[mw5673]

I have a question for all the experts here, and forgive me if this has been asked before. How reliable is our 5th gens .

Mine is a 2013 with 70K miles on it, I am the second owner ( since 55K miles ) , my question is I have couple road trips during the rest of the year. ( say 200-400 miles one way) . Wondering if the van will handle it just fine or am I pushing it as it is getting 10 years old van.

In the past 2 years I have owned , the only issue I had is a thermostat stuck open and I have fixed it at the dealer.

I let dealer change oil about 4K miles, did not touch the transmission.

Any thing else should I proactively change on this Van to keep it in good condition for read trips. I understand lot depends on the how has it has been maintained. ( Spark plugs/Coolant flush/Belts???Anything proactive checked?).

What generally causes a stranded in road trips? ( especially if you have passengers )


If I can make it to get me another year or two , another 25K miles, I can save and get a newer model year.

I have a 2012 TnC that I purchased with. 23K on it. I'm still driving it daily with 170K on the odometer without any problems. I can still drive her from Tucson, AZ to San Diego, CA, and not worry about it. I have also driven a long distance to Chicago, DC, and LA from Arizona. The only issue I ever had is that when towing it burns A LOT OF FUEL because it’s FWD so pulling consumes fuel. On a full tank, I can drive from Yuma Az to San Diego and back without refueling until I’m back in Arizona. The only other issue is that I had to replace the driver and passenger window regulators because the cheap nylon rollers broke in the door. It was easy to replace so if you ever have that problem you can google the instructions on replacing them on YouTube. As long as you maintain it you’ll have no problems with it. Hope this helps!

 

[Rydgomez]

I have a question for all the experts here, and forgive me if this has been asked before. How reliable is our 5th gens .

Mine is a 2013 with 70K miles on it, I am the second owner ( since 55K miles ) , my question is I have couple road trips during the rest of the year. ( say 200-400 miles one way) . Wondering if the van will handle it just fine or am I pushing it as it is getting 10 years old van.

In the past 2 years I have owned , the only issue I had is a thermostat stuck open and I have fixed it at the dealer.

I let dealer change oil about 4K miles, did not touch the transmission.

Any thing else should I proactively change on this Van to keep it in good condition for read trips. I understand lot depends on the how has it has been maintained. ( Spark plugs/Coolant flush/Belts???Anything proactive checked?).

What generally causes a stranded in road trips? ( especially if you have passengers )


If I can make it to get me another year or two , another 25K miles, I can save and get a newer model year.

Well mine is a piece of doodoo. I have a 2014 and had nothing but problems from valves being replaced both sides, transmission problems, rack and steering problems suspension problems. HVAC problems on top of normal wear items like suspension parts, radiator. I had a 2010 caravan before this one and I racked up 220k miles on it an all I replaced was tires and oil. Never gave me any major issues.

 

[Mopar John]

I have a question for all the experts here, and forgive me if this has been asked before. How reliable is our 5th gens .

Mine is a 2013 with 70K miles on it, I am the second owner ( since 55K miles ) , my question is I have couple road trips during the rest of the year. ( say 200-400 miles one way) . Wondering if the van will handle it just fine or am I pushing it as it is getting 10 years old van.

In the past 2 years I have owned , the only issue I had is a thermostat stuck open and I have fixed it at the dealer.

I let dealer change oil about 4K miles, did not touch the transmission.

Any thing else should I proactively change on this Van to keep it in good condition for read trips. I understand lot depends on the how has it has been maintained. ( Spark plugs/Coolant flush/Belts???Anything proactive checked?).

What generally causes a stranded in road trips? ( especially if you have passengers )


If I can make it to get me another year or two , another 25K miles, I can save and get a newer model year.

Hello, if you are referring to a Town&Country or Caravan, you are good to go. I purchased a 2015 Chrysler town and country touring 3.6L with 64k, I've traveled from NY to Florida and back, like 2x. No problems. It now has about 75k, I had tranny fluid checked at dealership and was good, I asked when would it need changing, they said when it reaches 100k. I may do before that though. If you make sure the motor is changed frequently, checking serpentine belt, and IF you have Not done so yet, Replace PCV valve now. That's how the engine breathes. Otherwise you will Start to see oil leaks around the engines gaskets. So far I replaced: PCV, Spark plugs with Bosh iridiums and all coils. When it gets warmer, the thermostat. Tending to these things, your van should run well for years to come. Good luck.

