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.
My minivan was in park with the engine running while I delivered a package to a neighbor during a thunder, lightning, rain storm. The van jumped into gear, raced forward and pinned me to the neighbor's door for more than an hour before being rescued. I spent several days in the intensive care unit of a hospital with a severe crush injury and hip sprain to my right leg. When the car was examined by my dealer/mechanic, nothing registered on the computer. I have located at least 2 other instances of this make, model, year jumping into or out of gear, with injuries.
Well my van all of a sudden decides, no reverse, and then limp mode, and engine light on. Cant get past 30 miles hr, my vehicle un safe to drive, so I guess transmission or transmission control modular going bad or power train module. The 2 dealers I went to the first didn't scan for code they just said you need a new tranny, B/C of no reverse then open day my reverse came back and no limp mode, so that even made me wonder I need a tranny but now it works, except it start to like maybe shudder, not sure. Well the other dealer charge me $80 came back and said they didn't know they would try change filter and update software, and I seen the codes 1790-1791- and I said I just cant you just reprogram it to see if it works and they gave me the run around and said no there no update that can be done or no bullentins for my vehicle and I said yes there is I read on the computer and they go we don't have them. So I see a lot of the tcm and PCM going bad and they wont take care of the problem and if it is a transmission issue then how can one go bad if you have it service right. So I decided not to fix it B/C I no they lying and they didn't want to fix it or take care of it B/C all they offer was and filter change and then at the end the guy goes oh I wouldn't want to put money in that and it don't work, why don't you just but a tranny. This is sad you cant find no one honest to tell someone what wrong with the van but want to say this and that and no properly diag or do and only give you partial the truth, why would you say to a customer that it might fix it we can re program it after the fluid change at $350 and instead of reprogram to see and then say they cant sound like a dishonest person, also if they diag then they should know what the problem is, so they decide to take me a ride. I lost $80 but not $350.
I purchased a 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan in August of 2005 with 73K miles. Vehicle smelled musty (stagnant water). Three trips to shop to diagnose and fix sway bar link, bushing, strut and strut mount problem to cure a clunking sound on front end. Transmission slips out of gear to neutral at whim. Also, shifts through first 3 gears (automatic) at whim causing vehicle to lurch. However, shop cannot duplicate these problems or the problem with my non working cruise control. At this point, I have spent a lot of money for non-diagnosis. The dealership charges everytime for not being able to find the problem. They say it is fine. I tell them that it is not fine that they just can't find it. I am disturbed by the number of posts re: To sway bar problems and transmission problems and the fact that no one is holding Chrysler/Dodge accountable. Will it take a number of deaths to determine that this is a real safety issue? I implore you to investigate these problems along with the water issue. So far it caused my blower resistor to short out and need replacing. I had no heat in below zero weather.
In February 2004, while driving my 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan on the interstate in knoxville, tn when the transmission went out with no warning. At that time, we had just over 34,000 miles on the van. These were normal miles with no heavy towing or other abusive driving. The van was towed to jim cogdill Dodge for repair. This repair was still covered under our warranty. We were told at the time of the repair that it only required the transmission be "?refurbished?" as the warranty did not require them to replace the transmission. The transmission failed again at just over 60K miles. This time there was a loud pop, a hard jerk of the van and then it came to a sudden stop as I was crossing oncoming traffic to pull into a parking lot. I am very lucky this did not happen on the interstate as myself, and others, would surely have been endangered by this product failure. I asked to speak immediately to the service manager, Mr. Larry daughtry. He proceeded to inform me that even though the transmission was fixed previously by a Dodge dealer, I would be fully responsible for the repairs. He also informed me he has never seen such damage in a transmission that it was obviously a product defect. I could understand their unwillingness to accept responsibility if the service had been performed by someone other than a Dodge dealer, but this was not the case! he then offered to contact the district manager, whose name and contact information seems to be held in the utmost secrecy as he will only accept calls from the dealer, but he may be willing to provide some assistance. Upon calling for a status. I was informed that the transmission would have to be replaced in its entirety at a cost of almost $3000! the district manager did offer to take care of 50% off the total cost. We have continued to argue this with the dealer and their corporate office. They gave us a continuous run around of calling one only to be told we have to speak with the other.
- Knoxville, TN, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
At about 32,000 miles I had taken my van in for an oil change and asked the Dodge dealer to look at the transmission. It had been shifting rough occasionally, and they looked at it, and said it was fine. Last week I was driving down the 10 freeway at about 70 mph when the transmission seized for about 2-3 seconds, the van's front wheels locked up, and the van slid sideways, then the transmission broke loose, and I was able to regain control and get the van to the slow lane and proceed to exit. I then had the van towed to Dodge were they seemed surprised that the transmission failed. And now I read about on the internet that its notrious for this. I had a co worker with me and we were both physically shaken. I believe this is a major deffect in the vehicle and should be investigated! please help do something.
