Chrysler Minivan Transmission Problems

olizer · February 2004

Whoops! Thought the 3 speed was a manual - my error.

badgerfan · February 2004

There have never been manual transmission minivans built by Chrysler dating right back to the first model year, 1984.

shipo · February 2004

Ummm, actually, they did sell a 5-Speed manual (with a turbo engine, I think) for at least one year. I'm thinking something like 1987 or 1988. I actually had a chance to drive one as a loaner car for a day.

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo · February 2004

I stand corrected again. According to CarPoint.com, Dodge offered the 5-Speed manual in both 1991 and 1992 as well.

Best Regards,
Shipo

jimjps · February 2004

3-speed ATX came with the 4 cylinder all the way up through 2002. There were 5 speed MTX avail even up to 1994. I know someone with a 93 with MTX and he thinks it is the only reason it made it to 180K miles. It seems the 4 cylinder is not exactly rare, but certainly much less popular then V6's.

It seems that the 3-speed 4 cylinder configuration may have less transmission reliability problems and wonder if anyone has inputs on that.

Thanks.

wijoco · March 2004

Actually my family bought a new 84 Caravan with the base 2.2 and a 5-speed manual. What a slug. Wasn't a bad vehicle, just tremendously underpowered for a family of four. My dad traded it within a year, on what I forget. But I do remember he sold the thing for what he paid for it new!!! That's how hot the Caravan/Voyager were when first introduced. Pulled the same trick with a 91 Explorer he bought new, sold it a year later with 15,000 miles for $500 MORE than he paid new. What a guy.

dustyk · March 2004

First, Chrysler made a cargo van (window-less) version of the Voyager/Caravan in the late '80s. My company had several of these that were used for local delivery and they were manual transmission.

Older four cylinder versions came with a hydraulic 3-speed automatic that was of the same family as the A413. These were exceptionally reliable transmissions. In fact any problems at all were almost always associated with the differential, most notably the output bearings and/or seals on the drive shafts.

The bad years for Chrysler mini-van transmissions have past. The newer versions of the electronic 4-speed fully adaptive transmissions are far more reliable than the original A604 Ultradrive. The biggest area of trouble, the solenoid shift packs and associated electrical wiring, has long since been resolved. Another problem often not mentioned is the fact that a lot of routine maintenance has been done on these transmissions using the incorrect transmission fluid. In my area, there are several oil lube places being sued for using Dexron-Mercon in full flush scenarios, then the transmission "fails" within 5-8 thousand miles.

Our national fleet has contained Chrysler mini-vans and other makes for years. Prior to '96 the Chrysler did have more trouble, but in recent years our Ford Windstars have been far worse.

There's something else to consider. Mini-vans as a class are far more likely to be under maintenanced and overloaded by their users. The fact that Chrysler has had a volumous model and enjoys a majority of the market has helped in part to this problem.

I wouldn't have a problem purchasing a '01 and up Chrysler mini-van.

Regards,
Dusty

royallen · March 2004

Dusty, My wife has driven a '95 Caravan 3.3L for 5 years with fewer than average problems, however, I have a different view in several respects. First the transmission problem rates reported in consumer reports have been above average even in the first 1-2 years on the road and before someone would have replaced the wrong fluid including '01, '02 and '03 models. Among the measures I've used to improve my odds include installing an auxiliary cooler (standard on '99 and later I believe), turning the OD off in city driving (required with each engine start, unfortunately), replace half the fluid (OEM- ATF+3 for mine)once a year and replace the filter every 30K. These have been successful (?lucky)including some boat trailer towing in Colorado mountains.
More reliable than the Windstar seems like faint praise. Roy

impact01 · March 2004

You write:"More reliable than the Windstar seems like faint praise". I agree with your assessment here, but dustyk's company I think uses only Chryslers and Fords for whatever reason. But, Chrysler will have a hard time convincing anyone that they've fixed their trannies (May be a lifetime warranty would help?).

