Chrysler Minivan Transmission Problems

cmccrimmon · January 2001

Yes I have the same whistle on my 1998 but doesn't seem worse for wear.

royallen · January 2001

bucman: Any dealer's service rep ignorant enough to say "ALL bla bla bla do this" deserves to be encouraged to repeat it two or three times with comments " Are you sure of that " etc. Then ask for a demonstration on a couple of vehicles on the lot. Then you'll have evidence as to the truth of the idea that you should just live with it.

blacksmithn · January 2001

Help, please! I traded in my lemon of a 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager and left the owner's manual in the car. I need the manual, because I'm suing DC in Small Claims for reimbursement of the $2000 I had to spend fixing the transmission. Copies are okay! I'll gladly reimburse cost of copying or postage.

For those who're interested, here's my tale of woe-- bought a 97 GV brand new from Star Chrysler in Glendale (a 5 Star dealer, HA!). From the outset we had problems-- squealing brakes that wore out prematurely, a hiccup in the idle that the dealer could never fix (and which turned out to be a bad spark plug, which we found out when we took it in for it's required 60k tune-up. By the way, dealers want $500 to tune these cars!). Little things, like rear ac which didn't work (dealer eventually fixed), rear sliding door locks that jammed or didn't work (dealer fixed once). Finally, at 71k the transmission went out. Called DC 800 number and they said no good will fix. Spoke w/sales mgr. at Star and he promised to talk to the Zone Mgr. 4 weeks later, after we sent him a letter informing him that he needed to fix this or we'd sue, still no answer. Finally got him on the phone (he'd stopped returning wife's calls, but he talked to me) he said he'd turned it over to his service mgr and he assumed everything had been handled. Transferred me to the service mgr. who told me that I could have it towed in at my expense, but that he couldn't do anything and that DC wouldn't do anything. I said-- Let me get this straight, I can have my car towed there, and pay for it, so you can NOT do any work on it? Yes. Well, how about if I just see you in court? Fine, but you never gave us a chance to fix the problem! But you just told me you weren't going to fix it! Yes, that's true.

Again, this is a "5 Star" dealership! So we had it fixed by a reliable local tranny shop and are suing them and DC. Traded the lemon in for a Hyundai Santa Fe (5 yr. bumper to bumper and 10 yr. powertrain warranties, low price AND the whole family fits into it) and am VERY HAPPY. I advise anyone who asks-- DON'T BUY CHRYSLER PRODUCTS! They made these cars with shoddy transmissions, they know there's a problem, and they REFUSE to stand behind them when the going gets rough.

itsjustacar · January 2001

The way I am solving the transmission problem is to never buy another Chrysler product again... ever.

It is very clear to me that the design of the transmission in these vans is sorely amiss. I would blame the engineers, but I don't know what kind of parameters they were given from management. It seems that Chrysler is not capable of building reliable transmissions, since the later models also suffer(I have a 92' and people with 96's are complaining here). Does Chrysler not notice all the repairs? Or do they not care?

The story: I have a 92' Voyager with 129,000 on it. The first transmission left it at 55,000. The dealer was very nice about it and repaired the vehicle under warranty. They even let me have a free loaner car while they affected repairs.

The second transmission was at 122,000. Again, the dealer was nice enough to give me a free loaner while I paid $1500 to rebuild the transmission. The rebuilt lasted 30 days until something else went out on it. The dealer gave me another free rental car and repaired my van at their expense.

Let me state I am hardly a Ricky Racer. I drive the van as if it is an egg shell due to my understanding of the transmission issues. I drive 6 miles on surface streets to work and this van simply can't handle it. I am middle aged and have spent more money maintaining this vehicle than all other vehicles in my life. In fact I gave an 85' Toyota to my mother and I would rather have that back than drive this van any more. (That car has over 250,000 miles on it. The only thing that went wrong was a fan belt and the fuel pump. It still has the original motor and transmission.)

