carry more people (kids). I looked on Edmunds.com and many complain about the AC system, window motors/regulators, sliding door motors going out and different electrical gremlins. I saw one locally that was AWD and wondered how reliable their system is and how much (if any) does it affect the mpg's. I know they have a low tow rating now but just planned on using it as a DD for now and possibly later plan on getting a really small/lite TT or pop up one day. Two out of the 3 kids have left the house (hoorah) and might be downsizing soon.

[EcoBullet]

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
EcoBullet, my guess is you had a poor dealership, if you had as many repair attempts as you claim (not doubting you) they sure as hell would have been replacing the plugs and wires LONG before that engine went out of the 3/36 coverage!

Don

Yes, Don, I agree, that dealership was pitiful. When I started having problems soon after purchase and was getting the run around from the service department, I complained to the salesman I bought from. He directed me down the hall to the service department and said he didn't make them, he just sold them. Thankfully they are under new ownership. Time will tell.

[Carluvr]

We had a '96 Voyager for many years that had the 3.0L Mitsu engin and 3-spd auto. It was a great van that proved very reliable. Several years later, we bought a then four-year-old low-mileage '03 Town and Country AWD that was loaded. From the start, we had electrical gremlins like the power windows and sliding doors intermittently not working. The HVAC panel went out and cost $400 to replace shortly after buying the van. The worst part was the transmission which would sometimes, quit altogether, then work fine, then make bad sounds, then work fine. We finally got tired of living with a fairly new (and pricey) vehicle that was comfortable when it was working, but made us nervous because it always felt like something was going to break or not work properly. The AWD feature was nice but adds weight and our fuel economy was a consistent 17mpg, not very good in my opinion for a minivan. The 4-spd auto that came with the 3.3L and 3.8L at that time has a horrible reputation. One other thing to know: The Stow-N-Go option is not available with AWD due to the space needed for the AWD system. Overall, I'd stay away from the 2001-2007 era vans as the quality was lacking. The transmissions are definetly the weak link as opposed to the engines that are fairly reliable. The newer bodystyle (2008?) may be better. I'm unsure if the 4.0L still has the same problem-prone 4-spd auto.

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

EcoBullet, my guess is you had a poor dealership, if you had as many repair attempts as you claim (not doubting you) they sure as hell would have been replacing the plugs and wires LONG before that engine went out of the 3/36 coverage!

We had a 2.2 that did the same thing, miss at idle from day one. My dealer replaced the plugs three times, new wires X2 and all new coils and injectors. Still had the miss at idle, so the service manager said gee Don I hear a rod knock don't you :W:W .

He ordered a short block but Chrysler would only send them a lower end so the dealership (on their dime) sent the head out and had it rebuilt. When we got the car back you could not tell it was even running. My bet is the problem was in the head the whole time but what ever works. BTW the Neon had 52K at the time the engine was replaced. We had the (and always will have an) extended warranty.

Don

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

OP if you can, I would find a 2009 with the 4.0 V6 if it's in the budget. If not then IMO the 3.8 would be the only engine I would buy if I were going to tow. Also it would have to be the long wheelbase (Grand Caravan or Town & Country).

The 3.3 and 3.8 were built from the same block running down the same line. The 4.0 was all by itself and is a much better engine IMO.

Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with the 3.3/3.8 just the 4.0 is a much stronger engine with better low end torque then the other two. I would definitely not use the 3.3 to tow a camper not even a pop-up. It just does not have the power for the job IMO. I built the 3.3/3.8 until the line went down in 2009. I can say they are very impressive engines with a very good track record.

Don

[EcoBullet]

I see a lot of Chrysler minivans on the road and hear about lots of happy owners, but the 2008 Grand Caravan I bought was the worst vehicle I have ever owned. The power sliding door closers would often start to close, then turn around and open again. This means getting unbuckled, getting out, and closing the door manually. Most annoying of all was an engine miss that did not show a code. The dealer first suggested that perhaps the fuel injectors were dirty and to try a can of cleaner. I tried this in several tankfuls - no luck. Then the battery went dead and they thought perhaps low voltage had been the culprit. New battery - no change. Then they suggested new plugs and plug wires. This was at only 40K miles, so I asked if the extended warranty would cover. "No, that is a normal maintenance item." No thank you, I don't intend to start paying for replacing parts while the shop guesses what is wrong. I traded for a Toyota Sienna and it will be a long time before I consider another Chrysler product.

