Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 01/03/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated whiel driving, the transaxle failed, which caused the transmission fluid to leak.*jb | |||
| 02/07/2002 | 1 | 03/01/2001 | |
| Speedometer erratic whilde driving freeway speeds. the speedometer will jump to 120 causing the engine to stall if the need is not released. this happen on the freeway and had to coast over to the emergancy lane imediatly . the cause was the rss speed sensor (203 c 4800879 and the outpu rss speed sensor 204 c) this is a major safty issue when it stall on the freeway with my family in the minivan. this should not have been a repair payed for by the consumer for faulty design! *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 07/07/2008 | 150000 | 1 | |
| Van stops for no apparent reason. just started in summer heat. transmission acted up, had it serviced---now transmission made huge noise, no reverse, loud whining, all going out. loud squeaks in supports, brakes replaced but still squealing even when pedal not pushed. horrible fogging problems, have had to pull over and wipe windows inside and out when raining. almost wrecked when vehicle stopped in traffic. can't see due to fogging when raining. just an accident waiting to happen---going to the junk yard. manufacturer needs to own up to problems. won't own another. *tr | |||
| 01/10/2008 | 1 | ||
| I picked up on a matter of safety with my 2000 dodge grand caravan se, when the vehicle is turned on, and running the vehicle can be shifted from park to other gears without the break pedal being depressed. this issues continues to happen. i spoke with the dealer about the issue, and was told that in the 2000 model it wasn't required to press the brake pedal to shift the vehicle. i as the consumer do not think this the case. i can make it happen time after time, and can show you it happening. could result in property damage, and or crash. *tr | |||
| 02/28/2008 | 124000 | 1 | 03/28/2000 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge grand caravan. while checking the transmission under the hood with the engine running, the contact's granddaughter was able to shift from neutral to drive. the engine revved and the vehicle moved forward, knocking the contact underneath the vehicle. when the vehicle suddenly stopped, she managed to get up from under the vehicle and turn off the engine. the contact was the only one injured. the paramedics had been called and the fire department filed a report. she was then transported to the hospital. chrysler stated that it was impossible for the gear to be moved out of position without depressing the brake pedal. they offered no assistance and the contact is concerned that the failure may recur. the failure mileage was 124,000 and current mileage was 124,784.updated 05/13/08. *lj | |||
| 08/24/2007 | 85000 | 1 | 07/25/2003 |
| My 2000 grand caravan (87000), has the dash board crack on the drivers side, from the windshield to the speaker grille, (and traveling). this is a common problem with chrysler vehicles due to news reports recently. chrysler should address this problem before people get hurt ect.. i have replaced the evaporater, a/c compressor, & belt $2300.00. the transmission is shifting badly and today check engine light came on. this is my 7th chrysler vehicle in the past 30 years, and will be the last if chrysler doesn't step up, on this dash problem this time. *tr | |||
| 03/06/2007 | 133000 | 1 | 01/15/2007 |
| Luckily we were slowing to a stop at the time of this incident. the center pin that holds the gears in the differential came loose and locked the front wheels up so violently that it killed the engine. if this happened at highway speed this could have been deadly. there was no warning no noise at all. when this happened it busted three holes in the differential case of the transmission and one hole in the flywheel housing. i believe there are som serious engineering issues that chrysler needs to address before someone is seriously injured or killed. luckily all i am out is the mony tobuy another transmission and pay the core charge since my case is not rebuildable. | |||
| 12/06/2006 | 87403 | 1 | 05/10/2005 |
| While driving on a major interstate the transmission in my 2000 dodge grand caravan locked up with only 87403 miles registered. after having it towed to a reputable transmission company i found that the entire transmission was damaged for no apparent reason and had to be replaced. while repairs were being made i investigated to see if there was a recall for this vehicle for transmission problems and found that many individuals have had problems with this particular vehicle but there have been no recalls to this date. all parts including gears were replaced at my expense of $2221.58. it is my understanding that the transmissions in this vehicle should not have problems and especially should not have to be replaced until at least over 100,000 miles. *jb | |||
| 03/22/2006 | 84000 | 1 | 10/01/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50mph, a loud noise was heard coming from the engine compartment. the vehicle was driven to its destination and when the contact attempted to drive the vehicle again, it would not go into gear. the vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was determined the differential cross pin came loose, logged into the side of the transmission case and resulted in a complete loss of transmission fluid. the entire transmission needs to be replaced. | |||
| 02/27/2006 | 80557 | 1 | 05/01/2003 |
| I am a day care provider and while i was transporting five small children, my 2000 dodge caravan's transmission blew on the interstate with no warning. i was horrified and we were left stranded for nearly an hour. i recently had the transmission fluid changed, and oil changed prior to this incident. my vehicle had approximately 80 thousand miles on it. i keep up with maintenance. after having it towed to the dealership and finding out it was going to cost over $2000 to fix, i made several phone calls. i was told by several local service shops that this problem is common and that on an average they see this happen on a weekly basis. online research turned up thousands of individuals across the country who have also had this happen. the transmission blows, something about a pin flying through the case and the vehicle is rendered useless until a $2000 plus repair is made. contacted chrysler directly and they stated they are unaware of any problems, yet the internet is filled with people who have experienced this dangerous situation. when i inquired about whether this will occur with a new transmission, i was informed the problem would be corrected, if there is a problem to correct ...then chrysler should fix it to begin with. i now have to replace my transmission and i strongly feel that chrysler should have to pay for at least part of it since it is a defective part in their transmissions. this problem only occurs in the 97-2002 models from the information i gathered online. the transmission fails and there is no maintenance or procedure that a customer can do to prevent it. *nm | |||
