Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 01/16/2013 | 126321 | 1 | |
| Was driving the van about approx 35 mph in a snow storm when it started to slide, i accelerated to keep from spinning out and the transmission let go..took it to the transmission shop that put it in and they said the spider gears were welded to the shaft and it caused the shaft to break..this is the second tranny we put in this van for the same thing. manufacture defect..they should pay for the new tranny.. it cost me over $1950 to put this tranny in and it is a rebuild from advanced auto..they said its a manufacture rebuild..also, the switch for the headlights is very loose and you have to play with it and get it in a certain position to get the lights to stay on. you have to turn them all the way to the right then pull it out a little then it will stay on.. *tr | |||
| 09/15/2003 | 100000 | ||
| The transmission does not shift gears if the air conditioner is on. the air conditioner turned all the way up will blow out air as if it was on mid way. the wind shield wipers come on when the turn signal is activated, which causes me to buy blades more often. the brakes seem to lock up when the ground is wet. you can hear metal hitting together, and the car continues to roll. my sister-in-law, and one of my daycare moms had the same problem, but they were not as lucky as i was it caused them to rear end another vehicle. | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 91000 | ||
| At 91,000 miles the vehicle had a sudden and catastrophic transmission failure. given the fact that we have had a number of neighbors & friends also experience grand caravan transmission problems in 97 & 98 models, there obviously is a major design problem. i had owned a 1989 grand caravan that had two transmissions replaced under warranty. i took a chance going back to chrysler and lost the bet. while chrysler "customer no service" has told me "sir, when you signed the dotted line, you knew the warranty was 36,000 miles", clearly the public perception is that transmissions in $30,000 automobiles should last more than 90,000 miles. while chrysler can hide behind the warranty all they want, they clearly are breaking with the public''s trust. the fact that chrysler has had 100,000 mile drivetrain warranties on other years of grand caravans bespeaks to the levels that they: 1. had to go to gain public trust 2. the recognition that they may have design problems. lastly, as i have learned, their "customer no service" department is a very short one way street. when i called, i described the problem and inquired about the process to file a complaint. i was shocked to learn in very short order that the first person i talked to was also the last person that i would to talk. he quickly made the decision the chrysler was not interested in helping in any way and that his decision was final. there was never any "i am sorry about this problem, but there is not much that i can do". it was "you knew what you purchased, and i am not going to help you in any way". in fact he kept reminding me how long we spoke on the phone and that i was wasting mine and implicitly his time. all in all a very poor experience with a lousy product and non-existent customer service. | |||
| While traveling noticed air bag indiactor light was on intermittently soon after, radio came on and been replaced. also, speedodometer gave wrong reading. dealer has been contacted, and replaced battery. has been replace 6 times. dealer could not duplicate problem. *ak | |||
| 07/01/1999 | 11/01/1996 | ||
| This van at various speeds will jerk suddenly as if it is losing power. it also stalls out and has done this at speeds as high as 40 mph driving in traffic. i admit that this is a intermmitent problem. i have had it to the dealer several times and the problem has not been diagnosed. obviously this is an accident waiting to happen that could bring severe injury to my family. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 09/13/2006 | 149766 | 1 | 06/01/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 dodge grand caravan. whenever the contact shifts, the vehicle makes an unfamiliar noise. when the vehicle is parked, it operates normally. the transmission stalls and will start back up, but it is unreliable. the vehicle would rev and have to be restarted in order for the revving to stop. if there is a power fluctuation, the rear wipers will turn on and off at random. the high beams on the headlights do not work, but the failure was repaired. the parking light on the front driver's side failed. he replaced the bulb, but it still does not work. the contact stated that he is constantly replacing the low beam lights. the serpentine belt slips off; however, it has been repaired. the check engine light flashes on and off and there is a burning electrical smell coming from the vehicle. the front strut assembly is rusting and rotting. the rocker panel on the driver's side is rusted completely. the current mileage was 186,000 and failure mileage was 149,766. updated 09/10/08 *bf updated 09/11/08.*jb | |||
| 03/06/2008 | 135000 | 3 | 07/03/2000 |
