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The Newer Unreliable Cargo Vans

Charity's Van

Charity's Van

Expert Expediter
Owner/Operator
I too like the looks and handling of my promaster. I have had major issues with the transmission and not much luck from chrysler/fiat to care or repair in a timely manner. The transmission issue on the diesels is a major safety issue but since nobody has been killed yet it is a hard case to prove. A lot of the guys with the gas powered promaster have reported fewer problems. I have seen reports of cost difference of about $5-6000 in fuel over a 100k mile period. That is about the amount i have spent in repairs not covered by the factory. Not including the huge amount of downtime or rental cost. The diesel van itself is easy to like, the reliability is not.
 
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xiggi

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I remember when the Promasters first came out someone on here said they all look good from the drivers seat. That statement made total sense, in the end our vans really are just a tool.
 
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zeppelin

zeppelin

Active Expediter
interstategar said:
I've talked to owners of the following vans, and all have problems with relatively low mileage for expediting.

1. The Ford Transit: at 150,000 miles: Replaced the driveshaft, the rear, tires and brakes that don't last very long, and transmission problems.

------ 350,000 miles and rear end went out, one set of brakes replaces as well. FYI
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interstategar

Veteran Expediter
I just to talked an owner of a 2017 Transit. At 4000 miles his engine failed and had to be replaced. Seems like the Transit nightmares never end.
 
OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
xiggi said:
I remember when the Promasters first came out someone on here said they all look good from the drivers seat. That statement made total sense, in the end our vans really are just a tool.
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LOL..that big front lower bumper looks like the bottom lip of a pouting child or a large mouth bass.....:p
stock-photo-a-largemouth-bass-fish-isolated-on-a-pure-white-background-56598460.jpg


ram-promaster-exterior-front-bumper-side-view.jpg
 
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piper1

piper1

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
interstategar said:
I just to talked an owner of a 2017 Transit. At 4000 miles his engine failed and had to be replaced. Seems like the Transit nightmares never end.
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At 4000 miles I'd say thats a fluke and not a widespread experience.

If you read the internet long enough and/or talk to enough people...every brand is awesome and every brand is junk, and most of us have at least a little bit of brand bias in us. They all have their warts and quirks...and I don't think any of them are designed with an expediting end use in mind. Heck...when you read "cost of ownership" marketing stuff from MB, who's got the lionshare of this business, they base it on an average use of 15,000 miles...a YEAR!

Most of how a vehicle turns out is up to the owner or driver of it. What are their expectations..are they reasonable? Are they going to spend countless hours going back to the dealership trying to get the Kia price level vehicle they bought to somehow behave like a Caddilac? My Dad had a saying..."the more somebody works on a truck....the more work the truck is going to need"...in other words work breeds work due to the human factor. Dealership/retail mechanics are under a lot of pressure to get it out the door as fast as possible and move on to the next one. When I managed big fleets...the worst mechanics you could hire were dealership guys...speed of repair...not quality of repair was thier overriding priority...and it drove costs up pretty quick for the fleet...but at a dealership he would be a money maker.
 
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Road Pirate

Road Pirate

Active Expediter
Owner/Operator
interstategar said:
I've talked to owners of the following vans, and all have problems with relatively low mileage for expediting.

1. The Ford Transit: at 150,000 miles: Replaced the driveshaft, the rear, tires and brakes that don't last very long, and transmission problems.

2. The Dodge (Fiat): Headlights that that burn out quickly on a steady basis, and the Transmission that needs to be serviced every 30K miles to replace the same part that's plastic in the middle and metal on the outside. I don't know the name of the part, but it fails right on time, every 30K.

3. Sprinter: They have always had problems! Glow plugs that don't last, emissions problems. A bottom line killer.
I talked to owners that have had one 3 or more years. Newbies are the wrong people to talk to about reliability.

The bottom line is carriers that require high rear cargo doors, good luck. You will spend much more money for repairs that the good old Ford Econoline, the now extinct, never to be built new again, thanks to Ford's dumb management.
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I have to disagree.....my 2017 ProMaster 3500 has needed next to nothing, but gereral maintenance. Owned since new... 118,283 miles on her....mobil1 every 10k...new tires at 110k...the headlights??? Just replaced them both, just because i went with a whiter bulb... Of course they're going to burn out if you run with them constantly on... this does seem like to be a problem, just not one I have...original brakes are still at 40%.....i dodge potholes, pull slow thru rough entrences...wash it regularly.....let it idle for 20-30 minutes in extreme cold before i take off....the engine/trans combo is the same in my 30th anniversary Town and Country...its a 2014 with 137,xxx miles....(lots of travel hockey trips). Only thing i dislike is the seating arrangement...no tilt, and the wheel is 3 feet away because it telescopes only a :censoredsign: hair...seats are uncomfortable....
 