| 09/19/2005 | 65469 | 1 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph, the wheels locked up. the vehicle slid off of the road and was towed to an independent repair shop. the repair shop determined a pin in the transmission came out, causing the wheels to lock up. updated 3/17/2006 - the transmission had to be replaced. the pin broke through the housing of the transmission. the manufacturer is aware of the problem and explained to the consumer that they now have a retrofit kit to lock the pin in. the manufacturer refused to provide the consumer with any assistance. *nm | |||
| 10/15/2004 | 70000 | 1 | 05/05/2000 |
| 2000 dodge grand caravan se has no shift lock. 2 year old child was able to shift transmission from park to drive without depressing the brake pedal. $1800 damage to caravan and $2300 to another customized van; all in the expanse of 50 feet and 1 minute in a flat and level private school parking lot. *nm | |||
| 03/01/2005 | 36000 | 2 | 12/07/2004 |
| While driving 50-55 mph transmission exploded. broken pieces of the transmission spread out onto the roadway. vehicle was towed to a repair shop, and mechanic stated that the cause of this problem was undetermined. the dealer was not notified.*ak... let chrysler know of the problem. when transmission was taken out it looked like a bunch of holes shot into it. the mechanic said the pin came out of the differential. consumer was lucky to get off the road. *ak | |||
| 02/01/2004 | 62598 | 1 | 11/05/2001 |
| All the seals and gaskets on the transmission wore out and caused leaks. *nm the transmission failed less than a year later after the seals and gaskets were replaced. *jb fluid was leaking from the transmission. *tc | |||
| 08/15/2004 | 42000 | 1 | 09/15/2000 |
| Transmission failure at 42,000 miles. problems with transmission shudder, tsb 18-05-94. i had brought the transmission shudder to the dealers attention starting at around 32,000 miles. dealer said they could not find anything wrong. they re-flashed the computer, etc. van was brought back to dealer twice before 36,000 mile warranty expired. brought the van back at 37,000 miles to complain again and dealer proceeded to tell us that they have no records of any prior complaint regarding the transmission, therefore they would have to charge us to re-flash the transmission. (i will never lose or throw away any warranty related receipts again). after going back and forth and getting nowhere we paid the re-flash fee and once again the they told us there was nothing wrong. then at about 42,000 miles the transmission blew. this after the dealer told us on a minimum of 4 occasions the transmission was fine. after some polite negotiation i got the dealer to cover half of the $1300.00 repair cost to replace the transmission pump. of course they didn't cover the flatbed & rental car expenses. i have never owned a car that i have had to repair or replace a transmission and i had driven most of them well over 100,000 miles. i do not understand how chrysler can get away with this. with all of the disgruntled chrysler customers on the internet i can't beleive the nhtsa isn't investigating their transmissions. who is paying off who?*ak | |||
| 01/01/2003 | 49000 | 3 | 03/02/2002 |
| Shortly after buying this van with in a year the van was making a grinding noise,took it back on march 2002 , thay said it was repaired.on a highway in jan. 01 2003,the car was on route 1 and it suddenly went from drive to neutral,doing50 miles an hour in the fast lane,i had togo to the breakdown lane just missing several cars before i reliezed the engine was racing.this happened to my wife,of course i thought she was crazy,but it happened again wen my son was driving ,this after being brought in for transmission work at ira dodge in medford which cost me 615.97 march 19 2003,problem was still happining and i went to melrose dodge and all he did was ajusted shifter linkage for 85.00 dollers. no problem since thank god. there is a problem with these vans. *ak | |||
| 10/08/2004 | 1 | ||
| 2000 dodge grand caravan, vehicle put into gear without foot on brake. dodge does not have safety switch on brake to prevent gear shifting. this should be illegal. this should be illegal. let's do the right thing, if this is not illegal the government is not doing their job.*ak | |||
| 10/04/2004 | 50000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle was being maintained by an aftermarket auto shop where it was discovered that there was a quarter size hole that went completely through the transmission. the owner then contacted the manufacturer who stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and that the vehicle was manufactured in canada and that there was nothing they can do. provide further details. *jb | |||
| 09/18/2004 | 52000 | 1 | 08/13/2004 |
| 2000 dodge grand caravan: i shifted the vehicle into reverse and it started to reverse but then jerked, placed in park, and again attempted to reverse but experienced the same results. placed in neutral and rolled out of driveway into street and noticed transmission fluid had blown, pulled forward and parked. towed to dealership and they are telling me that the transmission housing cracked and that the repair/replacement cost will be $3500.*ak | |||
| 08/17/2004 | 108450 | 1 | 09/15/2000 |
| (1)driving along at normal highway speed when with no warning vehicle shifted into limp mode. check engine light came on and would not shift out of 2nd gear. vehicle has been maintained exactly as called for in service manual. (2)towed to repair shop and was informed that transmission needed to be replaced. cost would be $2000 to $2500. informed that the real problem was that there was a backlog on ordering a rebuilt transmission. wait could be as long as 6 months. if this is not a serious problem, then why is there such a backlog in obtaining a replacement? also at the time of purchase i was aware of the problems chrysler had in the past with caravan transmissions so i asked the salesman about the problem. was informed that chrysler had fixed the problem. later found out that they didn't fix the problem as there are still as many problems as before they just reduced the warranty period so they wouldn't have to repair as many under warranty. (3)everything is still available as i can not afford to pay for repairs because i still have to make my payments. *jb | |||
| 08/18/2004 | 30000 | 8 | 09/13/2000 |
| Transmission lines leaked and were tightened under warranty. transmission lines started leaking again but this time i had to pay because all of a sudden the line was fractured due to some external cause. transmission stutters and shifts hard especially between 25 and 35 mph. started complaining to dealer around 30,000 miles, of course when i returned for the 3rd time to complain at just over 37,000 miles they had no previous record in their computer so i had to pay to have it looked at. they still insist nothing is wrong and the problem is getting worse. the coolant reservoir is always almost empty no matter how much i pour in. dealer insists this is normal and pressure tests indicate nothing is wrong.. if the system is sealed where is all of the coolant going?*ak | |||
