1990 DODGE CARAVAN Power Trainautomatic Transmission Problems

I STARTED NOTICING A SLIGHT GRINDING NOISE 1 WEEK BEFORE THE FAILURE. IT ONLY HAPPENED WHEN IT WAS COLD AND ONLY WHEN TURNING LEFT. I THOUGHT IT COULD BE A BAD U-JOINT. ON THE MORNING OF 2-16-07 8:15 AM I WAS TURNING LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT. IT CHEWED UP ONE OF THE BEARINGS (WHICH A MECHANIC LATER TOLD ME WAS NOTORIOUS FOR GOING OUT) AND DROPPED THEM ALL OVER THE ROAD. I WAS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION WITH NO WAY TO GO ANYWHERE, BLOCKING TRAFFIC. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I WAS ALSO UNABLE TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHICH HAD AN INCLINE TO IT. THE TRANSMISSION WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE DRIVETRAIN AND PUTTING THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK HAD NO EFFECT. I HAD TO PUSH THE VEHICLE INTO SOMEONE'S DRIVEWAY AND LEAVE...

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. AT 48,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. IT WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER, GLENN E. THOMAS DODGE IN SIGNAL HILL. THEREAFTER, EVERY 15,000 TO 25,000 MILES OR SO, THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED, PROBABLY 5 TIMES NOW; THE COMPUTER FOR THE TRANS HAS FAILED TWICE, THE MOTOR COMPUTER FAILED 2 TIMES, THE POWER WINDOWS BROKE OFF THEIR TRACKS, THE SLIDING DOOR JAMMED SHUT AND WOULDN'T ALIGN. NOW THE PAINT JOB ON MY WHITE 1990 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN (WITH WOOD TRIM) IS PEELING OFF, MOSTLY ON THE ROOF (WHERE IT IS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE, DOWN TO THE PRIMER, RUSTING THROUGH TO THE ROOF METAL) AND ON THE HOOD AND FRONT QUARTER PANELS. THE PAINT WAS NOT PROPERLY APPLIED TO THE PRIMER UNDERCOAT OR THE PRIMER WAS NOT PROPERLY APPLIED SO AS TO ADHERE TO THE TOP COLOR COAT. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER CARAVAN'S OF...

TRANSMISSION FAILED. *YH

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO ANOTHER GEAR/ STARTED JERKING, AND LOCKED IN PARK. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK

I KNOW OF 3 OTHER FAMILY'S THAT HAVE THE SAME YR., MAKE & MODEL OF VAN WITH THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *AK

THIS SEEMS TO BE A REAL PROBLEM AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE . I FEEL THAT DODGE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE TRANSMISSIONS CONSIDERING THAT THEY KNOW THE ARE BAD . PEOPLE SHOULDNOT HAVE TO GO TO COURT FOR DODGE TO PAY UP.THERE SHOULD BE A NATIONAL RECALL AS THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTS ON FILE .THE TRANSMISSIONS LOCK-UP WITHOUT WARNING AND CAN BE A MAJOR CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT. THEN WHAT WILL BE DONE?*AK

MY 3.0 L 4-SPEED AUTOMATIC 1990 DODGE CARAVAN RECENTLY BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE SHIFTING INTO OVERDRIVE. IT SHIFTS INTO 1ST, 2ND, THEN 3RD, BUT AS IT TRYS TO SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE IT BUCKS THREE TIMES THAN ABRUPTLY SHIFTS INTO SECOND GEAR SURGING THE PASSANGERS FORWARD. I MUST THEN SHUT OFF THE VAN AND RESTART IT FOR IT TO BE DRIVABLE. I NORMALLY DON'T TAKE THIS TYPE OF ACTION BUT THROUGH MY RESEARCH HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION. WHEN I FOUND AN ARTICLE IN CONSUMER REPORTS (OCTOBER 1999) WHERE THIS SAME THING HAPPENED TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL I DECIDED TO TAKE ACTION.

