NHTSA Complaint #740813 — 1997 DODGE RAM

TRANSMISSION CEASED TO WORK WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH. NO FORWARD MOVEMENT. HAD TRUCK TOWED HOME. DROVE THE NEXT DAY, BUT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 2ND. GEAR. SCRANTON DODGE PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TEST (REVEALED CODE 37: OVERDRIVE LOCKUP SOLENOID MALFUNCTION) , SAID TRANS. WAS BAD AND WANTED $2,456.00 FOR REPLACEMENT. NO WARRANTY HELP BECAUSE TRUCK WAS OVER WARRANTY COVERAGE BY 2,950 MILES. MECHANIC SAID FLUID WAS BURNT AND THERE WAS "METAL IN THE PAN AND IT RUINED THE SOLENOIDS." (INSPECTION LATER REVEALED NO METAL IN PAN OR BURNT FLUID). CALLED CHRYSLER (1-800-992-1997) SPOKE TO DON GRIESBAUM, EXT. 7088 GAVE AUTHORIZATION NO. 7934794. HE SAID THAT CHRYSLER WOULD "HELP" WITH THE COST, BUT WOULD NOT GIVE A HINT AS TO WHAT "HELP" MIGHT BE. SCRANTON DODGE WOULD HAVE TO DISASSEMBLE THE TRANS. TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM, AND THEN CHRYSLER WOULD DEEM IF IT WAS "DRIVER NEGLECT" WHICH WOULD GET NO "HELP" FROM CHRYSLER. ALSO ONCE TRANS IS DISASSEMBLED, IT CANNOT LEAVE THE DEALER UNTIL IT HAS BEEN FULLY REPAIRED. I WOULD HAVE OK'D THE TEARDOWN BUT $2,456.00 FOR A TRANS WITH A 36K MILE WARRANTY SEEMED USELESS WHEN MINE FAILED AT 38,950 AND I PUT 22K MILES ON IN 19MOS. I ASKED DON GRIESBAUM IF THE TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE WITH NO FAULT ON MY PART, HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING TO COST ME. HE REPLIED THAT HE COULD NOT DISCLOSE ANY INFORMATION TO ME UNTIL MY TRUCK WAS DISASSEMBLED AT A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. I HAVE BEEN MAKING PAYMENTS ON A TRUCK THAT HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY SINCE NOVEMBER . I HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH CHRYSLER'S AUTO TRANS. AAMCO TRANSMISSIONS (SCRANTON) SAID THAT IF DODGE HAD TO RECALL EVERY FAULTY TRANS. THEY BUILT, THEY WOULD BE BANKRUPT. CARAVANS AND RAMS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR EARLY TRANS. FAILURE. THE NEWSGROUPS ON THE NET ARE FILLED WITH COMPLAINTS AND PEOPLE REQUESTING INFO ON CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS. I FEEL THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM AND TAKE SOME ACTION TO CORRECT IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, WILLIAM R. MOORE.