| 07/28/2004 | 105000 | 1 | 02/01/2000 |
| Transmission failure @ 105,000 miles*ak | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 5 | ||
| 2000 dodge caravan jumped from drive to neutral while driving 35 mph. *mr the vehicle has been taken to the dealer over five times for this problem. *nm | |||
| 05/25/2004 | 6 | ||
| While driving 35 mph without warning the vehicle shifted into neutral. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection but the mechanic can not duplicate the problem. *nm *nm | |||
| 02/27/2004 | 42000 | 1 | |
| While driving 60 mph transmission locked up. consumer was forced to pull over. consumer had the vehicle towed to dealer, but dealer was not able to resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 02/07/2002 | 22800 | 1 | 10/07/2000 |
| After 22800 miles (feb 7, 2002), the transmission solenoid pack failed (slight leaking), causing a check engine light to come on and forcing bad shifting. the dealer replaced this under warranty. at 49,500 miles (september 8, 2003), the check engine light came on again and the van was shifting rough again. since the main warranty had been exceeded at 36k miles and the part from the first dealer repair was warranted for 1 year/12000 miles, the dealer offered no recourse. found a good (non-dealer) mechanic to replace it for less (still cost $525...dealer wanted over $600). dealer claimed that this was unusual to happen once, let alone twice, but still wouldn't help me. *la | |||
| 01/09/2004 | 41645 | 1 | 12/30/2000 |
| At 41,000 miles suffered total transmission failure w/ no warning. veh would buck when shifted into reverse, as well as forward gears. brought to dealership and was told it was a failed differential, needed total replacement and was not covered under warranty. (this van is 10 days/ 5000 miles beyond the warranty period). we had a previous problem of trans fluid leakage which was repaired approx a year ago, and we have followed the reccomended service schedule. this time around the repair totaled $1900. | |||
| 1 | 07/15/2000 | ||
| While driving the gear shifter shifted into neutral and as a result the vehicle would not accelerate. this also happened while stopped in traffic. the consumer has several witnesses to the problem but the dealer mechanic could not duplicate or determine the cause of the problem. please provide any additional information. *nm | |||
| 12/22/2003 | 71000 | 2 | |
| Transaxle pin slipped out of position and ripped transmission case open. transmision was destroyed. fluid drained out in local driveway. ealership says will cost $3,100 to $3,400 to replace transmision with, not a new one, but a chrysler rebuilt transmision.*ak ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 years old ... 71,000 miles ... when tranny busted. dealership preformed $150.00 powerflush to transmision 1 1/2 years ago with superior fluid that was avert any problems due to original equipment fluid not recomended because of not being good enough. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ amy whitford stopped van in the middle of the road when she thought she hit something (the noise of the transmision pin breaking through the case) and got out in traffic walking around vehicle with 3 young children inside. she noticed fluid on ground and pulled into nearest driveway, where remainder of fluid ran out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i am outrage to find that thousands of these exact falures happen with these chrysler automatic transmisions and continue. the consumer pays the $3,300 price for these known defects after they tear the transmision apart. these failures are dangerous and only ignored because it will cost the manufacturer instead of me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chrysler has made a blunder here and wants me to pay for it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ cameron r. whitford ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ whitfordcr@bluefrog.com please email with any assistance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ how do i get chrysler to own up to this customer nightmare. i will do anything! | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 24000 | 1 | 08/01/2000 |
| Transmission fluid leaking from transmission pan seal at 24000 miles.*ak | |||
| 10/20/2000 | 4580 | 15 | 06/13/2000 |
| Hi, my name is joanmarie timm, i live in bradley, il. in june of 2000, my husband and i purchased a 2000 dodge grand caravan from, taylor dodge in kankakee, il. on october 20, 2000 with only 4500 miles on it the van began slipping into neutral while driving. this van has been in over and over to that shop. i have been with out my van on a regular basis, with out resolution. the owner of the dealership, dave taylor, was in the van - in his shop and the van dropped into neutral when he put it into drive. (not moving). after many visits of we cannot duplicate the problem, the chrysler corp was contacted by dodge. a return fax to the prior service manager doug becker , told them not to do anything until the problem is duplicated. i have talked to dave taylor asking him to replace this van, of course he cannot do that. i have emailed dodge corp asking them to fix or replace as this is a safety issue. a couple of weeks ago they replaced the transmission, within 2 weeks the van was doing this again. i called and was told they would get back with me. i had to call them back. the resolution this time was bring it in will take it for a drive. which of course i did, of course in a 10 minute drive it did not do this. the bottom line is, i cannot manipulate the van to do this and when you are driving 45 miles pr hour and the van drops into neutral it is a safety issue. we have had many close calls with this van in being rear end. i have put large size lemons in my windows and pained on the van, 3 years and dodge cannot find problem, i have only 35,000.00 miles and have had problems since 4500, i purchased the extended warranty about 15 months ago due to these issues. today dodge tells me that until a certified service person, experiences the problem first hand, nothing will be done. i asked dennis (service manager, does that mean someone has to die in this van before it is fixed, he stated they have made an honest effort to try and fix the van -that is all they can do.) *la | |||
| 02/03/2003 | 30000 | 1 | 02/02/2003 |
| Vechile will shift into reverse or drive without brakes applied. any child could shift while engine is running and could cause fatal accident. *la | |||
| 11/16/2003 | 70056 | 2 | 02/01/2000 |