| Twice in the last 6 years the transmission has had to be completely rebuilt in our 1997 dodge grand caravan due to failure. the first time, in 2002, occurred as the transmission permanently slipped out of gear. the second time, march 2008, the transmission would down-shift into first gear - at any speed and at any time. more often than not the transmission would shift out of gear before down-shifting causing the engine to race high. the van is not used for anything but passenger travel nor is it used for towing. *tr | |||
| 07/24/2006 | 1 | 08/15/1999 | |
| Took off from stop light transmission failed had been slipping for a while before. also shifted hard into gear. already had the cooling system replace due to overheating problems at the cost of $1,000.00 no they say the transmission will cost about $2,000.00 to replace. *nm | |||
| 07/20/2006 | 135995 | 2 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the vehicle rpms dropped to zero, the vehicle jerked, and the engine stalled completely. the contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road, and was able to restart the vehicle after 10 minutes. the vehicle has not been taken in for inspection. the consumer stated several attempts have been made to fix the vehicle. the oil pan was leaking oil. the valve cover gaskets were replaced. the transmission was heavily damaged and had to be replaced. the power steering pump was replaced. the front end of the vehicle pulled to the left. updated 08/15/06. *jb | |||
| 05/18/1999 | 24006 | 5 | 01/08/1998 |
| I purchased the 1997 grand caravan in january 1998 at the marlow heights dealership in marlow heights, maryland. the first time i started experiencing issue with the vehicle was 5/1999 at 24,006 miles vehicle had little power when accelerating, transmission not engaging, transmission had to be reconditioned. in 12/1999, there was transmission fluid leaking inside of the vehicle on the driver's side causing a very strong nasty odor. carpet had to be replaced. this caused a hazardous condition to my family especially my kids having to breath in this fluid. 3 /2000 same fluid leaked again in auto because of defective heating coil. then again in 8/2001 the leak happened again. this time i contacted daimler chrysler in north carolina and complained daimler chrysler agreed to repair the vehicle under what they called one consumer repair per customer per vehicle. in 11/2001, the check engine light came on 3 times. at this point, the vehicle was also due for emissions testing and did not pass the test because of a cylinder misfire code. once i was able to obtain the funds for repair, in 5/2004 @ 118,668 miles, i decided to take the vehicle back to the dealership for the repairs. i was told that i needed to have the spark plugs replaced and that would solve the issue. so i paid $114.24 to replace the 6 .spark plugs, problem not solved i ended up paying $3,758.82 in 7/2005 to replace cylinder heads, timing belt, and water pump . this was the second time i had the timing belt replaced. recently, in 3/2006, oil light came on. had to replace both vc gaskets, cam plugs, both ft cam seals and rear cam seals and timing belt once again for third time. this cost to me was $2,677.50. now the oil light is back on again. *nm | |||
| 01/09/2005 | 80020 | 10 | 12/11/2000 |
| Van was slipping not going into gear when it was cold and now just will not go into gear. the transmission is shot has to be rebuilt will cost anywhere from $2300 to $2800 to fix. *jb | |||
| 10/10/2003 | 4 | ||
| In the past three years consumer changed four times automatic transmission. vehicle was imported from canada. *ak | |||
| 10/16/2002 | 96700 | 10 | 03/10/2000 |
| Transmission gears slipping. sometimes takes a few moments for it to 'catch' first gear to go from a light or shifts 'hard' when accelerating. also, down shifts 'hard' when decelerating.*ak | |||
| 03/31/2003 | 62000 | 1 | 01/15/1998 |
| Child was able to move gear shift into reverse without depressing brake. *jb | |||
| 01/03/2003 | |||
| Consumer states while wife was driving the vehicle at 10mph the automatic transmission failed prematurely. dealer has been notified. please provide further information. ts | |||
| 12/10/2002 | |||
| Consumer stated that while driving at any speed and without warning transmission failed causing the vehicle to accelerate. dealer notified. ts | |||
| 04/20/2002 | |||
| While driving transmission failed, almost causing a collision.*ak | |||
| 01/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| The transmission failed prematurely and was replaced. *yh | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 3 | ||
| The transmission broke down due to differential pin failure and was replaced. the transmission failed again for the same reason, but the consumer believed the failures were due to a defect in the vehicle. *yh | |||
| 12/01/2001 | |||
| While driving rpm stayed high and would not shift gears. dealer states transmission needed replacement. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 03/08/2002 | 1 | 06/26/1997 | |
| While backing up there was a loud noise under the hood, then at 40 mph transmission would not shift. dealer determined that transmission needed to be replaced.*ak *yd | |||
| 11/28/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving to super market there was some noise coming from vehicle. then, after parking vehicle and getting back in, and trying to put vehicle into reverse, vehicle would not move. *ak | |||
