2000 Dodge Caravan

ON AUG. 19 MY HUSBAND HEARD A VERY FAINT "PING" ABOUT A 2 MILES FROM HOME. NOTHING SEEMED TO BE WRONG AND HE FELT IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING MOVING AROUND IN THE CAR. ON AUG. 20, AFTER DRIVING SEVERAL MILES, I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING UNDER THE HOOD SELF-DESTRUCTING, THE ODOMETER AND RPM GAUGE WENT WACKY, AND I HAD NO POWER. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE PERHAPS 50 YARDS FROM AN AUTO SERVICE CENTER AND COASTED INTO THE DRIVEWAY LEAKING FLUID AND FLINGING PARTS. THE TRANSMISSION HAD BLOWN APART. HAD I BEEN ON A FREEWAY I WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN KILLED OR KILLED SOMEONE ELSE. FROM TALKING TO MECHANICS IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A WELL KNOWN DEFECT AND DODGE MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSIONS WERE NOT MODIFIED, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. WE WERE TOLD THAT AFTER MARKET PARTS FROM ANOTHER COMPANY HAD THE PROBLEM ADDRESSED. (WHAT RECOURSE DO WE HAVE. CAN WE EVER EXPECT DODGE TO PAY FOR A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION?) NOTE: THE MILEAGE AND SPEED ARE APPROXIMATE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH THE CONTACT SUDDENLY NOTICED A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. UPON EXAMINING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS HEAVILY LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION PIN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE DRIVING AND TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IT SEEMED AS IF THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC ADVISED HER THAT THE TENSION AND IDLE PULLEY FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FURTHERMORE, SHE NOTICED A SQUEAKING NOISE WHICH SHE PRESUMED WAS IN THE BRAKE AREA WHEN THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AND OCCASIONALLY FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. SHE SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE WHERE SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, HE TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED HER THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER OR AN AUTHORIZED DEALER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 138,830. UPDATED 4/30/10 *CN TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING. UPDATED 06/28/10*JB

MY 4 CHILDREN WERE IN MY VAN WHILE IT WAS PARKED AND MY 5 YR OLD GOT INTO DRIVERS SEAT AND PULLED GEAR SHIFT IN REVERSE AND VAN ROLLED DOWN DRIVEWAY, ACROSS ROAD, AND OVER AN EMBANKMENT AND IT TOTALED THE VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, THE GEAR SHIFT SHOULD NOT HAVE MOVED WHILE IT WAS IN PARK WITHOUT THE BRAKES BEING APPLIED TO GET IT OUT OF GEAR. MY DAUGHTER HAD TO HAVE STITCHES AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT. THEY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. *TR

BOUGHT NEW IN 2000 (FAILURE)SERPENTINE BELT REPLACED @ 39199 4-12-02 (FAILURE)SERPENTINE BELT & TENSIONER REPLACED @ 64389 8-20-03 (FAILURE)SERPENTINE BELT REPLACEDLATE SUMMER 2004 (FAILURE)SERPENTINE BELT & TENSIONER REPLACED @112,000 JAN 2006 TIMING BELT REPLACED @ 64389 8-20-03 TIMING BELT & TENSIONER REPLACED @110,646 11-25-05 MULTIPLE SENSOR FAILURES PAST 4 YEARS, AS WELL AS VALVE COVER GASKETS, CAM SEALS,CAM PACKINGS, CRANK SEAL, OIL PAN LEAKING. NOV 2005 ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON,& A SLIGHT KNOCKING, DEALER COULDN'T FIND ANY REAL REASON, BUT LUGGING WAS PRESENT DURING DRIVES. HAD TO REPLACE LEAKY TRANSMISSION SOLENOID PACK & SENSOR 11-25-05 ONLY TO TURN AROUND AND REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION 9 WEEKS LATER DUE TO MULTIPLE ENGINE FAILURES,@114,043 1-30-06 (WITH ANOTHER SERPENTINE BELT FAILURE 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO TRANNY REPLACEMENT. 3 TOWS IN 2 MONTHS!( AND OVER $6,000 OUT OF POCKET) VIRTUALLY ALL REPAIR WORK DONE AT DEALER TOW TRUCK DRIVER NOTED THAT HE HAULS CARAVANS IN THE MOST OF ANY VEHICLE , AND MOSTLY FOR THE SERPENTINE BELTS, MANY TIMES A "REPEAT CUSTOMER IN NEED OF ANOTHER BELT" I WAS ONE OF HIS MANY! HOW MANY PROBLEMS HAVE TO BE REPORTED BEFORE ANY ACTION IS TAKEN? *JB

