Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 05/01/2002 | 71652 | 100 | 04/01/2002 |
| Besides all the 1998 recalls on this van, i found a pinhole leak in the head itself. at first i thought it was a gasket leak but its not. when it ran out of water, temperature gauge did not tell me it was hot but instead registered cold. on top of the front speakers goes off and on and the rear speakers do it on occasion. stereo gets really hot to the touch. transmission seems to be doing strange things like not kicking down when stopped and then lunging while stopped or accelerating when stopped. i think this whole van should be on recall. *nm | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 95000 | ||
| The car is on it's third transmission. we like the caravan as a package, but quality is lacking and problematic. the most critical problem is body rust through. the drivers side shock mount tower is rusted through and chrysler owner relations refusing to fix it. never mind that the dealers say the problem is prevalent and chrysler used to fix it but recently stopped paying for (perhaps due to financial and market conditions). | |||
| 08/15/2003 | 78027 | ||
| The van started having problems last week.it does not want to go into first gear after reverse or after stopping. i have been told the the differential pin is broken and will take anywhere from $1700 to $2300 to repair. i am trying to get chrysler to cover the cost of this as it is a known problem with these vans. i will never buy another dodge again. | |||
| 05/25/2001 | 04/01/1998 | ||
| Sensor failed, causing speedometer to drop to zero, and transmission did not shift - neutral only. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 100000 | 200 | 11/23/2001 |
| Vehicle only has park intermittently, must use parking brake to insure vehicle does not move. *tr | |||
| 10/24/2006 | 141000 | 1 | 12/06/2001 |
| Transmission failed while going 60 on interstate. power would come and go leaving me stranded in the middle of traffic and attempting to get to the side of the road without getting hit. the engine light didn't come on until i was pulled off the road. no prior warning of the pending failure. *jb | |||
| 11/21/2006 | 83988 | 1 | |
| My 1998 dodge grand caravan was stopped at a light, when i went to move forward, it clunked, and did not move for 1-2 seconds, then jumped forward. took to tranny shop and was told i will need a new transmission. the shop indicated the transmission was not completely damaged at the time, but recommends that it be replaced. *nm | |||
| 02/01/2005 | 25000 | 4 | 01/20/2005 |
| Dt: consumer complained about a rack and pinion steering and other problems. consumer drove over a rough pothole with a metal flatbed on top at a low speed. while driving at a street at 25 mph consumer made a right turn and there was popping noise in the steering wheel. the noise was evident only when turning to the left or right. took vehicle back to dealer, who said there was a problem with front alignment , but that was all. however, insurance company noted there were problems with rack and pinion steering /front alignment/ radiator, and the transmission pan. also, consumer noted the engine light was constantly on and it smoked after driving a long period of time. oil was changed regularly. vehicle has had a recent front end alignment but no other repairs. *ak | |||
| 11/09/2004 | 103000 | 1 | 08/05/2004 |
| While pulling into a parking space at a low speed transmission locked up. vehicle immediately came to a complete stop. vehicle is currently at a transmission shop being serviced. *ak the upper and lower planetary assembly failed. *nm | |||
| 08/16/2004 | 80000 | 1 | |
| When parked and without depressing the brake pedal vehicle shifted out of park, causing the vehicle to roll back until consumer gained control. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.*ak | |||
| 08/15/2004 | 60000 | 1 | 04/08/1998 |
| Transmission failure occurred on my 1998 dodge grand caravan at 60,000 miles. differential pin released and shattered the casing. the car jolted as i was driving as if i fell in a ditch. luckily i had just pull out of my driveway and was traveling at a slow speed(25 miles/hr). transmission fluid was released all over the road.. the van is at the transmission shop right now and will cost in excess of $2500. complete rebuild in a new casing required. i can ask for the old part since the core is no longer usable for a trade in. *jb | |||
| 08/10/2004 | 122000 | 1 | |
| While driving 65 mph transmission failed. as a result, the vehicle shut off in traffic. no impact reported. *ak | |||
| 40000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer complained about a transmission problem. when vehicle was started transmission went from second gear to neutral before going into third gear. *ak | |||