 

[Mopar John]

My 2013 has 210,000 miles. best proactive advice is to carry a fuel relay bypass in the glove box. In all my miles, that’s the only thing that left me stranded. $15 part cost me a $800 tow.

I am curious, why the need for the Fuel relay bypass? Is that like a substitute for the initial one, or?

 

[Mopar John]

I have a question for all the experts here, and forgive me if this has been asked before. How reliable is our 5th gens .

Mine is a 2013 with 70K miles on it, I am the second owner ( since 55K miles ) , my question is I have couple road trips during the rest of the year. ( say 200-400 miles one way) . Wondering if the van will handle it just fine or am I pushing it as it is getting 10 years old van.

In the past 2 years I have owned , the only issue I had is a thermostat stuck open and I have fixed it at the dealer.

I let dealer change oil about 4K miles, did not touch the transmission.

Any thing else should I proactively change on this Van to keep it in good condition for read trips. I understand lot depends on the how has it has been maintained. ( Spark plugs/Coolant flush/Belts???Anything proactive checked?).

What generally causes a stranded in road trips? ( especially if you have passengers )


If I can make it to get me another year or two , another 25K miles, I can save and get a newer model year.

I have a question for all the experts here, and forgive me if this has been asked before. How reliable is our 5th gens .

Mine is a 2013 with 70K miles on it, I am the second owner ( since 55K miles ) , my question is I have couple road trips during the rest of the year. ( say 200-400 miles one way) . Wondering if the van will handle it just fine or am I pushing it as it is getting 10 years old van.

In the past 2 years I have owned , the only issue I had is a thermostat stuck open and I have fixed it at the dealer.

I let dealer change oil about 4K miles, did not touch the transmission.

Any thing else should I proactively change on this Van to keep it in good condition for read trips. I understand lot depends on the how has it has been maintained. ( Spark plugs/Coolant flush/Belts???Anything proactive checked?).

What generally causes a stranded in road trips? ( especially if you have passengers )


If I can make it to get me another year or two , another 25K miles, I can save and get a newer model year.

Ohh, also check battery as someone here mentioned. I had used my OBD scan tool, and the items I replaced, the scan tool had them as a soon maintenance "to do list". And sure enough 2 months after I purchase Van, the battery went. Bought the same one $225.00, which is required for such electrical system.

 

[andyharbison]

My 2008 Grand Caravan has 267,000 Miles on it. still runs like a champ because I do regular maintenance on it. Regular oil changes and I change, not flush my transmission fluid. I regularly take 400-500 mile road trips and never worry.
Only 2 things have ever left me stranded.

1. The coolant Y connector behind the Coil above the transmission. Dodge's is plastic , replace it with an aftermarket Aluminum one. Amazingly, the Dorman part is aluminum too, and it comes with new hoses.

Heater Hose Connector - with Y Fitting and Clamps - Compatible with 2008-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan

Buy Heater Hose Connector - with Y Fitting and Clamps - Compatible with 2008-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase decision!

www.amazon.com

2. The Starter Ground. I started getting an intermittent no crank/no start. The TIPM is notorious for a bad ground. I ran a 4 Gauge cable from the Negative battery directly to the starter and haven't had any issues since.

 

[Koooop]

I would go to the dealership and have them pull up the entire service history on the car. It’ll tell you if it’s been a problem car. We bought a brand new 2010 T & C Limited, it went to the dealer 29 times during our six years and 10 months and 78,000 miles of ownership. I had to sue Chrysler over the car. They couldn’t fix it and they wouldn’t buy it back. I traded it in two months before the warranty ran out and got a 2017 Pacifica, that was a great car and performed flawlessly for 106,000 miles. It’s gone now. Never serviced the transmission in the Pacifica, it wasn’t called for in the owners book, only the scheduled maintenance in the owners manual was performed.

 

[HOTSTUFF]

I have a question for all the experts here, and forgive me if this has been asked before. How reliable is our 5th gens .

Mine is a 2013 with 70K miles on it, I am the second owner ( since 55K miles ) , my question is I have couple road trips during the rest of the year. ( say 200-400 miles one way) . Wondering if the van will handle it just fine or am I pushing it as it is getting 10 years old van.

In the past 2 years I have owned , the only issue I had is a thermostat stuck open and I have fixed it at the dealer.

I let dealer change oil about 4K miles, did not touch the transmission.

Any thing else should I proactively change on this Van to keep it in good condition for read trips. I understand lot depends on the how has it has been maintained. ( Spark plugs/Coolant flush/Belts???Anything proactive checked?).