[Winged_One]

I have been driving 2 of those year vans (an 01 and an 02) for a floral delivery for the last 10 years. First one we retired after 357k miles. One I am working on now has 150k so far. If you know about delivery, you know how hard it is on vehicles.

I really like them. Maintain them and they run and run. Plus their hardware is so much better than the POS Honda van they also have (I avoid that one like the plague). And we haven't had to replace the tranny like we did in the Honda. Boss said it was his last Honda.

Back to the Chrysler, very much like its toughness.

[kaz442]

I have a 2007 grand caravan cargo I use for work. I was a die hard ford econoline guy until I got this van. I load 1000-1200 lbs of water plus all my gear and if hasn't missed a beat. Its capable of hauling 1700 lbs. Has the auto level suspension that works great. Its got 180k on the clock and I'll get 300 out of it. I have the 3.3 and its got plenty of power. Gets 18-21mpg depending on the load. When I'm loaded I do not use overdrive.

I did a lot of research on all mini vans when shopping and the caravan was the way to go. 2006 and up have better transmissions. The trans on the 2005 and below were the week link. Motors if taken care of will run forever.

I would not hesitate go buy one, damm good vehicles.

JKaz

[bguy]

Stay out of the Daimler era vans if you can. If you look under the hood at the VECI label you will see if it's a Daimler era van. They(Daimler) took a lot of parts and junked them up to make them cheaper. Overall good vehicle because they are still Chrysler vans and the best bang for the buck on the road, but the cheaper parts result in the complaints you read about. Watch out for rust in the leading edge of the bonnet and the lower front of the rear quarters just in front of the wheel wells.

[frank_henn]

We have a 2002 Town and country at the shop it is our run around van, got it with 150 on the clock one year later we now have 250K on the clock no problems just regular oil changes and a trans service the rest has been normal maint IE brakes, and struts

[Fast_Mopar]

Get the 3.8 liter - same basic pushrod design as the 3.3, but better power and essentially the same fuel economy. The regular FWD is better than the AWD for overall reliability - coworker just converted his AWD to FWD after having some issues. If there is any way your budget will allow, I highly recommend a 2011 or newer model with the 3.6 liter Pentastar V6 and the 6 speed automatic - fine combination.

[stripit]

I looked for a used Town & Country or Caravan with low mileage for months on Craig's list. After all that hunting I found a 2008 T & C Limited with 23,000 miles. I have the 4.0 motor but would have been just as happy with the 3.8 for power and economy over the 4.0, but this motor has a lot of power. I also read about the various issues the older years seem to have but I have to agree that if it was taken care of by the owners most of these problems will not appear in your vehicle. I wanted the Sto & Go seats and you don't and finding a good van without the hide away seats may prove more difficult. I think they are great people movers, this one is my 3rd since 1996.

[kknowlton]

We had a much earlier version of this minivan, a Dodge Caravan of mid'80s vintage, 3.3L engine, which we used to tow a small, light popup (approx. weight 2000 lbs). It was the most comfortable driving vehicle we have ever owned, but it was only moderately successful as a tow vehicle even for the popup. When the van was about 5 years old or so, we took it and the popup on a trip to the Black Hills. (We were living in IL then.) On the drive up into the Hills, we had to stop several times to allow the engine to cool down, and we had to be very careful not to burn out the brakes on the way down when we were returning home. Anyway, it was fine as a tow vehicle for that small popup as long as we stayed in the Plains. Just FYI -

[jerem0621]

The 3.3 is a great motor as well as the 3.8. I would go for the 3.8 for the power. If you can get the newer body style with the 3.8 or 4.0 would be better for towing. The newer Town and Countries and Grand Caravans all have heavy duty cooling packages including the transmission cooler. It may be a little stretch financially to get an 08 and up but it would be well worth it down the road.

If you do go with the earlier model make sure you add a transmission cooler.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[dodge_guy]

They are excellent people movers. Usually the issues you mentioned come from people that don't take care of them and beat them into the ground, somehow cars just know that and give up. I know it sounds silly, but is partially true. All minivans have some kind of issues.