Chrysler Minivan Transmission Problems
We have a 1995 Plymouth Voyager (75K miles) that
apparently needs a new transmission ($1800). With
all the emails and apparent history of problems
with Plymouth/Chrysler transmissions, has anyone
been successful in getting Chrystler to help with
the cost and/or labor to have the transmission
replaced? If so, can you recommend a coarse of
action?
apparently needs a new transmission ($1800). With
all the emails and apparent history of problems
with Plymouth/Chrysler transmissions, has anyone
been successful in getting Chrystler to help with
the cost and/or labor to have the transmission
replaced? If so, can you recommend a coarse of
action?
0
Comments
I've ridden with him in the van, his driving habits seem quite normal, certainly not abusive. His experience tells me that we were probably right in getting rid of our 97 Voyager before the warranty ran out.
For those who do have a DC van, I do wish you well.
He is done buying DC products for a while. I could understand perhaps one of the two tranny replacements having problems and needing one return visit, but both needing two is kinda strange.
While the dealer is an independant business, I believe DC needs to be held accountable, not only for the problematic transmission, but also for the low quality of service the dealers are providing.
One is foolish if he expects a car to be troublefree. However, how the dealer/carmaker deals with that problem can make or break the relationship between owner and the dealer carmaker network.
Cheers,
TB
At 22K had a valve burn out. It was under warranty. But I had another problem that I had been charged for and had to go to arbitration to
get resolved. I have kept tack of all money spend on the van and gas mileage since I bought it.
For the first 49k I averaged 19.2MPG
The I changed the transmission fluid and filter.
This was after market from a major manufacturer. I noticed a lot of sludge in the bottom of the pan but not metal on the magnet. Since I changed
the fluid and filter I have averaged 2 more MPG
from 19.2 to 21.1. I ahve a 4speed with a 3.3 L.
If I had to buy another van now it would one of
two. If I needed the room a Honda, If I needed more of a family hauler it would be a Toyota.
Thanks for reading this.
I thought we where going crazy. We had a 1995 Voyager and the tranny went last year. Had it replaced. The dealer replaced tranny started doing the exact same thing you described a couple of months ago. Dealer said they couldnt find a problem. It felt like it was fighting to maintain speed on the most level of freeways. Then the mileage dropped to about 12-14 mpg (normally 21-22). We said thats it, since it was paid for, we traded it for a new Astro. Wish I could be more helpful. My advice is to sell it will it still runs. (or risk a $2,000+ repair in the near future that will only buy you time).
I now get a bad vibration in the front end at 45-55mph and around 70mph. New tires, balancing, alignment, new rotors and new struts have not cured the problem. Dealer cant find any problem. Could this possibly be the torque converter locking up and setting the stage for a second transmission failure? If anyone has any ideas on what this problem could be I would appreciate it.
It seems the best advice is to sell this thing while it can still move without the help of a tow truck.
I have also looked for a good Dodge web site to ask questions and technical advice, opinions, etc. The best site I have found is www.moparchat.com This site is clearly the best in quality, with over 60,000 posts! Good luck either way Trevor!
Then in June of this year, I noticed that about one of every three times I drove it, the transmission would not shift past second. Driving at highway speed would have the thing noisily revving at 5000 to 6000 rpm. Turning the ignition off and restarting would "solve" the problem.
I had the system diagnosed at an independent garage in July. They got an error code, which I've forgotten, and said that that error code was linked to a long checklist, the final step of which would be to overhaul the transmission. I instead just had them drain and replace the transmission fluid (which had less than 15k miles on it, since it was an 18-month old transmission).
The van performed fine until late last month, when it again started revving high and not upshifting around 20% of the time.
Could someone walk me through what I need to do to have Chrysler fix my transmission - correctly - on their nickel?
Feel free to email me directly at atkinsonpaul@hotmail.com
http://badtrans.webprovider.com/home.htm
This is the first American car I have bought in 20 years and my last. Everyone agrees it is horrible and not right for tranny to go but nobody wants to stand behind their product. They have lost a customer for life. Anyone with similar problems on this model?
http://badtrans.webprovider.com/home.htm
with 57,000 miles on the odometer.
After reading everything on the townhall talk about the transmission going out, I think we should purchase the warranty for $395.00 to cover us. Any advice from anybody that owns a 1998?
engine on your Town Country,Grand Caravan,or Plymouth Voyager and when you try to
change gear, either to drive or reverse, nothing
happens? The van stays idle and does not change
gear at all. I have been able to shut the engine
off, restart it and then it started to work again.
This is a used 1996 T&C which we bought three
weeks ago and we have experienced this problem twice. Is it a transmission problem?