I've always wondered why Chrysler's trannies need all these fussy maintenance above and beyond what is prescribed in the owner's manual (like why do I need to put in a aux cooler for normal use, fluid change every year etc.). With all the rebates etc. though, Chrysler is a good value and if one can get loaner coverages with extended warranty etc., I would hope one can get 7 years/ 100K miles of useful life from Chrysler and Dodge minivans in the -:worst case:-scenario.

royallen · March 2004

The auxiliary cooler is needed for two or three reasons. 1. Its cheap help for a known weakness, 2. trailer towing without one is high risk and 3. few vehicles give you a tranny temperature warning (like Subaru). What would you think of a car with no temperature warning for the engine? In regards to maintenance, my manual recommends fluid and filter every 15K for "severe" service which includes frequent trips under 5 miles. This is my wife's use on work days. I am doing yearly fluid change (~10K) since I can only siphon half the system capacity and I'm waiting until 30K for the more expensive filter change. It is a lot more than the typical check at 30K and change at 60K. Turning OD off is also mentioned in the owners manual to "avoid frequent shifting". Roy

info4u · March 2004

Have a 2001 T&C LXi with 50,500 miles most of which are long distance highway miles. Recently have been getting a whining sound from trans. Sometimes nothing. Most times just audible. After several hours on highway at 65mph it is a loud sound but when I shut down for 10 minutes and restart, no audible sound. Would appreciate input from anyone with similar experience.

candlemaker2 · March 2004

We have a 2003 Caravan that we bought new Nov. 29/03. In January I noticed red fluid leaking and had the van towed to the nearest dealership. They repaired a ruptured transmission cooling line and found a loose connection where it goes into the radiator. I asked the service dept. if this could cause damage to my transmission and was told NO WAY.
A few times since then, when we start the van, all of the gear shift indicators light up. The van went in for a leak in the power steering lines in February and I asked them to check this too. They said there were no codes.
Yesterday I was driving and the road was blocked so I had to back up. Well the thing would not go into reverse. I am wondering if there was damage caused by low fluid. Any info would be greatly appreciated. There are less than 4000 km on the van and we are ready to park it and refuse to make payments. Thanks

impact01 · March 2004

Not having reverse is a sure sign of a faulty transmission. Call the owner of the dealership or dodge if you need to, but be polite. Refusing to make payments will spoil your credit history for a while, so if I were you, I wouldn't even consider it.

candlemaker2 · March 2004

We have talked to the dealership in fact 2 of them. One where we bought and one where we got the work done. They say there is nothing wrong. We talked to Dodge and I have a case # but they say there is nothing they can do. It seems they all want to wait until it goes for good. Problem is, my Husband works out of town and is gone for 2-3 weeks at a time. We live in a small town and the closest city is over an hour drive away. If I break down , I have to wait at least an hour for help, and that is IF my cell phone can get a signal.
We thought we would be safe buying a brand new van.

dustyk · March 2004

>>>First the transmission problem rates reported in consumer reports have been above average even in the first 1-2 years on the road and before someone would have replaced the wrong fluid including '01, '02 and '03 models.<<<

Roy, according to the Consumer Reports 2004 Buying Guide, Caravan is rated "worse than average" '00, "better than average" '01, "much better than average '02." Keep in mind that these ratings are based on owners reports of their subjective opinion of what a "serious" problem is. The fact is that there have been no significant changes in the Chrysler FWD mini-van transmissions since 2000, yet the results vary. There is obviously a statistical dynamic present unrelated to design. Let me also suggest that because of "popular opinion," on Chrysler transmissions, non-fleet owners are more likely to view any problem related to the transmission as "serious" or worth reporting.

>>>dustyk's company I think uses only Chryslers and Fords for whatever reason. But, Chrysler will have a hard time convincing anyone that they've fixed their trannies (May be a lifetime warranty would help?).<<<

We currently are running Chryslers, Fords, and GMs. Fleet buyers are usually good test beds for vehicle designs since accumulated mileage is above average and drivers are not stake-holders in the vehicle's ownership. Thus, maintenance neglect or abuse is far more prevalent. Chrysler minivans for us have given us no more transmission problems than GM versions, and much better than Windstar.

>>>I've always wondered why Chrysler's trannies need all these fussy maintenance above and beyond what is prescribed in the owner's manual (like why do I need to put in a aux cooler for normal use, fluid change every year etc.).<<<

I wouldn't consider an aux. cooler as part of maintenance and none of our minivans from either Chrysler, Ford or GM have them. As far as maintenance goes, Chrysler versions are no different than Ford or GM. In fact, our fleet contract calls for the same level of automatic transmission service for all three (30,000 miles).

