1998 Dodge Caravan

TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. PARTS WERE SO BADLY DAMAGED THAT NOTHING WAS SALVAGABLE AND A NEW TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT. WE HAVE KEPT THE PARTS IF THEY ARE NEEDED FOR AN INVESTIGATION. WE NOTIFIED DODGE WHO SAID THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIRS, AND THAT WE HAVE NO APPEAL TO THIS DECISION (AMEY, FILE NO. 8723066). WE HAD A MECHANIC FIX IT. THE CHARGE WAS $2,417. IS THERE ANY COURSE OF ACTION WE CAN TAKE AGAINST DODGE? IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT A TRANSMISSION COULD FAIL IN THIS WAY WITH SO FEW MILES ON THE CAR.

CONSUMER STATES LEFT FRONT SIDE OF VEHICLE APPEARS TO BE LOWER THAN THE RIGHT AND THE BRAKES WEAR DOWN ONLY ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE, VEHICLE SKIDDED WHEN BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED WHICH CAUSED AN ACCIDENT CONSUMER WAS ADVISED FRONT CALIPER, ROTOR AND BRAKE PADS WERE NEEDED BECAUSE THEY WERE WORN, DEALERSHIP ADVISED CONSUMER THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY VEHICLE WAS SKIDDING, CONSUMER IS HAVING TO REPLACE THE ROTOR, CALIPER AND BRAKE ONLY ON FRONT SIDE EVERY 8000 MILES, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY DELEARSHIP THAT THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE IS KNOWN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES AND WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO BE REPLACED EVERY SIX MONTHS. *JB KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN IGNITION, DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE CYLINDER AND IT BROKE, DEALER REPLACED. TAPE DRAGGED IN THE TAPE PLAYER, DEALER REPLACED. AT TIMES WHEN STARTING VEHICLE, THERE IS NO RADIO, LIGHTS, OR HORN, DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED. SLIGHT FLUID LEAK FROM TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE,CONSUMER STATES TRANSMISSION JERKED. ARM REST FASTNER BACKED OFF. LEFT FRONT BRAKES CONTINUE TO WEAR AND PULL VEHICLE, BRAKES LOCK UP CAUSING VEHICLE TO SKID. *SLC

WHEN PUTTING MY VEHICLE IN PARK I HEARD A HORRIBLE LOUD GRINDING/GROANING NOISE. WHEN I TRIED TO PUT MY CAR BACK IN GEER I HEARD THE SAME NOISE AND MY VEHICLES WHEELS LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD.I HAD IT TOWED AND THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST INSPECTED IT AND SHOWED ME THAT THE PLANITARY EXPLODED INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION HE SAID THIS IS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT AND SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. HE GAVE ME THE PARTS THAT WERE SHATTERED AND CRACKED MANY IN SUCH LITTLE PIECES YOU CANT FIND THAT GOT MIXED IN WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. HE ALSO TOLD ME I'M LUCKY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN WHEN I WAS DRIVING IT WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE VAN. I IMAGINE WE WOULDN'T BE HERE NOW. THIS REPAIR COST ME $1600.00 DOLLARS I CALLED CRYSLER AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WEREN'T RESPONSIBLE AND COULDN'T HELP WITH THIS. IF IT'S A DEFECTIVE PART THAN AREN'T THEY RESPONSIBLE? PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU ,JULIE ANN HIT. *AK

I AM HAVING ALOT OF PROBLEMS WITH MY VAN OVER THE PAST YEAR I HAVE PUT OVER 1500 WORTH OF WORK INTO THIS VAN THEY MADE THE ENGINE TOO SMALL FOR THIS SIZE OF A VAN. I CONTINUE TO HAVE PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTING UP. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED HEAD GASKET ALL THE MOTOR MOUNTS TIMING BELT IT HAS BEEN ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER AND NOW MY ENGINE IS MAKING A RATTLING SOUND EVERYTIME I PUSH THE GAS PETAL I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO COMPLAIN.