| 09/28/2001 | 0 | ||
| While driving about 70 mph transmission lost power and consumer managed to drive off the road. then, towed vehicle to a shop, where they could not determine what had caused the problem. contacted manufacturer. please provide more infomation.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| The automatic transmission shifts erratically/ late, tsb 21-07-98 was issued but the dealer refused to repair the vehicle because the mileage was beyond warranty, the consumer believes that since the shifting problem occured prior to warranty expiration that repairs should be covered under tsb. nlm | |||
| 08/01/2001 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Transmission shelled out. this should never happen with normal use and care.*ak | |||
| While traveling heard a grinding noise. it got worise when backing out . dealer has been contacted. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| Transmission has failed constantly. prior to failure consumer had numerous problems with transmission. cause unknown. dealer told consumer at only 70,000 that transmission would need to be replaced or rebuilt.*ak | |||
| 04/25/2001 | 1 | 09/01/1997 | |
| The transmission failure occurred without warning. i was picking up my kids from school when the car would not accelrate after stopping for a traffic signal. the car was brought to a dodge dealer and i was told a new transmission was needed. i had the recommended routine maintenance done on the car. i have noticed that there is numerous customer complaints about transmission failure about 45k-55k mileage.*ak | |||
| 10/15/2000 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Transmission failed at 42k + miles. chrysler has a well-documented history of transmission failures. although we did not have an accident due to transmission failure, that certainly was a possibility. if the transmission failed during acceleration (high load) onto a highway or pulling out of an intersection, the results could be catastrophic. *ak | |||
| 11/09/2000 | 03/01/1998 | ||
| Transmission failed replaced, no geer shift lock resulting in toddler being able to change geers resulting in crash. *ak | |||
| 02/28/2001 | 1 | 11/01/1996 | |
| I have been told of many other caravan transmissions that are failing within 70000 to 80000 file range. my extended warrany expired at 75000 and chrysler is not assisting in payment of replacement transmission. this requires full replacement of transmission though i have done all warranty work at 7500 mile intervals *ak | |||
| Vehicle stalled out and died due to a loose bolt in transmission. manufacturer has been notified. *ak | |||
| 12/29/2000 | 1 | 12/17/1996 | |
| Consumer was driving at approximately 25mph ,heard a muffled explosion which was caused by transmission that had locked up, resulting in vehicle stalling on railroad track. there was no indictation or prior warning of failure. *ak | |||
| 10/13/1999 | 2 | 04/01/1997 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 07/17/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1997 | |
| Transmission is locked up. vehicle would not even roll when placed into neutral. vehicle towed to dealer. service department stated the transmission differential came apart causing the trany to become locked up. transmission wouldn't move in any gear and it would make a grinding noise when the vehicle was started up an put into a gear. replaced the transmission and flushed the cooler. service department stated with a 3 speed transmission there is no transmission computer to run diagnostics on it - this was a mechanical failure. cost to replace transmission with a factory remanufactured transmission $1600.54. air conditioning unit failed. service department stated the evaporator had corroded and cost to replace approx. $740.00. have not replaced the evaporator yet (going into cooler weather). | |||
| 09/18/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1997 | |
| No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak | |||
| 08/02/1999 | 3 | 05/07/1997 | |
| Vehicle has had three new transmissions due to failure. *et | |||
| 06/16/2000 | 1 | 03/01/2000 | |
| While traveling up the interstate experienced sudden transmision slippage,and engine check light came on.after manuevering to the shoulder of the road i checked the transmision fluid level which was good and also checked the diagnostic trouble code(mil code 45).tried to start off and the transission slipped very bad but finally stayed in second gear allowing me to return home.i understand that this is not an isolated issue,there have been many dodge caravan owners who have experienced similar transmission problems. i am currently trying to see if this is a current recall issue or if there are any particular steps that i could take to try to help it become a recall issue. *ak | |||
| 04/14/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1997 | |
| I was proceeding to take off after the light changed green when the vehicle would not accelerate. i managed to get vehicle off the side of the road safely and to a complete stop. the vehicle would go into reverse, but not forward. i called the wrecker service to tow it to the nearest dealership. upon complete inspection by our insurance co and dealer, it was determined that a manufactured part had broken off into shaved bits and fell into the transmission pan. therefore a new transmission was needed. *ak | |||