We got almost 40,000 miles out of the "new" transmission when it started down shifting itself hard enough to almost give me whiplash coming up to a stop sign. I found an independent transmission shop with a computer analyser. He told me that the low end was going out. I took it to him for a complete checkup and discovered what the dealer had done all those miles prior to this. New and old parts had been mixed. I realize that this is standard procedure in some cases, but these parts were not compatible for the long haul. The computer had not been upgraded for the new parts. I was told that even when the transmission was replaced there had been about 26 upgrades to the computer at that time. None of those had been put on my van. Basically, my transmission ate itself up. New and old mismatched parts just made lunch of each other. You should have seen all the metal filings in the bottom of the case. I tried unsuccessfully to contact Chrysler, by phone, for about a month and finally gave up. I had a new transmission put in the van by the independent shop. All new parts and with Amsol fluid (I hope that I am spelling this right). There have been a few things that needed to be adjusted, but I finally have the old pep back when I accelerate. That shop has my business for as long as I have cars. Yes, it was another $2000 investment, but the van has been a real trouper for us and it was cheaper than getting another vehicle. While I am not happy with the service that I got from the dealer, to put it mildly, as long as I have independent shops that I trust because of their honesty, I will stay with the Voyager.
Eneth thanks for your input as well.
I have just taken it to an independent transmission repair shop to check it again because the problem never went away. I have now been told that it was 2 1/2 qts low on fluid and now I need a complete rebuild. I now have 74,000. How could the dealer have missed the leak?
From reading others comments, its appears that this problem is not uncommon. I'm beginning to wonder if I have any recourse from Chrysler for this? Anybody have any ideas?
3-speed - that unit has a pretty good reputation for reliability (it's been around since 1977 with the original Omni/Horizon). It's the 4-speed automatic that DaimlerChrysler has had (and continues to have) trouble with.
See below for some references that may help.
http://www.lemonaidcars.com/chrysler.htm
http://badtrans.webprovider.com/home.htm
But I knew I was in for trouble at 118,000 miles when the torque converter started that vibration like a tire was out of balance. A torque converter replacement and transmission was again needed. I called Chrysler again and what made me mad was the customer relations person said, "I have no reports of any transmission problems from even one consumer with that model van." I told him he was a liar as I had reported a failure a year ago that I had reported many, many times. Also, there were three Dodge and Plymouth vans with 3.0L engines sitting at the local transmission shop where my van made number four. This and the following two replacements cost $1200-$1600 each about every 40,000 miles. You pay $18,700 for a van, and then put $7,000 in transmissions in it, what a laugh (the manufacturer is having at us, we all are paying $100 per month to them for transmission repair only).
I had a Chevrolet product that the dealer and the manufacturer refused to fix under warranty. When I pulled into the traffic lane and the engine died at 11,500 miles for the hundredth time, I went to Chrysler (1979).
I do not think America can make an automobile any more and the industry officials refuse to admit a mistake, like a rear end that explodes, wiring that catches on fire, torque converter that sends shrapnel into the transmission upon failure(no filtration to separate them)...
I purchased a new Honda Civic and had no major cost until it had well over 210,000 miles. I purchased a Datsun pickup at the same time as the Chevrolet auto and had only brake lines needed until well over 240,000 miles. I presently own a Honda Accord with over 178,000 miles on it and plan to keep it until it rusts into a heap.
Guess what Chrysler, you are responsible for me purchasing another new Honda when this one fails.
Guess what Chrysler, you will be responsible for me purchasing a new Toyota pickup in a about three months.
Guess what Chrysler, you are responsible for me purchasing a foreign auto whenever I need to replace my present model.
Steve Roby
I am very diligent with scheduled maintenance. I went through the strut, tire, drum, rotor, bearing, axle thing. Just unplug the two torque converter wires for one test drive. Let the shop do it. When the vibrations stops, the crying can begin again and again and again.... Steve Roby slroby@stratuswave.net
We will not be in the market for another Chrysler product!
If you were to sell the van, it would have to be fixed, anyway - or trade it at a loss.
At 53,000 transmission clunked when going from park to reverse. Dealer replaced engine mounts.
At 60,000--same thing. Dealer replaced trans.mount and right engine mount. Less than 100 miles later, same problem--dealer reconditioned trans. under warranty (7/70,0000). At 77,641--same problem--dealer replaced transmission for $250 (after quoting price of $2100) after I "reminded) them of information regarding failure of transmissions that I got from this web page.
I could easily have paid them entire amount without that information. Service manager "remembered" the $250 deductible after he called the district manager. Suggestion--challenge service manager before paying the full amount quoted for transmission repairs.
At 23,583 miles the 1st transmission went out. Now, 3 years later, the 2nd transmssion went out at just 53,733. Know what DC said...TOO BAD! Said I was "too far" out of warranty (it expired Sept. 2000). Looking at 2 possibilities. First is small claims. Second is the possibile CA Lemon Law which was just revised down to 2 repairs for certain safety problems. Hoping I qualify so I can get rid of this thing. Saw an article on DC Lemon Laundering here at the same time I purchased this van. Fingers crossed.
I'm somewhat happy that they shared the cost of repairs but still disappointed with the performance of DC products. We have had some other problems with this car but overall OK. I'm not happy at all with seeing how many folks have gone thou several transmissions. I'd like to support American cars but I've had 3 Honda and a Toyota and they lasted forever with very few repairs (rust out was their death). We bought the Grand Voyager because the Honda and Toyota vans at the time weren't large enough for what we wanted. I think next time we're going back to Honda. This is a democracy and if we continue to support mediocrity that's what we'll get.
Bottom line: there are still problems - most of which can be avoided by CHANGING THE FLUID every 12K - and make sure you use Chrysler spec fluid!