NHTSA Complaint #10075291 — 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

AT 7,600 MILES IN NOVEMBER OF 2002 THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION WITH A REBUILT ONE. SINCE THEN THE SPEEDOMETER READS INCORRECTLY. AT LOWER SPEEDS IT READS UNDER BY 4 TO 7 MPH, AT HIGHER SPEEDS -- 60 MPH IT READS 15 - 20 MPH UNDER. I DISCOVERED THIS WHEN ON A ROAD TRIP I WAS STOPPED FOR GOING 85 WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS GOING 68 IN A 70MPH ZONE. I THOUGHT THE POLICE OFFICER WAS CRAZY -- EVEN PROTESTED AND HAD HIM VERIFY THE CALLIBRATION OF HIS RADAR. HIS READING WAS CONFIRMED WHEN I PASSED A ROADSIDE SPEED INDICATOR, AND WAS STOPPED AGAIN. SPEEDOMETER WAS REPROGRAMMED AT A DEALER IN MICHIGAN AFTER WHICH IT READ 4 MPH UNDER FOR THE MOST PART. HAD IT LOOKED AT BY DEALER IN FLORIDA AGAIN IN APRIL 2004, THEY REPLACED A SENSOR. SINCE, IT AGAIN READS 4 TO 10 MILES UNDER AT LOWER SPEEDS -- E.G. WHEN I THINK I'M GOING 35, I'M REALLY GOING 42 OR 43, AT 65 MPH ACTUAL SPEED IS 76MPH. DEALER SAYS ITS "THE WAY YOU'RE DRIVING" -- A POOR EXCUSE FOR SHIFTING THE BLAME AND NOT MAKING THE REPAIR CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THIS IS A REAL HAZARD AND SAFETY ISSUE NOT JUST FOR MYSELF BUT FOR OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WHO DRIVE THE VAN AND PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. *AK