| 04/30/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1997 | |
| Transmission went into limp mode at 45 mph and the third gear went out. have had no previous problems with the transmission. have contacted both the dealer and the manufacture and they have said there is nothing they can do to help with paying for the repair. they site the van is pass the warranty.*ak | |||
| While traveling 40-45 mph consumer noticed transmission slipping. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 08/17/1998 | 1 | 03/16/1997 | |
| Vehicle whines at 35-40 mph and quits when gas pedal is let off because transmission needed overhaul. yh | |||
| 07/02/1998 | 100 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Transmission will not shift out of second gear under load conditions going uphill. when weather is hot, the drivetrain and engine overheat, can not maintain speed while attempting to maintin speed of greater than 45 going uphill. when pulling out onto a highway going uphill with the speed limit 45 or more, you can not accelerate to the speed without the engine racing at over 6,000 rpm and the transmission will not shift out of second gear while it is in a load situation. daimlerchrysler has stating in writing that it is a design fualt issue and they have no intentions of resolving the bad design. this condition has cause numerous close calls concerning accidents. *ak | |||
| 11/30/1999 | 1 | 10/01/1996 | |
| No summary | |||
| 11/08/1999 | 1 | ||
| The transmission seemed to hang in second gear. | |||
| 11/10/1999 | 100 | 08/01/1996 | |
| No summary | |||
| 01/23/1997 | |||
| Vehicle shifted from park to drive to reverse without applying the brakes, resulting in a minor collision. dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Engine slippage jan. 1999. to dealer who diagnosed and concluded needed transmission fluid. transmission rebuilt aug. 1999. oct. 1999, car overheated, towed. headgasket replacement with engine rebuilt. total cost - $4,000.00 | |||
| 09/22/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1997 | |
| Upon talking to the dealer sales manager and service manager i was told that there was no history of transmissions failures in the mini van. however, on the net there are thousands of complaints about repeated transmission failures for the vans and that it has been occuring since the late 1980s and chrysler does not care. they are basically forcing people to pay thousands of dollars to repeatedly repair the transmissions inthe minivans, becasue the owners can not afford a new car after having just paid almost $20,000 for the current vehicle. there has to be some consumer protection soon to help the thousands of people who have already had the problem and for those who soon will. i am very disappointed in chrysler and any federal agencies who monitor this kind of problem. this time i was stranded at work and my kids were stucj at daycare until 8:30 pm. where will it happen next time? will one of us be injured? since the transmission goes out with no warning it is a very scary proposition. | |||
| 05/31/1999 | 0 | ||
| While driving about 70 mph transmission operated erratically, causing vehicle to lose power, and force consumer to pull on the side off the road. consumer had to restart and turn off switch every fifteen minutes. *ak | |||
| 05/28/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1996 | |
| Please make the dealer or manufacturer pay for it. thanks. no safety defects listed. *ak | |||
| 05/28/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1996 | |
| Maintenance and periodic oil changes has been done on this vehicle. no safety defect listed in the summary. *ak | |||
| 02/15/1999 | 3 | 04/01/1997 | |
| No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak | |||
| 09/25/1998 | 01/29/1997 | ||
| Transmission failed causing a serious accident and injury. | |||
| 09/01/1998 | |||
| Defective transmission, causing difficulty in reverse position and surgeing while driving. also vibration and the vehicle pulls to the right badly which may cause an accident. dealer cannot determine problem, but is going to replace the tires. michelin stated that it not the tires, but the vehicle itself. *ak please provide further information. | |||
| 12/01/1997 | 5 | 11/17/1997 | |
| Transmission vibrates between 3 and 4 upshifts randomly, between 30-40 mph. | |||
| 2 | 11/15/1996 | ||
| Automatic transmission shifting problems. | |||
| 11/15/1996 | |||
| Unspecified. | |||
| 03/12/1997 | |||
| While driving transmission will shift into neutral, and will not switch into any gear. dealer knows problem, but does not have a solution. *ak | |||
| 3 | |||
| Transmission has been replaced three times with only 20,000 miles. one transmission blew after half a day. can't find the problem. *ak | |||
| 09/24/1997 | 1 | 07/09/1997 | |
| Transmission gears failed, causing vehicle stalling and noise. | |||
| 1 | 12/01/1996 | ||
| Vehicle drifts on hills if brake is released and engine remains idling without foot on accelerator. | |||
| 02/25/1998 | 06/01/1997 | ||
