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Vans & Minivans Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan Chrysler Minivan Transmission Problems
1833 messages, Last post on Nov 10, 2009 at 3:54 AM
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Replying to: wuebker (Jan 29, 2007 8:46 pm) gotta run.... 
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my 2001 t&c limited chucked its tranny for the first time at 70,000 miles (broken planetary or sun gear), did it again about 2 months later (fixed under shop warranty), and for the third time 2 months ago at 120,000 miles (broken gear again). i quizzed the shop about the ATF fluid and they assured me they used the right stuff. the fact that gears are actually breaking causing catastrophic failure indicates some kind of engineering problem to me. i think all this talk about the ATF fluid is a smoke screen by Chrysler to cover up the real truth.. they just build crap! btw, my latest Chrysler repair of the month is a new radiator 2 days ago other things i've spent on include front engine seals, valve covers twice, alternator within a month of purchase (bought it used at 30,000 miles), new radio because the dash lights wouldn't work, new hatch latch to correct malfunctioning power tailgate, replaced a/c condensor and other a/c stuff. both power side doors have failed and are difficult to open and shut. i can't remember what else i've done. i think i've spent about $8,000 dollars on this thing since we got it. looking for another minivan but doesn't look like the alternatives are all that exciting either. wife turned down my choice of MB R320 CDI due to insufficient cubby holes and s....t. likes Honda Touring but seems like Honda has problems too. whatever the next one is, i will be sure to have a very long and comprehensive warranty!!
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Replying to: rsmartin (Feb 07, 2007 2:51 pm) Our 1998 DGC Sport with the 3.8 liter engine lost its original transmission at 109,000 miles, just a few months after a tranny flush and fluid change. Interestingly enough, shortly after the tranny service, I posted here in the TownHall that the transmission felt like it was shifting very harsh. A few weeks later, BANG, dead tranny. The post mortem indicated that one or more of the internal clutches failed (probably the TC lock-up clutch) and sent shrapnel throughout the transmission. When clutches fail, it is almost always either the fluid that is the culprit or excess heat. I'm fairly confident that we can rule out excess heat in this case. "my 2001 t&c limited chucked its tranny for the first time at 70,000 miles (broken planetary or sun gear), did it again about 2 months later (fixed under shop warranty), and for the third time 2 months ago at 120,000 miles (broken gear again)." As a general statement, planetary gears are extremely robust. Other than your van, I've never heard of a single DC minivan failing due to a planetary gear failure, and I've been following the transmission issues with these vans since my kid brother got one of the early ones in his Gen2 van. This leads me to believe that the problems that you're experiencing may be of your own making. With that in mind, one obvious question strikes me, "Do come to a complete stop before shifting from Reverse to Drive or from Drive to Reverse? Every time?" "i quizzed the shop about the ATF fluid and they assured me they used the right stuff. the fact that gears are actually breaking causing catastrophic failure indicates some kind of engineering problem to me." Could you point me to posts from other folks where they have confirmed component failures in their transmissions that then caused a transmission failure? If you can, that would go a long way toward supporting your argument. That said, what do they consider the "right stuff"? Any number of shops claim that they can add some magic elixir to standard Dextron tranny fluid and suddenly it is the "right stuff". "i think all this talk about the ATF fluid is a smoke screen by Chrysler to cover up the real truth.. they just build crap!" Like I said before, I've been following the problems of these transmissions for a long time now, and before we bought our 1998 DGC, I had been pretty much convinced, based upon the evidence at hand, that the tranny fluid was the culprit in the vast majority of failed transmissions. Heat, as in towing without a tranny cooler, or from heavy stop and go driving in high summer temperatures seem to account for the remainder. Said another way, your sampling of one vehicle and a couple of transmissions is statistically irrelevant and as such, your comment about the "truth" and Chrysler's build quality is just as irrelevant and unsubstantiated. "btw, my latest Chrysler repair of the month is a new radiator 2 days ago" A fairly typical repair for ANY vehicle with that many miles on the clock, ESPECIALLY if the coolant hasn't been refreshed once or twice since the van was new. "other things i've spent on include front engine seals, valve covers twice, alternator within a month of purchase (bought it used at 30,000 miles), new radio because the dash lights wouldn't work, new hatch latch to correct malfunctioning power tailgate, replaced a/c condensor and other a/c stuff. both power side doors have failed and are difficult to open and shut." A few things occur to me: 1) Since you bought the van used, you have no way of knowing how well it was treated (or how horribly it was abused) prior to your ownership. 2) Engine seals and valve cover gaskets at such an early age indicate significant abuse as these engines have proven to be extremely robust with many of them reaching 300,000 miles before a single unscheduled maintenance event occurs, gaskets and seals included. We have two 3.8 liter vans, one of which has over 130,000 miles, and yet neither has ever leaked even a drop of oil. 3) Your van is a first year Gen4 van, and by all accounts, it did have some electronic gremlins that needed to be ironed out. I try to avoid first year vehicles (regardless of manufacturer) for that very reason. 4) The clutches for the power doors are a known problem area. Apparently the supplier of the combined motor and clutch unit has since redesigned the part for that very reason. 5) The Denso alternator in our vans has proven to be EXTREMELY reliable and is in use on many cars from many manufacturers from all over the world. That yours failed shortly after 30,000 miles of service raises all kinds of red flags as to the amount of heat your van was exposed to before you owned it. Hmmm, or the amount of water... Do you know for certain that your van isn't a salvaged flood vehicle? "i can't remember what else i've done. i think i've spent about $8,000 dollars on this thing since we got it." Interesting, we have nearly 220,000 combined miles on two DGCs (one Gen3 and one Gen4), and so far we've spent less than $3,000 in unscheduled repairs, including $2,600 for a factory remanufactured transmission for our 1998. Most other folks that I know with DC minivans (or that I communicate with in discussions like this) have experienced similarly low maintenance costs. "whatever the next one is, i will be sure to have a very long and comprehensive warranty!!" Probably not a bad idea for y'all. We on the other hand took a pass on the optional extended warranties for both of our vans. Good thing too as we would have spent about $3,500 for the warranties, and the single covered failure would have been an ABS wheel sensor for our 2003 that failed last winter. It only cost about $200 to have replaced. All other repairs to both of our vans (1 transmission, 1 door light switch, 1 vacuum battery tray, 1 set of sway bar bushings) came well beyond the 70,000 mile extended warranty period. Best Regards, Shipo
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Hi, My transmission has been flawless on my 3.8L 2005 Town and Country. I am currently at 52,000 miles. The owners manual does not recommend changing the transmission fluid. I drive 60 miles round trip all expressway for work (70-75 MPH). I have the extended warranty up to 100,000 miles. Would you change the fluid even though the owners manual does not recommend under normal driving conditions? Let me know your thoughts.
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Replying to: coach_td (Feb 08, 2007 10:03 am)
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Replying to: coach_td (Feb 08, 2007 10:03 am) |
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| Just picked up the car from the dealer after being there for the 3rd time in 1 month. We have a T&C van with 65,000 miles on it. It's a 2003. Seems like a lot of people have the same problem, a jerky, slipping feeling when the transmission shifts from low gear only. Dealer says transmission needs a TCM update which is currently not available from DC, that we have to drive the van like it is and that the problem is not going to do harm to the transmission. I know there are a lot of people out there with the same type problem. Is there a fix or do I just have to live with the problem? Any help would be appreciated. | |
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Replying to: kendvm (Feb 09, 2007 1:54 pm)
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Replying to: 97xpresso (Feb 09, 2007 6:58 pm)
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Replying to: 97xpresso (Feb 08, 2007 11:03 am) TIA
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