Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Chrysler Minivan Transmission Problems

1111214161741

Comments

  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Yes. It usually causes a launch of internal parts through the transaxle housing. Not all '98s will suffer from this. A manufacturing tolerance and inadequate assembly method caused this. I believe it affected approximately 160,000 '98 models.

    I've heard that trying to dislodge the vehicle from mud or snow by rocking where spinning just one wheel usually occurs is the cause.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • wolfbird13wolfbird13 Member Posts: 2
    My 2000 Chrysler Voyager 4 cyl. just started this out of the blue. As I drove 35-40 mph and started to brake at traffic lights, the engine started bucking/shaking, pulled over and started again to light-than ok. As long as I went slow like 20-25 & stopped at lights-it was ok-als0, drives ok at 40-50, until I tried to slow down to brake at lights. (Uncle mentioned overdrive selenoid-4th gear)? Hot engine light came on chiming for 4 mins.-than off-only 1x. Also, mileage is stuck at 99, 003 a few months ago. Can dealership tell when this has stopped clocking miles and/or computer know original if I take it in? Any answers or suggestions, please help. Just sitting in friend's garage until I decide what to do? Thanks! :confuse: :(
  • wolfbird13wolfbird13 Member Posts: 2
    Could this be the Transmission Control Selnoid not kicking out? :confuse:
  • reynold1reynold1 Member Posts: 1
    I am on my second transmission (3.3 L ) and car has 190,000 miles. My question is on a re-built tranny, does the solenoid assembly also get replaced or do they replace only if it appears defective. .

    I had a re-built tranny job and now the solenoid assembly is leaking, Any advice on this repair.

    :(
  • ckmnacckmnac Member Posts: 12
    I just bought a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan with 113,000 miles on it. The transmission was replaced at 103,000 miles. It runs and sounds fine but just before you come to a complete stop (at 5-6 mph) it makes a clunking noise and kind of jerks forward. You can sometimes aviod the problem by slowing way down before a stop and sort of coasting forward. Could this be a transmission problem?

    I swore I would never own another Dodge after my 1996 Caravan disaster. The transmission on that one went out at 89,000 miles and I never had any warnings. One day it just wouldn't go into reverse. I thought that this one might be better since the transmission has already been replaced.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    As I approach a stop in my 1998 GC Sport, I can feel my transmission down shifting, which generates a surge with each shift. I have always assumed that since more torque is allowed to be transmitted through to the wheels with each gear change that this is normal. My transmission has done this since new so at 87K miles, I'm not too worried about it.

    FWIW, I don't really know how other transmissions feel when approaching a stop since our two Caravans are the only automatic transmission equipped cars either my wife or I have ever owned. Said another way, maybe what I think is normal is really a problem and I just have no frame of reference to realize that fact.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • 8bobcat88bobcat8 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2002 T&C AWD with 60K miles. It has been a great vehicle except for the clunky 2-1 coasting downshift and the classic engine lifter valley corner oil leak. I documented the oil leak but refused a warrantee repair because I didn't want the repair possibly screwed up etc. It really doesn't use oil.

    Anyway, a question for the forum experts please. In reading this transmission forum, it is somewhat apparent that a DIY transmission oil change might not be prudent. I have the repair manual and it really doesn’t mention this loss of prime and control unit reset issue.

    Since I do as much of my own service as possible I had thought this oil change would be a piece of cake. What exactly are these issues and what specifically will this loss of prime do if you just drive it “carefully (?)” and let the transmission “adapt”? Also, is the DC reset routine built entirely into the tool or do they also get new flash via their intranet hook-up. Does anyone sell a reset tool?

    Waiting to get down and dirty with transmission oil,
    BobCat
  • ckmnacckmnac Member Posts: 12
    Well, it's headed to the shop Monday morning and they are going to take it for a drive. It needs new tires anyway so I might as well have them check the problem while they're at it. If they say it isn't hurting anything and is just going to be annoying I probably won't have anything done. The van only had one owner before me and they have the papers for just about everything that was done to it so I think it was pretty well taken care of. I'm hoping to get at least 200,000 miles out of it.
  • ckmnacckmnac Member Posts: 12
    This may have been mentioned before (since it's pretty common in these vans) but I don't have time to read through everything. They said it's some sort of controller that either needs replaced or reset but the part is $150. It's not causing any harm so I'm gonig to wait and take it at a later time to see if it needs the part or just reset.
  • 8bobcat88bobcat8 Member Posts: 3
    Is there no one that can talk to this issue?