Regards,
Dusty

carcom2 · March 2004

I have a '97 Grand Caravan and luckily no transmission problems with almost 90,0000 miles. I once experienced "all of the gear shift indicators light up". Not saying this may be the same thing as your situation, but when it happened to me I was driving and the car wouldn't shift out of first gear regardless of my speed. What I discovered is I accidently replaced one of the spent fuses(think it was the cigarette lighter where my phone was plugged into)with what I thought was a spare fuse. I accidently pulled out the fuse that relates to the transmission. As soon as I put it back everything was back to normal. Maybe that will help.

candlemaker2 · March 2004

We have not touched any fuses or anything. We truly believe the transmission is damaged due to the fluid loss in Jan. The fact that I could not reverse but could drive forward is another indication.

jd332dakota · March 2004

I have 105K on my '95 PV and will change trans. fld. for 2nd time since van was new. I have two questions; Has anyone used LUCAS Trans. fix just as preventive medicine in tranny? And secondly, when I visited dealership to get MOPAR ATF+3 THEY recommended I go to auto store since MOPAR is over $5 a quart, so I reluctantly purchased Advance Auto Parts equivelant of Chrysler ATF+3,am I safe using this?? Thanks in advance, JD

dustyk · March 2004

If you look at a Dodge, Ford, or GM service manual they often emphatically state that use of materials other than recommended fluid, or in some cases dyes, can cause damage and void your warranty.

The best preventative medicine is scheduled service using recommended materials.

I think your dealer was trying to be kind to you. The price they gave you sounds more like ATF+4 which is more expensive. As long as the ATF+3 is equivalent and certified there should be nothing wrong with it and fully compatible in your transmission.

Best regards,
Dusty

vcheng · March 2004

....to REQUIRE any particular fluid to maintain warranty is a violation of the Magnuson-Moss warranty act, unless it is provided free of charge. There is a lawsuit against Chrysler over ATF+4 already for its refusal to licence third-party manufacturers to market this type of fluid.

By the way, the manufacturers get around this by saying that other types of fluids can be used to top up etc, and then put in a caveat that it may cause rough shifting etc.

carcom2 · March 2004

Maybe or maybe not you have a bad fuse or a bad transmission. It's simple enough to check out the fuse- Look under the hood in the fuse box -the fuse chart in manual will confirm which fuse is tied in to the transmission. The similar problem we had was "all of the gear shift indicators light up". To me that can indicate an electrical problem. Correcting the fuse problem got everything back to normal. Before I corrected the fuse problem, no matter what speed I drove, the car would not automatically shift out of first. First thought was - man, hope I don't need a new transmission. Luckily it was just a fuse problem. Hope you're as lucky.

vcheng · March 2004

http://www.ilma.org/resources/ftc_dcc_letter.pdf

dukefan · March 2004

I have a 97 Voyager, 102,000 miles, and the transmission has recently begun to act strange. The main thing is it that at times the transmission would not shift, RPMs continue to climb. I tried letting up on the gas, still would not shift. Have to stop and put van in park, sit for a moment the put back in drive before it runs normal. Has anyone had this problem with their voyager.

ishaw · March 2004

I just bought a 97 Grand Caravan with only 37k miles on it. I would like to tow a light tent trailer with it (approx. 1200 pounds)- but I'm reluctant given the allegedly inadequate transmission. The van dose have the larger 3.8l (?) engine.

Any advise on towing with this thing? One issue I have is with the rear suspension. It seems so soft anyway - I'm not sure loading it up with a couple hundred pounds of tounge weight will be a good thing! Also, there is no tow package on this one - so I assume I have no cooler. Can one be installed? Are they expensive?

I would appreciate any feedback.

dustyk · March 2004

>>>....to REQUIRE any particular fluid to maintain warranty is a violation of the Magnuson-Moss warranty act, unless it is provided free of charge. There is a lawsuit against Chrysler over ATF+4 already for its refusal to licence third-party manufacturers to market this type of fluid.<<<

There may be a lawsuit, but if so it is a civil matter and not a suit brought by the Federal Trade Commission. A search of FTC records indicates that the last legal action taken against Chrysler was in January of 1999. The FTC website lists no current litigation proceedings against Daimler-Chrysler. Neither are there any Daimler-Chrysler hits in Adjudicative Proceedings, Applications & Petitions, FTC Orders, or Advocacy Filings.

( http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/formal.htm )

According to my company's legal counsel, this more than likely means that the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) letter of complaint dated 11 November 2003 was not considered actionable by the FTC.