Then there is the brakes. The van simply eats brakes. Add to that the idler pulley from hell, that whines without interruption at idle. I have replaced it twice only to be greeted by the squeel soon after I get over the $160 replacement cost. If you own this van, you know of what I speak.

Finally, there is a bad clear coat on the paint job. The result is one ugly paint flaking, whining, transmission dropping mess (sad, but true). My van is a wreck and it is not due to neglect or mistreatment. I am just counting the days until I go out and buy a new non-Chrysler vehicle to replace it with. It won't be long... I was just checking out a new Toyota Highlander this weekend.

Never again. I am taking my business elsewhere.

ms10 · January 2001

I have a chrysler town&country,my second minivan after returning a 91 Voyager from the seller.my father drives a 92 voyager, his second one.My dads friend has a 94 voyager as well. all had or have some what of a trans problem.diffrent noises or types of problems-have occured. all problems are related to the trans.

chrydodjeep1 · January 2001

Yea, Owners and Wanna Be owners of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth vehicles.
What a Wonderful Feeling to Own a vehicle that will have Transmission
failure , Head Gasket Failure and to many more problems to list . Not like U
can keep your fingers crossed or go in the closet and say it won't happen to
my wonderful Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth vehicle :O))))))))

Keep wishing and Hoping cause Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth has your
money and they are investing it in other money making ventures instead of
investing it to repair your problem which they Manufactured for U. While U
have to make $300.00 + payments per month and come up with another $2000.00
to $3000.00 in repairs Yea, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth such a
wonderful Product...

Oh I almost forgot the Priceless Wonder of owning a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep,
Plymouth Yea, this is Great Your Family and Loved Ones they may get Caught
in a Fuel Tank Fire due to a faulty Fuel Filler Grounding Strap or maybe
just Pop out the Back Door of your wonderful Family Mini Van. Chrysler,
Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth Oh Yea Definitely get life insurance for all your
Loves ones riding in your New And Wonderful Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth
vehicle.

So yes Go out and tell all your friends How Wonderful a vehicle Chrysler,
Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth really is Oh yea and here is the Sad part of this
whole Story.
U know Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth dealers they won't give U anything
for a Trade in they already know what U just found out that they are the
Worst Vehicles ever Engineered But hey what's Losing a few Thousands of
Dollars on repairs or at Trade In Time? U own a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep,
Plymouth vehicle and are proud and honored to give Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep,
Plymouth more of your easy earned money to pay for there mistakes :O))))))))

Even Better what could be better then Losing your Loved Ones Yea, That's Why
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth they are Wonderful and Priceless :O(
Enjoy the ride who knows when U may find yourself on the side of the road or
Worse in a Hospital Hoping and Praying your Loved Ones will recover :O(

mliong · February 2001

A close family friend of ours is in the market for a minivan and is looking at the 2001 models. Does anyone know if they re-designed the tranny for this model year?

Thanks!

eneth · February 2001

No, they didn't.

royallen · February 2001

At risk of arousing the ...uh, dissatisfied, my wife has been quite pleased with our 2 years of ownership of a '95 Caravan 3.3L, 4 speed. We have driven it from 48K to 66K with few problems- a battery replacement, new front brake pads (lifetime warranty-$30 and an hours work), plugs(not an easy job), and other preventive care. I have been to the dealer one time for an ignition/air bag safety recall. I put a transmission cooler on for $30 and 1 1/2 hours work. I have towed a 1700# boat+trailer about 2000 miles. Last month I sent in a transmission fluid sample for analysis and it was normal for wear metals and elevated for silicone (dirty) so I changed it as recommended. For the do-it-yourselfers, I found a 6' plastic tube, 7/16"OD-5/16"ID easily inserted down the filler tube 25" and siphoned 3 3/4 quart. In another 15K I'll have my mechanic drop the pan and change the filter as well. I will save about $35 a year less the $6.50 for oil analysis and I know it got the right fluid.