| Last night my transmission blew up for the 2nd time. the first time the van was a year old. this time i am past my warranty, but the brakes locked up on me & 2 of my children almost ended up in the pompton water falls. the dealership and manufacturer basically told me oh well--your on your own. this should not have happened twice in three years.. this is a dangerous situation and i hope you can help prevent this from happening to others... my van was meticulously cared for... this should not have happened!! thank you for any help you can give me.. *la | |||
| 09/17/2003 | 41343 | 1 | 01/26/2000 |
| 2000 dodge grand caravan sport purchased new jan 26, 2000; well maintained with 30,000 mile warranty maintenance performed; transmission failed at 41, 343 miles with no warning; required total overhaul. no new transmission available; no rebuilt transmission available in us with a backlog of around 275 awaiting delivery. as a result , transmission had to be locally rebuilt and the vehicle was out of service for 10 days. failure occurred 671 miles from home causing great personal inconvenience and expense. *la | |||
| 07/25/2003 | |||
| I just found this web site. and never realized how many people have had the same problems. my first problem was when my 3 year old daughter drove my car on the neighbors lawn because you do not need to step on the brake to pull it out of gear. i then looked in the owner manual which stated it was equipped with that feature. i have contacted everyone i could and no one is willing to help or solve this problem. my next incident was when my serpentine belt broke which caused my power steering pump and pulley to break and had parts dangling. thank goodness i was in my driveway. i have had my brakes done 3 times, and my latest problem was my heater core and there was water leaking inside my car. i wish someone could help i paid a lot of money for this car! *nlm | |||
| 1 | |||
| When the vehicle was in second gear, it became stuck. the dealer informed consumer, the transmission needed to be replaced. *jb | |||
| 03/07/2003 | 60050 | 1 | 08/15/1999 |
| Pinion pin of the automatic transmission came out and destroyed the transmission. a standard pin retaining clip would have precluded the problem. *jb | |||
| 03/27/2003 | 39000 | 4 | 09/14/2002 |
| I have owned a 2000 grand caravan for 6 months and it has 40 thousand miles on it and i am already having transmission problems. this is the 4th time i have had to take it to be looked at about the transmission, now the dealership says it needs a totally new transmission this van is not that old and does not have that many miles on it. i am starting to think i made a bad choice trading my ford in for a dodge van. *jb | |||
| 03/11/2003 | 50000 | 1 | |
| The transmission failed without warning, the dealer stated the differential pin went through the transfer case.*jb | |||
| 02/20/2003 | 58460 | 1 | 12/28/2000 |
| In january 2003 i experienced a problem getting my van to shift into drive after i had backed out of my driveway. on february 17, 2003 my husband was driving the van and experienced problems getting it to shift gears while he was driving it. he added transmission fluid and later that evening i drove the van to a store two miles from our house and at 35 mph the rpms would not go below 3 and the check engine light came on. i called the dealership first thing tuesday morning and took it the shop on thursday. they repaired a leak in the transmission (which we had had repaired previously) and replaced the water pump. two days later while out running errands the check engine light came on again. i had to exit the freeway because the engine would not shift gears again and at 50 mph (in a 60 mph zone) the engine was at 4 rpms. before i could get home the engine quit in the middle of a highway intersection with traffic coming at me from behind at 55 mph. i was able to get it started but it lurched for about a quarter mile or so and i just drove no more than 30 mph for the next 5 miles to my home. my husband took it back to the dealership on monday and was told that the solenoid (sorry if i misspelled it) needed to be replaced. he was told to take the van home and they would call when the part came in. on monday, march 3, he called and spoke with the parts department and they informed him that there are 24,000 of this part on backorder nationwide. *nlm | |||
| 02/14/2003 | 42000 | 1 | 03/18/2001 |
| My car just died in the middle nowhere on route 42 on the way to work. only to find out that the transmission needs to be replaced. the caravan i own has only 42,000 miles on it. i do not even own it for 2 years. it was a buy back from the dealer. the warranty was only for 3 years of 36,000 miles. i was told by the mechanic from the dealer i purchased the vehicle from that this should not have happened. now i am forced to pay over $1100 for a new transmission. i was told that they have agreed to split the bill of approximately $2200. i feel i should not have to pay anything as this should never have happened and is a defect from the chrysler manufacturer. i am not the only one complaining. there is a whole web site dedicated to complaints by consumers which i have down loaded and is over 11 pages long. *jb | |||
| 02/24/2003 | 74858 | 1 | |
| The vehicle lurched forward when it was put into gear, the dealership indicated it was caused by the transmission cylinder pack, however the part was on national back order.*jb | |||
| 02/13/2003 | 2 | 01/28/2000 | |
| @37,000 miles the transmission failure light came on the dash board and the transmission went into safety mode keeping it from shifting out of first gear. the dealership replaced the module and the vehicle worked ok for another 2000 miles before it did the same thing. the dealership advised it was a different module however (therefore it wouldn't be covered under their repair warranty) the first repair cost $160.00 and the second one was another $130.00. the dealership was venice dodge in venice, florida | |||
| 12/24/2002 | 77500 | 2 | 03/09/2000 |
| The transaxle in the transmission blew apart in the gear case at 76,000 miles on our 2000 caravan and nine days after this the left front axle assemble was shot and had to be replaced. | |||
| 12/27/2002 | 62215 | 1 | 02/21/2000 |
| Transmission failure - when placed into drive the gears failed to engage (especially when cold). this van is 2+years old with ~62,000 miles. fixed at smith brothers in old saybrook, ct and required new part due to the failure of the clutch hub imput which broke down sending metal parts throughout the transmission. (very expensive for a car this new!). i caught this problem early enough to avoid the potential disaster of a high speed failure. in addition, this vehicle does not appear to be able to maintain it's front end alignment. since purchase the front end has been aligned twice. on 12/20/00 the front 2 tires had to be replaced ant the front end aligned (national tire, niantic ct). this past summer (i don't have the exact date handy) the front end had to be realigned again and i was told that the driver side was way out (auto service of old saybrook, 4 jade court, old saybrook, ct). this issue has caused excessive tire wear but danger was minimized due to regular inspection. | |||
