This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The transmission shifting prolem and clunk in front end have not yet been located by dealer. These problens have existed for 4 and 8 months respectively. This is very frustrating and the vehicle is now out of warranty.
Consumer was driving about 45mph when she heard a big banging noise. Van did not move any more. She had the van towed, and was told transmission was gone.
When first starting out in the morning, I put the shift lever in reverse and noticed a hesitation before it engaged. After backing out I dropped ithe lever in drive and started to pull forward-again hesitation, then a clunk, when it shifted to second. I then drove it to a transmission shop to have them look at it. They said Dodge Caravan transmission problems were not uncommon. They put the van on their test equipment and nothing showed. The shop owner suggested that since the van had so few miles on it, a filter and fluid change may take care of the problem. When he dropped the pan he found alot of metal in the base of the pan. I am planning to contact Dodge Monday morning to discuss their shared responsibility in this matter.
This vehicle has been the worst vehicle I have ever owned because of continuous ongoing problems, the biggest of which was the engine head failure which cost me about a $1,000 thats with Dodge paying an additonal $800 for the parts. Now a year later, my transmission is failing and does not change gears. Please help I promise not to buy a Chrysler product again, I swear. All the other problems have been nagging, but tolerable. But this is too much.
- Trenton, MI, USA
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I was asked by other owners to post a complaint here in an effort to help others who are having the same problems with their transmissions failing. According to the information I have the transmission had been replaced two times prior to the date I purchased this vehicle. I have had the transmission rebuilt again. I have a web site and have had as many as 80 responses or similar complaints per week. It varies, but there has to be an excessive amount of transmission failures for this vehicle to get that kind of response. I think Chrysler has a transmission problem and refuses to make it right. Thanks,
This is a more complete report on my minivan. I provided VIN numbers, etc. With this report. My transmission just stopped shifting into third. I was coming home from Tennessee and was going slow through construction on interstate 81 and I started to accelerate from 30 to 35 mph when I felt a "pop" and the car just would not shift into third. I stopped, called aaa and was towed to radford, va. With repairs, car rental and another trip to radford, va. To pick up aur van after repairs. The repair bill was $2437.59 by university amoco plus 300 dollars for the car rental. That does not include gas and hotel to recover the minivan. Neddless to say I do not think the transfmission should fail at only 62000. This is the first transfmission I have had to repair in 28 years of driving. Please let me know if the're an increase in transfmission failures for Chrysler minivan's.
The van just made a small pop/slip and never shifted into third gear. I stopped and called aaa. I was in radford, va. On vacation and now I have a rental car from va. And I live in pa. I am paying for car rental and need to make a trip down to pick up my car. No dealer was open and neither could I find one available in that area. I out of warrenty but a transmission should last longer then 62000 miles. That is very poor quailty. I am going to try and get Chrysler to support it product and get some money paided back.
The fuel pump problem was diagnosed on 11-27-96, however, the van had been towed into Dodge dealerships on two prior occassions, beginning 11-11-96. Initially no problem could be found. The van had died while driving on the interstate. About two weeks later, the van died again in city traffic. Spark plug wires were replaced. The next day the van died again in city traffic. Ultimately, the fuel pump and filter were replaced. Each time the van needed towing to the nearest dealership. On 10-14-99, the van made a popping noise while being driven at 40 mph on a country road. I stopped the van and discovered transmission fuid leaking from under the engine. I called a tow truck and had it taken to the dealership. There had been no warning prior to the pop and subsequent leakage. The dealer reported that the transmission needed replacing. There were no obstacles on the road that may have resulted in the problem.
All major repairs done on this van have been done through Dodge dealerships. This vehicle has had more work done on it in it's first three years than any other car I ever owned, even more than my Volvo. The repairs, whether under warranty or not causes an extreme inconvenience to the owner. (ie: Taking off work, transporting young children, doing without a vehicle, paying for unwarrantied repairs. There are several things wrong with this vehicle that we have not repaired because they do not threaten the safety of the occupants, such as; windshield wipers inadvertantly turn on by themselves, automatic door locks do not work on driver sliding door or passenger door. Lights have to be turned off manually sometimes after starting vehicle. This has been a high maintenance vehicle. It surprises me I cannot find any complaints about this vehicle because asking around to those I notice has one, complain about similar type problems. Transmission being the most major complaint.