ONE DAY ON MY WAY TO WORK (ABOUT 10 MILES FROM MY HOUSE) I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SLAMMED INTO SECOND GEAR AND WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANOTHER GEAR. I HAD MY VAN TOWED TO A SHOP AND IT WAS TWO SENSORS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE VERY NEXT DAY I WENT TO GET MY VAN I WENT TO WORK THE VAN SEEMED TO RUN LIKE NEW, AND THEN WHEN I GOT OFF OF WORK I ROLLED DOWN MY POWER WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND THE WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL BACK UP! TO HAVE THE TWO SENSORS FIXED WAS AROUND TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS AND TO GET THE WINDOW FIXED WAS ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS AND THAT PART FOR THE WINDOW WAS THE REGULATOR AND THE MOTOR, FOR A NEW PART WAS LIKE THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS, I GOT ONE USED. IT HAS BEEN SIX MONTHS SINCE I GOT THESE THINGS REPLACED AND NOW THEY ARE BOTH BROKE AGAIN! THE SENSORS AND THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW MOTOR AND REGULATOR. I DO HAVE THE PARTS THAT ARE DEFECTIVE NOW BUT I DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS FROM BEFORE. *NM

2000 DODGE CARAVAN WITH ONLY 56,000 MILES HAD TO BE TOWED BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION BROKE DOWN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR A TOTAL OF $$2250.00. THEN ON 1/11/06 IT HAPPENED AGAIN. WE HAD TO HAVE A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER PLUS ALL THE OTHER PARTS REPLACED AGAIN. WE HAVE MAINTAINED THIS VEHICLE ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL AND IT HAD TO BE FIXED AT THE CLOSEST TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP. I HAVE CONTACTED DODGE ABOUT THIS, AND THEY HAVE DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND REFUSED TO HEAR OF THIS COMPLAINT. THE MECHANIC RUTLAND TRANSMISSIONS (281) 350-1365 TOLD US THAT HE SEES MANY OF THESE DODGE CARAVANS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HE TOLD US THAT HE SEES MANY OF THESE VANS WITH SIMILAR TRANSMISSIONS NEEDING REPLACEMENTS THAT GO BAD AROUND THE TIME THAT MINE DID. THIS IS REALLY A HORRIBLE PROBLEM THAT DODGE WILL NO REALIZE. WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH THIS KIND OF PROBLEM THAT SEEMS TO HAPPEN RIGHT AFTER THE VAN IS PAID FOR. WE DID NOT GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THINKING THAT NOTHING LIKE THIS WOULD EVER HAPPEN. *AK CAN YOU HELP? I WOULD APPRECIATE THIS VERY MUCH. I CAN FAX THE REPAIR INVOICES IF YOU NEED THEM. THIS IS WHY PEOPLE ARE GOING WITH JAPANESE CARS WHICH PROVE THAT AMERICAN ISN'T AS DEPENDABLE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE TRANSMISSION PIN FELL OUT AND TRANSMISSION LOCKED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE VEHICLE RECEIVED REGULAR AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR WITH NO ROAD HAZARDS OR DEBRIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION PIN FELL OUT WITHOUT INSPECTING THE VEHICLE. *AK