    BobCat
  • vchengvcheng Member Posts: 1,284
    ....its trans oil change, but I am afraid I do not know about the newer 2002 models.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    It has to be changed infrequently enough such that I let someone else do the transmission fluid/filter change. I too like to do most routine maintenance myself.

    Next time I will go to the dealer, though as the chain transmission place I had it done last was a bit less than impressive. I think they caused more problems than they solved. This was on a 96 Caravan W/3.3 V-6, by the way.

    I had a small shaft seal leak which I knew about beforehand, which they fixed when they did the fluid/filter change, but soon after I developed another leak. I took it back to them thinking it was related to their error, and they claimed it was a leak in the solenoid gasket, supposedly unrelated to their transmission fluid change. So I paid them to replace this gasket

    Later on I still had a leak, and this time I looked into it myself and found that the hose clamps at two of the four ends of the transmission cooler hose lines had not been tightened up enough,. probably left loose by them. The third one had been overtightened and stripped so the clamp would not pull tight. I replaced one and tightened them all on my own and now all seems well.

    If I had it to do over, I would have gone to the dealer for the service, and hopefully their better(??) trained mechanics would have not screwed up. I think I may have paid for a solenoid gasket replacement that was not the problem, but I have no proof.
  • denise5denise5 Member Posts: 9
    I have a 2002 dodge grand caravan and it had to be towed to the car dealership because it was losing power and making a whistle sound when I stepped on the gas. They told me they had to take the transmission apart and see what the problem is. They said the torche converter was broken off the engine, it needed a front pump and overhaul kit. Cost $1900. I have had this car 3 1/2 years. This is not right. I contacted the Dodge Corp. and am working with them. I told them I should not have to pay for this because this has been a problem that has been going on for 15 years with these transmissions. I would like to know if there is anyone else out there that has had this problem. I have 52,000 miles on the van, we do all the maintenance that needs to be done on it regularly.
  • denise5denise5 Member Posts: 9
    See my message above.
  • almostto300kalmostto300k Member Posts: 4
    on our '93 Grand Voyager since we bought her. She had 98k miles on her and a shudder moving from 3rd to 4th, around 35-45 miles per hour. Five years later she has 281k miles, same shudder, maybe a little worse, and one she picked up along the way that happens around 70 mph under certain circumstances. I think it's when the torque converter tries to go into lockup mode and the RPMs aren't high enough. To the best of my knowledge, this has the original Chrysler 3.3l engine, original tranny, and even the original timing belt! We tried to get a tranny flush a while ago but they wouldn't do it. Said on a tranny with that high mileage, new fluid would be too strong for it and would blow the seals. So for the last (almost) 200,000 miles, all we do is have the tranny fluid topped off every few oil changes. The moral of the story is that if you have an older one of these, you may be better living with some idiosyncrasies than pouring megabux down your local repair shop.
  • gabrielrmsgabrielrms Member Posts: 1
    my 1995 T&C LXI transmission only works in second (45 mph/3500 rpm) and reverse.
    a couple of times in cold weather the transmission would shift out a gear when first starting in the morning, but it would go "normal" right the way.
    yesterday it slipped going down the highway exit.
    since then i only can get second gear and reverse.
    any ideas on how to diagnose the problem.
    the van did not have any transmission work or fluid change in the last 60,000. it has now 165.000.
    thanks for the help
  • chuckgchuckg Member Posts: 69
    Sounds like your transmission is in "limp mode." Have you checked the fluid level when the engine/transmission are warm and the vehicle is running?

    If it were me, the first thing I would do is get a transmission fluid flush and a new filter. Make sure they use the correct fluid for your transmission. I believe you need ATF+3 for that year vehicle (check your owner's manual). Using the wrong fluid type will really screw things up.

    I'd start there and hope for the best.
  • ohvanohvan Member Posts: 26
    I have a 2003 T&C ex. Yesterday while having the brakes inspected and pads changed at a local "auto center - TUFFY", I was told that the 30,000 mile recommended maintenance included changing the transmission fluid, I asked if the fluid used is the correct type for the Chrysler van and the tech said yes . . they added some type of added to make the formulation correct.

    After looking at my manual and reading some of the post on this site, I'm not sure I did the right thing. The recommended maintenance suggests inspecting the fluid but not changing it at 30,000 miles. Should the fluid be changed at 30,000 miles?

    Also, if I don't know that the newly installed fluid is ATF +4, should I change it again, or??

    Any informed advice would be appreciated.
    Additionally, we hear a hum or whining sound coming from our van while driving at low speeds, particularly when cold. It's unclear where the sound is coming from. Any thoughts on the source and significance?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I think that the general consensus is that if you even remotely suspect that you've got the wrong stuff in your transmission, get it out of there like right now. To the best of my knowledge, there is no such a thing as an additive to normal tranny fluid that makes ATF +4, and as such, I'd demand my money back for that portion of the job.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • just4fun2just4fun2 Member Posts: 461
    Get that fluid out of there now!!!! Use only Chrysler AFT+4 and nothing else! Take it to your Chrysler dealer and tell them what happened so they can flush your transmission completely.
  • bymbym Member Posts: 2
    Hi this is my first time posting here. I have a dodge caravan with a basic 3 -speed automatic transaxle, but the transaxle is junk. I also have a dodge caravan for parts, it has a good automatic transaxle, but it is overdrive. Can I put an overdrive transaxle in a minivan that has a non-overdrive transaxle in it. I don't care if the overdrive doesn't work, as long as its drivable.
  • ohvanohvan Member Posts: 26
    Today I discussed the ATF +4 with the Tuffy representative. He said that ATF +4 was installed. He said that you can purchase at any Autozone, not just from Chrysler. Is there a difference between the off-the-shelf ATF +4 and the Chrysler product?

    Should I still pursue replacing the new "Tuffy installed ATF +4" fluid with a product produced by the OEM?
  • just4fun2just4fun2 Member Posts: 461
    I have has this discussion before with friends that like to go to the Quick Lube places and the following is what I was told from the Quick Lube place near me. The mgr. said that they have a "bulk" 500 gallon transmission oil container in the ground that holds Dextron II and they just add a different package to this transmission fluid to make it compatible with Chrysler/Honda or whatever they need to put it in.

    If they used AFT+4, ask to see the bottle! If they can't produce the container marked AFT+4, run and get it to your dealer for the correct fluid type. I haven't any idea if the AFT+4 from Autozone is the same as from Chrysler.

    If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for this transmission service? Was it a flush or a drain and fill? How many Qt's of transmission fluid did they use?
  • masterpaul1masterpaul1 Member Posts: 421
    Just4fun2 is correct. I have read here in these boards that only Daimlerchrysler has the ATF +4. I have read about how these quick lub places changed the trans. fluid and all was well for about 10K and the trans. needed to be replaced. If I were you, I would go to a Daimlerchrysler dealer and explain what happened and what was told to you by Tuffy (bring the Tuffy receipt too). Have them to do a completed flush of the trans. which should cost about $150.00. (It's better to be safe then sorry.) See if your local dealer can give you some kind of letter that would support you in proving that the Tuffy placed did not use the correct Trans. fluid to get a full refund. God bless you. :shades:
  • ohvanohvan Member Posts: 26
    The costs were: transmission flush and fill labor: $53.00; transmission fluid (18 units @ $3.22/unit): $57.96 and ATF conditioner and converter: : $14.99.

    Total cost was about $116.00. I have a sick feeling in my stomach now . . I probably just wasted $116, right? This is on top of a front brake job that cost $76 for pads, $69 to install, $20 to machine rotors, $10 for parts cleaner, $7.60 for contact point cleaning abrasive, $8.99 for small parts,$39.99 for hardware, $59.99 for brake fluid bleed and flush, and $4.00 for brake fluid. A whopping $292. Any thoughts or helpful advice?
  • just4fun2just4fun2 Member Posts: 461
    Ok, let's take this one step at a time. Get the transmission flushed and the correct fluid/filter put in. Go to your Chrysler dealer for that. The fact that the Quick lube place added an "ATF Conditioner" tells me that something isn't right with this.

    Some of the parts/services for your brake job is out of line also, but that's another story. Contact the the CEO of the quick lube place explain your position and ask for your money back for the transmission service. If your out $116.00 for the transmission service it will be cheaper in the long run than a $3000.00 transmission replacement bill later.

    Good Luck.
  • vullinvullin Member Posts: 1
    On a '98 Dodge Caravan Sport Automatic with a 3.3 Liter Engine, sometimes when starting out, it stays in first gear and does not shift into second gear even when I wind it out a bit. I have to pull over, shut off the engine and start it back up again, and then it works and shifts fine. Except that sometimes - when it is shifting like it should do, the engine speeds up, or winds out a little, or freewheels, when shifting from 1st gear to 2nd gear for just a fraction of a second...as if the 2nd gear clutch sometimes does not engage soon enough when the 1st gear clutch disengages. Also, just to let you know, the check engine light stays on and is on continuously...even when it is shifting fine. I would appreciate input from resolutions of similar problems and from those knowledgeable in these matters. The largest concern is the thing not shifting at all, as first mentioned. Thank you.
  • jenns1120jenns1120 Member Posts: 1
    I am looking for any input on the transmission in my 99 voyager (68000
    miles) with a 2.4L Inline 4, 3 speed engine. The gears started acting
    up, i took it in for a radiator and transmission flush. They pulled
    the trans dipstick and it was a milky pink color. Opened the
    radiator-same milky pink color. they said that moisture was getting
    in somewhere-no leaks found. They said it looked like radiator was
    cracked. Took it it to get fixed-new radiator (was cracked) and both
    coolant and trans flushed 2x. A few days later trans started acting
    up. opened hood, pulled trans dipstick out, back to cloudy color.
    Opened the plastic coolant container-very dirty. opened actual
    radiator-was green and clean but noticed dots of red trans fluid
    floating. Neighbor had me turn on van and run and he told me that it
    coolant wasn't turning like is should. Any help or in put-the radiator
    and flushes where done by a mechanic friend of a friend and dont want
    to go back to them but dont want to get taken for a ride either.
    I should mention that the trans was slipping periodically while in (3yr/36000)warranty and dealership charged me for the checkup when they checked it and found nothing wrong)
  • masterpaul1masterpaul1 Member Posts: 421
    First, did you check the fluids before you left the mechanic to see if the service you paid for was done? If not, they might not have changed anything. Does the engine run hot? You say that you have a 99 Voyager and that when you looked in the radiator the coolant was green (antifreeze coolant). I'm not sure about this, but you might want to check your owners manual to see if the coolant system uses DEX (Coolant antifreeze) which is kinda of orange color or regular (antifreeze) which is green and used in older vechicles. :shades:
  • just4fun2just4fun2 Member Posts: 461
    When they replaced the old cracked radiator, did they put in a "new" radiator (out of the box) that would have a new transmission cooler installed or did they recore your old radiator and re-use your old transmission cooler? If the transmission cooler was recycled back inside the rebuilt radiator, I would bet that the transmission cooler is leaking transmission fluid into the radiator fluid.

    You will have to find out what repair they did to correct the old cracked radiator and go from there.

    Good Luck!
  • shawndsmshawndsm Member Posts: 1
    94 T&C 119K miles: Battery OK- All dash board lites on and OK - engine won't start. :sick:

    Is it the starter? Or is it something else? What kinda bucks to repair/replace if it's the starter? Is the starter something a novice with oil changing experience can replace? Or should this not be tried at home?

    Really trying to keep this on the cheap.
    As always, any assistance or comment is greatly appreciated.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Just because the dashboard lights go on, doesn't mean your battery is OK.