While driving vehicle stalls/ hesitates and jerkes. This may cause a loss of vehicle control and a potentialcrash. Dealer cannot determine the problem. Please provide further information and VIN#.
Transmission is failing- wont shift when first pulling away...or when turning corners...dangerous in interscetions...when going 45-55 mph and above- transmission shudders violently- dealer wont honor any repairs- offered to pay half for something that was a problem from day one>....final cost to rebuild transmission and replace tourque converter...1400 to 2000 dollars.
Going 60 mph. Van jerks and shifts into neutral or low. Needed to stop, turn van off and then everything is fine again. Same problems occurred at 35000 and a replacement transmission was installed.
Two letters dated 05/23/98 and 06/08/98 addressed to Mr. Robert eaton, CEO of Chrysler Corp. Was sent with a repair history schedule containing 24 itemized occurences depicting the associated repair order number, nature of repair, mileage, date-in and date-out, remarks as to results, warranted repair or not, location of repair and cost if applicable. Also depicted was the number of times we repeatedly returned the vehicle for brake repair which was six times within first six months and six times regarding electrical within the first six months of possession which all is evidenced by the given information on the repair history schedule I provided with the letters. I received a response back from customer service to no avail. I would be delighted to provide you at your request a copy of both letters which includes the repair history schedule I eluded to earlier.
The van stalls and backfires, then slows to a complete stop. Acceleration only slows it down more. Once off the road, I turn the engine off for half an hour before restarting. This had happened about 10 times in the past week. The 'service engine soon' light came on twice. I first went to the lodi Dodge dealership. The code read 'multiple cylinder misfire'. they did a diagnosis. They changed the fuel filter, air filter and fuel pump relay plug. The problem remained. I then took the van to an independent shop. They did a dianosis. They said it needed a tune-up. That did not solve the problem. This past Friday, I took the van to another shop. They could not find anything wrong. The problem remains. I called the Chrysler customer service number on Friday to inquire about any bulletins out that might pertain to this intermittant problem. I was told there weren't any. However, on your website I found bulletin #18-30-95 that does sound like it is related. This is a very dangerous situation. I never know when or where the car will freeze up and come to a complete stop.
The transmission has failed 5 times and has been replaced. In one instance, the car just stopped as I was making a turn. No one has been injured; however, the car is potentially dangerous and certainly unreliable as we have had it into the repair shop 5 times for the same problem in 4 years.
I purchased this vehicle October of 1995, in March of 96 the fuse block had to be replaced along with a multi function switch because the wipers would come on by themselves while I was driving, a contact and plunger kit because the right sliding door would not always unlock when using the unlock button, the fuel tank was replaced because it only held 12 gallons of gas when it was supposed to hold 18 - 20, the tank was installed so that the tank was bowed in the middle and the front door panel was reattached to the door and the left sliding door was repaired because it would not unlock with the key. In August of 1997 the switch for the interior lights was replaced because the lights would flicker, the left side sliding door lock was replaced again along with the rear door latch. In Sept. 0F 97 a gear was replaced for the power steering, the left sliding door had moulding replaced because the clips were broken. In August of 98 the stereo was replaced because the treble would fade, the vehicle shut off while I was driving no one could explain this phenomenon, the relay switch was replaced and the rack and pinion was replaced also the multi-function switch was replaced again. In Sept. Of 98 the car was back in the shop because the air bag light came on. Evidently when they replaced the relay switch just 7 days earlier things in the dash started working that had not worked up til that point for instance I was not aware that the chime would go off if the blinker was left on for over a mile. It took 7 days to get my car back because they found out that there were never any screws holding the air bag in the module so as far as I know for the two years that my husband and I were driving this car there was no protection by and air bag. This past week July 1, we were on vacation and we had to replace the transmission to the tune of $L771. The car is back in the shop today (7/6) because it appears that the transmission continues to slip and run at high RPM.please help!!
Automatic transmission has slipped out of gear at low speeds multiple times. Instances include slip out of gear at low speed after accelerating from stop. Also, instances where the transmission and engine would stall/shut down during low speed driving. During one instance, the van stallled and nearly caused an accident as the power systems failed. Only able to resume driving after vehicle has been turned off and allowed to sit for a few minutes.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Apollo, PA, USA