2000 Dodge Grand Caravan Powertrain & Transmission Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. WHILE CHECKING THE TRANSMISSION UNDER THE HOOD WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE CONTACT'S GRANDDAUGHTER WAS ABLE TO SHIFT FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE. THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE MOVED FORWARD, KNOCKING THE CONTACT UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED, SHE MANAGED TO GET UP FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT WAS THE ONLY ONE INJURED. THE PARAMEDICS HAD BEEN CALLED AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FILED A REPORT. SHE WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. CHRYSLER STATED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE GEAR TO BE MOVED OUT OF POSITION WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE MAY RECUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 124,784.UPDATED 05/13/08. *LJ

I PICKED UP ON A MATTER OF SAFETY WITH MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON, AND RUNNING THE VEHICLE CAN BE SHIFTED FROM PARK TO OTHER GEARS WITHOUT THE BREAK PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THIS ISSUES CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALER ABOUT THE ISSUE, AND WAS TOLD THAT IN THE 2000 MODEL IT WASN'T REQUIRED TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE. I AS THE CONSUMER DO NOT THINK THIS THE CASE. I CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN TIME AFTER TIME, AND CAN SHOW YOU IT HAPPENING. COULD RESULT IN PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND OR CRASH. *TR

LUCKILY WE WERE SLOWING TO A STOP AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. THE CENTER PIN THAT HOLDS THE GEARS IN THE DIFFERENTIAL CAME LOOSE AND LOCKED THE FRONT WHEELS UP SO VIOLENTLY THAT IT KILLED THE ENGINE. IF THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. THERE WAS NO WARNING NO NOISE AT ALL. WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT BUSTED THREE HOLES IN THE DIFFERENTIAL CASE OF THE TRANSMISSION AND ONE HOLE IN THE FLYWHEEL HOUSING. I BELIEVE THERE ARE SOM SERIOUS ENGINEERING ISSUES THAT CHRYSLER NEEDS TO ADDRESS BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. LUCKILY ALL I AM OUT IS THE MONY TOBUY ANOTHER TRANSMISSION AND PAY THE CORE CHARGE SINCE MY CASE IS NOT REBUILDABLE.

WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN LOCKED UP WITH ONLY 87403 MILES REGISTERED. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO A REPUTABLE TRANSMISSION COMPANY I FOUND THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WAS DAMAGED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. WHILE REPAIRS WERE BEING MADE I INVESTIGATED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND FOUND THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE BUT THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS TO THIS DATE. ALL PARTS INCLUDING GEARS WERE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE OF $2221.58. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THIS VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE PROBLEMS AND ESPECIALLY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED UNTIL AT LEAST OVER 100,000 MILES. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50MPH, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO ITS DESTINATION AND WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE DIFFERENTIAL CROSS PIN CAME LOOSE, LOGGED INTO THE SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION CASE AND RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