hersbird · February 2001

Well I don't know of ANYBODY, personally, who have ever had to replace the transmission in their Chrysler minivan. I have owned 4, two 89 Grand voyagers, a 93 Caravan sport all with 3.0 and 4 speed autos and now a 2000 3.8 AWD. My brother owns a 96 Grand Voyager CDN model with the 3.8. My brother in law has had two, a 89 and a 90 Grand Caravan. And my father is on his third a 94 Grand Caravan with a 3.3 and 4 speed auto. All of these vans have had the 4 speed auto and have a combined total of almost 1 million miles without ever a transmission failure. One of my dad's vans, and my brother in law's both started developing a slipping transmission but both were cured with a fluid and filter change and have over 10,000 miles on each of them with no further problems. It has been said here before that ALL of these vans have transmission problems, this is a complete lie. Like I was never alone with that woman, or it depends on what the definition of what is, is. The fact is there are millions of these things on the road so sure some will fail, but at no higher rate then any other similar car. They are heavy, FWD, high powered, and often asked to carry heavy loads all while riding like a luxury car. Now that Honda has put something in the same league as the Chrysler we see an even greater rate of transmission failures at even lower mileages, I guess it's better because their failures are occurring under warranty. I bet when all these vans are pushing 100K miles and 75% of them are still on the road (the side of it that is) Honda will be beating down the 3rd owners door offering free repairs and loaner cars while they do it.

I'm not saying all these vans have been flawless but that 10 vans that I am very familiar with have had no transmission problems. Also worth noting is that in those million miles the vans have never stranded any of my family. I would whole heartedly recommend the Chrysler line of minivans to anyone. Ever since the start they have easily been the best.

hersbird · February 2001

Another little slam on the Honda vans; they are on the 400th post of the seventh topic of Honda Odyssey problems. That's like 3400 posts on a van that has only sold a little over 100,000 units, and are not even 2 years old. How do you like them odds?

hersbird · February 2001

Why would an Odyssey owner be cruising the Caravan boards? Welcome to Troll Hall my friends. My point is the Caravan suffers no greater increased rate of transmission failures then any other comparable minivan out there. People always assume Honda is the most reliable so if I could show them the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence the Honda makes for the best comparison. I'm sure if Chrysler was only making 150,000 vans a year they would be in even higher demand then the 150,000 Honda's made.

Sorry, I don't feel much better, I just sometimes forget how touchy the Honda crowd has gotten now that they have real life reliability numbers to deal with not "expected reliability"

drew_ · February 2001

It is true that the Chrysler's transmission problems have decreased dramatically over the last couple of years. However, I was speaking to someone who handles the warranty claims for Chryslers dealerships, and even he did say that the tranmission problem/failure rate used to be 15% several years ago. It's down to about 1% nowadays. Also mentioned was the fact that if you're not in the affected group, then your van's transmission is fine. However, if you're in the affected group, you could experience mild to severe problems. Fortunately, my '94 Grand Voyager LE AWD seems to be in the unaffected group. It has 92K kms and is still running on its first transmission.

Keep it civil guys! No name calling or personal attacks, please. Thanks,

Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

hersbird · February 2001

So many of the "helpful" responses here are from the list of usual suspects that frequently troll all of the Chrysler forums. Check out chrydodjeep1's response above, Mr. Azz clearly doesn't know what he's talking about and is just trying to stir things up. Talking about Chrysler transmissions with no problems on a Chrysler transmission problem board seems to be right on topic. Maybe I could help people acheive the same kind of reliability in their vans as I have in mine. I guess people don't want that, they just want to vent. For those of you who may really be looking for good advice check out www.allpar.com
Try and keep the transmission together the fist time, once you have it torn apart and rebuilt you are looking for more frequent problems. Think about it, who is going to be able to assemble transmissions the best? The techs at the factory doing many a day in a clean enviroment with only transmissions, or the guy down at the dealer who has to tear it out spread it out on the bench, throw a couple of new parts in it and put it all back together? The fluid thing posted (and quickly blown off) above is the key here. If your not going to service the transmission correctly then don't do it at all, you will be better off.