PAINT PEELED OFF ALSO. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS CAUSING VEHICLE TO EXPERIENCE NO REVERSE / NO FIRST GEAR. *YC

TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED A TOTAL OF SIX TIMES. MJS

WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST GEAR TO 2ND, TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. RESTARTING ENGINE WILL ALLOW VEHICLE TO DRIVE IN FIRST ONLY. ATTEMPTS BY VEHICLE TO SHIFT INTO SECOND WILL THROW TRANSMISSION IN TO NEUTRAL. HOWEVER, IF THE VEHICLE IS ALLOWED TO SIT FOR 1/2 TO 2 HOURS, THEN TRANSMISSION OPERATES NORMALLY. PROBLEM CAN OCCUR AFTER DRIVING FOR 1/2 HOUR OR MORE AND/OR IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. I HEAR THAT THIS OR VERY SIMILAR PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED TO MANY OTHER DODGE CARAVAN OWNERS. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? *AK

TRANSMISSION OVERHAULED DUE TO VARIOUS PROBLEMS(SHUDDERING, JUMPING OUT OF GEAR, LEAKAGE ETC.)

TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP WHILE GOING ABOUT 5MPH. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. VEHICLE TESTED AFTER BEING REPAIRED. 3 MONTHS LATER, TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AGAIN. THIS TIME AT DEALER'S, BUT NOT REPAIRED. *AK

TRANSMISSION IS NOISY AND HAS HARSH DOWNSHIFTS. TRANSMISSION HAS CONSISTANTLY BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE PURCHASED NEW. NO KNOWLEDGE OF SERVICE BULLETIN: HL-09-91

THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION HAS LOCKED UP IN LOW GEAR. CONSUMER HAD PREVIOUSLY REPLACED TRANSMISSION TWICE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.

NO SUMMARY

TRANSMISSION IS MAKING LOUD NOISE. ALSO, VEHICLE LURCHES FOWARD WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *AK *ML

PUMP BUSHING DISINTEGRATED. THIS CAUSED THE TORQUE CONVERTOR TO BE DAMAGED. TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED. WAS PULLING AWAY FROM STATION WHEN A WHINING NOISE WAS HEARD. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AUGUST 1995. *AK

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED FOUR TRANSMISSION REPLACMENTS, AND HAD TWO OF THEM REBUILT. HOWEVER, IS STILL EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE SLIPPING/JERKING INTO GEAR, AND TRANSMISSION STALLING WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP POSITION. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE MAKE AND YEAR.

WHEN MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT HAND TURNS THE VEHICLE SPUTTERS THEN LURCHES FORWARD. TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS THE 2ND TRANSMISSION PUT INTO THE VEHICLE AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED SEVERAL TIMES AFTER REPLACEMENT.

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE, ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH. *AK

WHEN TRAVELING 60 TO 65 MPH THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, RESULTING IN LOSS OF VERIOUS ELECTRICAL COMPONETS. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK

TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTS INTO LOW GEAR AND WILL NOT COME OUT OF LOW GEAR. SOMETIMES IS WILL DOWN SHIFT AND UP SHIFT BACK AND FORTH.

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED.

TRANSMISSION REPLACED.

AT HIGH SPEED 50-60 MPH, THERE IS A NOISE IN THE TRANSMISSION . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

THE THIRD OWNER, THE TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT INTO THIRD GEAR . PLEASE DECSRIBE .*AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED. *DH

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SD

TRANSMISSION COULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF LOW GEAR, CAUSING IT TO FAIL TWICE. *DSH

TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SD

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT AND IT JUST QUITES WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

TRANSMISSION LEAKS, ALSO SLIPS GEARS IN VERY HOT WEATHER.

THE VEHICLE SHAKES WHILE DRIVING,THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AT 63,000 MILES. TT

AUTO-TRAN: WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE OVERHEATED, LOST DRIVE AND SECOND GEAR; NOT CHANGING GEARS; VARIOUS SPEEDS. TT

POOR PERFORMANCE ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION 5 TIMES. TT

TRANSMISSION LEAKS. *AW

PURCHASE TRUCK USED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED . TT

TRANSMISSION REBUILT. *SKD

PURCHASE CAR NEW AT 12,000 TO 20,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACE . TT

THE TRANSMISSION CAME APART FROM THE CAR . TT

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *AW

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE, ERRATIC FUNCTION OF TRANSMISSION, DEALER INSTALLED 3 TRANSMISSIONS, HAVE FAILED, ON FOURTH TRANSMISSION. TT *JB

THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR THERE MAKING A TURN CAR HESITATES. TT

THE TRANSMISSION ON THE VAN DOES NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE AND THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION IN THE VEHICLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT