Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 2 | |||
| The failure of transmission twice indicates inherent factory defect not normal wear and tear. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 10/13/2003 | 1 | 12/20/2002 | |
| Transmisson failure. *la | |||
| 07/07/2003 | 150310 | 2 | 05/10/2001 |
| Purchased on 5/2001 a used 1994 dodge grand caravan with 93,000 miles from carmichael auto exchange as is. after 1,000 miles, transmission failed. replaced @ $1875.60 with new mopar rebuilt at 94,282. took vehicle in for trans service on 3/8/2002 at 109,252 to dealer. installed transmission cooler on 4/2002. now rebuilt transmission failed on 7/7/2003 at 150,325. this added expense will cost $2600.00 at my expense. *ak | |||
| 12/10/2002 | 135000 | 1 | 04/01/2001 |
| When we bought the van in april of 2001 the transaxle would not shift into reverse when cold. the vehicle has apparently been warmed up before we test drove it. the transmission filter and fluid were replaced and the transmission was fine until the next cold season . the fluid and filter were replaced and the transmission was fine until the next cold season. the fluid and filter were replaced again but it did not help. the transmission started out at the beginning of this year's cold season just not going into reverse while cold, then it quickly progressed to no first gear or reverse while cold. during the time when it had no first or reverse the transmission would go into limp mode. (chrysler a-604 ultradrive) during this time the transmission only functions in second gear (while the gear selector is in overdrive). the transmission repair shop acted very surprised that our transmission lasted 135k miles! unfortunately our warranty company is not aware of the problems with this transmission or just doesn't want to lose money because of it, but they only paid for the installation of a used transmission with 80k miles. i use the ultimate warranty company (1-800-576-5113). *jb ***dimsii ivoq entry after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis*****770786 | |||
| 05/27/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving 60 mph the automatic transmission failed and forced the consumer to pull off the road. *nlm. *ak | |||
| 12/20/2002 | 110000 | 12/15/2000 | |
| Transaxle on 1994 dodge grand caravan le failed causing damage to axles. the axles had to be replaced, one axle had to be replaced twice. they are now failing again. the front end wobbles and shakes, especially when accelerating and the transmission shifts very harshly, with a slam. the transmission has an internal leak so that we have to check the fluid constantly, but no fluid is draining onto the street. it will cost us $2,500 to repair. when we bought the car 2 years ago it had just had the transaxle replaced. | |||
| 02/28/2002 | 0 | ||
| Transmission shifting problem. could not be fixed, and had to be replaced. please provide more information.*ak | |||
| 11/15/2001 | |||
| No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak | |||
| 08/15/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1999 | |
| I have had consistant problems with the 94 caravan. as soon as i get one problem fixed, another one pops up. i have been informed by the transmission shop that there is a high failure rate for dodge caravan transmissions. this has me highly concerned as i do not want to have to worry about another transmission failure. this is the 2nd time i am having the a/c system fixed. as for the door latch for the sliding door not working correctly, there is nothing i or my husband am aware of that would cause it to work and then not to work on and off. this is of great concern since this is the family car and i have no idea of when the latch may fail. so far this has not happened with my children in car, just myself . egr valve was affecting engine performance and milage. | |||
| 11/04/2001 | 2 | 11/01/1994 | |
| Transmission fails to downshift when stopping causing handling problems and component failure. this is the 2nd time for this type of failure which comes with no warning. the 1st time was dec. 1997 with only 35000 miles on the vehicle.*ak | |||
| 04/01/1994 | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 02/10/1999 | 2 | ||
| First failure happened on highway. dangerous getting off. second failure occurred on a winding hill going up. cars came up from behind and almost collided with rear of car. chrysler should not be allowed to get away with such transmission problems has it has had on these minivans.*ak | |||
| 02/18/2001 | 2 | ||
| Engine cuts out periodically, consumer was advised by mechanic transmission needed to be replaced, vehicle only has 12,000 on an already previously rebuilt transmission and was advised, that transmission would out last the vehicle. *jb | |||
| 04/19/2001 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Every caravan owner i talk to tells me about their transmission failing. why hasn't nhtsa investigated this huge problem? my transmission failed while traveling 70 mph on the freeway. the shop told me the number one complaint has been the transmission on these vans. *ak | |||
| 04/25/2001 | |||
| While traveling at approximately 55 mph vehicle suddenly lost power. it felt like it was stuck in park. dealership stated that transmission, had been replaced by this dealership a year earlier at 120,000 miles, had to be replaced again. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak | |||
| 04/04/2001 | 1 | 04/01/1994 | |
| I really feel dodge/chrysler has a probelm with their automatic tranmissions in their mini-vans, everyone i know has had trouble and had to replace them. my turn came last week, reprtedly the new transmission that was installed is re-designed and has a longer warranty. there is something wrong here and it needs to be addressed.*ak | |||
| 01/05/2001 | 2 | ||
| While driving transmission will lose power and gears. this more likely will happen during cold weather. when vehicle warms up it will work better. but sometimes not even reverse gear will work. *ak | |||
| Transmission prematurely failed due to a design flaw. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 11/18/2000 | 1 | 01/01/1994 | |
| Had classic symptoms for over a year: stuck 2nd gear, acceleration shudder, delayed engagement, finally failed completely with no reverse gear. *ak | |||
| 07/01/2000 | 2 | 10/01/1993 | |
| 1. automatic transmissions locks up in second gear, rpm's will double, speed becomes limited. 2. window on rear hatch is oozing glue and the window is buckeling. | |||
| 06/08/2000 | |||
| Transmission is hesitating & won't catch in 2nd gear. dealer put vehicle on the diagnostic machine & found failure of 2nd gear. warranty had expired. *ak | |||
| 05/05/2000 | 04/01/2000 | ||
| The internet is chock full of consumers reporting problems with chrysler corporations automatic transmissions. why is it taking you so long to do something about this? *ak | |||
| 04/10/2000 | 05/01/1998 | ||
| I believe that this van was a lemon from the start. it was purchased with 60,000 miles on it less than 2 years ago. the dealership, aurora chrysler-plymouth did what they called a safety check on it. somehow they failed to find that both tie rod ends needed replaced. that was within 1 month of purchase. we took it to a more local dealer for the service. then before we had 84,000 miles on it, the transmission had to be completely rebuilt. now the engine has failed e-check with major problems. after reading all the consumer complaints on failed transmissions, i am very surprised that there has never been a forced recall on these. i also wonder how many other engine failures are out there, not being reported. | |||
| 07/05/1999 | 1 | ||
| Transmission failed. yh | |||
| 12/01/1999 | 10 | 12/10/1993 | |
| When driving 20-30 mph and coming to a stop, transmission shifts into second gear, decreasing driver's speed. also, the vehicle pauses momentarily between shifts from reverse to drive before engaging, and it does not always shift into high gear when it should. *ak *ml | |||
| Computer failed possibly due to transmission failing which happened prior. also, sliding door latch is stuck , which will not allow door to open or close. cause is unknown. *ak | |||
| 01/24/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1998 | |
| Transmission started acting-up approx. ten months ago. vehicle developed a shudder around 40 mph when transmission was shifting from drive into over-drive. recently, when cold, the vehicle would not move when put into reverse. upon contacting a recommended transmission repair shop, i was told that these were common problems with chrysler produced mini vans. they explained to me that the shudder was most likely caused by a broken snap-ring that the manufacturer made too thin and the reason the vehicle would not move when put into reverse was that the internal seals were failing because the manufacturer made them out of the wrong material. i understand that chrysler has repair kits to take care of these defects. my question is: if this is such a common problem, why hasn't there been a recall? we are facing a repair bill of well over $1000 because of the amount of labor involved to correct problem. is chrysler doing anything for customers regarding this situation? *ak | |||
| 07/06/1999 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| Transmission failure in my minivan at 38,000 miles. transmission has been replaced, since problem at a cost of $1461.50. i feel that a major component as a transmission should not fail at 38,000 miles. the transmission fluid was changed on 04/01/1999, at 35,262 miles. it wasn't because of the fluid. | |||
| 11/01/1999 | 1 | 03/01/1994 | |
| Premature transmission failure seems problematic; needs nhtsa investigation & recall. hatch latch failed after recalled part repaired. *ak | |||
| 10/10/1999 | 08/01/1999 | ||
| Transmission failed in middle of busy intersection | |||
| 11/02/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1994 | |
| No summary | |||
| 10/15/1999 | |||
| While driving transmission was jerking the vehicle between gear changes. vehicle is stuck in second gear.dodge was contacted.please provide any futher information. *ak | |||
| 08/01/1999 | 2 | 12/01/1994 | |
| No summary. | |||
| 09/27/1999 | 01/01/1998 | ||
| Second transmission to go bad. first transmission went bad at 85k. this latest around 50k. | |||
| 2 | |||
| Transmission in for repair on two occasions. mjs | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 2 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Transmission failed in may 1998. transmission was repaired once and then returned 2 weeks later for further repairs for same problem. transmission operated well until july 1999 when it failed while driving which resulted in towing of vehicle. we returned the vehicle to the same transmission repair service. he didn't understand what went wrong with the transmission. he agreed to repair the transmission once again, charging us over $800 (but no labor charge). he further stated that there would be no warranty on this work. what is wrong with the transmissions in these vehicles???? we previously owned a 1988 dodge grand caravan which also had transmission problems.... causing us to replace it. so many people are having transmission problems.... but the dodge dealer keeps telling us there is no recall... only lots of complaints. | |||