royallen · February 2001

hers bird: While I agree with you that timely service with the correct fluid is quite important I would not discount the owners reports of 1. failures in spite of doing this and 2. failures in less mileage than 15K- especially on '89-'93 models. This leads to these conclusions 1. there were design problems that were slowly corrected over a period of 4 or 5 years(maybe more) and 2. that overheating is an equally important problem, especially on the "Grand" versions that get bigger loads, trailers, etc. So I recommend an auxiliary cooler if you drive under conditions that elevates the engine coolant above the mid point on the temp gage which involves higher loads, summer temps with AC, long up hill grades and trailers. In addition one needs to avoid 1. shifting into drive while rolling backward 2. excessive wheel spin on ice and 3. excessive shifting in and out of OD in city driving by turning it off.

h20guy · February 2001

my sister in law purchased new an early 90s caravan and only just recently had any problems at all. It was not tranny related and cost only $500.00 to repair, also they love this van and I have ridden in it several times and find it quite comfortable. It seems some people think only one van fits all, while I feel there are lots of vans to fit all of us. We own an oddy which works for us and someone else owns their choice which works for them. Hum freedom of choice what a concept.

scanner · February 2001

Just read all 60+ messages. Considering all the complaining going on, you would think someone would have mentioned the correct type transmission fluid to use by now.

If you think taking your van to a Chrysler dealer guarantees you will get the correct fluid, then think again. Better ask the mechanic that's doing the fluid change what type fluid is being used, and make sure to get the fluid type used printed on your receipt.

Check out the links below, especially the first one. You would think a so called Chrysler master mechanic would at least know how to spell Dexron.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chryslers_MiniVans/message/691

http://www.allpar.com/fix/trans.html

http://www.autosite.com/garage/repairqa/ques123.asp

http://www.carshowtomt.com/tc/?article=Effects_of_Heat

http://www.autoshop-online.com/cchtml/prev.fac.cons.html

.

hersbird · February 2001

I think by being subtle you are going to confuse people with that first link. Scanner is trying to show an incompetent mechanic not the correct type of fluid. DO NOT USE DEXRON, I know you know this scanner I just don't want anybody to be confused. This is exactly what happened to my dad's transmission. A jiffy lube put in Dexron and about 1000 miles later it was having all kinds of problems. I found the allpar site and figured out what happened. We changed the fluid and filter in the driveway to Mopar and it has been perfect again ever since. Realize even if you take your van to a Chrysler dealership, make certain you get Mopar fluid, they may be a multi-brand dealer and have other types a not-so-savy tech may put in not thinking.

eneth · February 2001

One might also be led to believe that the use of the wrong fluid is the major (or only) cause of failure in these units, in which case one would most empahtically be dead wrong. Some of us have had repeated failures even with proper fluid, maintenance, etc. - as have thousands upon thousands of consumers who got stuck by this underengineered marvel of an electronic transaxle.

By all means, baby it - change the fluid and filter properly, and on time - and you may see 60,000 miles before needing major repairs on one.

cherireinke · February 2001

I am about to purchase a Limited Edition 1994 Town and Country with 73,000 miles on it for $5,000. I took it in to a transmition place and they said that they were concerned because it already had a new transition put in and it also had been rebuilt once. It also has a small leak that can be fixed, otherwise the condition of the transmition is good. What do you think? Should I be concerned?

royallen · February 2001

Cheri: Do you wonder why you can buy so much vehicle, 7 passenger, V-6 well equipped for $5000? Based on a few hundred postings on Edmunds and ratings in car guides the answer seems to be less than average reliability. Is this a fair, too little or too much discount? It depends on how honest, how good and how ecomonical your mechanic is and how inconvenient down time might be.
Would a 1/4 risk of spending $1500 in transmission repair in 60 or 70K miles (and down time) spoil the deal? Would a brand X risk of 1/7 be worth $3000-$5000 more money? Is brand X truely that much better? I know it is hard to judge. Check out the Edmunds reliability ratings for the choices you might consider. Also check on those you have personal experience with. When I bought my '95 Caravan used, it had 48K and cost $4000 less than the next best option(in my opinion). Since I have three cars in the family of 3, down time is inconvenient but manageable. I serviced the vehicle, installed a transmission cooler, towed my boat and am still happy after 2 years and 19000 miles with minimal problems. I would be sure all accessories are working properly and expect to spend .10 a mile on maintenance and repair, maybe more if you have someone else do every job.