The ILMA's opinion of ATF+4 as a violation of the Magnuson-Moss Act is self motivated and represents an extremely narrow interpretation of the law. If a compound, fluid, or other substance is an integral part of a design, then the required use of that material to maintain design performance or warranty is not a violation of the Act. (If the Act was construed that narrowly, my company would be out of business from the impact of litigation alone.)

Since Chrysler still specifies ATF+3 for older transmissions built when that ATF was current, and Chrysler recommends ATF+4 for those, but does not stipulate its use, consumers may still continue to use ATF+3 in those versions without any threat to warranty coverage. In addition, ATF+3 is currently manufacturered by several independent lubricant manufacturers with license from Daimler-Chrysler.

Keep in mind that lubricant manufacturer's formulations themselves are protected by US patent laws. In this case the ILMA might be shooting their members in the foot!

Regards,
Dusty

tccroupier58 · March 2004

THANKS FOR THE RECENT DISCUSSION ON ATF. JUST PURCHASED A 99 t&c all wheel drive. a trans. o.h. shop claims i need new seals for $4-500 and possible o.h.for $12-1500. Took to dealership 5 STAR, and say trans is fine however all wheel drive is acting up, a valve or such will not allow trans. to go into AWD when going forward but it will in reverse. Could someone give me some advice on this and any TOWN HALL discussion numbers that I can look up and read . I did get off point from my title, which i will get on now . I would like to use the amsoil in my trans. Dealership offers a complete flush for $150 .sHOULD I JUST DO IT MYSELF ? I am some what mechanicly inclined and i do have access to a lift. one other thing . 4 QUARTS of DEXRON-MERCON III WAS ADDED TO MY TRANS ABOUT 500 miles ago and i used the van to tow a VW GOLF to CINCINNATI FROM SOUTH KENTUCKY ABOUT 200 MILES OF TOWING WITH THE dexron-MERCON IN THE TRANS.I WILL GO BACK AND READ SOME MORE ON THE CHRYSLWER ATF + III THANKS FOR THE TALK. THANKS HOST

dustyk · March 2004

Although the situation is far different today, one must review some history in order to understand the conditions some consumers may face.

While Chrysler may not have been the first to bring electronic technologies to automatic transmissions, they most certainly have been the most aggressive. In the mid-'80s they introduced the first fully electronic and adaptive automatic transmission, the A604. While some view the A604 has a disaster because of several problem areas, in truth the design itself is solid. In fact, almost all of Chrysler's automatic designs today use the same basic power delivery architechure as the lengendary A727, one of the best transmissions ever built.

When Chrysler began building part and full electronic transmissions, many in the independent transmission repair business saw this as an attack against them, since specialized diagnostic tools were required that weren't available to their industry at the time. Conventional hydraulic designs were easier to work on and troubleshoot and most independent shops were already set-up to do this type of work.

Many in the independent transmission repair industry railed against Chrysler products and capitalized on earlier problems to take advantage of customer ignorance. It was fairly easy to instill fear through myth-building by the constant repeating of stories of Chrysler automatic problems. Since independents knew they had the advantage of belief that dealer service was always more costly and less reliable, it was easy for a customer with a Chrysler electronic automatic believing that it was going to cost $3-5K to fix. And many did.

Without knowing how your independent shop determined a seal problem with your '99, I think it is worthy of suspicion that they may see a way to make an easy $1500. For the moment without knowing anything else, I would trust the Chrysler dealer. I will tell you that in my opinion with a Chrysler mini-van you are much more likely to have a problem with the AWD than you will with the "T" series automatic.

Regarding the Dexron-Mercon that was put in, get it out ASAP. I would recommend a filter change and complete flush using ATF+3 at minimum, ATF+4 if you want to flip for the extra dollars.

The $150 is not a bad price if it's a complete flush. It will be inconvenient if not difficult to do a complete flush by yourself without the correct equipment. You will have to open the line from the transmission cooler to allow the old fluid to pump itself out and will need something to capture 18-22 quarts while the engine is running. The bigger problem is controlling the input flow of fresh new fluid. You can't simply hang a +20 quart container of ATF above the level of the transmission. Gravity will overfill the transmission and cause aeration, a particularly serious condition for automatic transmissions.

