NHTSA Complaint #733658 — 1990 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

A604 TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHIN 3000 MILES AFTER PURCHASE. COMPLETELY REBUILT IN OCT., 1997. MILEAGE AT FAILURE, APPROX. 82,000. PRIOR HISTORY UNKNOWN. TRANSMISSION AGAIN FAILED AT A LITTLE OVER 122,000 MILES. AGAIN, COMPLETELY OVERHAULED. SPOKE WITH MANAGER OF TRANSMISSION SHOP, WHO INFORMED ME OF COUNTLESS FAILURES OF THIS TRANSMISSION TYPE, AND THAT ALTHOUGH IT WAS GOOD FOR HIS BUSINESS, HE KNEW OF MAJOR DESIGN FLAWS WITHIN THE A604, AND ITS SUCCESSOR, A606. IN FACT, HE HAD THREE OTHER VEHICLES, WITH MILEAGES RANGING FROM 32,000 TO 65,000, ALL WITH THE SAME FAILURES. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALSO HAD THE HALF-AXLES REPLACED, THREE TIMES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, TWICE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, AND SEEM TO BE RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS TRANSMISSION ON THE INTERNET, IT IS READILY APPARENT THAT CHRYSLER/DODGE HAS A FUNDAMENTAL, KNOWN LATENT DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THIS TRANSMISSION. I HAVE SPENT MORE ON THE TRANSMISSION OVERHAULS ($3000) AND THE HALF-AXLES ($1000) THAN I PAID FOR THE VAN. RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT NHTSA AGRESSIVELY PURSUE THE ISSUE OF THIS EXPENSIVE, RECURRING TRANSMISSION AND DRIVETRAIN DESIGN FLAWS AND THEIR CATASTROPHIC FAILURES WITH THE MANUFACTURER. INDIVIDUAL CONSUMER COMPLAINTS WITH DEALERS AND THE CHRYSLER CORP. ARE FRUSTRATING AND POINTLESS. THEY WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE A SERIOUS, MULTI-YEAR PROBLEM, AND INDIVIDUALS BEAR THE BRUNT OF THIS COSTLY MISTAKE ON THEIR PART. PLEASE NOTE: CHRYSLER'S OVERHAUL KIT FOR THIS TRANSMISSION DOES NOTHING TO RESOLVE THE FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN FLAW; IT ONLY PROLONGS THE ISSUE! CHRYSLER CORP., AND ITS DEALERS' ATTITUDE TOWARD ITS CUSTOMERS WITH REGARD TO THIS ISSUE IS BLATANTLY UNFAIR, CRASS, AND AS OF THIS DATE, FULL OF LIES AND DENIALS OF THE ISSUE.