1998 DODGE CARAVAN Power Trainautomatic Transmission Problems

TRANSMISSION FAILURE (LEAK BAD) HIGH RPM. *AK

VAN WILL NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE WHEN FIRST STARTED, NEEDS TO WARM UP FOR AT LEAST 5-10 MINUTES. WAS EVALUATED BY INDEPENDENT GARAGE, NEEDS COMPLETE TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL. WHY DID CHRYSLER'S "GOODWILL" WARRANTY END ON 1997 MODELS? OBVIOUSLY, THEY DID NOT FIX THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. A 3.5 YEAR OLD VEHICLE WITH 51,000 MILES ON IT SHOULD NOT NEED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL! THIS IS QUITE COSTLY, THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A "GOODWILL" WARRANTY TELLS ME CHRYSLER KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM. WHY ARE THEY CHOOSING TO ABANDON THEIR NEW CUSTOMERS (AFTER 1997?) ARE THEY TRYING TO LOOSE OUR BUSINESS? IF THIS IS HOW CHRSYLER TREATS IT'S CUSTOMERS, IT CERTAINLY MAKES ME WANT TO LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR A VEHICLE IN THE FUTURE. PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN. THANK YOU.*AK

DURING JANUARY 2001 THE TRANSMISSION WOULD COMPLETELY SHUT OFF IN MID TRAFFIC OR AT A TURN THEN EITHER STALL OR TURN BACK ON BY ITSELF. WE HAD IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES BEFORE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND THEY COULD TELL US WHAT THEY SAY THE PROBLEM WAS : THE EGR VALVE AND SOME KIND OF TRANSMISSION LEAK. THEY COMPLETED THE WORK FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS AND NOW IN OCTOBER 2001 THE TRANSMISSION WHILE DRIVING STARTED MAKING REVVING (ACCELERATING) NOISES THEN STALLED WITH NO WARNING, NOW IT WILL NOT SHIFT FROM FIRST GEAR WITHOUT STALLING AND ANOTHER CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP SAYS WE NEED A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION FOR OVER TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS.*AK

TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED WHILE DRIVING 50MPH. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE AND WILL REPLACE TRANSMISSION AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING 60-65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY ON WET ROAD CONDITIONS TRANSMISSION STALLED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED FOR PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

WHEN PUTTING MY VEHICLE IN PARK I HEARD A HORRIBLE LOUD GRINDING/GROANING NOISE. WHEN I TRIED TO PUT MY CAR BACK IN GEER I HEARD THE SAME NOISE AND MY VEHICLES WHEELS LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD.I HAD IT TOWED AND THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST INSPECTED IT AND SHOWED ME THAT THE PLANITARY EXPLODED INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION HE SAID THIS IS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT AND SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. HE GAVE ME THE PARTS THAT WERE SHATTERED AND CRACKED MANY IN SUCH LITTLE PIECES YOU CANT FIND THAT GOT MIXED IN WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. HE ALSO TOLD ME I'M LUCKY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN WHEN I WAS DRIVING IT WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE VAN. I IMAGINE WE WOULDN'T BE HERE NOW. THIS REPAIR COST ME $1600.00 DOLLARS I CALLED CRYSLER AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WEREN'T RESPONSIBLE AND COULDN'T HELP WITH THIS. IF IT'S A DEFECTIVE...

TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. PARTS WERE SO BADLY DAMAGED THAT NOTHING WAS SALVAGABLE AND A NEW TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT. WE HAVE KEPT THE PARTS IF THEY ARE NEEDED FOR AN INVESTIGATION. WE NOTIFIED DODGE WHO SAID THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIRS, AND THAT WE HAVE NO APPEAL TO THIS DECISION (AMEY, FILE NO. 8723066). WE HAD A MECHANIC FIX IT. THE CHARGE WAS $2,417. IS THERE ANY COURSE OF ACTION WE CAN TAKE AGAINST DODGE? IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT A TRANSMISSION COULD FAIL IN THIS WAY WITH SO FEW MILES ON THE CAR.

I AM HAVING ALOT OF PROBLEMS WITH MY VAN OVER THE PAST YEAR I HAVE PUT OVER 1500 WORTH OF WORK INTO THIS VAN THEY MADE THE ENGINE TOO SMALL FOR THIS SIZE OF A VAN. I CONTINUE TO HAVE PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTING UP. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED HEAD GASKET ALL THE MOTOR MOUNTS TIMING BELT IT HAS BEEN ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER AND NOW MY ENGINE IS MAKING A RATTLING SOUND EVERYTIME I PUSH THE GAS PETAL I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO COMPLAIN.

HAD TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REBUILT AT 58,498 MILES BECAUSE OF "LOTS OF METAL" FOUND IN PAN DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. "FOUND PLANETARY & SUN GEAR AND CARRIER ALL BAD FROM MSUN GEAR BEARING GOING BAD. CLUTCHES WERE ALSO SHOWING SIGNS OF SLIPPING. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THEIR BAD TRANSMISSIONS. THERE IS A VERY LONG HISTORY OF IT AND THE CONSUMER IS THE ONE GETTING SCREWED.

ON OCTOBER 6, 2000 I WAS TAKING MY SON TO SCHOOL WHEN I LOST ALL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. I WAS GOING FAST ENOUGH I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO THE PARKING LOT. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED IT. THEY WERE NOT COOPERATIVE OR FRIENDLY AND WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE MY VEHICLE WITHIN THE 3 DAY TIME FRAME THEY HAD PROMISED. SO ON 10-09-2000 WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE TO BE DIAGNOSED AND FIXED. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WE HAD TO HAVE THEM FIX IT B/C OUR DEALER WAS GOING TO BE 3-5 WEEKS TO FIX IT, AND WE HAD A RENTAL CAR DURING THIS TIME. THE COST WAS $1455.00, THAT WE PAID OUT OF OUR POCKET. DURING THEIR INVESTIGATION OF OUR PROBLEMS THEY ALSO FOUND AN OIL LEAK. MY HUSBAND IS VERY GOOD WITH CARS AND HAS MADE...

CONSUMER HEARD A GROWLING NOISE WHEN TAKING FOOT OF GAS PEDAL. TRANSMISSION BLEW A QUARTER SIZE HOLE IN IT. ALSO, LOSING OIL*AK

CONTACTED CHRYLSER THEY HAVE AGREED TO PAY 50% OF DAMAGE BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN OR IF IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. I WAS PASSING A CAR ON THE TURNER TURNPIKE WHEN I HEARD A POP AND MY TIRES VIBRATED I THOUGHT I HAD HAD A FLAT. SO I PULLED OVER AND LEFT A TRAIL OF TRANSMISSION FLUID BEHIND ME. THE PIN IN THE SPIDERGEAR SNAPPED AND FLEW THREW THE TRANSMISSION. FOUND THE PIECE ON TOP OF MY TRANSMISSION. I HAUL KIDS AND GOT ON TRIPS I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN. HOW CAN I SEE IF IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE.*AK

MANY PEOPLE I HAVE SPOKEN WITH, INCLUDING THE EMPLOYEES AT KENNEDY TRANSMISSION, HAVE SAID THESE TRANSMISSION HAVE A REPUTATION OF GOING OUT AROUND 60-70,000 MILES. OUR DIFFERENTIAL WAS ALSO DAMAGED. THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THIS REPAIR, I WAS TOLD, IS ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A COMMON OCCURANCE. SHOULDN'T THE CONSUMER BE FORWARNED ABOUT HAVE A $2800 REPAIR AFTER 60,000 MILES? OTHERWISE, SHOULDN'T THEY PUT IN A DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION IN THESE MINI-VANS?*AK