| 03/23/2004 | 83500 | 1 | 04/16/2003 |
| Differential pin came out, hit transmission housing and broke a hole in it. costing me over $1700 to repair. transmission shop commented they have seen this in chrysler products other times.*ak | |||
| 05/20/2004 | 82000 | 1 | 01/20/2003 |
| When taking transmission in for routine fluid & filter change, several fragments of metal were found in the pan. some from gear teeth, others from bearings. transmission needs to be completley remanufactured, and the cost is astonomical. this is my second (and now my last) chysler minivan. i had similar trouble with an older model, however chrysler honored the repair, even though it did not last very long. this time however, they were not only nasty to me on the phone when i called, but their response was we will never pay for or repair this vehicle which i find odd, considering what they would do if they were forced to recall it for this problem. i've looked into this, and it seems thousands of people have had the same trouble with these vans. now, i ask chrysler for over 13 years you've continued to manufacture defective transmissions, how long will you continue to bilk the customers who helped make you one of the biggest automakers in the world you have turned your back on those of us who have been faithful to your product, don't be shocked when we return the favor. when the foreign automakers eventually put you out of business, it will be because you have no intention of correcting your biggest and longest lasting mistake in the history of your vehicles. i suggest you charge a little more for your cars, and invest in the transmission longevity. saving a few pennies per vehicle today, will cost you billions some day. i was hopefull that daimler would come in and straighten things out, but that is not the case. shame on you daimler for embarrassing yourselves with poor quality, and for the poor customer service you alllow to continue. your previous history was to be admired with your mecedes line of vehicles. now you are slowly becoming an embarrassment. i was expecting better from you, and you let us down. if it is your intention to slowly dissolve chrysler, then you are certainly on the right track. *ak | |||
| 02/28/2004 | 81000 | 1 | 02/26/1998 |
| I was driving on 95 in virginia in 1998 grand caravan le (80,000) , and i heard a banging noise. it sounded and felt like the engine went from the front to the back of the car. there was a puff of smoke in back of me, and the cars behind me backed off. at this point i realized that the steering wheel and brakes did not work. i was able to pull to the right of the highway. it was a frightful experience for all us. we called the state police and they proceeded to call aaa where they towed us into whitten dodge. all of the fluids had come out of the car and the engine was locked up. seeing as we were on our way to florida on a saturday afternoon our only option was to buy another dodge. we purchased a 2004 grand caravan. i have a diary of everything that has ever been done to my van. it was very well kept. josh a machanic with whitten dodge went over the whole car and found the transmission differencial pin (that holds the spide gears) in the transmission fell out. this pin along with the spider gears totaled the transmission and engine. due to this unfortunate accident we got nothing for the car. in closing, i want to say that we were so lucky that we were not smeared on the highway. we strongly feel that major restitution is due in this serious situation. now i have a 04 grand caravan, should i be wary of this van? we would appreciate your immediate attention to this serious problem.*ak | |||
| 02/13/2004 | 84000 | 1 | |
| While driving 55 mph transmission blew out. this caused transmission fluid to leak. consumer managed to pull over ,and had the vehicle towed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.*ak | |||
| 02/18/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving consumer heard a loud noise coming from underneath the vehicle. consumer was able to pull over. vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that transmission blew out, and needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 11/12/2003 | 73551 | 1 | 08/09/2000 |
| November, 2003 - 1998 grand caravan with 73500 miles. head gasket failure. leaking coolant to the outside of engine from rear head. had to replace both head gasket and oil pressure switch. vehicle has been well maintained and serviced regularly. driven by soccer mom. also, complete transmission failure-see automatic transmission section. *jb | |||
| 02/01/2004 | 75100 | 1 | 08/09/2000 |
