I’ve been a loyal Chrysler/Dodge owner since I bought my first new car back in 1990. In general, their cars (and especially their minivans) have fit my needs really well, and they’ve been reliable enough. However, in the last month, our 2005 Grand Caravan’s reliability has fallen off a cliff. To wit, here are the repairs it’s needed recently:
- a new water pump
- a new set of plugs and wires
- a new shaft and seal for the power steering system
- a new front blower motor, without which there’s no heat
That’s not including the things that should be fixed but are too much hassle, like the intermittent fault that sets off the alarm about a third of the time when you use the power liftgate. (Update: I forgot to include the oxygen sensor in the above list.)
So, sorry, Chrysler. Bankruptcy or not, the next time I buy a vehicle it won’t be one of yours. It will most likely be an American-made Honda. (Update: Missy suggests an American-made Nissan Quest– something I’ll definitely look into.)
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