| 12/14/2002 | 58822 | 1 | 01/04/2000 |
| Transmission failure occurred at 58,822 miles on the 2000 dodge grand caravan i own. the problem with my transmission was that the splines of the front planetary stripped because they were made with a softer metal than the underdrive clutch hub. i feel this is a design flaw that daimler chrysler should address. when i contacted daimler chrysler, i was told the problem was my fault, because i had not changed the transmission fluid at the recommended service interval, and i was 22,000 miles outside of warranty. however, there is not a transmission fluid i am aware of that will make those splines stronger. ts | |||
| 12/26/2002 | 43000 | ||
| The automatic transmission pan was leaking. consumer had vehicle checked by a mechanic, who indicated that this was a result of the transmission pan being made with silicone. the mechanic also stated that this is a common problem with these make/model vehicle. please provide more details. | |||
| 10/12/2002 | 44182 | 09/01/2001 | |
| The vehicle can be shifted into reverse of drive from park without applying the brake. *ts *nlm | |||
| 08/29/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2000 | |
| The transmission on this van suddenly went out while i was driving over railroad tracks. fortunately, i was able to get the van off the tracks before the train came by. the van was towed to the dealership who accused me of not properly maintaining the transmission. my husband takes care of the maintenance on this vehicle and followed the manufacturer's instructions. there was never any indication that there was a problem with the transmission prior to it's failure. the transmission shop has stated that the cooler on the transmission causes a backflow of fliud in the lines forcing the torque converter to drop metal shreds into the transmission. their opinion is that the failure was caused by a chrysler design flaw. just from the little bit of research we have done on car point, it is very common for the transmissions in these vans to fail before they reach 50,000 miles. i was lucky that mine lasted until 60,000. i have had several problems with this minivan, including a dashboard melting over the airbag and a belt needing to be replaced 2x already and quite possibly a third now. chrysler refuses to stans behind these vans because they are out of the mileage warranty and it's not right. there is an obvious and chronic problem with these minivan transmissions that needs to be fixed. another mother may not be so lucky and get her van off the railroad tracks when the transmission. dt fails.thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. i look forward to hearing from you. | |||
| 08/06/2002 | |||
| When driving at 5-10 mph transmission is jerking, vehicle is at dealership at this time. please provide additional information.*ak | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 20 | 07/01/2000 | |
| Van drops into nuetral when driving, dealer can't find anything, dodge won't do anything. been in shop repeatedly. not repaired gointto kill someone nearly rearended.*ak | |||
| Vehicle went into safe mode while diving causing it to stop. dealer has repaired vehicle. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 12/22/2001 | 2 | 11/01/2000 | |
| The transmission has been repaired twice. the first incident was at 32,716 miles. the symptoms at this time was a transmission slippage when at idle (and a grinding noise) and a hesitation to go into reverse. the transmission was rebuilt at the dealership (seals replace). after driving approximately 200 miles continuously the transmission suddenly failed with no prior warning while driving 65 mph. we were barely able to pull off the highway in heavy traffic. the transmission has been replaced with a new one. how can a vehicle go through 2 transmissions in 33,000 miles? i had my family (including 2 children under age 2) in the car during this. we went from 65 mph in heavy traffic in the middle lane to 20 mph in less than a 30 seconds with the rpm's redlined. we were lucky not to have been in an accident. *ak | |||
| Intermittently and without prior warning transmission locks up while driving due to a weak pin within transmission. dealer is repairing transmission. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 05/20/2001 | |||
| While traveling at approximately 25 mph vehicle suddenly threw itself into park and brought vehicle to a complete stop. dealership could not reproduce problem with vehicle, and informed consumer they could find nothing wrong. please provide any additional information/attachments. *ak | |||
| Vehicle can be shifted into gear without depressing brake pedal. manufacturer has been contacted. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 03/12/2001 | 1 | 01/01/2001 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 02/02/2001 | |||
| Consumer is able to shift through all gears without putting foot on brake. test drove other 2000 models on dealer lot, all do that, 2001 models don't. *ak | |||
| 12/24/2000 | 3 | 06/01/2000 | |
| Our vehicle is on transmission #3 and it is less than 7 months old. it also has a front end suspension problem they haven't been able to fix. it has been in the shop a total of almost 30 days and out of commission for about 37. | |||
| 04/01/2000 | |||
| When consumer put vehicle in revers it would not move, other times it works, this has happened when putting it in drive, as well. currently, transmission is leaking. not taken to dealer yet. *ak | |||
| 01/14/2000 | 7 | 01/01/2000 | |
| The automatic transmission shudders between 45-52 (most pronounced around 48) and did so when i drove the car off the lot new on 1/14/00. when i took the car to the dealer for service i was first told it was tire balance and that they fixed it. it didn't and i brought it back. the service man said it sounded like the torque converter. it was computer tested ok and their mechanic added some liquid to the transmission. i've driven it to fl and back to tn and the problem still exists. the other complaint/defect concerns rusted front end components. upper and lower control arms left & right, torsion bar and other parts in that area are very rusty. i notice it when i changed oil. i went to another dealer and looked under those vans and found those parts also rusty also on new vans. it seems there is no coating or anodizing on these parts and they are rusting very rapidly. i also noticed rust on the main crank pulley of this new car. *ak | |||
| The gears on the vehicle can be shifted without applying the brakes. owners manual states that gears should not be able to be shifted without application of brakes. dlr has no recourse. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 08/04/2002 | 15000 | 3 | 01/16/2000 |