I've seen this attempted by folks without the type of equipment used by flush shops and its a messy and wastefull process. My advice is to pay the $150.

Sorry for the lengthly reply. I hope it helps.

Best of luck.

Dusty

info4u · March 2004

To update #435. Took T&C into dealer right of highway with the whining going on. Naturally by the time the service writer got a man from the garage out to me, about 5 minutes, the sound was all but gone. He took a ride with me and it was almost inaudible. He did suggest that it could be coming from the power steering unit rather than the trany since they have experienced that in the shop but not what I was suggesting. I must add that the fluid and filter were changed by a dealer at 48,000 miles and the van operates in a completely normal fashion except for this mystery whine.

royallen · March 2004

Whether towing is an acceptable risk or not is a topic of considerable debate. I have towed a 1700# boat and trailer with my wife's '95 DC and a 3.3L and so far so good at 104K. (about 2500 mi towing). I installed an aux cooler costing about $40 and taking about 1.5 hours. An experienced mechanic should take about an hour. The steps are remove the grill, attach the cooler in front of the AC condensor, reroute the tranny return line from the radiator to the cooler and from the cooler to the tranny. Other features of "towing package" are larger radiator to keep the engine cool and a larger alternator capacity. For the modest weight you have in mind, these added items are IMHO unneeded. The auxiliary cooler is, on the other hand, a high priority. Roy

tccroupier58 · March 2004

dustyk;
Greetings; Hope all well with you and yours. I don"t know what to say. No, I know, thank you, and I really thank you for the mention about knowing a bit of history. I WOULD SURE LIKE TO LEARN SOME MORE ABOUT THAT HISTORY. I was wondering though about the Amsoil Transmission Fluid. It is named 100% SYNTHETIC UNIVERSAL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID and sells for $8/QT. say can be used in apps. req. DEX II, III, MER., MER V, ATF+ THRU ATF+4, and a few more. thanks, TimC P.S. Am going to call Dealer Today or tomorrow will wait to see if you recommend the Amsoil,

ishaw · March 2004

I appreciate your response royallen. I will definitely invest in the cooler. I will probably be towing less than 1000 miles during the summer -so I won't worry about the other items. Most of all, I'll try to keep my foot out of the throttle and the transmission out of overdrive - that should go a long way toward preserving the transmission!!
Thanks again.

dougd7 · March 2004

I for one have a hard time believing that the Amsoil ATF can satisfy the requirements for Dexron and Chrysler ATF+3/4. From what I understand the Chrysler ATF+3/4 has different coefficent of friction than that of Dexron. Dexron has more "grip" whereas the ATF+3/4 is "slippier". I would strongly recommend that you have the dealer flush the tranny using ATF+3 (the 99's use this over ATF+4). Using ATF+4 in the 99 tranny can result in T/C shudder. The $150 spent at the dealer is well worth it.

Doug

dustyk · March 2004

My error. Doug is correct. Your '99 mini-van should not use ATF+4, but ATF+3. I think you'll find that it will be cheaper than the Amsoil. I also agree with Doug about the supposed universal-ness of the Amsoil synthetic. I would do just what Doug has suggested.

ATF+3 & 4 is slightly more viscous and contains stabilized friction modifiers. It also contains a considerable amount more antioxidants than Dexron, has a 22 F (ATF+3) and 33 F (ATF+4) lower pour-point. Both have a wider operating temperature range. ATF+4 is semi-synthetic. Neither the ATF+3 or 4 have a permanent dye, however. Color should not be used to judge the effects of dirt or oxidation.

By the way, one of our local transmission shops here use ATF+3 in Ford trucks to eliminate torque converter shudder.

Best regards,
Dusty

candlemaker2 · March 2004

After owning this Caravan for 3.5 months and having it break down 3 times. We said good by to it. Last Wed. night I had my daughter and her friend in the car. We were on the highway and had to stop for a stop sign. I pulled onto the next highway, got it up to 50 Km and clicked resume on the cruise. Well the thing would not get over 80 Km. I had the gas peddle right down. It then lurched and went into the next gear. I told my husband about this and we decided to take it in for servicing. He found the transmission to be shifting long and rough. At the service dept. We were told the van was in limp mode. They wanted us to leave it for a few days so we said ok. They also said they could not give us a rental( even though we had the extended warrenty that covers a rental) because Chrysler was cracking down on them. We left there and later decided that enough was enough. We told them, you have it, keep it. Yes it will affect our credit but we could not see putting up with this. I did alot of research into Canadian law and found that if Chrysler kept taking the van in for service but was unable to find a problem and fix it, they were doing what is expected and we had no other recourse. Remember, this was our second Caravan in 10 months that was extremely problem prone. Trading the first one on the second one had put our payments quite high.
I am glad no one else on this board is having these problems. I am back to driving a 10 year old vehicle that I feel safer driving since I know it is not going to leave me stranded. I bought auto club membership and I have a cell phone.
Good luck to everyone with your Caravan.