| Transaxle shifted into second gear without warning and with no brake lights to warn big truck that was traveling behind vehicle. | |||
| 03/17/1997 | 1 | 10/01/1996 | |
| Transmission replaced due to difficulty shifting/noise. | |||
| 09/03/1996 | 1 | 08/24/1996 | |
| Transmission failed. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 12/18/2002 | 63000 | 1 | 07/13/1997 |
| Car had serious damage whoses source cannot be determined by dealer and manufacture will not investigate. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES | |||
| 05/10/2000 | 04/01/1999 | ||
| When we towed our vehicle to the dealer, they looked at it for two days and reported that there was nothing wrong with our vehicle. we urged them to investigate a bit futher. two days later they found transmission fluid to be contaminated and pump failure. cost $1200, and that too to rebuild the trans, not new one. i checked on the daimlerchrysler web site about the procedure in such a case, and tried to follow all the steps they have described there. it took me more than three weeks to contact the district manager; they would not give me his direct number. in all, my vehicle was at the dealership for more than 6 weeks. went back and forth with the manufacturer and the dealer; i ended up paying $600 because i needed the vehicle before the summer was over. i have not settled in any way. i received extermely poor service from the dealer, and the manufacturer. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | |||
| 01/21/2008 | 1 | 01/04/1997 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 dodge grand caravan. after the contact parked and exited the vehicle, it began to roll forward. she managed to get inside the vehicle and depress the brake pedal before a crash occurred. the vehicle has not been taken to the dealer. the current and failure mileages were unknown. | |||
| 12/29/2002 | |||
| Consumer stated that when in reverse the vehicle would pop out of gear without warning causing a distraction to the consumer. dealer notified. ts | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH | |||
| 10/01/1996 | 1 | 10/01/1996 | |
| Consumers is able to put vehicle in gear without pressing brake, this could be very dangerous. *ak *yd | |||
| 11/01/2001 | |||
| Vehicle was parked/ engine off/ emergency brake not applied, and 2 year old moved gear shift from park to third gear, causing vehicle to roll and hit a tree. no injuries.*ak | |||
| 07/14/2000 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| There are apparently no safety interlocks to prevent van from being placed in gear. this allowed my 5 year old daughter to place the car in gear without the engine running. the van rolled down the driveway, pinning my 9 year old son beneath the rear axle. fortunetly, he was not seriously injured, though,emergency medical bills totaled $11,000. i decided to report this now after hearing of a similar incident on good morning america, in which a women was killed.*ak | |||
| 02/01/1997 | |||
| Will intermittently operate when in off position during driving and braking conditions. first noticed when vehicle was about 2-3 months old. frequency is increasing.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER | |||
| While driving at any rate of speed vehicle will completely shutdown without warning due to a malfunction within the torque converter. please give any further details.*ak | |||
| 05/22/1998 | 1 | 10/10/1997 | |
| Transmission torque convertor failed and caused damage. | |||
| 1 | 10/01/1996 | ||
| Torque converter failed. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 02/25/1998 | 1 | 07/23/1997 | |
| Trans axle failed completely. yh | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT | |||
| 02/24/2005 | 152000 | 02/01/2005 | |
| The 1997 dodge grand caravan front and rear brake pads and rotors wear out nearly every month. the vehicle begins to sway while driving 55mph on freeway or when changing lanes. the emergency brake light is on due to a leakage in the brakes. the egr valve keeps going out and the service engine light is on. | |||
| 08/10/1997 | 2 | 01/01/1997 | |
| Hub and wheel bearing assembly failed. nlm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT - SEAL | |||
| 08/17/1998 | 1 | 03/16/1997 | |
| Rear right transmissions front pump seal is leaking. yh | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 07/02/1998 | 100 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Transmission will not shift out of second gear under load conditions going uphill. when weather is hot, the drivetrain and engine overheat, can not maintain speed while attempting to maintin speed of greater than 45 going uphill. when pulling out onto a highway going uphill with the speed limit 45 or more, you can not accelerate to the speed without the engine racing at over 6,000 rpm and the transmission will not shift out of second gear while it is in a load situation. daimlerchrysler has stating in writing that it is a design fualt issue and they have no intentions of resolving the bad design. this condition has cause numerous close calls concerning accidents. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION - COLUMN SHIFT ASSEMBLY | |||
| 01/10/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated there is a defect in the transmission solenoid pack prndl. *jb | |||