| Automatic transaxle: within the first 5, 000 miles i complained to the dealer about a jump in the tranmission. i was advised by the salesperson and service department that is was normal. after driving other 2000 grand caravans, i noticed it to be the same.within the following 10, 000 miles the jump still existed and progressively got worse. i again returned to the dealer and again was advised it was normal. after a total of 36, 000 miles, the transmission died. i now have to pay out of pocket for reapirs and want other consumers to know that the transmission sensors and powertrain control modules (pcm) are faulty and could cause injuries if not checked or replaced. a jumpy transmission could cause a vehicle to accel or decel out of control. my neighbor's 2000 grand caravan transmission sensor powertrain control module (pcm) went out after 15, 000 miles and had to get it replaced. it was not under warranty. he had to pay for the repair out of pocket.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES | |||
| 03/11/2003 | 3 | 04/20/2001 | |
| I have been having a problem with my transmission leaking from the transmission coolant hose. vehicle was still under warranty, took to dodge dealer and they replaced hoses and clamps, 1 month later leaking again and they stated that it was probably a bad part. they replaced them again. 1 year later problem returns and now they want to charge me to replace the hoses, the reason this happened according to them was the hose clamps they used. now they have changed the clamps, this should not be my responsibility to pay for since they are changing a manufacturer's part. this should be a recall. *jb | |||
| 03/05/2003 | 37700 | 5 | 08/29/2000 |
| Power train:transmission cooler lines leaking. *jb | |||
| 02/20/2003 | 51000 | 3 | 09/11/2000 |
| Transmission fluid leaks. first it appeared that it was leaking from the transmission oil pan, 3 weeks later the transmission hoses and clamps, two weeks later, its leaking from the transmission coolant packs. the vehicle is only two and a half yrs old, this should not be happening. between each visit it stopped leaking for a couple of weeks. | |||
| 12/27/2001 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| 2 friends have had same problem with transmission leaking fluid.*ak | |||
| 02/21/2001 | 1 | 05/01/2000 | |
| Transmission oil was leaking from where the solenoid pack had to be replaced, also, engine oil gasket pan had to be replaced. *ak *slc | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | |||
| 11/05/2003 | 16000 | 30 | |
| Vehicle can be put into gear without the brake pedal being depressed . consumer's child was able to put the vehicle in gear, almost causing an accident while parked in driveway.*ak | |||
| 04/14/2004 | 51488 | 1 | 04/02/2000 |
| I started my 2000 dodge grand caravan and turned on the air conditioner. i opened the doors to let the heat out and my 2 1/2 year old son reached into the front seat and pulled the shifter into drive. the van shifter shifted without pushing the brake and the van ran into my chain-link fence. this is a saety issue and i do not think it was recalled. if it does not get recalled then i will trade in my vehicle for a more safe one. *ak | |||
| 54000 | 1 | ||
| While driving 40 mph transmission malfunctioned. vehicle was towed to a repair shop, where consumer was told that transmission needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH | |||
| 11/01/2002 | |||
| Consumer stated that while driving transmission failed causing vehicle to stall. dealer diagnosed and replaced transmission line, converter and solenoid. ph | |||
| 07/20/2002 | |||
| There is a noise in steering wheel, vehicle vibrates when changing from drive to reverse gear. contacted dealer. electrical system problem *ak | |||
| 05/02/2002 | |||
| 6 year old child was able to slip the gear shift in drive while vehicle was on. vehicle rolled backwards, almost running over another sibling, and went through a fence. no injuries or fatalites manufacturer was notified, and stated it was not a saftey feature for vehicle. however, it was added to 2002 vehicle to avert gear shift from going into another gear while vehicle was in motion.*ak | |||
| 08/01/2000 | |||
| Anyone can move the shift lever from park to reverse without touching the brake. this is very dangerous. no one has to be in the driver seat, a child can be in between the driver and passenger seats, take hold of the shift lever and pull it down into gear. we contacted southland dodge and they said they all do this. this is not right. all other vehicles you have to depress the brake before you can shift out of park. this report was sent to you once before on 6/3/01 with no response. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2001 | 08/01/2000 | ||
| You can move the shift lever from park to drive with out any contact with the brake. normally in other vehicles, you must depress the brake before you can move the shift lever out of park. this is dangerous as a child could take hold of the shift lever and move it into gear causing a possible accident/injury. i contacted the dealer about the problem. their response was not to worry about it, they all do that!*ak | |||
| 06/22/2001 | 2 | 10/01/2000 | |
| My 2 year old son turned the key and put the car in gear. when it started moving, he fell out and the car came to rest against his hip. my other two children were in the car, and had it not stopped on his leg, it would have rolled into the path of an oncoming tractor trailer truck.*ak | |||
| 08/23/2000 | 08/01/2000 | ||
| There is no brake shift interlock on the 2000 dodge grand caravans. the omission of this important safety device causes the vehicle to be able to easily shift into any gear, without having to first press the brake. this is a major safety concern with small children especially, and even for adults who may bump the gear shifter. i know that 12 states are currently involved in a class action lawsuit against daimlerchrysler regarding this safety issue. i have contacted 2 dodge dealerships, as well as the daimlerchrysler corporation in michigan regarding this. no one will fix the problem, nor will they escalate the issue for me. one dealership said they think it will eventually become a national recall. no one should have to wait until that point in time comes (if it ever does). their have already been at least two fatalities reported because this shift interlock was not installed on the dodge caravan vehicle. when and or what will it take to have action on this issue?!?*ak | |||
| 05/17/2001 | 1 | 10/19/2000 | |
| While vehicle was parked could shift gear without stepping on brake pedal. had contacted dealer for this situation because believed it was a safty problem. *ak consumer took vehicle to dealer and was told that shifter operation is operating to design intent.*jb | |||
| 04/17/2001 | 1 | 06/01/2000 | |
| Vehicle went into reverse when gear shifter was brushed lightly by a child because there was no shift interlock system. dealer has been notified.*ak consumer was injured while attempting to stop vehicle, she was hit with the door on left side and twisted her ankle. *slc | |||
| 05/03/2001 | |||