seversuave · March 2004

My transmission problems started at 32K, but just out of warranty. We have had it to the dealer seven times for about $900. The transmission was rebuilt 1K miles ago (free), but it continues to do the things it always has: very delayed shifting into low gear when you stop (clunks hard), and gear hunting excessively at highway speed. It stopped shifting into high gear the other day, and would only go 35 MPH. The service light came on, and we took it in again. The dealer told us it was a computer "glitch", and they reset the computer. It is NOT fixed. I called DC yesterday, and again today, but they have not been extremely helpful. The van has 44.5K miles now, and has the towing package with the aux cooler. If anybody has advice for me, I would be happy to hear it. Siennas are looking good about now.

loahei · April 2004

Hi,
I have the opportunity to buy a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan with AWD and 36,000miles. The mileage is valid. According to the owner, he has never had any transmission problems. Price seems fair according to Kelly Blue book, but after reading all the messages, I am scared to buy it. What should I know before buying this van? Thank you.

doitmyself · April 2004

Check to see if it is the electronic 4 speed or the 3 speed tranny. My last two Voyagers with 3 speed went 190 K and 110 K with zero drivetrain problems before I sold them.

www.allpar.com has some good tranny advice also.

Will be getting my new Caravan in two days!

Don't forget the Honda Odessey tranny problems and the Toyota sludge fiasco. They all have problems.

stever · April 2004

We have an appraisal tool linked off the Used Car pages that you can use for a second opinion. The same page has links to Buying Tips that are worth a scan too.

Running a Carfax may be worth it, but it sounds pretty cherry with those miles. And having a mechanic look it over should expose any obvious major problems.

Steve, Host

masterpaul1 · April 2004

I would be concerned as to why it has such low mileage. You might want to ask some questions about that. I believe the mileage for a 1998 should be anywhere from 65,000 to 73,000 miles. I highly recommend the Consumer Reports Used Car book. It has a lot of information, a check list and questions to ask regarding a used vechicle. I used this when purchasing our 2001 GC. It was very helpful. After your done doing all of your research and over looking the van. If you don't feel confident in your purchase, don't buy it. Just a thought.

stever · April 2004

Low miles can be a concern but maybe not so much from a private seller. Can you check the title and make sure the seller is the original owner?

I bought a '97 wagon last April with 34,000 miles on it. But I knew the seller very well.

Steve, Host

badgerfan · April 2004

Doesn't necessarily mean the odometer was set back. My son will soon be in the process of buying his grandma's 1992 Sable that has all of 24K miles on it.

They are out there, I'll bet especially in Florida.

bluetrainstop · April 2004

We just traded in our 1998 Dodge Caravan Sport with 77,000 miles. Last year at 66,000 we had to replace the head gaskets for 850.00. If you go on edmunds and look at the consumer reviews for that specific model year you'll see that that the transmissions go and the A/C compressor. I would NOT buy it. We got rid of ours now because we didn't want to pay for a new transmission or compressor down the rode when trade-in was only $3500 for it now. We just bought a new 2004 Caravan SXT yesterday and I love it but after 7 years we will get rid of it. Like the Caravans but don't believe they are 10 plus year cars. ALso, another reader said his 2004 SXT's tranmission needs to be replaced at only 5900 miles and they was to put a refurbished one in not a brand-new one. So sometimes you have to be lucky. But we got our van for 20,500 out the door with the popular equipment pkg, quad seats, cd player. There are great deals to be had maybe a Dodge brand is not something to buy used. Look at new ones, they have 4500 manufacturer to dealer incentives for marketing that our dealer gave to us just to decrease his inventory.

loahei · April 2004

THanks everyone! I'm starting my homework now!

shipo · April 2004

I've been tracking the DC mini-van transmission issues (the Dextron fiasco and otherwise) for a number of years now, and one thing I've noticed is that, unless I'm missing something, the problems seem to be more concentrated with the mini-vans equipped with the smaller engines. To the best of my knowledge, I only remember one or maybe two reports of 3.8 liter vans having a problem.