My wife was driving normally less than.2 miles from the house. The speed limit is 40 mph. The roads were dry. My wife heard and "explosion" and pulled off the road believing that she had a blow out. The car stalled. Not knowing what the problem was, all the tires were inflated, she returned home. By the time she returned to the house there was no transmission fluid in the vehicle. I had it towed to a repair shop (buddies automotive 410-679-6300) the repair shop indicated that the pin that Dodge uses in the differential is undersized and hollow, and that it had sheared off sending parts through the casing of the transmission. The transmission is being replaced. The replacement is built by a company who has performed studies on the transmission and has modified this section of the transmission to make them safe and reliable. If you have any further questions, please feel free to call me. The vehicle is a 2001 Grand Caravan ex, with a 3.3L engine and a 4 speed automatic.
1. there were no warning signs, according to the mechanic it wasn't going bad it just went. 2. I was pulling out of a parking lot into traffic when suddenly the vehicle just stopped moving. I was merging into traffic and instead of getting out and going I got out and almost got hit. The car coming towards me slammed on the breaks and was able to swerve around me. 3. the rear planitary gear weld failed, this failure was described as a sudden catastrophic failor. The vehicle could not be put into park. It was towed into the dealership they said the fluid was bad and the filter clogged. The vehicle has 55,000 miles they say the 7/70 warrenty didnt apply to my model. The second mechanic said there was nothing wrong with the filter or the fluid that they have to replace a lot of these part the welds fail alot. I called diamler/Chrysler and told them what the mechanic said that I wanted to send them back the part that showed that the failure was manufacturer's defect they explained to me that it didn't matter that it why it failed just that it was out of warranty and they don't want to see the part. I was lucky the next person may not be. The vehicle is 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan sport. So far the hatch doesn't work when this part failed I was also notified that the wheel cylinder on the rear brakes failed and that could have caused fire to the vehicle the dealership wanted 4.000 plus tax to fix these problems. The entire rear braking system had to be redone and the transmission had to be rebuilt. I have decided not to deal with fixing the hatch so it opens.
I heard a whining noise coming from transmission, without warning the transmission completely went out. I only have 38K miles on my van. The brakes went out at 20K miles and they already need replaced. The windows stick intermittently, and won't roll up.
2001 Dodge Grand Caravan. At 57,000 miles the front pump on the automatic transmission failed, resulting in complete transmission failure. $3,500 to replace with reconditioned transmission. Daimler-Chrysler customer service refused to pay any amount for repairs.
Problems with vehicle's transmission and gear shift. The transmission slipped into a lower gear which caused the vehicle to slow down. The front and rear planatary gears were replaced.
At approx. 59,000 miles, the transmission on our 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan started lurching and slamming when you put it in gear. After only 1 1/2 days of minor occurrences, before we could have the car looked at, the transmission completely locked up. Fortunately, my husband was able to get it into gear to get it out of the street, but it would not get into gear at all after that. We had to tow it. We are now having to pay $2000 to rebuild the transmission. This is our only car for carrying our twin toddlers, and this is the second Chrysler vehicle we have owned that has had transmission failure before 70,000 miles. My best friend also had to get rid of a Chrysler lebaron with the exact same issue. There is a systematic problem with Chrysler transmissions, and it is a known defect that is sold to consumers. If we had bought this van new instead of 1 year old, I would be finding a lemon law attorney.
Car sometimes rolls forward or backward when in gear and running (in the opposite direction of the engaged gear). For example, our driveway slopes downward, away from the street and toward our house, requiring us to back up the driveway to reach the street. When the car is started and put into reverse, it sometimes will roll forward until the brake is applied. Conversely, when the car is in forward gear and is stopped (at a light or stop sign) on an incline with the front of the car being higher than the rear, the car will sometimes roll backward until the brake is applied. The dealership has told us that this is "normal" and that if the engine RPM is not at a certain level, gravity will prevail over the transmission. While this seems normal if the car had a standard transmission, this seems quite abnormal since it has an automatic. Whenever we are on an incline, I must keep my foot on the brake and rev the engine prior to taking my foot of the brake or run the risk that the car will roll forward into our swimming pool at the end of the driveway, or backward into another car while in traffice. It's like driving my old VW.
The transmission catastrophically failed for the second time on an exit ramp. Fortunately, my wife was able to maintain control of the vehicle. The front barke rotors are warped. My wife was informed by Dodge that this shimmy we were feeling as we applied the brakes was the ABS engaging. After taking the vehicle to another Dodge dealership, we were informed the problem is warped front brake rotors. In addition, because the vehicle has over 12000 miles, we now have to pay for the repairs! the leather seating in the rear is 'delaminating.' (I don't know of a better way to describe it). The rear automatic hatch does not automatically open. This too is a recurring problem.
Consumer was traveling at approximately 40 to 45 mph when transmission slipped and caused vehicle to lose power. Dealership has not seen vehicle. Engine check light has remained on. Dealer stated that seals and piston failed, consumer stated there was a banging noise when downshifting, dealer stated this was normal operation. While driving, steering would shake, dealer stated wheels were out of balance. Consumer stated there was a rattle in the dash. Consumer stated passenger front weatherstrip was not tight enough and had a small water leak, side moulding around door is mishapen, dealer replaced.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Hackettstown, NJ, USA