2001 DODGE CARAVAN Power Trainautomatic Transmission Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION THEN LOCKED UP, NOT ALLOWING THE CONTACT TO CHANGE GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO ELECTRICAL FAILURE WITHIN THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 8/16/2006 - *NM

ON THE BELOW DATE I WAS DRIVING ON A MOUNTAINOUS CURVY ROAD WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IN MY VEHICLE COMPLETELY FAILED. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO MANUEVER THE VAN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I THEN HAD THE VAN TOWED TO MY MECHANIC WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD A COMPLETE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC PUT IN A NEW FACTORY REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY. ON MAY 19, 2005, LESS THAN 7000 MILES LATER THAT TRANSMISSION FAILED AS WELL. THE DODGE DEALER HONORED THE WARRANTY AND "FIXED" IT. THE DAY AFTER I GOT THE VAN BACK (TODAY) THERE WAS A LOUD "CLUNKING" NOISE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VAN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VAN HAS A TOTAL OF 59,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE RECORDS OF ALL SERVICE DONE TO THE VEHICLE.

I HAVE FILED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THIS CAR SINCE BUYING IN 2001 THIS LATEST ONE IS THE HEAT CONTROL KNOB IN THE DASH HAS FROZEN DEALER SAYS BROKEN AND WOULD COST 400 TO FIX, AT THAT PRICE IT SHOULDN'T BREAK AT ALL!CAR NOW HAS 50000 MILES. THIS IS THE SAME CAR THAT WITHIN THE FIRST 72 HOURS AND 200 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. TIE ROD ENDS WERE REPLACED 2 OR 3 TIMES AT 20000 AND 36700 MILES MOTOR ON WINDOW ALSO REPLACED CARPET REPLACED BECAUSE WATER SEEPING IN CAR I AM AFRAID OF THIS CAR. *JB

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION FAILED. VEHICLE WILL NOT GO INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DODGE MANUFACTURER. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

MY 2001 DODGE CARAVAN WITHOUT ANY NOTICE SUDDENLY LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE ENGINE WOULD REV AND NOT SHIFT BACK IN GEAR. I TOOK THE VAN TO MY MECHANIC WHO LOOKED IT OVER AND REFERRED ME TO THE DEALER. UPON TAKING MY VAN WITH 57,000 MILES TO DEALER I WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION COSTING UPWARDS OF $3300. I CALLED DODGE TO EXPLAIN THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND ASKED IF THEY WERE WILLING TO ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR AND WAS TOLD NO.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OUR 2001 DODGE CARAVAN'S TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED AND WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE ENGINE WOULD REV BUT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE OR SHIFT. THE VAN WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE VAN'S TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT OR A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION INSTALLED AT A COST OF $2000-$3000. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VAN HAD 47,000 MILES. THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000. RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRANSMISSION, THE MANUFACTURER EXTENDED THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY THE NEXT MODEL YEAR TO 7 YEAR/70,000 MILES. *LA

WAS IN MEMPHIS WHEN MY CARAVAN BROKE DOWN, SO MY HUSBAND IN WV WENT TO BUCHANNON AUTO MALL TO GET A NEW SAFER CAR FOR TRIPS TO MEMPHIS FOR OUR DAUGHTERS CANCER TREATMENTS. I GOT HOME THE CAR WAS HERE ABOUT 3 DAYS WE USED IT AND IT STARTED JUMPING WHEN IT SHIFTED (AUTOMATIC).TOOK IT TO SHOP THEY SAID IT WAS FINE DROVE CAR TO NEXT TOWN AND IT TOTALLY STOPPED OPENED HOOD AND FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION HOSE WASNT ON SO WITH 200 MILES ON CAR IT COULDNT BE USED! WAS TOLD BY AUTO MALL IT WOULD BE FIXED AND IT WAS BUT NOW I AM AFRAID OF THE CAR, TOLD THEM I DIDNT WANT IT AND WAS TOLD I WOULD ONLY GET 11000 TRADE IN! AN INSULT SO I KEPT IT IN 2002 I TOLD THEM THEY FIXED TIEROD WENT OUT AND THEY REPLACED IT(LESS THAN 20000 MILES)...

VEHICLE SLAMS INTO SECOND GEAR WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CAUSING CAR TO NOSE DIVE AND ALMOST CAUSING IT TO BE REAR ENDED. INCIDENT OCCURRED 10/15/02, 10/26/02, 11/23/02 AND 04/29/03. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DEALER AFTER HAVING BEEN "FIXED" THREE TIMES BEFORE THIS. *NLM

MY 2001 DODGE CARAVAN SE HAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AT 35,000 MILES.THE VAN STOP ON THE FREEWAY FOR NO REASON AT ALL. THE DEALER FIX IT AND 2 WEEKS AFTER THAT THE CAR WILL NOT SHIFT FORM 2ND GEAR. AND THE GAUGES DIDN'T WORK AT ALL. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THIS IS MY 2ND DODGE CARAVAN MINIVAN AND THE LAST ONE .I'LL BUY A HONDA FOR NOW ON WHEN I PAY OR NEARLY PAY THIS ONE. I'M A DODGE MAN , I HAVE 2002 PT CRUISER THAT I HAD A RECALL ALREADY. THESE ARE THE LAST AMERICAN MADE CAR I'LL PURCHASE. I HAD PURCHASE 7 NEW VEHICLES IN THE PAST 10 YEARS(3 DODGE,1 GM, 2 HONDAS AND 1 MAZDA) I WAS VERY SATISFIED WITHIN ALL THE JAPANESE CARS BUT NOT WITH THE AMERICAN CARS.THERE ARE JUNK!!!! *JB

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY DIED WITHOUT WARNING. DRIVER FELT LUCKY THAT VEHICLE MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *AK

DESIGN OF CONTROLS: THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER IN ANY POSITION LOWER THAN D BLOCKS THE DRIVER'S KNEE WHEN MOVING FROM ACCELERATOR TO BRAKE. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY WHEN USING LOW RANGES IN DESCENDING A GRADE. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO PHYSICAL REASON NOT TO HAVE ANGLED THE TRANSMISSION LEVER HIGHER TO LEAVE CLEARANCE. THE EFFECT OF THIS POOR DESIGN IS THAT ONE DOES NOT USE ENGINE BRAKING ON A GRADE, INCREASING THE POSSIBILITY OF BRAKE FAILURE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 M/P/H UP SMALL INCLINE TRANSMISSION SLIPS TO LOW GEAR AND THEN THE CAR STOPS MOVING FORWARD TOTALLY. NO LIGHTS LIGHT UP ON THE DASHBOARD. NO CODES ARE SET FOR THE MECHANICS TO CHECK. THIS HAPPENS SPORADICALLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM AND WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO OF NOTE THAT WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE GEARS ARE LIT ON THE DASH BUT NONE ARE HIGHLIGHTED SO THE CAR APPEARS TO BE TOTALLY OUT OF GEAR. I HAVE BEEN SO VERY LUCKY-IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES AND I WAS NOT REAR-ENDED IN TRAFFIC. THIS HAS ALWAYS HAPPENED IN THE MORNING AND ALWAYS AFTER I HAVE DRIVEN ABOUT 10 MILES AND ABOUT ONE HALF HOUR TO 1 HOUR.*AK