| February, 2004 - 1998 grand caravan with 75100 miles started slipping out of gear while driving. no previous warning of problem. total rebuild of transmission costing $1500.00. vehicle was well maintained and serviced regularly. driven by soccer mom. obvious through research this is a common problem with these vehicles. *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| 1998 chrysler grand caravan experiencing transmission problems.*mr 1998 dodge caravan suffered from avehicle fire as a result of a defective transmission. vehicle was declared a total loss. consumer is seeking a fair settlement for loss of vehicle.*mr | |||
| 1 | 06/12/1998 | ||
| Transmission failed at 40 mph. transmission was replaced by the mechanic.*ak *mr | |||
| 12/02/2003 | 80000 | 1 | |
| If the vehicle was not warmed up before being driven, it would hesitate. the cause had not been determined. the vehicle was taken to the dealership, however they were unable to resolve the problem. *jb | |||
| 05/08/2003 | 57796 | 06/22/1998 | |
| Transmission failure. the transmission in my 1998 dodge grand caravan began to slip and stay in second gear around 50k miles. i had it diagnosed by the dealer and the cost of repair is more than i could ever afford. i have taken it to two other mechanics and there is not much variation in price. generally the cost is going to be from $16,000 to $2,400. i cannot afford a new car either. i am reading all of the complaints about this, so why hasn't there been a recall? the dealer should gladly replace the transmissions since they are aware that this is occurring on a regular basis. it is because they do not want to absorb the cost themselves. they will recall something small like brakes or fan belt. i also have had the serpentine belt slip off twice when driving through puddles of water. both times my engine overheated and the steering column locked, both fatally serious probems. what is the deal? i demand relief! no one is going to trade this piece of junk with me. what is the dealer willing to do? | |||
| 09/19/2003 | 65800 | 1 | 05/16/1998 |
| I have experienced transmission problems with uneven shifting from the beginning of ownership of this grand caravan. the engine would rev up to a higher rpm than it should have before shifting into higher gear. initially we were told that the car would adjust to the driver and thus accepted the explanation. there have been at least two different recent occurrences, when in gear, the car did not engage and seemed to be stuck in neutral. the third time, while moving and making a left-hand turn, the car slipped out of gear and into neutral, causing a very dangerous situation and put me in the path of incoming traffic. when i took it in for service, diagnostics indicated a transmission problem and thus needed to take transmission apart. upon disassembly, it was determined that the gears had been ground off and not repairable and i was told this was no fault of anything i did. the remedy was a $3000 cost to put in a factory-rebuilt transmission. this could have caused a fatal accident except that the incident occurred late at night on a major road when traffic was low. this failure is not unique to this vehicle as other complaints against it have been reported to the nhtsa. this grand caravan transmission design flaw needs to be addressed by the manufacturer before fatalities occur. the car owners lives should not be put at risk, nor should they have to spend thousands of dollars fixing a problem which is clearly a manufacturer design flaw. | |||
| 08/05/2003 | 78027 | 1 | 05/30/2001 |
| Transmission in 1998 grand caravan needs to be replaced. according to the transmission repair shop, i have a broken differential pin. *ak | |||
| 07/07/2003 | 50000 | 1 | |
| 1998 dodge grand caravan: massive transmission failure. the shaft of a pin extending into the core (sorry if i have the technical details wrong) sheered of completely and destroyed the entire transmission at around 50,000 miles. shortly after the failure when the vehicle was first being looked at by my mechanic, the transmission locked up, meaning the vehicle could not be started or moved. the reason i am reporting this is because my mechanic indicated that had this lock up occurred at the wrong time and place that there is good chance my wife (who drives this vehicle daily) and my children (who ride in this vehicle daily) would have been seriously injured or killed. i have digital pictures showing the failure and damage inside of the transmission, and my mechanic is available to provide any further technical details or information. *ak | |||
| 06/24/2003 | 65000 | ||
| The driver got out of the vehicle while in park, vehicle accelerated and hit a gate and some trash cans. when returning to the vehicle, it was still in park. vehicle will be taken to the dealer on 6/25/2003. *ak | |||
| 05/22/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving 55 mph the transmission blew. *nlm | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving 45-50 mph the consumer hear a loud banging noise. the consumer pulled and turned off the engine. when the vehicle was restarted it began making a loud noise. it was later determined that the transmission had to be replaced. *nlm | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving, the consumer heard a pop then the vehicle stalled. the mechanic stated the transmission pin came in contact with the casing which caused the caused the transmission to fail. *jb | |||
| 04/22/2003 | 65000 | 2 | 02/28/1998 |
| Complete transmission failure at 65,000 miles. van needs complete replacement at cost of $2,400. previously repaired one month earlier with transmission valve problem at same dealer. opening cases with cfas and zone rep also. please advise. *jb | |||
| 03/11/2003 | 49600 | 1 | 10/30/1997 |
| The consumer heard a loud noise coming from engine. soon after, the steering became hard. the consumer pulled over and noticed transmission fluid leaking on to the ground. the transmission had failed. *jb. it was determined the transmission had exited the case ph *jb | |||
| 56000 | 1 | ||
| While driving the vehicle suddenly came to a screeching halt. consumer got out and noticed transmission fluid all over the ground and a rod was sticking through the casting. *nlm | |||
| 03/15/2003 | 76250 | 1 | 04/15/1998 |
| My 1998 dodge grand caravan had a complete transmission failure while i was driving it late one evening. it would no longer respond to any gear change and in fact, it sounded and smelled terrible! i was completely stranded for several hours on a dark windy road until i could obtain help. upon investigation on the internet i saw that this is unfortunately a commonly known problem for dodge owners. i have never towed anything with my car and had all routine maintenance completed. the transmission repair shop said they see this all the time with chrysler products. dangerous!! *jb | |||
| 11/10/2002 | 55000 | 1 | 08/25/1998 |
| Vehicle exprienced a complete transmission failure and required a new transmission with only 55,000 miles on the vehicle. in our research, we have seen numerous complaints of this type with dodge grand caravans. | |||
| 01/30/2003 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| Consumer was driving and the transmission failed. dealer was contacted. | |||
| 03/29/2002 | 1 | 04/01/2098 | |
| Was driving on highway. came to stop sign and the car lunged forward. took it to dealer where metal filings found in transmission pan. this van had transmission service at 15000, 30000, and again at 45000 which is why i brought it in there. nobody touched the engine but the dealer service center. when the dealer got into the transmission, found that the clutches were grinding themselves up. $2050.00 total in repairs. nothing from dodge except i'm sorry.*ak | |||
| 01/13/2002 | |||
| Vehicle was at a stop sign, and without prior warning, front wheels locked up because of transmission failure. *ak | |||
| 07/26/2001 | 1 | ||
| A loud bang was heard followed by a dragging sound, the vehicle immediately stalled, it was found by the dealer that a component broke within the transmission and came through the case. nlm | |||
| 07/26/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Known chrysler minivan transmission problems. *ak | |||
| 04/15/2000 | 1 | 04/01/1998 | |
| The transmission failed at 48,000. when i contacted the dealership the service manager diagnosed the problem over the telephone. when i asked him how he knew what was wrong, his response was happens on these vans all the time, it's a common problem. when i asked why dodge didn't do a recall and fix them all, his response was we would rather handle them on an individual basis. i'm sure it's a cost factor. my position is that dodge, (chrysler), has a major transmission problem on their vehicles, they knowingly installed them anyways and have deceived the public. if a survey of dodge owners was conducted, i'm sure that transmission problems would be frequent. dodge split the cost of a re-built tranmission with me which cost me $864.00. i am confident that there are a number of people who have had the costs split like me, had the whole thing taken care of and those who suffered the burden of paying for the entire cost. i feel that chrysler owes me $864.00 and that they should be punished for putting bad transmissions in cars. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| The transmission was leaking fluid, when the vehicle was taken to the dealer they claimed they could not find a leak but shortly after that the transmission failed and the dealer said it had to be replaced, consumer feels transmission should have lasted longer than 2 years. nlm | |||