I AM A DAY CARE PROVIDER AND WHILE I WAS TRANSPORTING FIVE SMALL CHILDREN, MY 2000 DODGE CARAVAN'S TRANSMISSION BLEW ON THE INTERSTATE WITH NO WARNING. I WAS HORRIFIED AND WE WERE LEFT STRANDED FOR NEARLY AN HOUR. I RECENTLY HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED, AND OIL CHANGED PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. MY VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 80 THOUSAND MILES ON IT. I KEEP UP WITH MAINTENANCE. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FINDING OUT IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER $2000 TO FIX, I MADE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS. I WAS TOLD BY SEVERAL LOCAL SERVICE SHOPS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON AND THAT ON AN AVERAGE THEY SEE THIS HAPPEN ON A WEEKLY BASIS. ONLINE RESEARCH TURNED UP THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO HAVE ALSO HAD THIS HAPPEN. THE TRANSMISSION BLOWS, SOMETHING ABOUT A PIN FLYING THROUGH THE CASE AND THE VEHICLE IS RENDERED USELESS UNTIL A $2000 PLUS REPAIR IS MADE. CONTACTED CHRYSLER DIRECTLY AND THEY STATED THEY ARE UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS, YET THE INTERNET IS FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT WHETHER THIS WILL OCCUR WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION, I WAS INFORMED THE PROBLEM WOULD BE CORRECTED, IF THERE IS A PROBLEM TO CORRECT ...THEN CHRYSLER SHOULD FIX IT TO BEGIN WITH. I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION AND I STRONGLY FEEL THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR AT LEAST PART OF IT SINCE IT IS A DEFECTIVE PART IN THEIR TRANSMISSIONS. THIS PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS IN THE 97-2002 MODELS FROM THE INFORMATION I GATHERED ONLINE. THE TRANSMISSION FAILS AND THERE IS NO MAINTENANCE OR PROCEDURE THAT A CUSTOMER CAN DO TO PREVENT IT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE WHEELS LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE SLID OFF OF THE ROAD AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED A PIN IN THE TRANSMISSION CAME OUT, CAUSING THE WHEELS TO LOCK UP. UPDATED 3/17/2006 - THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE PIN BROKE THROUGH THE HOUSING OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND EXPLAINED TO THE CONSUMER THAT THEY NOW HAVE A RETROFIT KIT TO LOCK THE PIN IN. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO PROVIDE THE CONSUMER WITH ANY ASSISTANCE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING 50-55 MPH TRANSMISSION EXPLODED. BROKEN PIECES OF THE TRANSMISSION SPREAD OUT ONTO THE ROADWAY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS UNDETERMINED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.*AK... LET CHRYSLER KNOW OF THE PROBLEM. WHEN TRANSMISSION WAS TAKEN OUT IT LOOKED LIKE A BUNCH OF HOLES SHOT INTO IT. THE MECHANIC SAID THE PIN CAME OUT OF THE DIFFERENTIAL. CONSUMER WAS LUCKY TO GET OFF THE ROAD. *AK

2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE HAS NO SHIFT LOCK. 2 YEAR OLD CHILD WAS ABLE TO SHIFT TRANSMISSION FROM PARK TO DRIVE WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. $1800 DAMAGE TO CARAVAN AND $2300 TO ANOTHER CUSTOMIZED VAN; ALL IN THE EXPANSE OF 50 FEET AND 1 MINUTE IN A FLAT AND LEVEL PRIVATE SCHOOL PARKING LOT. *NM

2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, VEHICLE PUT INTO GEAR WITHOUT FOOT ON BRAKE. DODGE DOES NOT HAVE SAFETY SWITCH ON BRAKE TO PREVENT GEAR SHIFTING. THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. LET'S DO THE RIGHT THING, IF THIS IS NOT ILLEGAL THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT DOING THEIR JOB.*AK

VEHICLE WAS BEING MAINTAINED BY AN AFTERMARKET AUTO SHOP WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A QUARTER SIZE HOLE THAT WENT COMPLETELY THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION. THE OWNER THEN CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN CANADA AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN: I SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE AND IT STARTED TO REVERSE BUT THEN JERKED, PLACED IN PARK, AND AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO REVERSE BUT EXPERIENCED THE SAME RESULTS. PLACED IN NEUTRAL AND ROLLED OUT OF DRIVEWAY INTO STREET AND NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD BLOWN, PULLED FORWARD AND PARKED. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING CRACKED AND THAT THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT COST WILL BE $3500.*AK

(1)DRIVING ALONG AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN WITH NO WARNING VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO "LIMP" MODE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF 2ND GEAR. VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED EXACTLY AS CALLED FOR IN SERVICE MANUAL. (2)TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. COST WOULD BE $2000 TO $2500. INFORMED THAT THE REAL PROBLEM WAS THAT THERE WAS A BACKLOG ON ORDERING A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. WAIT COULD BE AS LONG AS 6 MONTHS. IF THIS IS NOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM, THEN WHY IS THERE SUCH A BACKLOG IN OBTAINING A REPLACEMENT? ALSO AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE I WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS CHRYSLER HAD IN THE PAST WITH CARAVAN TRANSMISSIONS SO I ASKED THE SALESMAN ABOUT THE PROBLEM. WAS INFORMED THAT CHRYSLER HAD FIXED THE PROBLEM. LATER FOUND OUT THAT THEY DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM AS THERE ARE STILL AS MANY PROBLEMS AS BEFORE THEY JUST REDUCED THE WARRANTY PERIOD SO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO REPAIR AS MANY UNDER WARRANTY. (3)EVERYTHING IS STILL AVAILABLE AS I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR REPAIRS BECAUSE I STILL HAVE TO MAKE MY PAYMENTS. *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 42,000 MILES. PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION SHUDDER, TSB 18-05-94. I HAD BROUGHT THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDER TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION STARTING AT AROUND 32,000 MILES. DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY RE-FLASHED THE COMPUTER, ETC. VAN WAS BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER TWICE BEFORE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY EXPIRED. BROUGHT THE VAN BACK AT 37,000 MILES TO COMPLAIN AGAIN AND DEALER PROCEEDED TO TELL US THAT THEY HAVE NO RECORDS OF ANY PRIOR COMPLAINT REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION, THEREFORE THEY WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE US TO RE-FLASH THE TRANSMISSION. (I WILL NEVER LOSE OR THROW AWAY ANY WARRANTY RELATED RECEIPTS AGAIN). AFTER GOING BACK AND FORTH AND GETTING NOWHERE WE PAID THE RE-FLASH FEE AND ONCE AGAIN THE THEY TOLD US THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. THEN AT ABOUT 42,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION BLEW. THIS AFTER THE DEALER TOLD US ON A MINIMUM OF 4 OCCASIONS THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINE. AFTER SOME "POLITE" NEGOTIATION I GOT THE DEALER TO COVER HALF OF THE $1300.00 REPAIR COST TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION PUMP. OF COURSE THEY DIDN'T COVER THE FLATBED & RENTAL CAR EXPENSES. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A CAR THAT I HAVE HAD TO REPAIR OR REPLACE A TRANSMISSION AND I HAD DRIVEN MOST OF THEM WELL OVER 100,000 MILES. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW CHRYSLER CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS. WITH ALL OF THE DISGRUNTLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMERS ON THE INTERNET I CAN'T BELEIVE THE NHTSA ISN'T INVESTIGATING THEIR TRANSMISSIONS. WHO IS PAYING OFF WHO?*AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE @ 105,000 MILES*AK

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT THE MECHANIC CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *NM *NM

I STARTED MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AND TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONER. I OPENED THE DOORS TO LET THE HEAT OUT AND MY 2 1/2 YEAR OLD SON REACHED INTO THE FRONT SEAT AND PULLED THE SHIFTER INTO DRIVE. THE VAN SHIFTER SHIFTED WITHOUT PUSHING THE BRAKE AND THE VAN RAN INTO MY CHAIN-LINK FENCE. THIS IS A SAETY ISSUE AND I DO NOT THINK IT WAS RECALLED. IF IT DOES NOT GET RECALLED THEN I WILL TRADE IN MY VEHICLE FOR A MORE SAFE ONE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, SUDDENLY THERE WAS A LOUD CLANGING NOISE FROM THE TRANSMISSION THEN THE VAN STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE VAN WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL PIN BROKE IN HALF AND WENT THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION AND CREATED A HOLE . THE CAUSE OF THE DIFFERENTIAL PIN BREAKING HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. CONSUMER WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER, BUT DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

ALL THE SEALS AND GASKETS ON THE TRANSMISSION WORE OUT AND CAUSED LEAKS. *NM THE TRANSMISSION FAILED LESS THAN A YEAR LATER AFTER THE SEALS AND GASKETS WERE REPLACED. *JB FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. *TC