Caravan 2.4L 4 cyl

• Automatic transmission
• 75,400 miles

Oh where to start with this sad sack of, well, automotive failure. The moaning transmission happens whenever I push down quickly on the gas pedal. It continues as the engine revs up and then it stops (for now). With just 75,000 miles I am considering having it replaced. I've had the head gasket replaced, the front and rear shocks replaced, a thousand dollars' worth of body work done under the hood to repair rust so the shocks could be replaced. Whew. Oh, I almost forgot the leaking rear brakes but that was when it was just a mere four years old.

I've dropped about $4000 into it over the past couple of years but some of that is regular maintenance and tires.

My dilemma is the transmission. Do I spend $3000 and drive it another few years or do I immediately join the legions of dissatisfied Caravan owners and buy only Toyota and Honda autos? A rhetorical question you read.

I'll have the transmission checked out and "hope" that I can get it fixed for three grand.

A lesson to the huddled masses: A Caravan is cheaper than its Japanese competitors only in the short run. Run as fast as you can from Dodge dealerships. I suspected this in 1999 but I let my misplaced desire to support the American motor industry get the best of me. Shame on you Dodge.