2001 Dodge Grand Caravan

DURING NORMAL DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED WHICH TEHN RESULTED IN A TRANSMISSION PUMP FAILURE. VEHICLE BECAME UNDRIVEABLE. TRANSMISSION REQUIRED TOTAL BUILD. VEHICLE HAD ONLY 56K MILES AND WAS NEVER USED TO TOW ANYTHING. PER DEALER, CHRYSLER DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND REFUSED TO OFFER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.*AK

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING NORMALLY LESS THAN .2 MILES FROM THE HOUSE. THE SPEED LIMIT IS 40 MPH. THE ROADS WERE DRY. MY WIFE HEARD AND "EXPLOSION" AND PULLED OFF THE ROAD BELIEVING THAT SHE HAD A BLOW OUT. THE CAR STALLED. NOT KNOWING WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, ALL THE TIRES WERE INFLATED, SHE RETURNED HOME. BY THE TIME SHE RETURNED TO THE HOUSE THERE WAS NO TRANSMISSION FLUID IN THE VEHICLE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP (BUDDIES AUTOMOTIVE 410-679-6300) THE REPAIR SHOP INDICATED THAT THE PIN THAT DODGE USES IN THE DIFFERENTIAL IS UNDERSIZED AND HOLLOW, AND THAT IT HAD SHEARED OFF SENDING PARTS THROUGH THE CASING OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION IS BEING REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT IS BUILT BY A COMPANY WHO HAS PERFORMED STUDIES ON THE TRANSMISSION AND HAS MODIFIED THIS SECTION OF THE TRANSMISSION TO MAKE THEM SAFE AND RELIABLE. IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME. THE VEHICLE IS A 2001 GRAND CARAVAN EX, WITH A 3.3L ENGINE AND A 4 SPEED AUTOMATIC. *JB

1. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS, ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC IT WASN'T GOING BAD IT JUST WENT. 2. I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT INTO TRAFFIC WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED MOVING. I WAS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC AND INSTEAD OF GETTING OUT AND GOING I GOT OUT AND ALMOST GOT HIT. THE CAR COMING TOWARDS ME SLAMMED ON THE BREAKS AND WAS ABLE TO SWERVE AROUND ME. 3. THE REAR PLANITARY GEAR WELD FAILED, THIS FAILURE WAS DESCRIBED AS A SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC FAILOR. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE PUT INTO PARK. IT WAS TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THE FLUID WAS BAD AND THE FILTER CLOGGED. THE VEHICLE HAS 55,000 MILES THEY SAY THE 7/70 WARRENTY DIDNT APPLY TO MY MODEL. THE SECOND MECHANIC SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FILTER OR THE FLUID THAT THEY HAVE TO REPLACE A LOT OF THESE PART THE WELDS FAIL ALOT. I CALLED DIAMLER/CHRYSLER AND TOLD THEM WHAT THE MECHANIC SAID THAT I WANTED TO SEND THEM BACK THE PART THAT SHOWED THAT THE FAILURE WAS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT DIDN'T MATTER THAT IT WHY IT FAILED JUST THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE THE PART. I WAS LUCKY THE NEXT PERSON MAY NOT BE. THE VEHICLE IS 2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SPORT. SO FAR THE HATCH DOESN'T WORK WHEN THIS PART FAILED I WAS ALSO NOTIFIED THAT THE WHEEL CYLINDER ON THE REAR BRAKES FAILED AND THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED FIRE TO THE VEHICLE THE DEALERSHIP WANTED 4.000 PLUS TAX TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS. THE ENTIRE REAR BRAKING SYSTEM HAD TO BE REDONE AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT. I HAVE DECIDED NOT TO DEAL WITH FIXING THE HATCH SO IT OPENS.*AK

I ONLY HAVE 25,000 MILES ON MY 2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. (1) THE SWAY BAR LINKS WERE REPAIRED TWICE, AND PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER FOR A THIRD REPAIR. (2) I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKES AFTER ONLY 14,000 MILES, AND THEY ARE HALF GONE ALREADY AT 25,000 MILES, PLUS THE REAR BRAKES HAVE TO BE REPLACED. (3) THE ENGINE HAS A FLAT SPOT DURING ACCELERATION, AND I GET ABOUT 11 MILES PER GALLON IN THE CITY, AND ABOUT 15-16 MILES PER GALLON ON THE HIGHWAY. IT STATED IT GOT 18 MILES PER GALLON IN THE CITY, AND 24 MILES PER GALLON ON THE HIGHWAY. (4) THE TRANSMISSION MAKES A MOANING SOUND; THE POWER STEERING WAS LEAKING FLUID, (5) I HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY THE FIRST SUMMER I HAD IT, THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES WENT OUT EARLY THIS SUMMER (6) THE DRIVER?S SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL UP WHEN WE WERE AT BEAR COUNTRY USA SURROUNDED BY BEARS (7) THE SHIFT GEAR LEVER SOMETIMES SLIPS FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL, AND I HAVE HAD THAT LOOKED AT TWICE (8) THE CRUISE CONTROL WENT OUT LAST SUMMER

DODGE GC 2001 STALLED WHILE IN MOTION WITH NO WARNING DURING A VERY HEAVILY TRAVELED AREA IN A SCHOOL ZONE WITH MANY POTENTIAL HAZARDS. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 10 MPHS AND COMING TO A STOP. I INTERRUPTED FLOW OF TRAFFIC AT TIME OF FAILURE AND WHEN THE TOW TRUCK CAME. A POLICE OFFICER HELPED DIRECT TRAFFIC. MECHANIC SAID LEAK DETECTION PUMP WENT OUT WHICH CAUSED THE PCM (POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE) TO SHORT OUT. THIS PCM CONTROLS MANY ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS. THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, THE SPEEDOMETER AND PASSENGER WINDOW DOESNT WORK AND I AM TOLD THAT SEVERAL SYSTEMS COULD FAIL BUT IT IS DRIVEABLE. I HAVE SEARCHED MANY DEALERSHIPS IN MANY STATES WITH ALL THE SAME ANSWER. THE PART I NEED, THE PCM, IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. THERE ARE NONE AVAILABLE IN THE US. THIS IS THE ONLY VEHICLE I HAVE TO TRANSPORT MY CHILDREN. I CONTACTED DC CORP AND THEY WILL NOT TELL ME IF IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE W/ A FAULTY PCM. IT HAS BEEN 3 WEEKS AND MY VAN IS NOT FIXED. I AM AT THEIR MERCY AND THEY HAVE DENIED RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL AS A RENTAL REQUEST UNTIL MY VAN CAN BE FIXED PROPERLY. "UNFORTUNATELY, YOUR REQUEST FOR A RENTAL VEHICLE HAS BEEN DECLINED." THEY CLAIM "WE ARE UNABLE TO BE OF ASSISTANCE IN EXPEDITING PARTS THAT ARE NOT ON ORDER" THE PART HAS BEEN ORDERED. AGAIN I QUESTIONED THE SAFETY OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH A FAULTY PCM WITH NO ANSWER AS OF YET. THEIR ARE OVER 250 PCM'S ON BACK ORDER.*AK