2000 Dodge Grand Caravan

TRANSAXLE PIN SLIPPED OUT OF POSITION AND RIPPED TRANSMISSION CASE OPEN. TRANSMISION WAS DESTROYED. FLUID DRAINED OUT IN LOCAL DRIVEWAY. EALERSHIP SAYS WILL COST $3,100 TO $3,400 TO REPLACE TRANSMISION WITH, NOT A NEW ONE, BUT A CHRYSLER REBUILT TRANSMISION.*AK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 YEARS OLD ... 71,000 MILES ... WHEN TRANNY BUSTED. DEALERSHIP PREFORMED $150.00 POWERFLUSH TO TRANSMISION 1 1/2 YEARS AGO WITH SUPERIOR FLUID THAT WAS AVERT ANY PROBLEMS DUE TO ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FLUID NOT RECOMENDED BECAUSE OF NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AMY WHITFORD STOPPED VAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHEN SHE THOUGHT SHE HIT SOMETHING (THE NOISE OF THE TRANSMISION PIN BREAKING THROUGH THE CASE) AND GOT OUT IN TRAFFIC WALKING AROUND VEHICLE WITH 3 YOUNG CHILDREN INSIDE. SHE NOTICED FLUID ON GROUND AND PULLED INTO NEAREST DRIVEWAY, WHERE REMAINDER OF FLUID RAN OUT. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I AM OUTRAGE TO FIND THAT THOUSANDS OF THESE EXACT FALURES HAPPEN WITH THESE CHRYSLER AUTOMATIC TRANSMISIONS AND CONTINUE. THE CONSUMER PAYS THE $3,300 PRICE FOR THESE KNOWN DEFECTS AFTER THEY TEAR THE TRANSMISION APART. THESE FAILURES ARE DANGEROUS AND ONLY IGNORED BECAUSE IT WILL COST THE MANUFACTURER INSTEAD OF ME. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHRYSLER HAS MADE A BLUNDER HERE AND WANTS ME TO PAY FOR IT. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAMERON R. WHITFORD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHITFORDCR@BLUEFROG.COM PLEASE EMAIL WITH ANY ASSISTANCE. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOW DO I GET CHRYSLER TO OWN UP TO THIS CUSTOMER NIGHTMARE. I WILL DO ANYTHING!

HI, MY NAME IS [XXX], I LIVE IN BRADLEY, IL. IN JUNE OF 2000, MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FROM, TAYLOR DODGE IN KANKAKEE, IL. ON OCTOBER 20, 2000 WITH ONLY 4500 MILES ON IT THE VAN BEGAN SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING. THIS VAN HAS BEEN IN OVER AND OVER TO THAT SHOP. I HAVE BEEN WITH OUT MY VAN ON A REGULAR BASIS, WITH OUT RESOLUTION. THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP, [XXX], WAS IN THE VAN - IN HIS SHOP AND THE VAN DROPPED INTO NEUTRAL WHEN HE PUT IT INTO DRIVE. (NOT MOVING). AFTER MANY VISITS OF WE CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THE CHRYSLER CORP WAS CONTACTED BY DODGE. A RETURN FAX TO THE PRIOR SERVICE MANAGER [XXX] , TOLD THEM NOT TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS DUPLICATED. I HAVE TALKED TO [XXX] ASKING HIM TO REPLACE THIS VAN, OF COURSE HE CANNOT DO THAT. I HAVE EMAILED DODGE CORP ASKING THEM TO FIX OR REPLACE AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, WITHIN 2 WEEKS THE VAN WAS DOING THIS AGAIN. I CALLED AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD GET BACK WITH ME. I HAD TO CALL THEM BACK. THE RESOLUTION THIS TIME WAS BRING IT IN WILL TAKE IT FOR A DRIVE. WHICH OF COURSE I DID, OF COURSE IN A 10 MINUTE DRIVE IT DID NOT DO THIS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS, I CANNOT MANIPULATE THE VAN TO DO THIS AND WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING 45 MILES PR HOUR AND THE VAN DROPS INTO NEUTRAL IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WE HAVE HAD MANY CLOSE CALLS WITH THIS VAN IN BEING REAR END. I HAVE PUT LARGE SIZE LEMONS IN MY WINDOWS AND PAINED ON THE VAN, 3 YEARS AND DODGE CANNOT FIND PROBLEM, I HAVE ONLY 35,000.00 MILES AND HAVE HAD PROBLEMS SINCE 4500, I PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ABOUT 15 MONTHS AGO DUE TO THESE ISSUES. TODAY DODGE TELLS ME THAT UNTIL A CERTIFIED SERVICE PERSON, EXPERIENCES THE PROBLEM FIRST HAND, NOTHING WILL BE DONE. I ASKED [XXX] (SERVICE MANAGER, DOES THAT MEAN SOMEONE HAS TO DIE IN THIS VAN BEFORE IT IS FIXED, HE STATED THEY HAVE MADE AN HONEST EFFORT TO TRY AND FIX THE VAN -THAT IS ALL THEY CAN DO.) *LA INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (

LAST NIGHT MY TRANSMISSION BLEW UP FOR THE 2ND TIME. THE FIRST TIME THE VAN WAS A YEAR OLD. THIS TIME I AM PAST MY WARRANTY, BUT THE BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME & 2 OF MY CHILDREN ALMOST ENDED UP IN THE POMPTON WATER FALLS. THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER BASICALLY TOLD ME "OH WELL--YOUR ON YOUR OWN." THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TWICE IN THREE YEARS.. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I HOPE YOU CAN HELP PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO OTHERS... MY VAN WAS METICULOUSLY CARED FOR... THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED!! THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME.. *LA

2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SPORT PURCHASED NEW JAN 26, 2000; WELL MAINTAINED WITH 30,000 MILE WARRANTY MAINTENANCE PERFORMED; TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 41, 343 MILES WITH NO WARNING; REQUIRED TOTAL OVERHAUL. NO NEW TRANSMISSION AVAILABLE; NO REBUILT TRANSMISSION AVAILABLE IN US WITH A BACKLOG OF AROUND 275 AWAITING DELIVERY. AS A RESULT , TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE LOCALLY REBUILT AND THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF SERVICE FOR 10 DAYS. FAILURE OCCURRED 671 MILES FROM HOME CAUSING GREAT PERSONAL INCONVENIENCE AND EXPENSE. *LA

I JUST FOUND THIS WEB SITE. AND NEVER REALIZED HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. MY FIRST PROBLEM WAS WHEN MY 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DROVE MY CAR ON THE NEIGHBORS LAWN BECAUSE YOU DO NOT NEED TO STEP ON THE BRAKE TO PULL IT OUT OF GEAR. I THEN LOOKED IN THE OWNER MANUAL WHICH STATED IT WAS EQUIPPED WITH THAT FEATURE. I HAVE CONTACTED EVERYONE I COULD AND NO ONE IS WILLING TO HELP OR SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. MY NEXT INCIDENT WAS WHEN MY SERPENTINE BELT BROKE WHICH CAUSED MY POWER STEERING PUMP AND PULLEY TO BREAK AND HAD PARTS DANGLING. THANK GOODNESS I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY. I HAVE HAD MY BRAKES DONE 3 TIMES, AND MY LATEST PROBLEM WAS MY HEATER CORE AND THERE WAS WATER LEAKING INSIDE MY CAR. I WISH SOMEONE COULD HELP I PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR THIS CAR! *NLM

AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE: WITHIN THE FIRST 5, 000 MILES I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER ABOUT A "JUMP" IN THE TRANMISSION. I WAS ADVISED BY THE SALESPERSON AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT IS WAS NORMAL. AFTER DRIVING OTHER 2000 GRAND CARAVANS, I NOTICED IT TO BE THE SAME.WITHIN THE FOLLOWING 10, 000 MILES THE JUMP STILL EXISTED AND PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE. I AGAIN RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND AGAIN WAS ADVISED IT WAS NORMAL. AFTER A TOTAL OF 36, 000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION DIED. I NOW HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR REAPIRS AND WANT OTHER CONSUMERS TO KNOW THAT THE TRANSMISSION SENSORS AND POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULES (PCM) ARE FAULTY AND COULD CAUSE INJURIES IF NOT CHECKED OR REPLACED. A "JUMPY" TRANSMISSION COULD CAUSE A VEHICLE TO ACCEL OR DECEL OUT OF CONTROL. MY NEIGHBOR'S 2000 GRAND CARAVAN TRANSMISSION SENSOR POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) WENT OUT AFTER 15, 000 MILES AND HAD TO GET IT REPLACED. IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. HE HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OUT OF POCKET.*AK