AUBURN HILLS, Michigan — Taking a page from the GM playbook, Chrysler rolled out a new marketing program on Thursday for its 2010 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans, allowing customers to return the vehicles within 60 days if they aren't happy.
Consumers must trade in a competitive vehicle to qualify for the program, which runs until March 31. The "Minivan Pledge" program appears to be a blatant bid to steal customers away from Toyota and Honda. Honda previewed its 2011 Odyssey in the form of a Honda Odyssey concept on Wednesday. Toyota's redesigned 2011 Sienna minivan just went on sale in January.
The new Chrysler program also borrows liberally from GM's "May the Best Car Win" marketing program, which includes a 60-day guarantee. On Wednesday, GM North America President Mark Reuss provided an update of that program in a speech at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. He said that thus far, only 505 of the 439,000 eligible vehicles sold under that program — less than one-half of 1 percent — "have actually been returned." In effect, such a return policy doesn't appear to pose heavy financial risks for automakers who adopt it.
"[We] are promising customers if they don't think their minivan is great, we will take it back," said Fred Diaz, Ram brand president and CEO and Chrysler lead executive for the sales organization.
Chrysler has not yet released details on mileage limits or potential penalties for damage caused to a returned minivan.
Inside Line says: Chrysler tries a new approach to lure Toyota and Honda minivan owners back into the tent. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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carl0ver says:
12:43 AM, 02/12/2010
my parents had a 96 t&c, it was not the most reliable but we loved it and it was truly tops in its class at the time. a decade and half later im not so sure if chrysler is still the best anymore. finally losing the sales crown the last few years seems to indicate that too. chrysler needs to roll out some badass mindblowing minivan when the time comes. the new sienna and soon to be new odyssey will surely not hold back.
thedream21479 says:
08:49 PM, 02/11/2010
Minivans are one of the few things that Chrysler does right (other than the Ram) so this is a good idea.
My family bought a brand new Dodge Grand Caravan Sport in 1999...and we still have it today. It only has about 110,000 miles on it, but it's all highway miles for long trips. It's been a trouble-free and extremely reliable minivan.
My parents are in their late 50's and early 60s and are looking to replace it with a new van and Chrysler is high on the list again (their other vehicles are a Mercedes E500 and a Lexus ES350).
I would not hesitate to recommend a Chrysler minivan to anyone.
mikes12 says:
07:08 PM, 02/11/2010
Agreed, why don't the auto journalists have the balls to corner the GM guys and say "yea...b/c you offer more money if they don't take the return policy".
GM is lame anyway you look at them.
atenza94546 says:
02:51 PM, 02/11/2010
Ha ha ha ha ha ......... ha ha !!!
Sign here if you wavie the return in 60 days policy, we offer additional cash allowance towards your van.
when you are targeting people who have low or no down for cars of course they will take the additional incentive and wavie the return policy.
What will happen then these lower income people will be stuck with it.