With that in mind, and after a combined seven years and 100,000 miles on our two 3.8 vans (our 1998 has 82K and our 2003 has 20K), and having driven a number of rental DC vans with lesser motors, a couple of possible explanations have occurred to me.

1) Could it be that the transmission has a problem with frequent excursions into the higher RPM range? I ask this because whenever I drive/ride in a van with the 3.3 or the 3.0, I am always surprised at how hard the engines have to be pushed to achieve decent acceleration compared to the 3.8.

2) Could it be that the transmissions mated to the 3.8 mill are in some way beefier than those in the other vans?

3) Could it be a combination of the two?

Do any of you have any in site that might either validate or invalidate one or both of my suppositions?

An interesting side note; in our current neighborhood, there are three Odyssey vans and our two Grand Caravans. Within that population of five vans there have been two transmission failures, none of them ours. I guess any manufacturer can have a problem with their automatic gearboxes. Even still, it seem that the Oddy owners look sort of askance at our "unreliable" Dodges, even though the only unscheduled failure for said Dodges was a battery on our 1998 after 50K miles. Go figure.

Best Regards,
Shipo

dustyk · April 2004

Shipo, I do believe that the automatic that Chrysler mates to the 3.8 is a different transmission. My AT knowledge is mostly associated with Chrysler RWD versions, but Chrysler uses the same basic power transmission architecture on all of its automatics. The only one that has varied significantly enough to mention is the RWD 545RFE used on Jeeps and Dodge trucks.

When it comes to mini-vans my belief is that they are used by their owners closer to or beyond the designed service limits yet maintained like cars, which translates to not enough maintenance. Dexron in Chrysler mini-vans is a far more common than most people realize. I've seen many more Chrysler FWD automatics go to 150,000 miles and more without ANY problems or failures. But the large portion of them were maintained correctly.

Change the filter and AT fluid on a scheduled basis and I think you'll find that the failure rate (ie: rebuild rate) will be less that on a Toyota or Honda.

Best regards,
Dusty

visitor · April 2004

I too have a Town and Country that fails to shift. My problem is temperature related. If I start the van in cold weather it stays in first gear. But if I drive a short distance, then turn the engine off and on again, it is fine. Until the van is cold again and it fails to shift again. It sounds like a computer reset problem to me, but I am trying to find someone who may know something about it. Now that the weather has warmed up, the problem is not evident. I guess it waits for cold weather. Hope that a simple repair can correct the problem.

Jason5 · April 2004

Your thoughts please... I'll insert a liability disclaimer for you here (wink). What intervals would you recommend for changing the fluid and filter on my 2000 3.2/Autostick equipped Intrepid ES? As you may recall from my post--I had the fluid and filter changed at roughly 40K...I'm now at 84,000. My driving is rather bi-modal. Short trips around the area and long road trips monthly..

dustyk · April 2004

Well, the filter and fluid changes on Chrysler-built FWD cars use to be 35-70K, depending on schedule "A" or "B." If you follow the severe service schedule, 35 or 40K should be fine.

I think your 2000 was designed around ATF+3, which is still available and about $1 cheaper a quart than ATF+4. I would use the ATF+4 if it were my car.

Best regards,
Dusty

Jason5 · April 2004

Thanks for the info. Apparently you missed my maintenance story from a while back. All second generation Intrepids are designed around ATF+4 fluid. After reminding two service managers(Strauss Auto)and mentioning that they could get ATF+4 from the local Dodge dealer--they filled me up with ATF+3. Had I not noticed it on the service receipt when picking up my car I would have driven off with it. I got the Dodge Service Manager on the phone, told him what happened, handed the phone to the other service manager. They promptly PUSHED her back in--drained the tranny, FLUSHED the tranny, then filled it with ATF+4. Damn stuff sure is expensive!

impact01 · April 2004

In post #469 dustyk writes:
"Change the filter and AT fluid on a scheduled basis and I think you'll find that the failure rate (ie: rebuild rate) will be less that on a Toyota or Honda."

You really believe this dustyk?. IMO, hell would freeze over if that's the case.

Chrysler Minivan Transmission Problems

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy