NHTSA Complaint #746589 — 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 48,000. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP THE SERVICE MANAGER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM OVER THE TELEPHONE. WHEN I ASKED HIM HOW HE KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG, HIS RESPONSE WAS " HAPPENS ON THESE VANS ALL THE TIME, IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM". WHEN I ASKED WHY DODGE DIDN'T DO A RECALL AND FIX THEM ALL, HIS RESPONSE WAS "WE WOULD RATHER HANDLE THEM ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS". I'M SURE IT'S A COST FACTOR. MY POSITION IS THAT DODGE, (CHRYSLER), HAS A MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM ON THEIR VEHICLES, THEY KNOWINGLY INSTALLED THEM ANYWAYS AND HAVE DECEIVED THE PUBLIC. IF A SURVEY OF DODGE OWNERS WAS CONDUCTED, I'M SURE THAT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WOULD BE FREQUENT. DODGE SPLIT THE COST OF A RE-BUILT TRANMISSION WITH ME WHICH COST ME $864.00. I AM CONFIDENT THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE COSTS SPLIT LIKE ME, HAD THE WHOLE THING TAKEN CARE OF AND THOSE WHO SUFFERED THE BURDEN OF PAYING FOR THE ENTIRE COST. I FEEL THAT CHRYSLER OWES ME $864.00 AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR PUTTING "BAD" TRANSMISSIONS IN CARS. *AK