2006 Dodge Caravan 4 Cyl - 210k Miles
Having a range of issues.

1- Clunking noise while driving over small dips in the road. Already had it checked out, I need new tie rods.

2- Car having difficulty getting up hills. Unless I work up a lot of speed before approaching a hill the car will lose momentum and go down to about 20mph unless I absolutely gun it. The car doesn't have an RPM Gauge but I can hear it working over time.

3- Breaking down hill causes extreme vibration.

 

my opinion is you have a car with over 210,000 miles nearly ¼ million miles. it is OVER DUE for maintenance or replacement.

cars built 30 years ago rarely hit 200,000 miles without major repairs. now days, 300,000+ is becomming common place with quality basic maintenance

1. what kind of answer do you want to your own question which you already posted a possible solution. while your at it, NEW balljoints, new struts, new strut bearings, new swaybar bushings, new swaybar links are all in order for proper maintenance of this high milage vehicle

2. ever have a tune up? check engine light on?


3. ever think that maybe new BRAKES are in order?

 

I'll agree with MOPAR22.

A 4 cylinder Caravan has been working hard it's whole life, regardless of what it's been hauling.
210,000 on a 2006 is alot, my 1996 (3.3 V6) just turned 207,000.

All vehicles reach a point of rebuild it or replace it.


1. Who checked it? Someone who wants to sell you tie rods?
Check your tires, they're wear patterns will tell you a lot about the steering.
How does it drive down the road? Good or squirrely?
I'd check bushings. Shocks on the back of my wife's van split the rubber and made a clunk down some roads.

2. Think of the engine as a big pump, pumping air and making power. A loss of power can be many things. Here's a few.
-Plugged air filter or blocked intake line. ( It's gotta breath.)
-Internal issues. (Bad piston rings, scared cylinder walls, burnt valve, ect) Compression test!
-Plugged exhaust. ( cat. converter, muffler, crushed tailpipe.)
-PCM problem. Many of the sensors and output devices can cause power loss. (If all the above check out good.)

3. Vibrations braking could be tie rod ends. It could also be warped brake rotors.


It's going to want some money out of you very shortly.
Good luck,
EZ1

 

Your lack of uphill power smacks of low engine compression. The potential cost to fix that in addition to the other problems may come close to the blue book value. I would do a compression check before anything else. If it's still in spec then I would press on wth other repairs. If it's not, you'll have a decision to make based on the estimates.

 

Sounds like a plan, I'll get on with that ASAP and report back the results.