1990 Dodge Grand Caravan

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD A PROBLEM TRANSMISSION SINCE IT WAS DRIVEN AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP. THE "LURCHING" MOTION MADE BY THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY AND REPEATEDLY. THE DEALER INSISTED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NORMAL AND REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. IN OCTOBER 1991 THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE WE WERE IN TENNESSEE AND WITNESSED BY THE DODGE DEALERSHIP IN SIEVERVILLE, TN. UPON RETURN TO FLORIDA. THE DODGE DEALER IN CORAL SPRINGS REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. (OR SO WE WERE TOLD) THE 2ND TRANSMISSION WORKED FOR 5 YEARS AND HAD TO BE REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER OF 1996. THAT TRANSMISSION WAS A PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY BUT THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. WHILE IN WASH. DC IN JULY 1997, THE CAR WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT. THE ENGINE KEPT RACING AND ONLY STOPED WHEN I TURNED OFF THE CAR. THE DODGE DEALER IN WDC SAID THAT BY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE WE CLEARED THE COMPUTER AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE THIRD TRANSMISSION WAS EVENTUALLY REPLACED AND NOW I HAVE HAD TO HAVE TWO REPAIRS ON THE FOURTH TRANSMISSION. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE LURCHES AND JERKS SUGGESTING THAT THERE ARE MORE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I FEEL THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE SOMEONE TO LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR CAR. DT

A604 TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHIN 3000 MILES AFTER PURCHASE. COMPLETELY REBUILT IN OCT., 1997. MILEAGE AT FAILURE, APPROX. 82,000. PRIOR HISTORY UNKNOWN. TRANSMISSION AGAIN FAILED AT A LITTLE OVER 122,000 MILES. AGAIN, COMPLETELY OVERHAULED. SPOKE WITH MANAGER OF TRANSMISSION SHOP, WHO INFORMED ME OF COUNTLESS FAILURES OF THIS TRANSMISSION TYPE, AND THAT ALTHOUGH IT WAS GOOD FOR HIS BUSINESS, HE KNEW OF MAJOR DESIGN FLAWS WITHIN THE A604, AND ITS SUCCESSOR, A606. IN FACT, HE HAD THREE OTHER VEHICLES, WITH MILEAGES RANGING FROM 32,000 TO 65,000, ALL WITH THE SAME FAILURES. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALSO HAD THE HALF-AXLES REPLACED, THREE TIMES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, TWICE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, AND SEEM TO BE RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS TRANSMISSION ON THE INTERNET, IT IS READILY APPARENT THAT CHRYSLER/DODGE HAS A FUNDAMENTAL, KNOWN LATENT DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THIS TRANSMISSION. I HAVE SPENT MORE ON THE TRANSMISSION OVERHAULS ($3000) AND THE HALF-AXLES ($1000) THAN I PAID FOR THE VAN. RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT NHTSA AGRESSIVELY PURSUE THE ISSUE OF THIS EXPENSIVE, RECURRING TRANSMISSION AND DRIVETRAIN DESIGN FLAWS AND THEIR CATASTROPHIC FAILURES WITH THE MANUFACTURER. INDIVIDUAL CONSUMER COMPLAINTS WITH DEALERS AND THE CHRYSLER CORP. ARE FRUSTRATING AND POINTLESS. THEY WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE A SERIOUS, MULTI-YEAR PROBLEM, AND INDIVIDUALS BEAR THE BRUNT OF THIS COSTLY MISTAKE ON THEIR PART. PLEASE NOTE: CHRYSLER'S OVERHAUL KIT FOR THIS TRANSMISSION DOES NOTHING TO RESOLVE THE FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN FLAW; IT ONLY PROLONGS THE ISSUE! CHRYSLER CORP., AND ITS DEALERS' ATTITUDE TOWARD ITS CUSTOMERS WITH REGARD TO THIS ISSUE IS BLATANTLY UNFAIR, CRASS, AND AS OF THIS DATE, FULL OF LIES AND DENIALS OF THE ISSUE.

THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT UP AFTER STOPPING. THE VEHICLE WENT IN TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT AND OUR MECHANIC HAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS QUITE A WAITING LIST FOR THE CASE BECAUSE THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH INTERNAL CRACKS ON THIS CASE. MOST MECHANICS DON'T EVEN WANT TO WORK ON THEM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY ONE MECHANIC THAT THEY WORK ON THESE TRANSMISSIONS MORE THAN ANY OTHERS. *AK

ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 66,000 MILES. I AM THE THIRD OWNER. I WAS TOLD THAT DODGE WAS HAVING TROUBLE, BUT FIGURED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD A VERSION # 6 SOLENOID & COMPUTER. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT I UPDATE TO A VERSION # 10. THE COST TO REPAIR IS $ 1,900. I AM JUST FINDING OUT THAT DODGE IS STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS 1990 TRANSMISSION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. LEROY J. HERSH. *AK