    If you want to diagnose the battery on the cheap, which is the way I try to do things first also, I would pull the battery, take it to a parts place (assuming you have use of another vehicle) that can test it. If it is bad, buy a new battery and install it yourself.

    If the battery tests OK and the engine does not turn over at all, it probably is the starter.

    Starters are usually not very hard to replace yourself, just take a look at it's location and judge for yourself if you want to tackle it. Usually just a couple of bolts and a couple of electrical connectors.

    You can usually buy a remanufactured starter at discount type auto parts places fairly cheaply with a credit for bringing back the old starter.
  • mmclmmcl Member Posts: 3
    These transaxles need all the help they can get. Consider this: this is the same transaxle (transmission) that started life behind a little 50HP simca or volkswagon engine back in the 70's in the L car series (Omni/horizon) and has been continually pushed through upward power revisions, first in the K car and then the first chrysler (american) fwd van, the voyager, which was based on the K car chassis.
    The power output, and the weight being pushed around, now, by 180 HP and upwards is just too much, no matter how they try and strengthen the parts. The transmission (Transaxle) now already contains an amazing collection of add-on brackets, locking devices and other patch-ups for whatever part failed last, and the list goes on.
    I too had a catastrophic failure of the differential on a 97 short w.b.caravan,that I look after carefully. Every transmission shop in town knows about this weakness,and some go so far as to predict that every Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth
    van out there will similarly fail. As for the fluid, why would you take a chance. Up here (Kingston, Ontario) the dealer trans fluid costs the same or less than it does
    at any jobber, and you know you are getting the latest revision. I hate to side with Chrysler on anything, but the fluid does get revised. The same goes for the filter, get the right one, change the fluid a 40 000Km or 24 000 miles and you have done all you can do. I like to also flush the cooler, but that's just me being picky. I hope this helps. I'm sorry to say your transmission is bound to fail, but the proper fluid and filter might buy you a little time.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Equating the transaxle used in recent generations of Dodge/Chrysler MInivans with those of the original Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon is ridiculous.

    Don't post about things you know little about.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Ummm, not to be too much of a contrarian, but...

    I'll bet that there isn't a single design structure, component, sub-assembly or overall dimension that is common between the old VW tranny of the original OmniRizon and the 4-Speed AutoBox on either of my two 3.8 liter GCs (one from 1998 and the other from 2003). Wait, wait! I may have spoken too soon, I think that the knurled cap to the speedometer cable might be the same. ;-)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • masterpaul1masterpaul1 Member Posts: 421
    From what I have read here in Town Hall, a lot of the trans. failures from model years in the 1990's was due to wrong trans. fluid being used and heat from the engine/trans. not being able to escape because things were so tight under the hood. Also, I believe that you will have a higher trans. problem with any vechicle of the size of a minivan that not only carries passengers, but cargo and a trailer as well. Our van weighs 4260 lbs. w/o passengers. The GVW (Gross Vechicle Weight) is 5600 lbs. w/passengers and cargo. (We can only carry around an additional 1340 lbs. of passengers and cargo). We can only tow up to 1800 lbs w/o the tow package. Not to mention that our front axle should only have the combined weight of driver and front passenger of 300 lbs. and the rear axle is rated at 1100 lbs. I believe that todays Daimlerchrysler transmissions are better then the years prior to 2001 redesign and just as good as the competition and are very reliable. Even though some might not want to admit there wrongs/abuse of their vechicle. I do believe that you have a lot of people using their vans like trucks, caring all the weight around and even driving them like cars. Let me be clear, I'm not saying that is the case for everyone. As I have said before, time will tell and our van is now, as of this month, 4 yrs old. A trans. flush was done at around 34K and around 54K. No problems with the trans. whats so ever. :)
  • mmclmmcl Member Posts: 3
    Funny, I' ve worked on these things for 30 years, really worked on them, rebuilds, repairs, modifications, the works. Chrysler keep trying to strengthen parts but the defining and limiting factor is the size & shape of the trans case.
    If you don't want to get dirty looking underneath, crank the wheel hard left on any front-driver and look inside the left wheel well toward the transfer/idler case cover. Its a specific and unique shape, not used on any other trans. Its the same on the chrysler vans as it is on the neon as it was on the k/p/d cars as it was on the L Cars and their variants and as far back into the 80's as my service manuals go. Ask a trans shop, the outside dimensions of the case define how much and how big the stuff you can put inside, and that hasn't changed. Mistake I Think not, ,just a good memory based on a lot of hard work.
    Sure, the old first/reverse and intermediate bands are gone, and the electronically actuated clutches have given this transmission a (potentially) new lease on life, but
    every transmission shop has a pile of grenaded differentials with welded pinions, broken cases, shattered ring gears and frozen bearings to attest to the fact that you simply cannot continue to overload an already undersized design. My statement stands, the first engine in the L car was basically a Simca from Chrysler's European stable, a quick, and possibly more confident way for Chrysler to get into front wheel drive in North America in the gas shortage of the 70's. Chrysler subequently used a Volkswagon engine, and when they developed their own OHC engine it had to fit the existing transmission.
    And that seems to be the point in time where that transmission case became a constant in design. Chrysler do have a different fwd transmission design, which I believe is used in some of the high-end front drivers(Cars), but to the best of my knowledge has not been incorporated in the cab forward van, because its design uses a north-south engine arrangement, with the transaxle behind it.It took them 15 years to get their electronic trans controls half-way reliable, maybe they should just buy the raw product from Honda or Toyota and rebadge it, but come to think of it one of the first-year Dodge or Plymouth fwd minivans was a Mitsubishi, (Dodge I think), but I never worked on one.
    Chrysler's engineers are asleep on this one, or more likely have been assigned
    to future designs. In case you think I am ragging on unnecessarily about Chrysler, there isn't a dealer in Ontario (Canada) that can get replacement diffferentials, for these trans, the factory is back ordered about 600 units.And that's just the diff.I had to go to the aftermarket for parts.There seem to be a few other issues also with these units.
    .
  • mmclmmcl Member Posts: 3
    Hi Shipo: Actually you might want to look closer (See Note 720) and you might be surprised, see if there is a neon econobox nearby and check inside the left fenders of both. Anyway I hope your 98 is better than my 97. It ran really well, no towing, no heavy loads, carefully, no make that METICULOUSLY maintained and wham-diff blew a hole in trans case, could have caused full power to one wheel, or complete drivetrain lock-up on a freeway. Fortunately I get worried about oil leaks and caught it in time to save most of the trans and with me taking it out and putting it back (Don't try this at home!) it only cost me about 1000bucks Can (about 400U.S.)
    Anyway all that cab forward stuff is nice, but with the trans out I found out that cab-forward means more parts forward-as in out where the salt is. My P.S. pump and pully were rotted away, p/s fluid was putrid from being overworked, water pump was shot, all at 100 000Km (60 000Miles) Sincerely wish you better luck with your GC's, would hope that your newer GC has a different style transmission.
    Want to hear a giggle (Just between me and You) Speedometers, or whatever that round thing that indicates speed is called nowadays have been electonically controlled for years, something about picking up signals from the VSS reluctor wheel. Anyway not to be picky, but the last car I had with a speedometer cable was a 76 Gremlin and it attached with a nylon clip, not a threaded ring.
    Anyway here's to us both for continuing to support Chrysler, I do get the lemons, a 73 Dart built during a labor strike, a couple of K cars - enough said - Best Regards
    and sorry for going on & on, I just like cars I Guess.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Hmmm, oddly enough, we traded my wife's Neon in on our 1998 GC. I've performed basic maintenance on both cars, and saw little if any resemblance between the two transaxles (other than the fact that they were both transverse layouts that is). Our 1998 has 90K miles on it, with minimal maintenance (as in seeing the inside of the dealership service bays at 30K, 60K and soon for the 90K service and that's it). If either the 30K or 60K service included a transmission flush, then the fluid has been flushed, if not, then I'm still running on the factory fill. This time around however, I will probably insist on a complete flush for the 90K service.

    A thought that might explain the lack of similarity between the transaxle on our old Neon and either of our GC's; does the transmission on the 3.8 differ from the unit on the lesser engined vans? I was always under the impression that all of the four speed units were pretty much the same regardless of which V6 engine was providing the urge. That said, both of our vans have not been lightly used or babied in any way, and both have been virtually bullet proof.