| Vehicle was parked, motor running, consumer bumped gear shift and vehicle went into reverse. brake were not applied. *ak | |||
| Shift gears can be easily moved into gear from the park position without applying the brakes.please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2000 | 1 | 04/19/2000 | |
| Consumer's child pulled back on gear shift and was able to put it in gear with the emergency brake on. consumer has called to find out that it was not a safety feature. consumer will contact manufacturer. *ak consumer's child was only 21 months old and was able to put the vehicle in motion. the vehicle hit a stop sign, drifted through an intersection, and was headed directly towards a telephone pole. *jg | |||
| 03/01/2000 | |||
| My 4-year son put the right key in the ignition of my dodge grand caravan,started the van, then put it in gear and rolled it down the drive way until it crashed into a tree. luckily he was ok, but don't you think its time that dodge gets with the program and makes their vehicle so that you have to press on the brake before you can get it out of gear.why is this not a national standard. especially in family vehicles.thank you gregg cahalan 616-850-4533. please respond!!! *ak | |||
| 08/27/1999 | 1000 | 08/01/1999 | |
| Perhaps this doesn't qualify as a failure as my gr.caravan is not equipped with a shift interlock. however, i feel strongly that manufactureres of minivans ought to be required to equip such vehicles with shifft interlocks as all passenger cars are. wh. *ak | |||
| Shift lever can be moved without applying the brakes into any gear.consumer received a letter from chrysler stating that there was no transmission interlock as stated in their owners manual. chrysler included labels, indictating the defect, and will not modify vehicle. *ak | |||
| 10/21/1999 | 10/01/1999 | ||
| The owners manual states the vehicles has a feature called brake/transmission interlock that prevents you from putting the vehicle in gear while running unless the brake is depressed. my vehicle does not have this feature. chrysler called it a clerical error and said my manual is wrong. my van was ordered and mfg in oct 99. it was not the first 2000 model made. i feel any vehicle with front airbags should have this safety feature. i am scared that my 3 year old will start the van, put it into gear(quite easily done), and drive it into the garage wall. this would activate the airbags and could be fatal since he would be unrestrained. ford and gm have this safety feature. why did chrysler say they have it in their manual and then say it was a clerical error?*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER | |||
| 01/14/2000 | 7 | 01/01/2000 | |
| The automatic transmission shudders between 45-52 (most pronounced around 48) and did so when i drove the car off the lot new on 1/14/00. when i took the car to the dealer for service i was first told it was tire balance and that they fixed it. it didn't and i brought it back. the service man said it sounded like the torque converter. it was computer tested ok and their mechanic added some liquid to the transmission. i've driven it to fl and back to tn and the problem still exists. the other complaint/defect concerns rusted front end components. upper and lower control arms left & right, torsion bar and other parts in that area are very rusty. i notice it when i changed oil. i went to another dealer and looked under those vans and found those parts also rusty also on new vans. it seems there is no coating or anodizing on these parts and they are rusting very rapidly. i also noticed rust on the main crank pulley of this new car. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 11/20/2004 | 18222 | 1 | 09/04/2000 |
| Make : dodge model : grand caravan year : 2000 manufacturer : daimlerchrysler corporation crash : no fire : no number of injuries: 0 odi id number : 10100418 date of failure: november 20, 2004. *jb vin : not available component: cv joint.axle problem summary: i took my 2000 dodge grand caravan in on a friday to the dealer for the air bag recall (clockspring- which by the way the airbag really stays on now, where it did not before the dealer replaced/repaired the clockspring) and plus the dealer called me to tell me that had found a leak in the master cylinder which they wanted to fix. i said yes (now i see there are several complaints about master cylinder leaks) i picked up my van up on friday evening after work. saturday morning i ran a couple of errands around town and at 12:30 p.m. began to back out of a parking spot and heard a loud noise. i proceeded out of the parking structure and only made it as far as the street before coming to a complete stop. i called for a tow. the tow truck driver said that my wheel on the front driver's side did not appear to be completely attached to the axle. he towed it to the dealer. the service department on monday informed me that my cv joint/axle had broken. a broken axle on a 2000 that has 18,222 miles on it. how does this happen under normal driving conditions? my kids and i were lucky that i was not going fast or driving down a freeway. now i see on the news this morning that there is a recall for dakota trucks and durangos, but not caravans. what's up with that? *jb | |||
| 08/04/2002 | 15000 | 3 | 01/16/2000 |
| Automatic transaxle: within the first 5, 000 miles i complained to the dealer about a jump in the tranmission. i was advised by the salesperson and service department that is was normal. after driving other 2000 grand caravans, i noticed it to be the same.within the following 10, 000 miles the jump still existed and progressively got worse. i again returned to the dealer and again was advised it was normal. after a total of 36, 000 miles, the transmission died. i now have to pay out of pocket for reapirs and want other consumers to know that the transmission sensors and powertrain control modules (pcm) are faulty and could cause injuries if not checked or replaced. a jumpy transmission could cause a vehicle to accel or decel out of control. my neighbor's 2000 grand caravan transmission sensor powertrain control module (pcm) went out after 15, 000 miles and had to get it replaced. it was not under warranty. he had to pay for the repair out of pocket.*ak | |||
| 04/28/2003 | |||
| While driving the consumer heard a grinding noise and pulled over. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the left front axle had broken. the van has been modified by braun entervan for disabled access. *nlm | |||
| 12/24/2002 | 77500 | 2 | 03/09/2000 |
| The transaxle in the transmission blew apart in the gear case at 76,000 miles on our 2000 caravan and nine days after this the left front axle assemble was shot and had to be replaced. | |||
