NHTSA Complaint #10471823 — 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