| 05/25/2001 | 04/01/1998 | ||
| Sensor failed, causing speedometer to drop to zero, and transmission did not shift - neutral only. *ak | |||
| 05/10/2001 | 1 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Transmission failed suddenly; transmission failure at <70k mi has occurred with 3 other family members - recall needed?*ak | |||
| 03/05/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Transmission had 35,094 miles and consumer put 48,000 miles on vehicle. vehicle had 5,000 miles over the warranty to get fixed. dealer will not consider repairing or assisting consumer. *ak the transmission exploded while the consumer was driving, and the consumer was asking the manufacturer to reimburse him the cost of replacing the transmission. *yh | |||
| 03/02/2001 | 1 | ||
| A internal part failed in transmission. minivan was never used for towing. a transmission should not fail at 56000 miles during normal driving conditions. this is not a unusual circumstance, this is a defect.*ak | |||
| 02/10/2001 | 1 | ||
| The problem with this vehicle is that the transmissio had to be replaced with less than 50,000 miles on it. i bought a new vehicle for the security and so that i would not be inconvenienced with major repairs. that theory was thrown out the window with this problem. differential pin was worn is what the dealership diagnosed as the problem and gave me the choice of rebuilding or replacing transmission. i have to say that i was a little alarmed when i was told how long i would be without the vahicle because the part was on backorder. this leads me to believe that problems with the transmsission are not uncommon. i furhter believe my theory to be true because whenever i mention it to people they are not surprised and basically tell me that it happens all the time to caravans. so, $2091.25 poorer, i am writing this in hopes that this doesn't have to happen to other owners of dodge caravans. the dealership and manufacturer were of absolutely no help when it came to rectifying this problem. therefore, you have a letter from one extremely unhappy and irate dodge caravan owner (although not for long, because i am looking to trade).*ak | |||
| 02/27/2001 | 0 | ||
| After transmission was replaced serpentine belt fell off. then, took vehicle back to dealer, and they said that belt could fell off any time if it gets wet. consumer had to purchase a cover to avoid to fell off.*ak | |||
| 01/08/2001 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| Wife and 2 children were driving down highway at 45 mph, heard clunk, coasted to side of road where transmission gears and partial shafts fell into road from approx. 4 hole in transmission case.*ak | |||
| 12/04/2000 | 1 | ||
| November 1999 transmission leaked. dealer could not find problem, and leak stopped on it's own. on december 4 while driving 55 mph, heard loud noise, pulled over, and noticed transmission fluid pouring out of vehicle, vehicle at dealer now. transmission needed to be replaced. *ak the manufacturer paid only half of the cost of the parts. *yh | |||
| When driving and upon depressing brake pedal to make a sudden stop pedal traveled to floorboard, causing extended stopping distance. also, smoke came from brakes. consumer has contacted dealer, dealer has replaced entire brake system. also, when gear was placed in drive it popped out of gear. please provide any further details.*ak | |||
| 06/13/2000 | 2 | 06/01/1999 | |
| Transmission: down shifts to second gear and will not shift out. occurred while entering freeway on an on ramp. serpentine belt slipped off while driving in small puddles of water on highway. total loss of power steering which resulted in dangerous handling of vehicle on wet roads. *ak | |||
| 05/29/2000 | |||
| Transmission failed due to a pin shearing off from within, causing a hole, and allowing fluid to leak. manufacturer notified, and informed consumer that vehicle was out of warranty, and nothing could be done. feel free to provide further details. *ak | |||
| 04/07/1999 | 1 | ||
| Transmission was punctured from inside and leaks fluid. yh | |||
| 01/08/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Transmission failed while operating. engine surged several times, lost acceleration, then stalled. vehicle operated with only passenger weight. dealer no explanation for failure. suggest complete replacement of transmission. *ak | |||
| 07/15/1999 | |||
| Ongoing problem with v auto transmission working erratically. took vehicle to dealer , and was informed that nothing could be found. subsequently, vehicle would only start in 3rd. gear and remain in 3rd. gear. dealer notifed. seeking help from nhtsa in this matter. *ak | |||