omahadad · February 2001

I'd like to share my transmission woes with other Town & Country mini-van owners. I feel this is a little like attending an AA meeting. 'Hello, my name is Jeff. I bought a Chrysler mini-van.' I will not purchase a Chrysler product again.

Our 1996 Town & Country is losing it's second transmission. The vehicle has 39,600 miles on it. This transmission has 17,800 miles on it. Chrysler has offered to pay for half the cost to rebuild or replace the transmission under a goodwill' program. I don't think that's good enough.

I'd like to get rid of this van, but outside of the engine and the air-conditioner, most of the mechanical parts and some of the electrical are only two years old. I've tried talking to Chrysler, but I didn't get anywhere. So, I want to take our Chrysler dealership to small claims court to get them to pay all of the cost. I'm not sure what my chances are of winning in small claims. The transmission, although brand new, came out of warranty when the van reached 36,000 miles. And, Chrysler is offering to pay half.

What do you think? Has anyone else tried taking Chrysler to small claims court? I've read some of the other web sites suggesting this, but has anyone out there actually tried this and won?

gpm5 · February 2001

Do these problems apply to the 2000 and 2001 T&C models. I have not seen transmission problems posted for these. For Ford Windstars the problem appears to be continuing.

omahadad · February 2001

I don't know. I wish I could find out how many transmissons Chrysler is replacing per year on models produced in the last five years. I can tell you that we are still waiting for our transmission to be replaced. The dealership did not have any on hand, although they had two on order. The first time the transmission went out (in 1998) it took four weeks to get a new one. We've only been waiting one week, so far, this time. I don't know if I can draw any conclusions from the wait. I can tell you that a co-worker of mine bought a new 2000 Town & Country LXi a year ago, and had the exact same thing happen to his transmission three weeks ago that happened to mine in 1998. The locking pin fell into the transmission while the van was moving and tore it up inside.

Chrsyler builds a very pretty and very comfortable van. I just don't think quality is part of the package, and it's not just the transmission I am talking about. I expect some things to wear out with time, but I have never had a vehicle with so many problems, especially one that just sits in the garage most of the time. This van only has 39,600 miles on it! The only reason we've kept it is we keep thinking that there can't be anything else go wrong. It's all been replaced once. That's not 100% accurate, but it sure feels that way.

If you're going to be seduced by the Chrysler's good looks and sumptuous interior, I think you've got to protect yourself and buy an extended warranty.

As for us, it's too late. We'll pay our half for the re-manufactured transmission, and gamble that nothing else major will break on it. I'll try to get some additional money from Chrysler through small claims court. And, I think I'll start parking the van in our driveway. Too many things have broken on it just sitting in the garage.

fishtaco · February 2001

What a combination! You never know when either one will leave you stranded...My 96 GV went through two trans (@52k, and 88k, no help from the factory), and alot of brake problems (especially the rear). This early 96 vehicle also must have had 5 or 6 recalls that I can recall. One last word from me, and it will probably irritate some in this Town Hall--If your car no longer inspires your confidence to drive it, get rid of it!

steine13 · March 2001

...where all the bikers hang out. You climb on a table and yell "Harley's suck!" You get beat up. That's clearly wrong, but what did you think was going to happen?
You buy this Chrysler minivan with an overdrive transmission. It craps out after 60k miles. DC doesn't stand behind their product. That's clearly wrong, but it isn't exactly a surprise either...
They've been putting crappy transmissions in the vans for over a decade now. Why do you folks keep buying these things? And if people keep buying them, why should DC change anything?

hersbird · March 2001

If you go to that same bar and yell, "Honda's Suck!" all you'll get is free beer.