| 01/31/2001 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| My grand caravan was hit from behind with such force the rear of the van lifted off the ground. at impact my drivers seat broke, reclining me, making it impossible for me to reach the brakes to stop my van. i hit the center median (fast lane) with the left front fender, blowing the tire and breaking axle the van then bounced across lanes hitting bridge railing and cement wall with right front fender blowing that tire and then back to the median (fast lane), and came to a stop against the median. i was told by the insurance investagator my caravan was beyond repair due to the amount of damage.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 12/22/2003 | 71000 | 2 | |
| Transaxle pin slipped out of position and ripped transmission case open. transmision was destroyed. fluid drained out in local driveway. ealership says will cost $3,100 to $3,400 to replace transmision with, not a new one, but a chrysler rebuilt transmision.*ak ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 years old ... 71,000 miles ... when tranny busted. dealership preformed $150.00 powerflush to transmision 1 1/2 years ago with superior fluid that was avert any problems due to original equipment fluid not recomended because of not being good enough. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ amy whitford stopped van in the middle of the road when she thought she hit something (the noise of the transmision pin breaking through the case) and got out in traffic walking around vehicle with 3 young children inside. she noticed fluid on ground and pulled into nearest driveway, where remainder of fluid ran out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i am outrage to find that thousands of these exact falures happen with these chrysler automatic transmisions and continue. the consumer pays the $3,300 price for these known defects after they tear the transmision apart. these failures are dangerous and only ignored because it will cost the manufacturer instead of me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chrysler has made a blunder here and wants me to pay for it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ cameron r. whitford ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ whitfordcr@bluefrog.com please email with any assistance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ how do i get chrysler to own up to this customer nightmare. i will do anything! | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 03/22/2006 | 84000 | 1 | 10/01/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50mph, a loud noise was heard coming from the engine compartment. the vehicle was driven to its destination and when the contact attempted to drive the vehicle again, it would not go into gear. the vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was determined the differential cross pin came loose, logged into the side of the transmission case and resulted in a complete loss of transmission fluid. the entire transmission needs to be replaced. | |||
| 03/01/2005 | 36000 | 2 | 12/07/2004 |
| While driving 50-55 mph transmission exploded. broken pieces of the transmission spread out onto the roadway. vehicle was towed to a repair shop, and mechanic stated that the cause of this problem was undetermined. the dealer was not notified.*ak... let chrysler know of the problem. when transmission was taken out it looked like a bunch of holes shot into it. the mechanic said the pin came out of the differential. consumer was lucky to get off the road. *ak | |||
| 03/09/2004 | 40000 | 1 | |
| While driving, suddenly there was a loud clanging noise from the transmission then the van stopped accelerating. the van was towed to a dealership. the dealership indicated that the differential pin broke in half and went through the transmission and created a hole . the cause of the differential pin breaking had not been determined. *jb | |||
| 12/22/2003 | 71000 | 2 | |
| Transaxle pin slipped out of position and ripped transmission case open. transmision was destroyed. fluid drained out in local driveway. ealership says will cost $3,100 to $3,400 to replace transmision with, not a new one, but a chrysler rebuilt transmision.*ak ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 years old ... 71,000 miles ... when tranny busted. dealership preformed $150.00 powerflush to transmision 1 1/2 years ago with superior fluid that was avert any problems due to original equipment fluid not recomended because of not being good enough. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ amy whitford stopped van in the middle of the road when she thought she hit something (the noise of the transmision pin breaking through the case) and got out in traffic walking around vehicle with 3 young children inside. she noticed fluid on ground and pulled into nearest driveway, where remainder of fluid ran out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i am outrage to find that thousands of these exact falures happen with these chrysler automatic transmisions and continue. the consumer pays the $3,300 price for these known defects after they tear the transmision apart. these failures are dangerous and only ignored because it will cost the manufacturer instead of me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chrysler has made a blunder here and wants me to pay for it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ cameron r. whitford ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ whitfordcr@bluefrog.com please email with any assistance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ how do i get chrysler to own up to this customer nightmare. i will do anything! | |||
| 04/02/2003 | 1 | ||
| The consumer heard a noise from the under carriage of the vehicle, when the consumer depressed the gas pedal, the rpms increased, but the speed did not. the dealer diagnosed the transmission differential failed which resulted in a $3000 repair. *jb | |||
| 02/08/2003 | 47000 | 1 | |
| The vehicle began to make a loud noise, consumer pulled over and noticed transmission fluid all over the ground. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, after the vehicle was inspected, it was determined the pins which were located inside of the differentral was bent and had shot out of the casing. *jb | |||
| 02/21/2003 | 69000 | 1 | 02/22/2000 |
| The differential pin popped out, which caused a noise when the vehicle coasted. *jb the dealer stated that if the vehicle continues to be driven, the pin would penetrate the transmission, then spill fluid and breakdown. scc | |||
| POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | |||
| 01/09/2003 | 0 | 05/28/2001 | |
| My 2000 dodge grand caravan sport all wheel drive developed a thumping noise in the front drive train. i took it to county chrysler, hamburg, pa - a 5 star chrysler dealership. the service dept. there told me that it was the result of a worn out power transfer unit. the cost to replace it including the diagnostic and repair labor will approach $3,000. since the van is only 3 years old and has only 67 thousand miles on it, it seems like the power transfer unit must be either cheap or defective. with only this much mileage to have to replace major power train components makes me think that there must be a problem with either the design or the parts quality. | |||