NHTSA Complaint #716150 — 1995 DODGE INTREPID

THERE WERE 3 PROBLEMS RELATING TO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; 1) WHILE STOPPING AT AN INTERSECTION AND THEN PROCEDING TO CROSS, THE CAR WOULDN'T GO FORWARD. THE TRANSMISSION LINE HAD COME OFF AND ALL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD SPRAYED ACROSS THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR. THE TRANSMISSION LINE WAS FIXED AT A DODGE DEALERSHIP. 2) TWO WEEKS LATER, WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON A HIGHWAY, THE CAR STARTED TO SHAKE AND THE ENGINE WAS RACING OUT OF CONTROL. THE TRANSMISSION KEPT SURGING IN AND OUT OF GEAR AND WE PULLED THE CAR OFF THE SHOULDER RIGHT BEFORE THE CAR WOULDN'T SHIFT AT ALL. AGAIN THE TRANSMISSION LINE HAD COME OFF AND ALL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD SPILLED OUT. WE HAD ANOTHER DODGE DEALERSHIP INSTALL A NEW TRANSMISSION LINE. 3) A WEEK LATER, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE UNLESS THE CAR WAS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE THEN BACK TO REVERSE SEVERAL TIMES. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, IT WOULD SHUG ALONG IN AND OUT OF GEAR UNTIL IT DECIDED TO SHIFT INTO THE CORRECT GEAR. WE ENDED UP GETTING THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. SEVERAL TRANSMISSION SHOPS THAT WE WENT TO FOR ESTIMATES SAID THAT THEY SEE AN UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER OF CHRYSLER PRODUCTS (EVEN 1998 MODELS) THAT REQUIRED THE TRANSMISSION TO BE REBUILT. WE SPENT $1,500 IN HAVING THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT AND IN TIME AND $ LOST TO FIXING THE FIRST TWO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. WE HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF THIS CAR AND BELIEVE THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR . THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED, AS THERE ARE DESIGN ENGINEERING PROBLEMS IN THE CHRYSLER TRANSMISSIONS. *AK