What generally causes a stranded in road trips? ( especially if you have passengers )


If I can make it to get me another year or two , another 25K miles, I can save and get a newer model year.

Drive across the US frequently. Have had the alternator go out the transmission go out leaks from the cooling system AC issues electrical issues. While on the road not fun. Can happen to a new car also.

 

[tfk]

My 2010 GC SXT with the 4.0 liter has over 250,000 miles and still would be my primary van, but when I heard they were going out of production, I bought a new one. The 2010 is wintering in the garage at my lake place, waiting for summer hauling. Other than an occasional transmission problem that restarting fixes, it runs great. The only non-maintenance repairs have been the transmission cooling lines, twice (once under warranty and once on my own).

 

[Sienile]

I am curious, why the need for the Fuel relay bypass? Is that like a substitute for the initial one, or?

The stock relay is not easily replaced. Having at least the bypass cable can save you from getting stranded if it fails. I prefer to just go and install an external relay.

Fuel Pump Relay fixes

After seeing a spike in people with no start issues, I figured it'd be best to do a simple write up on the fuel pump relay. (I also included a copy of the TSB for this issue on the Durango and a printable PDF of these instructions.) There are 3 ways to address the issue: the temporary bypass...

www.chryslerminivan.net

 

[Mopar John]

My 2008 Grand Caravan has 267,000 Miles on it. still runs like a champ because I do regular maintenance on it. Regular oil changes and I change, not flush my transmission fluid. I regularly take 400-500 mile road trips and never worry.
Only 2 things have ever left me stranded.

1. The coolant Y connector behind the Coil above the transmission. Dodge's is plastic , replace it with an aftermarket Aluminum one. Amazingly, the Dorman part is aluminum too, and it comes with new hoses.

Heater Hose Connector - with Y Fitting and Clamps - Compatible with 2008-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan

Buy Heater Hose Connector - with Y Fitting and Clamps - Compatible with 2008-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase decision!

www.amazon.com

2. The Starter Ground. I started getting an intermittent no crank/no start. The TIPM is notorious for a bad ground. I ran a 4 Gauge cable from the Negative battery directly to the starter and haven't had any issues since.

Nice, congratulations! I will look into the Y coolant connector. But, I would like to know if when you say, "Changed tranny fluid" consists of just dropping tranny pan, draining the fluid, replace filter and seal/put pan up? Could you perhaps elaborate more on this? I will of course be doing it myself. Thx.

 

[Westphal]

Nice, congratulations! I will look into the Y coolant connector. But, I would like to know if when you say, "Changed tranny fluid" consists of just dropping tranny pan, draining the fluid, replace filter and seal/put pan up? Could you perhaps elaborate more on this? I will of course be doing it myself. Thx.

Yes

 

[GCTruckster]

Much newer cars can also leave you stranded. If the vehicle is properly maintained the chances of an incident are low. You can never have a 100% confidence in anything. Even a brand new rental can leave you stranded. Nothing is guaranteed.

 

[Mopar John]

Yes

Ok, I guess "Yes" means I got right. Can you specify what type transmission oil and brand you used? (Aside from its recommendation).

 

[Mopar John]

I forgot to also ask, can you explain the transmission oil measure method you used? I understand it has No dip stick.

 

[Westphal]

Ok, I guess "Yes" means I got right. Can you specify what type transmission oil and brand you used? (Aside from its recommendation).

I used the WalMart brand ATF+4. As other will point out, only use ATF+4 and not a fluid that says it's compatible with or comparable to ATF+4.

 

[Sienile]

Jeepman uses this method, but I suggest you read your fluid temp with a scanner and use a metered gauge and the chart posted here:

A 62TE Dipstick Revisit- Based on 80F and 180F temperatures

I have looked at many, supposedly helpful/sometimes helpful Threads, Posts and YouTube videos about measuring the 62TE's transmission fluid level, and only noticed one so far, that talks about operating temperature, not max or beyond operating temperature, or for that matter, doing a measurement...

www.chryslerminivan.net

Use only ATF+4, brand doesn't matter, typical fill is about 5.5 quarts - always good to have a little extra on hand. You'll need torx sockets to get the filter off. Can't remember the size, maybe T15 or T25.

 

[Westphal]

I forgot to also ask, can you explain the transmission oil measure method you used? I understand it has No dip stick.

I bought a transmission dipstick online that is made for this transmission.

 

[Sienile]

I bought a transmission dipstick online that is made for this transmission.

Link?

 

[Mopar John]

I bought a transmission dipstick online that is made for this transmission.

Please, do share,, where from? Any link? I need this.