    Will the transaxle eventually go? Most likely. If either of them fail somewhere north of 100K, will I mind? Not in the least.

    Then again, I guess I don't get the lemons. Had a 1970 Challenger, a 1985 Turbo Daytona, a 1989 LeBaron GTC (with the inter-cooled turbo mill), a 1995 Neon Sport, a 1998 GC Sport 3.8 and the 2003 GC ES 3.8. Through them all, I don't think I paid anything out of pocket other than normal maintenance. The 1989 LeBaron, given its limited production nature did have two failures out of warranty, both the NipponDenso Alternator and the Fuel Pump (Mitsubishi?) self destructed, however, in both cases, Chrysler fixed them for free. Go figure.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • peardogpeardog Member Posts: 4
    Well, I suppose I will tell my sob story regarding my Plymouth Grand Voyager SE (2000).
    The beastie, with a paltry 66,000 miles on it, decided that it no longer needed it's transmission this weekend. My wife was driveing in town and she heard a Bang..which she though was something like a blown tire. Well she parked a local store to get something..and upon returning saw a puddle of fluid forming under the engine area. She drove the 1-2 mile trip home.
    The Tranny fluid was Pouring out from underneath the engine when the car ran (parked in garage) . I threw 2 quarts of fluid into it prior to driving it ot my local tranny service place.
    They claimed something inside came loose and cracked the casing..Not sure of the terms casue when they stated best case scenario was $600 and worst was like $2200. I checked with Dodge in hopes that I was lucky enough to get a 7/70K warranty. Apparently they don't do that.. as standard.
    Is it me..or should we be sick of american companies not backing thier producst for the long haul. I mean Hyundai and Kia can back thier trannys for 100K or 10 years..but the big three cannot!!?
    I got screwed by chevy under the 3 yr /36K deal with the AC compressor dieing at around 40k...now Dodge with the Crappy Trannys.. Time to go foreign I think. At least the base warranty will last the lenght of the LOAN!!!
    :sick:
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Regarding companies backing their equipment beyond a fairly typical 30-50K miles...

    You should ask the Odyssey and Accord owners in my neighborhood about their transmission horror stories. Of that group (2 Oddy's and 5 Accords), only one Accord hasn't needed a new transmission, it has a 5-Speed Manual. Of the remaining 6 vehicles, they have required collectively seven new transmissions, four under warranty, and three out of pocket.

    It is an established fact that the Honda transmission is, if anything, significantly less reliable than the Mopar unit on our DC Vans. In our case, we bought two new Caravans, one in 1998 and the other in 2003, and in both cases we were offered the option of buying a 7/70 warranty extension, and in both cases we declined the opportunity. So far, in almost 140,000 miles of combined driving, our total out of pocket for all unscheduled repairs has been a whopping $158 (two new Die-Hard batteries and a door switch).

    I'm thinking that you were most likely offered the option of extending your warranty as well. In the end, it all comes down to, "You spends yer money, you takes yer chance." We took ours, and so far at least we've come out ahead, you took your chance and you didn't. How is that Chryslers fault?

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • peardogpeardog Member Posts: 4
    I thought I "took my chance" when I put down 20K on a US made Vehicle. Not saying that others don't have problems..just when you have a vehicle that hasn't structurally changed (I mean my 2000 model at least) in years..and to have all those problems... You would think the company would have a recall or a discount prevention repair for customer goodwill. I know I have seen Chrysler has a redesign of the problem parts (not sure what it is) in the Tranny that solves most of the problem.
    I think what burns me is that lots of friends said don't buy the van because of past Tranny problems they have had with the model... but I decided to ignore them..and got burnt in the end.....
    And to say they Offered me an addon warranty and I should have bit..was like saying I should have paid another 5K and bought a Toyota. They coulda charged 15K for the van and another 5K for the 10/100.. How about that..? I just see the product life cycle becoming less and less when the prices keep going up..
    Thank goodness for my 1992 Ford 150 ..
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Hmmm, I'm thinking that your logic escapes me. You were warned about potential transmission problems (as was I), and yet you chose to buy one without an extended warranty (as did I, twice), which if I remember correctly was fairly reasonably priced somewhere just north of $1,000, and you got burned. I got that part. What I don't get is why you think it should be someone else's problem.