marc36 · March 2001

Back to the initial question. My 1995 Caravan's transmission went bad on me about two years ago at about 45k miles. Symptoms were: only during cold starts in the morning, I'd start the car and put it in reverse to back out of my driveway; pushing accelerator produced no movement, just a high revving of engine; after about 10 seconds of this, car would lurch into motion with a very loud THUMP!; then it was generally OK until the next cold start (a long sit or the next morning). Since this was awhile ago, I can't remember the precise figures but the local Dodge dealer agreed to split the repair cost 1/2 with me. I think I ended up paying about $600 or so. This was only after persisting and saying "I was aware of many many such problems, had many details from the internet, and would bring in examples if necessary". They balked a little, maybe to see how persistant i'd be but basically cut the 1/2 deal with me within two phone calls, not too bad. I could have argued more, but needed to get the repair done to get car working and move on in life. Good luck to all with similar problem.

dmarkson · March 2001

My 93 GC had it's transmission go last fall. I had 69750 miles, just under the 7/70K warranty. It was replaced at no cost. The symptoms were exactly the same as "marc36"'s. When it was cold it took about 10 seconds before it would go into reverse. Other than that the van has been pretty good. In 73K miles I went through two sets of brakes, two sets of tires, shocks, battery, A/C o-ring, belt adjuster gizmo, and of course, the transmission. I had all the recommended service done, was not hard on the transmission, did no towing. I drove a 2001 T&C and it was pretty nice, but the engine/transmission sound identical to my 93, I know they are the same. That one fact made me decide to never buy another one. I know it must be cheaper for them to replace transmissions rather than redesign it like they should, but they apparently did not take into account people that were fed up with it. Based on a small survery at work, everyone I talked to that has/had a Chrysler 3.3L/4 speed van has had transmission problems. That is a miserable record. I think that the transmission problem keeps resale values down too. My new Odyssey will be in next week. Then I'll see just how much I'll get for the GC. I'm sure that it will be substantially more than the Honda dealer was going to give me

hersbird · March 2001

if your new odyssey goes 8 years and 69750 miles without a transmission problem it will be the new ody record. Of course the record you got with your Dodge has been broken by hundreds of thousands of owners, far more Chrysler minivans have gone 100,000 and beyond on the original transmission, not 1 Odyssey has. You actually may wish for worse luck with the ody because it will have to fail much quicker to still be covered by the factory warranty like your Dodge was. Just a thought.

eneth · March 2001

Of course, _was_ is the operative word. Transmission replacement costs were eating Chrysler alive - which is why the warranty _is_ now 3 years/36,000 miles, just like the Honda.

If you want a longer transmission warranty, you need a Toyota or a Mazda.

dmarkson · March 2001

Of course there are more Chrysler transmissions over 100K than Honda because there are far more Chrysler vehicles made. My neighbor just bought a new GC so we'll be comparing stories over the next few years. They had a ton of trouble with their last GC, but they had a requirement that they have 3 seats available in the 2nd position and the Honda can't do that. I like the GC, our choice was down to the GC and the Ody. If the GC has such an improved tranny, they should be giving the 7/70 warranty and proving everyone wrong. That might have made a difference to me. The GC seats, looks and stereo are superior to the Odyssey IMHO. I haven't decided whether to go with an extended warranty on the Honda. I have not had one on the last 4 cars and it would have been a waste in all cases. However, if my '93 didn't have the 7/70 then I would have wished for the extended warranty!

greg116 · May 2001

Our 1990 Dodge Caravan SE 3.0L 4-speed auto had the transmission problem, right before the warranty ran out. We took it to a repair shop... not sure of the name, think it was a tire place or something... in downtown Victoria, BC. They said they saw what was wrong and could repair it, and they did. The odo just recently rolled over to 170,000KM (can anyone do the conversion to miles for me???) and the tranny's never had a problem since. Engine's in good shape too. In fact, aside from normal wear and tear, it's been pretty nice. It's only left my mother stranded once with a dead fuel pump, but other than that its been great.

