Intermittent speedometer problem required the replacement of the speed sensor and dropping the transmission to replace the gear that drives the speed sensor with no noticeable transmission problems. Appearently, there was a misalignment in the transmission that had to be corrected to function with new speed sensor. The concern is that the correct speed is not measured. 30 days after this repair, a dealership has diagnosed the current problem as being the transmission with the fix being a new transmission. The van is less than 5yrs old and has less than 48,000 miles. This appears to be a defective transmission or problem with the previous repair. The current problem was experienced while driving the van on 10/02/99. The van was coming to a stop for a traffic light. While the van was stopped, the engine raced, dropped as though it was going to die, and raced back to where it should be. The RPM gauge normally sits between 1 and.5 while the van is idleing. While at the traffic light the gauge raced above 1, dropped as though it was going to 0, and raced back to where it should be. The concern is that while the traffic light changed to green at the same time the engine raced, I simultaneously released the brake pedal. This caused the tires to squeal, grab, jerk, and thrust the van forward. This could potentially cause the van to be thrust forward into the rear of a vehicle in front of the van. The van would do this at every stop. Also, the wife and two small children were stranded in the left turn lane of a very busy intersection and heavily traveled route in the tysons corner area of northern Virginia/DC area. This produced a dangerous situation until the wife was able to turn off the ignition, restart the van, place the van in drive, and drive the van home eventually. At the intersection while encountering the problem, the wife pressed the accelerator causing the engine to race, but the van would not move.

- Mc Lean, VA, USA