TRANSMISSION PREMATURLY FAILED WHILE DRIVING THROUGH INTERSECTION. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK THE TRANSMISSION DRIVE WORKS BUT CONSTANTLY SLIPS IN AND OUT OF GEAR. *YH

CONSUMER WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH TRANSMISSION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER CHECKED IT OUT. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEABLE. *AK THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE REPLACED. *YH

AFTER BACKING THE CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY I HEAR A CLUNKING NOISE, PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE AND IT WILL NOT MOVE. ONLY AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE AND THEN PUTTING IT INTO 2ND GEAR COULD WE MOVE THE CAR OUT OF THE STREET. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, THE PIN WENT TROUGH THE CASE AND CAUSED THE FRONT END TO LOCK UP AND THE VAN WENT SKIDDING DOWN THE ROAD I HAD NO STEERING THE GEARS WERE ON THE ROAD SURFACE. THIS HAPPEND A SECOND TIME WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS PUT IN AT 61000. MILES. I AM CURRENTLY ON MY THIRD TRANSMISSION AND FEARFUL THAT AT A HIGHWAY SPEED THIS CATASTROPHIC MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN WOULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP/DIED DUE TO COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID MIXING TOGETHER IN RADIATOR, AND CAUSING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST HAS REPLACED TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR. *AK *ML

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. ALSO, COMPUTERIZED TRANSMISSION IS LOCKED INTO SECOND GEAR. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. FOUND BROKEN WIRE IN THE HARNESS THAT CONNECTS THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER TO THE MAIN COMPUTER. BREAK IN HARNESS IN DASH-FIREWALL. *AK.ET.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, FELT LIKE SOMEONE WAS HIT FROM THE REAR END, BUT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING GEARS. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER, AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

AT 47,000 MILES THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED A NOISE FORM UNDER THE HOOD AT THE SAME TIME THE VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFED THAT TRANSMISSION WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATON. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE DUE TO TRANSMISSION BEING REPLACED. WHEN CONSUMER STOPPED VEHICLE. IT WOULDN'T START BACK UP. *AK

NO SUMMARY

MY CAR WAS IN PARK AND RUNNING AT IDLE. THE CAR THREW ITSELF INTO REVERSE AND CRASHED INTO A FENCE. NO ONE WAS IN THE CAR TO STOP IT.

TRANSMISSION FAILED. *YC

THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE TRANSMISSION, EVERYONE I KNOW IS HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. EACH TIME IT'S THE NUT BACKING OFF ON 5TH GEAR. TIME AND MONEY ARE LOST WHEN THIS OCCURS, AND IT'S BEING REPAIRED NOT SOLVED. SOME OF MY FRIENDS HAVE HAD THEIR TRUCKS IN THE SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES TO REPAIR FOR THIS ANNOYING AND COSTLY PROBLEM. *AK

TRANSMITION FAILURE; DUE TO SNOW WEATHER CONDITIONS, ONE WHEEL MOVING FASTER THAN THE OTHER. STUCK IN THE SNOW! POOR DESIGN FOR NORTHERN STATES. WEAK DESIGN. CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR POOR DESIGN AND LACK OF TECHNOLOGY FOR DRIVING IN THE SNOW. *AK

TRANSMISSION LEAKING DUE TO FAILURE OF THE FRONT PUMP HOUSING OIL SEAL.

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE TRAVELING ON ROUTE I77. PULLED OFF HIGHWAY AND VEHICLE SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL. VEHICLE THEN WOULD ONLY SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND (LIMP ALONG MODE). DEALER IN VIRGINIA DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION HAD COMPLETELY FAILED. LARGE CHUNKS OF METAL IN PAN. REPLACED TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER. VEHICLE HAS SINCE SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL 1 MORE TIME. *AK

JUST A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT AFTER 8 MONTHS MY TRANSMISSION HAS GONE BAD. IT MAY BE A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT.

VEHICLE ROLLED WHILE IN PARKED GEAR RESULTING IN COLLISION WITH HOME.