| 07/06/1999 | 07/01/1999 | ||
| No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak | |||
| 1 | 11/01/1997 | ||
| Transmission failed. nlm | |||
| 06/05/1999 | |||
| When vehicle is taken out of reverse and put in drive it continues to go in reverse. the dealer has not been able to duplicate the problem. the manufacturer has been notified. *ak | |||
| 01/20/1999 | 0 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Rear heat and air line running under front of van caused rattle. dealer had van for over 15 days , replaced transmission, most of the dash was pulled out, all kinds of heat shields were removed and problem still returned. finally after over 12 return trips to dealer they replaced the lines or clamps and problem is gone. now the problems are showing up from the dash being remove. radio,speakers,dash lites & rattles. | |||
| 02/05/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Serpentine belt snaps causing power steering and power brakes to fail as well as causing the car to overheat. this has happened 5 times! steering column has needed to be replaced. transmission has been in for service 3 times and still is not working properly. this vehicle is a safety problem if any one of these things should fail again. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 05/30/2004 | 66000 | 2 | |
| When vehicle is turned off the fan continues to run. consumer disconnected the battery so it wouldn't burn out the motor. this occurs because the radiator fan relay does not turn the cooling fan off or on, which is causing the engine to overheat. to correct this problem dealership has to replace the radiator fan relay, and reprogram the power train control module as stated in the recall. however, this vehicle is not included in the recall due to vin. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | |||
| 11/02/1998 | |||
| Gear shift was able to be moved by two year old child while the vehicle was running, causing vehicle to run into a tree. dealer notified. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | |||
| 08/01/1998 | 08/01/1998 | ||
| Shift gear ( on column ) can be taken out of park when brake is not applied. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH | |||
| 04/16/2004 | 121349 | 1 | 04/05/2003 |
| While allowing vehicle to idle in park in residential garage, driver stepped inside house and within 30 sec heard loud crash. upon investigation found vehicles engine idle at 5500 rpms and had collided with washer/dryer 4ft in front of vehicle. *ak damage was to the w/d and minor scratches were found on bumper. air bags did not deploy. washer was total loss. | |||
| While vehicle was parked on a slight incline with four kids inside vehicle rolled backwards down driveway into a house. emergency parking brake was not applied. consumer stated that incident occurred because vehicle was not equipped with shift interlock. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 06/01/2001 | 0 | ||
| Vehicle can go into any gear without pressing on brakes. consumer has contacted dealer. please provide any further information. *ak | |||
| 05/13/2001 | |||
| Vehicle was turned off with keys and vehicle started rolling back, and hit a parked car. consumer was taking vehicle in as of 14th of may to determine cause. *ak | |||
| 02/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| Consumer is able to shift gears without applying brakes. *ak | |||
| 01/11/2000 | |||
| While the van was running two year old child was able to shift gear from park to reverse without brake application, causing the van to crash through the garage . manufacturer was notified about the problem. manufacturer stated that there was not a standard that would keep this from happening. please provide any further information. *ak | |||
| 11/01/1998 | |||
| The van can be pulled out of park without stepping on the brake, kids often go to the front of a parked vehicle. if the ignition is on the van can be put in gear by just pulling down on the gear change handle. many cars have a lock out this should be required. a response would be appreciated. | |||
| 10/24/1997 | 1 | 10/18/1997 | |
| Shift indicator gear does not contain a locking mechanism, allowing child to engage gear resulting in a vehicle collision. | |||
| 09/19/1997 | |||
| Vehicle wa sparked using the gear shift. key was removed from the ignition. after several moments, vehicle roled slightly forward, picke dup speed and crashe dinto a tree, stopping it. gea rshift was not in park after the collision. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 12/27/2008 | 106258 | 1 | |