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Grizzly

Grizzly

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Road Pirate said:
I have to disagree.....my 2017 ProMaster 3500 has needed next to nothing, but gereral maintenance. Owned since new... 118,283 miles on her....mobil1 every 10k...new tires at 110k...the headlights??? Just replaced them both, just because i went with a whiter bulb... Of course they're going to burn out if you run with them constantly on... this does seem like to be a problem, just not one I have...original brakes are still at 40%.....i dodge potholes, pull slow thru rough entrences...wash it regularly.....let it idle for 20-30 minutes in extreme cold before i take off....the engine/trans combo is the same in my 30th anniversary Town and Country...its a 2014 with 137,xxx miles....(lots of travel hockey trips). Only thing i dislike is the seating arrangement...no tilt, and the wheel is 3 feet away because it telescopes only a :censoredsign: hair...seats are uncomfortable....
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Ahh, hate to point out the obvious .. but you only have 120K mi on it.
Get back to us after 4 or 500K ...
 
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brokcanadian

brokcanadian

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I have an idea to buy an off lease 1 year old van, approximately 20k miles, then sell after 1 year

Its a 10k discount, and hopefully worth near what I paid after that year...never done it tho

I don't know if I want the work of being on the other side anymore...where a van can't lose any more value but needs work in the dead of winter
 
Worn Out Manager

Worn Out Manager

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Air Force
Ntimevan's Promaster is high mileage with almost no problems. Mother Jones @ CRE is in the 400K range and has, (after warranty), replaced engine, trans and almost every other part. Mailer has a Nissan over 500K, (bought used at 100K), spent little and still runs great. My Transit, over 450K has done well, not counting the time when it thought it was a submarine. Moral of this story is a CSN&Y song, "Treat Your Children Well", after that it's all up to fate!

Sent from my XT1710-02 using EO Forums mobile app
 
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Mailer

Mailer

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Worn Out Manager said:
Ntimevan's Promaster is high mileage with almost no problems. Mother Jones @ CRE is in the 400K range and has, (after warranty), replaced engine, trans and almost every other part. Mailer has a Nissan over 500K, (bought used at 100K), spent little and still runs great. My Transit, over 450K has done well, not counting the time when it thought it was a submarine. Moral of this story is a CSN&Y song, "Treat Your Children Well", after that it's all up to fate!

Sent from my XT1710-02 using EO Forums mobile app
Click to expand...

Hey there, thanks for the honorable mentioning. 682169 to be exact.

Leaving Albuquerque now. Lol....
 
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Road Pirate

Road Pirate

Active Expediter
Owner/Operator
Worn Out Manager said:
Wish you well, Mailers is a Nissan. Nissan has kept their design stable over recent years. Nothing too fancy, knot for show, but it's good to go!

Sent from my XT1710-02 using EO Forums mobile app
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Thanks!!!! My wife has a 2014 town and country 30th anniversary with the same engine trans combination with a 145000 miles on it and just did the brakes at 128k....regular maintenance and not abusing them is key...
 
Road Pirate

Road Pirate

Active Expediter
Owner/Operator
Grizzly said:
Ahh, hate to point out the obvious .. but you only have 120K mi on it.
Get back to us after 4 or 500K ...
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But the op stated problems at 30k, and they're reoccurring. I simply responded to the fact i dont have these "usual" problems, and my experience so far with it.
 
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Moot

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Grizzly said:
Ahh, hate to point out the obvious .. but you only have 120K mi on it.
Get back to us after 4 or 500K ...
Click to expand...

Kip life said:
No brainer... I wonder if he thought 118k miles was alot.. its low even for a non expeditor
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Road Pirate: "But the op stated problems at 30k, and they're reoccurring. I simply responded to the fact i dont have these "usual" problems, and my experience so far with it."
It must be the small type size that caused the two quoted above to misunderstand your response and the OP's post. :oops:
 
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