belgamees · May 2001

I live in Europe (Belgium) and own a 96 dodge gran caravan se. At 70000miles transmission went bad. It wouldn't take al the gears anymore or stay constant in 3rd until you turn of the engine.
Chrysler garage says they never heard of problems like that wanting to charge me 2700$ to fix the thing. I went to an automatic specialist (there aren't much around) That guy tells me it cost 1600$ to repair. He even states that the chrysler garage brings the transmission to him to rebuilt. Torqueconverter is blown. He shows me the new piece and tells me he immediately takes it to a welder to have the piece welded like it should. He also put 100% synthetic oil in it and I did not have one problem with it yet (110000miles). He even tells me that over 50% of his work is for chrysler transmissions, he even wished me good luck because I'll need it with that transmission. But besides that I've had and still have windshield wipers starting to wipe when they feel like it, the car vibrates when i brake, except when i brake very hard, then it doesn't do it. (changed brakes and disc several times without result) The belt tensioner just broke of one day. aircontioner went bad, now I'm having problems with the starter, sometimes i have to start it 3 or 4 times before it engages,I had to take off the car alarm because it would immobilise the car while I was driving, now recently the car hasn't a stable iddle (even just stalls now and then) I even had a fire in the cockpit, couldn't see anymore of the white smoke, turned of the car, it stopped smoking, but never found where it came from, never had it again.

But besides that I can live with it.

very disappointed dodge driver

eneth · May 2001

70,000 miles is excellent service from a Chrysler 42TE transaxle - that's probably above the mileage at which most drivers start to have troubles. Supposedly, another design fix was put in place halfway through the 2000 model year that was to fix the problems, once and for all (of course, that doesn't necessarily explain the 11.5 model years that went by before that).

belgamees · May 2001

The transmission blew at 70000, but it started not wanting to shift or just staying in one gear until I turn of the engine at 35000 miles. It had changed the oil and oil filter numerous times because the computer kept saying the oil was dirty
It anoyed me for almost 2 years before it finally gave up on me.
This was probably the best thing that could happen to it.

twgvan · June 2001

I've been told that Chrysler has addressed the transmission problems in the past year or so and that the failure rate is dramatically less than it was. Does anyone know if this is true? We are thinking about getting a new van to replace our 97 Voyager (the transmission just failed) and if that problem really has been addressed, we would consider buying another Chrysler van. But if it hasn't been fixed, I think we're headed in another direction - probably toward Honda. Thanks for any advice.

hersbird · June 2001

I was under the impression they did make some changes in the 98 MY, I think they even changed the letter designation for it (maybe that's all they changed!) My question would be is have they fixed the Honda transmission yet? Oh well at least it fails sooner so it would still be under warranty.

h20guy · June 2001

43% 1999 Honda accord transmission failure rate. Was there a recall? Where did you get your info. ? Please don't delete your post. Not trolling just asking.

eneth · June 2001

Personal acquaintances and collegues, I'd guess, with a sample size of about five.

According to Consumer Reports, which collects statistical data from a larger sample pool (say, 50-100,000 times larger), the 1999 Accord rates much better than average in transmission reliability, meaning a failure rate of 2.0% or less.

The Caravan, et. al., were rated as better than average for 1999 transmission reliability, one notch lower than the Accord, with a failure rate of 2.0-5.0%.

norbertl · June 2001

My 97 Caravan Sport (SOB)has 67,500 miles on it. When I idle at a traffic light, there is a loud mechanical noise, sort of like a ratcheting sound. This sound goes away completely when I step on the gas. Is this a transmission noise, or something else, and do I need to worry about it? I have noticed all other Voyagers and C&C vans do the same thing.

hersbird · June 2001

It is a check valve in the valve body of the automatic. It is supposed to make this noise. It actually makes it every time the transmission shifts either up or down. you only hear it when coming to a stop because the raod and engine noises are low. I'd be worried if it didn't make the noise! I wouldn't call it loud though, maybe your version of loud is different then mine. You'd have to have the fan and radio off to hear it in the van's I've owned.

