2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Power Trainautomatic Transmissionparkneutral Start Interlock Switch Problems

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. DEALER DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED TRANSMISSION "LINE", "CONVERTER" AND "SOLENOID". PH

THERE IS A NOISE IN STEERING WHEEL, VEHICLE VIBRATES WHEN CHANGING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE GEAR. CONTACTED DEALER. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM *AK

6 YEAR OLD CHILD WAS ABLE TO SLIP THE GEAR SHIFT IN DRIVE WHILE VEHICLE WAS ON. VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS, ALMOST RUNNING OVER ANOTHER SIBLING, AND WENT THROUGH A FENCE. NO INJURIES OR FATALITES MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND STATED IT WAS NOT A SAFTEY FEATURE FOR VEHICLE. HOWEVER, IT WAS ADDED TO 2002 VEHICLE TO AVERT GEAR SHIFT FROM GOING INTO ANOTHER GEAR WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION.*AK

ANYONE CAN MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER FROM PARK TO REVERSE WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BRAKE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. NO ONE HAS TO BE IN THE DRIVER SEAT, A CHILD CAN BE IN BETWEEN THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS, TAKE HOLD OF THE SHIFT LEVER AND PULL IT DOWN INTO GEAR. WE CONTACTED SOUTHLAND DODGE AND THEY SAID THEY ALL DO THIS. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. ALL OTHER VEHICLES YOU HAVE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE BEFORE YOU CAN SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THIS REPORT WAS SENT TO YOU ONCE BEFORE ON 6/3/01 WITH NO RESPONSE. *AK

MY 2 YEAR OLD SON TURNED THE KEY AND PUT THE CAR IN GEAR. WHEN IT STARTED MOVING, HE FELL OUT AND THE CAR CAME TO REST AGAINST HIS HIP. MY OTHER TWO CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR, AND HAD IT NOT STOPPED ON HIS LEG, IT WOULD HAVE ROLLED INTO THE PATH OF AN ONCOMING TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCK.*AK

YOU CAN MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER FROM PARK TO DRIVE WITH OUT ANY CONTACT WITH THE BRAKE. NORMALLY IN OTHER VEHICLES, YOU MUST DEPRESS THE BRAKE BEFORE YOU CAN MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER OUT OF PARK. THIS IS DANGEROUS AS A CHILD COULD TAKE HOLD OF THE SHIFT LEVER AND MOVE IT INTO GEAR CAUSING A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT/INJURY. I CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEIR RESPONSE WAS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT, THEY ALL DO THAT!*AK

THERE IS NO BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK ON THE 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVANS. THE OMISSION OF THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY DEVICE CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO BE ABLE TO EASILY SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR, WITHOUT HAVING TO FIRST PRESS THE BRAKE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN WITH SMALL CHILDREN ESPECIALLY, AND EVEN FOR ADULTS WHO MAY BUMP THE GEAR SHIFTER. I KNOW THAT 12 STATES ARE CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST DAIMLERCHRYSLER REGARDING THIS SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE CONTACTED 2 DODGE DEALERSHIPS, AS WELL AS THE DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION IN MICHIGAN REGARDING THIS. NO ONE WILL FIX THE PROBLEM, NOR WILL THEY ESCALATE THE ISSUE FOR ME. ONE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY THINK IT WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME A NATIONAL RECALL. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THAT POINT IN TIME COMES (IF IT EVER DOES). THEIR HAVE ALREADY BEEN AT LEAST TWO FATALITIES REPORTED BECAUSE THIS SHIFT INTERLOCK WAS NOT...

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED COULD SHIFT GEAR WITHOUT STEPPING ON BRAKE PEDAL. HAD CONTACTED DEALER FOR THIS SITUATION BECAUSE BELIEVED IT WAS A SAFTY PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT SHIFTER OPERATION IS OPERATING TO DESIGN INTENT.*JB

VEHICLE WENT INTO REVERSE WHEN GEAR SHIFTER WAS BRUSHED LIGHTLY BY A CHILD BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SHIFT INTERLOCK SYSTEM. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK CONSUMER WAS INJURED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP VEHICLE, SHE WAS HIT WITH THE DOOR ON LEFT SIDE AND TWISTED HER ANKLE. *SLC

VEHICLE WAS PARKED, MOTOR RUNNING, CONSUMER BUMPED GEAR SHIFT AND VEHICLE WENT INTO REVERSE. BRAKE WERE NOT APPLIED. *AK

SHIFT GEARS CAN BE EASILY MOVED INTO GEAR FROM THE PARK POSITION WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES.PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

CONSUMER'S CHILD PULLED BACK ON GEAR SHIFT AND WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN GEAR WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON. CONSUMER HAS CALLED TO FIND OUT THAT IT WAS NOT A SAFETY FEATURE. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT MANUFACTURER. *AK CONSUMER'S CHILD WAS ONLY 21 MONTHS OLD AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE HIT A STOP SIGN, DRIFTED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, AND WAS HEADED DIRECTLY TOWARDS A TELEPHONE POLE. *JG

MY 4-YEAR SON PUT THE RIGHT KEY IN THE IGNITION OF MY DODGE GRAND CARAVAN,STARTED THE VAN, THEN PUT IT IN GEAR AND ROLLED IT DOWN THE DRIVE WAY UNTIL IT CRASHED INTO A TREE. LUCKILY HE WAS OK, BUT DON'T YOU THINK ITS TIME THAT DODGE GETS WITH THE PROGRAM AND MAKES THEIR VEHICLE SO THAT YOU HAVE TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE BEFORE YOU CAN GET IT OUT OF GEAR.WHY IS THIS NOT A NATIONAL STANDARD. ESPECIALLY IN FAMILY VEHICLES.THANK YOU GREGG CAHALAN 616-850-4533. PLEASE RESPOND!!! *AK

PERHAPS THIS DOESN'T QUALIFY AS A "FAILURE" AS MY GR.CARAVAN IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A SHIFT INTERLOCK. HOWEVER, I FEEL STRONGLY THAT MANUFACTURERES OF MINIVANS OUGHT TO BE REQUIRED TO EQUIP SUCH VEHICLES WITH SHIFFT INTERLOCKS AS ALL PASSENGER CARS ARE. WH. *AK

SHIFT LEVER CAN BE MOVED WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES INTO ANY GEAR.CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM CHRYSLER STATING THAT THERE WAS NO TRANSMISSION INTERLOCK AS STATED IN THEIR OWNERS MANUAL. CHRYSLER INCLUDED LABELS, INDICTATING THE DEFECT, AND WILL NOT MODIFY VEHICLE. *AK

THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES THE VEHICLES HAS A FEATURE CALLED BRAKE/TRANSMISSION INTERLOCK THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN GEAR WHILE RUNNING UNLESS THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED. MY VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE THIS FEATURE. CHRYSLER CALLED IT A "CLERICAL ERROR" AND SAID MY MANUAL IS WRONG. MY VAN WAS ORDERED AND MFG IN OCT 99. IT WAS NOT THE FIRST 2000 MODEL MADE. I FEEL ANY VEHICLE WITH FRONT AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE THIS SAFETY FEATURE. I AM SCARED THAT MY 3 YEAR OLD WILL START THE VAN, PUT IT INTO GEAR(QUITE EASILY DONE), AND DRIVE IT INTO THE GARAGE WALL. THIS WOULD ACTIVATE THE AIRBAGS AND COULD BE FATAL SINCE HE WOULD BE UNRESTRAINED. FORD AND GM HAVE THIS SAFETY FEATURE. WHY DID CHRYSLER SAY THEY HAVE IT IN THEIR MANUAL AND THEN SAY IT WAS A CLERICAL ERROR?*AK