Good to know the MPGs these can get on the highway. Seems like a super useful vehicle.
Good to know the MPGs these can get on the highway. Seems like a super useful vehicle.
In reply to CyberEric :
My mpg for the roughly 65 miles trip of towing this Prius back home = 17.4
All flat, 2 lane roads with a couple of small town slow downs and just a little "in-town" driving.
On page 4 of this thread you can see that 3 years ago I towed a Prius with this van and got 17.1 mpg -- the same!
We're around 100k miles on our 2016 now. Still a great van. I've had to do the thermostat, rear brakes, and three of the climate control actuators. Lately the gas milage has tanked and I need to dig into it to figure out what's going on. (usually ~26-27mpg on road trips, this latest trim yielded about 19mpg. Getting 17-18mpg in town.)
I've been wondering what the 80k service should be? I'm still on original fluids and I suspect that it would be wise to update trans fluid, especially with a history of towing.
Otherwise zero work other than oil changes to this point.
I do have a airbag light on which code reads as driver's seat side airbag. I found some online that implies that the power seat mechanism pinches a wire. Suggestions are to break down seat a bit and replace wire harness or break down to wire splicing.
My driver seat is showing wear so I'm considering a JY, fresher seat replacement.
I also have a windshield crack that has become quite intrusive. Plans for its replacement when the weather warms.
John Welsh said:In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :
At what age/milage did the trouble start?
I'm accepting this Mopar van for what it is, a middle quality vehicle, but I'm hoping to offload it around 100k and expecting to be reasonably trouble free to that point. At this rate I have 5 more years. I hope then this 7 year old vehicle with 100k miles will be worth $10k. I bought for $15k ($17k+ with tax and tires right away)
I'd love to see a sub $2k per year combined depreciation and maintenance cost. Factoring in $7k depreciation in 6 years, that leaves me $5k to put toward repairs in the next 5 years. Anything less is winning.
On page 4, back in June 2021 I wrote the post above about hoping to off-load at about 100k, before the problems settle in.
Here I am, now at 80k and my first check engine light that points to thermostat. Youtube videos show me that a thermostat change shouldn't be hard. Its a plastic elbow and though mine is not leaking, I chose to upgrade to the metal elbow, $20 part.
Windshield recently replaced. Airbag light still not addressed.
Here's a picture from March of 2025
My 2017 is at 149K and hasn't had too many issues.
Had the EVAP System Integrity Module (ESIM) fail at 126K, but that was an easy DIY fix. Apparently this is a common EVAP fault for the GC. Fortunately, the part is pretty cheap ($28 @ RockAuto) and you don't even have to lift the van to replace it. Behind the rear axle-beam.
Driver's heated seat stopped working a few years ago, but I can live with that.
The Edmunds apprail estimate is about $4500, which seems about right to me. All of the 2017 examples I see on Autotrader have higher asking prices, but those have less miles on them - and probably don't have a coyote-impact dent in the driver's door...
Thermostat part arrived Fri. I was contemplating a late Sat or early Sunday install.
But, Ive also had a tire light come on! Significant low in LR incited more investigation and once dismounted I find a nail. I repaired it with the classic push/pull style tire plug.
A quick drive after and the tire light is off. But, oddly, the CEL light is off also.
Self healing thermostat?
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