NHTSA Complaint #10039510 — 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

I HAVE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH UNEVEN SHIFTING FROM THE BEGINNING OF OWNERSHIP OF THIS GRAND CARAVAN. THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP TO A HIGHER RPM THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BEFORE SHIFTING INTO HIGHER GEAR. INITIALLY WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CAR WOULD ADJUST TO THE DRIVER AND THUS ACCEPTED THE EXPLANATION. THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT RECENT OCCURRENCES, WHEN IN GEAR, THE CAR DID NOT ENGAGE AND SEEMED TO BE STUCK IN NEUTRAL. THE THIRD TIME, WHILE MOVING AND MAKING A LEFT-HAND TURN, THE CAR SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND INTO NEUTRAL, CAUSING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND PUT ME IN THE PATH OF INCOMING TRAFFIC. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE, DIAGNOSTICS INDICATED A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND THUS NEEDED TO TAKE TRANSMISSION APART. UPON DISASSEMBLY, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GEARS HAD BEEN GROUND OFF AND NOT REPAIRABLE AND I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NO FAULT OF ANYTHING I DID. THE REMEDY WAS A $3000 COST TO PUT IN A FACTORY-REBUILT TRANSMISSION. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL ACCIDENT EXCEPT THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED LATE AT NIGHT ON A MAJOR ROAD WHEN TRAFFIC WAS LOW. THIS FAILURE IS NOT UNIQUE TO THIS VEHICLE AS OTHER COMPLAINTS AGAINST IT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE NHTSA. THIS GRAND CARAVAN TRANSMISSION DESIGN FLAW NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER BEFORE FATALITIES OCCUR. THE CAR OWNERS LIVES SHOULD NOT BE PUT AT RISK, NOR SHOULD THEY HAVE TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FIXING A PROBLEM WHICH IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER DESIGN FLAW.