2000 Dodge Grand Caravan

WHILE DRIVING 50-55 MPH TRANSMISSION EXPLODED. BROKEN PIECES OF THE TRANSMISSION SPREAD OUT ONTO THE ROADWAY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS UNDETERMINED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.*AK... LET CHRYSLER KNOW OF THE PROBLEM. WHEN TRANSMISSION WAS TAKEN OUT IT LOOKED LIKE A BUNCH OF HOLES SHOT INTO IT. THE MECHANIC SAID THE PIN CAME OUT OF THE DIFFERENTIAL. CONSUMER WAS LUCKY TO GET OFF THE ROAD. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 42,000 MILES. PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION SHUDDER, TSB 18-05-94. I HAD BROUGHT THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDER TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION STARTING AT AROUND 32,000 MILES. DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY RE-FLASHED THE COMPUTER, ETC. VAN WAS BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER TWICE BEFORE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY EXPIRED. BROUGHT THE VAN BACK AT 37,000 MILES TO COMPLAIN AGAIN AND DEALER PROCEEDED TO TELL US THAT THEY HAVE NO RECORDS OF ANY PRIOR COMPLAINT REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION, THEREFORE THEY WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE US TO RE-FLASH THE TRANSMISSION. (I WILL NEVER LOSE OR THROW AWAY ANY WARRANTY RELATED RECEIPTS AGAIN). AFTER GOING BACK AND FORTH AND GETTING NOWHERE WE PAID THE RE-FLASH FEE AND ONCE AGAIN THE THEY TOLD US THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. THEN AT ABOUT 42,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION BLEW. THIS AFTER THE DEALER TOLD US ON A MINIMUM OF 4 OCCASIONS THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINE. AFTER SOME "POLITE" NEGOTIATION I GOT THE DEALER TO COVER HALF OF THE $1300.00 REPAIR COST TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION PUMP. OF COURSE THEY DIDN'T COVER THE FLATBED & RENTAL CAR EXPENSES. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A CAR THAT I HAVE HAD TO REPAIR OR REPLACE A TRANSMISSION AND I HAD DRIVEN MOST OF THEM WELL OVER 100,000 MILES. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW CHRYSLER CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS. WITH ALL OF THE DISGRUNTLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMERS ON THE INTERNET I CAN'T BELEIVE THE NHTSA ISN'T INVESTIGATING THEIR TRANSMISSIONS. WHO IS PAYING OFF WHO?*AK

MAKE : DODGE MODEL : GRAND CARAVAN YEAR : 2000 MANUFACTURER : DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION CRASH : NO FIRE : NO NUMBER OF INJURIES: 0 ODI ID NUMBER : 10100418 DATE OF FAILURE: NOVEMBER 20, 2004. *JB VIN : NOT AVAILABLE COMPONENT: CV JOINT.AXLE PROBLEM SUMMARY: I TOOK MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN IN ON A FRIDAY TO THE DEALER FOR THE AIR BAG RECALL (CLOCKSPRING- WHICH BY THE WAY THE AIRBAG REALLY STAYS ON NOW, WHERE IT DID NOT BEFORE THE DEALER REPLACED/REPAIRED THE CLOCKSPRING) AND PLUS THE DEALER CALLED ME TO TELL ME THAT HAD FOUND A LEAK IN THE MASTER CYLINDER WHICH THEY WANTED TO FIX. I SAID YES (NOW I SEE THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT MASTER CYLINDER LEAKS) I PICKED UP MY VAN UP ON FRIDAY EVENING AFTER WORK. SATURDAY MORNING I RAN A COUPLE OF ERRANDS AROUND TOWN AND AT 12:30 P.M. BEGAN TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE. I PROCEEDED OUT OF THE PARKING STRUCTURE AND ONLY MADE IT AS FAR AS THE STREET BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. I CALLED FOR A TOW. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID THAT MY WHEEL ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE COMPLETELY ATTACHED TO THE AXLE. HE TOWED IT TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON MONDAY INFORMED ME THAT MY CV JOINT/AXLE HAD BROKEN. A BROKEN AXLE ON A 2000 THAT HAS 18,222 MILES ON IT. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS? MY KIDS AND I WERE LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT GOING FAST OR DRIVING DOWN A FREEWAY. NOW I SEE ON THE NEWS THIS MORNING THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR DAKOTA TRUCKS AND DURANGOS, BUT NOT CARAVANS. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? *JB

SHORTLY AFTER BUYING THIS VAN WITH IN A YEAR THE VAN WAS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE,TOOK IT BACK ON MARCH 2002 , THAY SAID IT WAS REPAIRED.ON A HIGHWAY IN JAN. 01 2003,THE CAR WAS ON ROUTE 1 AND IT SUDDENLY WENT FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL,DOING50 MILES AN HOUR IN THE FAST LANE,I HAD TOGO TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE JUST MISSING SEVERAL CARS BEFORE I RELIEZED THE ENGINE WAS RACING.THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE,OF COURSE I THOUGHT SHE WAS CRAZY,BUT IT HAPPENED AGAIN WEN MY SON WAS DRIVING ,THIS AFTER BEING BROUGHT IN FOR TRANSMISSION WORK AT IRA DODGE IN MEDFORD WHICH COST ME 615.97 MARCH 19 2003,PROBLEM WAS STILL HAPPINING AND I WENT TO MELROSE DODGE AND ALL HE DID WAS AJUSTED SHIFTER LINKAGE FOR 85.00 DOLLERS. NO PROBLEM SINCE THANK GOD. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE VANS. *AK

VEHICLE WAS BEING MAINTAINED BY AN AFTERMARKET AUTO SHOP WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A QUARTER SIZE HOLE THAT WENT COMPLETELY THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION. THE OWNER THEN CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN CANADA AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN: I SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE AND IT STARTED TO REVERSE BUT THEN JERKED, PLACED IN PARK, AND AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO REVERSE BUT EXPERIENCED THE SAME RESULTS. PLACED IN NEUTRAL AND ROLLED OUT OF DRIVEWAY INTO STREET AND NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD BLOWN, PULLED FORWARD AND PARKED. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING CRACKED AND THAT THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT COST WILL BE $3500.*AK

I STARTED MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AND TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONER. I OPENED THE DOORS TO LET THE HEAT OUT AND MY 2 1/2 YEAR OLD SON REACHED INTO THE FRONT SEAT AND PULLED THE SHIFTER INTO DRIVE. THE VAN SHIFTER SHIFTED WITHOUT PUSHING THE BRAKE AND THE VAN RAN INTO MY CHAIN-LINK FENCE. THIS IS A SAETY ISSUE AND I DO NOT THINK IT WAS RECALLED. IF IT DOES NOT GET RECALLED THEN I WILL TRADE IN MY VEHICLE FOR A MORE SAFE ONE. *AK