    The fact is that in this day and age, a decent automatic transmission should last for at least 100K miles. In reality, the vast majority of our minivan transmissions do, a few however don't. Is the difference environmental? Is it the driver, the maintenance (or lack thereof), incorrect transmission fluid, or simply the day of the week that the transmission was assembled? If all DC 4-Speed transaxles installed in V6 minivans failed before 70K miles, then I'd be quite receptive to your arguments, however, that just isn't the case. In fact, I read somewhere not too long ago that the number of DC transmission failures is actually a little better than the industry average. The reason that we hear so much about them is that there are just so damned many on the road.

    In the end, I suspect that you will find a sympathetic ear here and there, but none of that sympathy will get your transmission fixed.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • rkjohnsonrkjohnson Member Posts: 2
    This is my first visit to this board and first post. I have a 1997 Town & Country Minivan that seems to be having transmission problems. It is most pronounced when the car downshifts from 2nd to 1st gear, or possibly from 1st gear into neutral when coming to a stop. There is a slightly audible sound and a small jolt in the car that makes it appear that the car had a problem making the gear shift and then just kind of jumps into the right gear. I know almost nothing about cars, transmissions, etc. and don't know what the problem could be. Any ideas? Also, if anyone thinks they know what the problem might be, any ideas on how to fix it and what the cost of repair might be? Thanks...
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    It's easy to be so optimistic when you have had such good luck with your vehicles, with out of pocket expenses being near zippo...shippo.

    But, some people actually make informative posts of their experiences without necessarily wanting or even asking for sympathy.

    Anyone know when Chrysler went to the 7yr/70,000 mile powertrain warranty with the $100 per visit deductible. Thanks.
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • masterpaul1masterpaul1 Member Posts: 421
    I believe it was some time in late 2003. :shades:
  • 97xpresso97xpresso Member Posts: 249
    How many miles on your '97? Has the trans ever been serviced? DO NOT have a quick oil change place service your transmission, or any place else that you cannot watch them use ATF+3 only. (not fluid from a bulk container with an additive to "make it just like ATF+3").
  • thain66thain66 Member Posts: 4
    On Saturday, of this past week, the warning light for the transmission on my wife's 2001 Dodge Caravan came on. I called Monday morning, first thing, to let them know that she needed to bring it in. Although I had placed some cardboard under the vehicle over the weekend, and double checked the transmission fluid, there was no loss of fluid nor was it low. The car has 73,000 miles on it and I've had the transmission serviced ever 30,000 miles at the dealership. Anyway, they tell me that she can bring it in on Tuesday and on her way to the dealership there is a large bang and the car screaches to a halt! This is an absolute joke and the entire transmission needs to be replaced. $2000-$2500 later and we can have the van back?? I wished it had just blown up for this is a terrible vehicle. I have driven the ford taurus line since 1985 and every 3 to 4 years I get a new one when I reach 140,000 miles. I've never needed a transmisson or anything major. This is a joke. :lemon:
  • a1na1n Member Posts: 1
    Do you get an audible click, and then silence? My '94 Caravan CV did that, it was the big copper contacts that the solenoid connects together, they were flattened out, at least on my Nippon-Denso starter that Mitsubishi favors. This happens on alot of Toyotas, too, same type of starter motor. It is possible to fabricate your own contacts out of 2MM copper plate, if you're REALLY on the cheap, but most people will just buy a new starter motor, usually in the $150+ range, including your core return. They're a bit steep.
  • rkjohnsonrkjohnson Member Posts: 2
    Thanks, 97xpresso. I have about 115,000 miles on the minivan. We had to replace the engine at about 100,000 miles. I don't know if the transmission has been serviced. We've had the dealer perform most of the routine service up until about 90,000 miles, after which we've been somewhat erratic in the servicing. Any ideas?
Sign In or Register to comment.