NHTSA Complaint #10151489 — 1999 DODGE CARAVAN

I AM A LICENSED DAY CARE PROVIDER WHO TRANSPORTS SEVERAL SMALL CHILDREN DAILY. MY VEHICLE IS A 2000 DODGE CARAVAN. ON TUESDAY, MY TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE WITH FIVE CHILDREN INSIDE. I WAS HORRIFIED. MY TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, WHICH WILL COST UPWARDS OF AROUND $2000. I DID RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND I HAVE DISCOVERED SOME DISTURBING FACTS. CHRYSLER VANS FROM 1998-2002 HAVE A REPUTATION OF HAVING THIS TYPE OF FAILURE HAPPEN. THE CAUSE IS A DIFFERENTIAL PIN THAT SHOOTS THROUGH THE CASING OF THE TRANSMISSION. THERE IS NOTHING THE CONSUMER CAN DO TO PREVENT THIS. NEWER MODELS OF THE CARAVAN 2003 AND LATER HAVE THE SAME TRANSMISSIONS BUT THEY NOW HAVE METAL PLATES INSTALLED WHICH KEEP THE PINS FROM BREAKING THROUGH THE CASING. I TRIED TO GET ASSISTANCE FROM CHRSYLER DIRECTLY, BUT ACCORDING TO THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THERE HAS BEEN NO PROBLEM WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS. I ASKED THEM WHY THEN WERE THERE SEVERAL STORIES ON THE INTERNET OF CUSTOMERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I JUST EXPERIENCED. THEY REPLIED THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP ME. MY TRANSMISSION DID NOT WEAR OUT, IT FAILED. THE DIFFERENTIAL PINS SHOT OUT AND BROKE THE TRANSMISSION CASING. IF YOU CALL LOCALLY OR ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND TRY TO LOCATE A USED TRANSMISSION FOR 1998-2002 CHRYSLER VANS YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT THE MAJORITY HAVE THE BROKEN CASES CAUSED BY THE DIFFERENTIAL PINS. THUS, THEY RECOMMEND REPLACING WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT HAS THE CORRECTED PLATES INSIDE. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT AT LITHIA DODGE, THEY HAVE ON AN AVERAGE 2 OR MORE OF THESE VANS COMING IN WITH THE SAME DEFECT. THEY CHARGE THE CUSTOMER TO REPLACE A TRANSMISSION THAT THEY KNOW HAS A DEFECT, YET THEY DO NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF CHRYSLER'S ON THE ROAD. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO HAVE THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD THAT CAN FAIL WITHOUT ANY PRIOR NOTICE. *JB