| While driving the rain i went through a midsize puddle due to storm drains being blocked i lost the ability to steer the battery light came on the car stopped and started to overheat. i was thankfully driving in a residential area at 25 mph with out alot of traffic and was able to pull over right away. because of going through the puddle the drive belt came off. when the belt slipped off it bent the suspension and spring that hold the belt tight. the belt is fairly new and the car had recently been in for service and checked over. there was no reason for the belt to come off. can i not drive my car in the rain? if i was driving on the highway at 50mph or the road conditions were snowy or icy i may not be here. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 03/04/2005 | 85000 | 2 | |
| While driving at approximately 70 mph, the differential came apart,resulting in vehicle shut down. driver had to have vehicle towed to a transmission shop. also, the ball joints on the front left wheel broke apart. *ak | |||
| 03/23/2004 | 83500 | 1 | 04/16/2003 |
| Differential pin came out, hit transmission housing and broke a hole in it. costing me over $1700 to repair. transmission shop commented they have seen this in chrysler products other times.*ak | |||
| 08/05/2003 | 78027 | 1 | 05/30/2001 |
| Transmission in 1998 grand caravan needs to be replaced. according to the transmission repair shop, i have a broken differential pin. *ak | |||
| 02/10/2001 | 1 | ||
| The problem with this vehicle is that the transmissio had to be replaced with less than 50,000 miles on it. i bought a new vehicle for the security and so that i would not be inconvenienced with major repairs. that theory was thrown out the window with this problem. differential pin was worn is what the dealership diagnosed as the problem and gave me the choice of rebuilding or replacing transmission. i have to say that i was a little alarmed when i was told how long i would be without the vahicle because the part was on backorder. this leads me to believe that problems with the transmsission are not uncommon. i furhter believe my theory to be true because whenever i mention it to people they are not surprised and basically tell me that it happens all the time to caravans. so, $2091.25 poorer, i am writing this in hopes that this doesn't have to happen to other owners of dodge caravans. the dealership and manufacturer were of absolutely no help when it came to rectifying this problem. therefore, you have a letter from one extremely unhappy and irate dodge caravan owner (although not for long, because i am looking to trade).*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DRIVESHAFT | |||
| 3 | 08/01/1999 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 12/31/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| The driveshaft split in half ..the metal twisted apart...if i was going at a fast rate of speed someone else would be wirting you..*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 06/09/2000 | 1 | 06/29/1998 | |
| Serpentine drive belt slipped completely off the pulley which resulted in loss of the power steering capability for my wife | |||
| 12/23/1998 | 1 | 09/07/1997 | |
| Transmission was noisy--faulty flywheel and starter were replaced to correct it. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION - COLUMN SHIFT ASSEMBLY | |||
| 07/15/1998 | 1 | ||
| Consumer has had problems with vehicle 3 months after vehicle was purchased. a valve had to be changed at 24,000 miles later while vehicle was brand new. currently, vehicle emitts black smoke. there has been no remedy thus far for problems. sliding door rattles, dealer made an adjustment, front passenger door rattles when closing. engine hesitates, misses, and squeals, dealer replaced belts for the squealing. while turning steering wheel, there is a grinding noise in the front end, dealer performed tsb 19-05-98. spark plugs were replaced due to being worn. gear level was hard to get out of park. the left visor would not stay up, delaer found a broken clip. *slc | |||
| POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | |||
| 06/19/2005 | 1 | 12/01/2002 | |
| Dt: the contact owns a 1998 dodge grand caravan. the vehicle is an all wheel drive. vehicle had a flat tire, and contact used the spare tire that came with the vehicle. after only driving about 5 miles it done damage to the vehicle it broke some of the gears in the transfer case, and potentially could cause damage to the viscous couplings. they had to replace the transfer case. manufacturer stated that the district manager was going to contact him. however currently they were telling him that the case had been closed because warranty expired. the warranty was not an issue because the spare tire would cause damage to the vehicle if used on this vehicle. *ak | |||