| Transmission will not shift into drive, it sits still for a couple of minutes before taking off. it's also hard to shift gears. dealer has not seen vehicle. *ak | |||
| 07/01/1998 | 1 | 03/01/1994 | |
| While passing another vehicle the transmission slipped out of gear then immediately shifted into 2nd gear causing rapid deceleration, almost throwing vehicle out of control. after shutting the engine off the transmission reset itself, but continued going into 2nd gear several times until we could get to a dealer. repair order states transmission overhaul, replace front pump and torque converter. after doing research on the internet, the transmission appears to be a major problem for dodge minivans. if the road would have been wet or snow covered, this problem could have caused a major accident. | |||
| 01/21/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1997 | |
| The problem with the transmission was in the snap rings. our mechanic said he sees this quite frequently. in looking at all the complaints on the internet, i'd say this is an understatement. people who have had problems with transmissions going out should be compensated for their repairs. this does not only seem to be a problem with the originial transmissions,but also with the ones that are being sold as replacements. it is really amazing that with all the complaints that have been posted on the internet that there hasn't been any information in the news about this. i intend to get every penny back from chrysler,and would greatly appreciate it if you could give me some advice as to how i can. i also believe you should issue some statement about this to the news. people deserve to know about this. *ak | |||
| 01/02/1999 | |||
| Automatic transmission malfunctions. there is no reverse and transmission slipping into gear. dealer needs to have a rebuilt transmission installed. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 12/29/1998 | 3 | ||
| Transmission failure. | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 02/01/1994 | ||
| Vehicle has had numerous problems with transmission. failure included, while at low speed and in drive, vehicle would not go forward. vehicle had to be restarted before proceeding. appears not to shift into second. while increasing spead, engine revs as car slows down then lurches forward. | |||
| 05/07/1997 | 2 | 11/21/1993 | |
| Automatic transmission failed. | |||
| 11/03/1997 | 1 | 11/05/1994 | |
| Transmission failed | |||
| 02/04/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1995 | |
| Transmission sticks after vehicle warms up | |||
| 11/01/1997 | 1 | 11/01/1994 | |
| Transmission failed. | |||
| 12/30/1996 | 1 | ||
| Transmission locks into second gear/locks into neutral gear then fails. | |||
| 11/27/1995 | 3 | 11/01/1993 | |
| An electrical short, caused the vehicle to catch on fire in the engine while driving the vehicle. also, replaced transmission three times. *ak | |||
| When driving at low speed or coming to a stop the truck shut off and the transmission has worn out for the third time . *ak | |||
| 07/17/1996 | |||
| Owner states that his transmission dies out while vehicle is being driven which could result in a crash, he also received a recall notice for the rear liftgate latch, dealer fixed it but problem still exists. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 07/05/1999 | 1 | ||
| The vehicle's gear malfunctioned due to electronic transaxle computer device failure. yh | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH | |||
| 12/03/2001 | 1 | ||
| A young child got in vehicle, put key in ignition, and was able to shift from park to neutral without applying brakes. vehicle rolled backwardm, and hit another vehicle. damage to that vehicle was $2000.00. *ak *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 12/20/2002 | 110000 | 12/15/2000 | |
| Transaxle on 1994 dodge grand caravan le failed causing damage to axles. the axles had to be replaced, one axle had to be replaced twice. they are now failing again. the front end wobbles and shakes, especially when accelerating and the transmission shifts very harshly, with a slam. the transmission has an internal leak so that we have to check the fluid constantly, but no fluid is draining onto the street. it will cost us $2,500 to repair. when we bought the car 2 years ago it had just had the transaxle replaced. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 10/12/2000 | 1 | 04/01/1994 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 2 | 11/23/1993 | ||
| Transmission failed twice due to planetary gear failure, car locked and skidded to a stop. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 1 | |||
| Engine consumes a lot of oil. dealer has inspected vehicle several times and could not correct problem.*ak the vehicle has transmission problem and the rpm malfunctions. *yh | |||
| 07/15/1998 | |||
| After driving a long period of time at highway speed and pulling off to a rest area, and then taking off again the transmission seems like it's locked in 1st gear and the rpm is very high. the vehicle will not travel over 40mph when this problem occurs. *ak | |||