ON OCTOBER 6, 2000 I WAS TAKING MY SON TO SCHOOL WHEN I LOST ALL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. I WAS GOING FAST ENOUGH I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO THE PARKING LOT. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED IT. THEY WERE NOT COOPERATIVE OR FRIENDLY AND WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE MY VEHICLE WITHIN THE 3 DAY TIME FRAME THEY HAD PROMISED. SO ON 10-09-2000 WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE TO BE DIAGNOSED AND FIXED. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WE HAD TO HAVE THEM FIX IT B/C OUR DEALER WAS GOING TO BE 3-5 WEEKS TO FIX IT, AND WE HAD A RENTAL CAR DURING THIS TIME. THE COST WAS $1455.00, THAT WE PAID OUT OF OUR POCKET. DURING THEIR INVESTIGATION OF OUR PROBLEMS THEY ALSO FOUND AN OIL LEAK. MY HUSBAND IS VERY GOOD WITH CARS AND HAS MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM, TO NO AVAIL. ON 3-9-2001 I HAD THE CAR OIL LEAK DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE. THEY SAID THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $600.00 AND DOWN TIME OF THE VEHICLE BEING 2-3 DAYS. AS THIS IS OUR MAIN VEHICLE THIS PRESENTS A PROBLEM. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MANY PEOPLE AND GARAGES THAT THESE 4 CYLINDER ENGINES ARE WIDELY KNOWN TO HAVE TRANSMISSION AND HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. ONE GARAGE WENT SO FAR AS TO TELL US THAT CHRYSLER KNEW THEY HAD THESE PROBLEMS BUT JUST WOULD NOT PUT OUT A RECALL. WE HAVE HAD THE VAN FOR 23 MONTHS. NOTHING WENT WRONG DURING THE VALID WARRANTY TIME. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY OVER WARRANTY BY APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES. OUR DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH US WITHIN THE TIME FRAME THEY HAD ORIGINALLY GIVEN US, SO WE WERE FORCED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND PAY OUT OF OUR POCKET FOR THE REPAIRS, AS WE COULD NOT AFFORD A RENTAL CAR FOR THE 3-5 WEEKS THE DEALER WAS GOING TO TAKE TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHRYSLER BE FORCED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE PROBLEMS.*AK

HAD TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REBUILT AT 58,498 MILES BECAUSE OF "LOTS OF METAL" FOUND IN PAN DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. "FOUND PLANETARY & SUN GEAR AND CARRIER ALL BAD FROM MSUN GEAR BEARING GOING BAD. CLUTCHES WERE ALSO SHOWING SIGNS OF SLIPPING. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THEIR BAD TRANSMISSIONS. THERE IS A VERY LONG HISTORY OF IT AND THE CONSUMER IS THE ONE GETTING SCREWED.

CONTACTED CHRYLSER THEY HAVE AGREED TO PAY 50% OF DAMAGE BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN OR IF IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. I WAS PASSING A CAR ON THE TURNER TURNPIKE WHEN I HEARD A POP AND MY TIRES VIBRATED I THOUGHT I HAD HAD A FLAT. SO I PULLED OVER AND LEFT A TRAIL OF TRANSMISSION FLUID BEHIND ME. THE PIN IN THE SPIDERGEAR SNAPPED AND FLEW THREW THE TRANSMISSION. FOUND THE PIECE ON TOP OF MY TRANSMISSION. I HAUL KIDS AND GOT ON TRIPS I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN. HOW CAN I SEE IF IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE.*AK

MANY PEOPLE I HAVE SPOKEN WITH, INCLUDING THE EMPLOYEES AT KENNEDY TRANSMISSION, HAVE SAID THESE TRANSMISSION HAVE A REPUTATION OF GOING OUT AROUND 60-70,000 MILES. OUR DIFFERENTIAL WAS ALSO DAMAGED. THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THIS REPAIR, I WAS TOLD, IS ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A COMMON OCCURANCE. SHOULDN'T THE CONSUMER BE FORWARNED ABOUT HAVE A $2800 REPAIR AFTER 60,000 MILES? OTHERWISE, SHOULDN'T THEY PUT IN A DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION IN THESE MINI-VANS?*AK