1999 Dodge Grand Caravan

WE WERE ON THE WAY TO OUR VACATION DESTINATION ON 7/30/02 AND PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY FOR GAS. THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AS SOON AS WE PULLED INTO THE GAS STATION. ONCE WE WERE ON THE ROAD AGAIN, THE VAN WOULD NOT COME OUT OF SECOND GEAR. WE WERE THEN FORCED TO STOP IN A PARKING LOT AND GOT DIRECTIONS TO THE CLOSEST FULL SERVICE REPAIR SHOP. (THIS ALL TOOK PLACE AT 8:15PM IN BARSTOW, CA) THE MECHANIC RAN DIAGNOSTICS ON THE VAN AND THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE SENSOR BUT WOULD HAVE TO RUN MORE TESTS THE FOLLOWING MORNING. WE WERE, AT THAT POINT FORCED TO STAY IN BARSTOW FOR THE NIGHT. WE CALLED THE MECHANIC IN THE MORNING AND GOT THE UNBELIEVABLE NEWS. AFTER RUNNING MORE DIAGNOSTICS HE FOUND TWO ADDITIONAL ERRORS IN THE TRANSMISSION RELATED TO A PRESSURE PROBLEM AND INFORMED US OUR TRANSMISSION WAS THE PROBLEM AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO ORDER A FACTORY REBUILT TRANSMISSION AND WE WERE CHARGED A MERE $2,750.00 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. IN THE MEAN TIME WE HAD TO RENT 2 CARS TO GET TO OUR DESTINATION (NO VEHICLES WERE AVAILABLE TO FIT 6 PEOPLE). WE HAD TO STAY AN ADDITIONAL NIGHT IN A HOTEL, AS OUR VAN WOULD NOT BE READY UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT. OUR VAN HAS LESS THAN 43,000 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE RELIABLE THAN WHAT IT WAS. WE NOW HAVE THE FACTORY REBUILT TRANSMISSION, PROBABLY FROM SOMEONE ELSE VAN AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE TRUSTED. WE DO NOT FEEL THE REBUILT TRANSMISSION IS RELIABLE AND NOW WILL NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. IT IS UNSAFE!! WE FEEL FORTUNATE THAT WE HAD EXITED THE FREEWAY AT APPARENTLY THE RIGHT TIME, WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE VAN SHIFTED IN TO SECOND GEAR AT 70MPH. THE STORY WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH DIFFERENT.*AK

WHILE IN TRAFFIC TRAVELING APROX.35MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY DROPPED TO LOWEST GEAR,RPMS SHOT UP,SPEEDOMETER FAILED,SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.TO SHOP IMMEDIATELY WHERE MECHANIC SAID HE HAS SEEN MANY DODGE CARVAN TRANSMISSION FAILURES AND TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER.I AM THE 2ND OWNER AND DON'T KNOW IF THE ORIGINAL OWNER HAD THIS PROBLEM AND PERHAPS THATS WHY HE TRADED IT WITH ONLY ABOUT 40K MILES ON IT?DEALER SAYS PROBABLY A SENSOR,CAN'T FIX TODAY - COME BACK MONDAY.

STOPPED AT INTERSECTION CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE FORWARD OR REVERSE. HAD TO TOW TO DEALERSHIP. DEALER SERVICE MANAGER KNEW PROBLEM BEFORE I HAD CAR TOWED TO HIS SHOP. DIFFERENTIAL PIN HADCOME THROUGH THE CASECAUSING INTERNAL DAMAGE AND CASE IS BROKEN. PROBLEM DIAGNOSED BEFORE VAN WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP. THATS HARD TO BELIEVE. TRANSMISSION EXPERT KNOWS THAT ENGINES ARE TOO POWERFUL FOR TRANSMISSION AND SERVICE MANAGER CLAIMS THAT PIN DISENGAGES BECAUSE IT SPINS FASTER THAN IT SHOULD AND COME FREE OR BREAKS. CHRYSLER IMMEDIATELY ADMITTED TO BE AT FAULT BUT ONLY COVERED HALF OF THE COST TO REPLACE WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION WITH THE SAME FAULTY PIN. NOT ACCEPTABLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED MY VAN SOUNDING LIKE IT WASN'T SHIFTING OUT OF 1ST OR 2ND GEAR. I MADE A LEFT TURN AS REQUIRED TO MAKE AN EXIT OFF THE HIGHWAY ENSURINING ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS SAFELY AT A DISTANCE. AS I MADE THE TURN, MY TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND THE CAR DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE FOR A MOMENT, AND THEN FINALLY SLIPPED BACK IN GEAR. I ALMOST WAS HIT BY AN ONCOMING CAR WHO PROBABLY DIDN'T SLOW DOWN ASSUMING I'D FINISH MY EXIT. *AK