Bob Shuman wrote:

> Bert,
>
> We have a '99 Town & Country Limited with 3.8L engine. It has been a very
> good vehicle, but is heavier than the earlier vans (we owned one of those
> too wit ha 3.3L engine) so gets a bit worse gasoline mileage. Both the 3.3L
> and the larger but nearly otherwise identical 3.8L engines are solid. I'd
> say the 3.8L is better for the larger size van. We would definitely buy
> another as it is still in excellent shape and now has ~65K miles and looks
> pretty much like new in most regards.
>
> That said, here is my list of things that could have been improved based on
> my personal experience and re-affirmed by this newsgroup pretty much daily:
>
> - Headlight output is not as good as the early 90's vans, but from what I
> understand better than mid to late 90's versions.
>
> - Front disk brakes are undersized so pads need replacement too often (for
> us, every ~22K miles)
>
> - Front brake rotors are poorly made from cheap steel so needed replacement
> due to warping, and deep pitting from road salt at just 4 years. (Quality
> replacement parts have faired better.)
>
> - Front sway bar bushings have worn out and now need replacement.
>
> - Vehicle output Speed Sensor wore out at ~36K miles and ~4 years old.
>
> - Starter solenoid contacts wore out at ~50K miles so needed replacement.
>
> - Ignition lock cylinder has been replaced twice now in my van (once under
> warranty and now again 3 years later) Note: this problem appears to be
> specific to our vehicle

Do you have a heavy ring of keys hanging from the ignition key? That
can cause problems over time, although I have about 10 keys on my key
ring and haven't had problems with either my Chevy truck or my 96 van.


Matt