harrys2 · June 2001

After all I have read from posters I am convinced that the transmission problems have not been fixed. I have owned 5 chrsysler minivans, 4 with the OD and one 3speed. The 3 speed 1997 never had a sinle problem, although my brother in law's 1991 is on his 4th 3 speed with 60000miles. My 1992 DGC tranny1 at 11000k, #2 at 80k still running at 160k with no further tranny problems so far. All done by Chrysler. 1992 PGV tranny1 at 110k,rebuilt tranny2 at125k tranny3 at170k. 1996 PGV had slipping tranny when starting since 50k. Same vehicle had phantom autopilot wipers, and door locks that occassionally went on and off. Engine fire at 50k while driving totalled vehicle. My 2000 seemed to slip since new and I got rid of it with 5000 miles. It is too bad the transmissions are nothing like the engines, which I have never had fail. If you buy one new get an extended service policy before the 3year/36k warranty expires. If you buy one used consider the cost of a rebuild in the purchase price.

carleton1 · June 2001

NOT one of the many owners have had transmission problems with either the 3 or 4 speed automatic transmissions in DC minivans. That is why we did NOT get any extended warranty when we bought a NEW 1999 GC SE in March, 1999.

norbertl · June 2001

The sound I hear is a constant rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, sort of like a watch being wound up, or a chain dragging on cement. When I pull in the garage with the windows open, I wonder, what the hell is that? As I say, I hear most other DC vans do this when idling, and maybe mine is a little louver. Do you think it is still the check valve?

heng · June 2001

asking for a transmission shop reference for his 80,000 mile Caravan. It needs to get towed.

hersbird · June 2001

Noises are tough to figure out, there is so much going on under a modern car it could be a 100 things. The check valve should make the noise for a few seconds then stop. Does the noise go away in park? Does it change as you rev the motor? It almost sounds like an ehaust leak, maybe near the transmission to make it sound like it's coming from the transmission itself. If it sounds like everybody else's though I really wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

hersbird · June 2001

Well while I'm waiting for my new Dakota R/T to come in I sold my Jeep and am borrowing my Dad's 94 GC. It has 108,000 miles on it an runs really strong with the 3.0 4-speed. It leaks a bit from a valve cover, and the steering seems a little weird but otherwise it's great. He said he though he felt something weird in the transmission before, where reverse wouldn't engage. I noticed something like that the first day I drove it after it had not been driven fo over a month. I think the transmission needed to do some learning, the idle was irratic as well. We got new plugs and air cleaner in it and I have been driving it daily for 3 weeks with perfect performance now. This is about as close to a transmission problem we have had close to home on 6 current GC's in the family. Maybe this 94 transmission is starting to go at 108,000 miles. Look at www.allpar.com and their trouble shooting section. They have updated the minivan transmission site with a bunch of new info. They say almost any transmission problem can be fixed rather then rebuilding the entire unit for a few hunderd bucks. They also have a couple of tips if you are going for a whole new transmission, on how to make it stonger, and in picking the right shop. Good luck to everyone, and stop trying to jink me.

dodger5 · June 2001

3 speed Auto Tranny with a few probs.HELP!!!!!
When taking off it(tranny) seems like it is slipping, then after a few secs it grabs good.
wondering if it could bethe band wearing out or if it would onlybe the filter, other than this NO PROBS PROIOR
ANY HELP???

hkass · September 2001

We have a 2001 Town & Country w/ 7,200 miles that we have had since 2/2001. We have had several instances where the van behaves as if it has shifted into neutral while you are driving along - no loss of power steering or brakes. The only way to restore power to the drive wheels is to shut the car off and restart it, much like restarting a computer.

This leads to 2 questions:

1. Has anyone had a similar problem?

2. Has anyone had experience in applying the Ohio Lemon Law?

If you want to reply to me directly, my e-mail address is hkass@oh.verio.com.

Thanks for your help.

Howard Kass

Chrysler Minivan Transmission Problems

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