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Chrysler Minivan Transmission Problems

2067 messages,  Last post on May 12, 2013 at 11:00 AM

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What is this discussion about? Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager, Chrysler Grand Voyager, Dodge Grand Caravan, Transmission, Van


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Messages Page 158 of 207

#1571 of 2067 Re: 2007 Dodge Caravan transmission [tom166] by ericbenwa

Jan 20, 2008 (9:46 am)

Replying to: tom166 (Jan 20, 2008 4:21 am)
I had part 2 of the update done (I think it's the torque converter or something?). It's still doing it somewhat, but the weather has been so bad with slush and snow and cold (heater fan makes a lot of noise), that I have not been able to do a thorough assessment of the fix. Will let you know later on. My CAMVAP claim stays open for 90 days pass the maintenance done on the vehicle.

#1572 of 2067 2002 Chrysler T & C Transmission Failure by bmorr

Jan 21, 2008 (8:07 pm)

The transmission self-destructed at 97 000 km. There were no indications of a problem with this transmission, e.g., no shifting problems and no unusual noises. This vehicle has been well maintained according to the manufacturer's schedule and has never been abused. After traveling for about an hour at highway speed (approx. 100 km/h), the van lurched hard, lost speed and the check engine light came on. It jerked a few more times as I tried to get into the right lane in order to get off the multi-lane highway. Within a few minutes, I was on the shoulder of the highway with no drive power at all. It was a surprise to me how quickly all of this happened. I had one other vehicle in the past 20 years with transmission problems but I had some warning and was able to get it repaired before it was totally gone. The transmission has been replaced at a cost of about $4000. The diagnosis was that a gear had failed due to metal fatigue and the pieces from it destroyed much of the rest of the transmission. Has anyone else experienced sudden failure with this transmission?

#1573 of 2067 Re: 2002 Chrysler T & C Transmission Failure [bmorr] by shipo

Jan 22, 2008 (4:26 pm)

Replying to: bmorr (Jan 21, 2008 8:07 pm)
I had the transmission on our 1998 fail in a similar fashion shortly after a transmission service, however, the 1998 came with ATF+3 and required servicing every 30,000 miles (roughly every 50,000km), your 2002 came with a lifetime fill of ATF+4 and shouldn't need servicing at all.
 
Per your post you indicated that you had the transmission serviced at some point. If that is true, who serviced it and what fluid did they use?
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

#1574 of 2067 Re: 2002 Chrysler T & C Transmission Failure [bmorr] by rhtrans

Jan 24, 2008 (6:58 pm)

Replying to: bmorr (Jan 21, 2008 8:07 pm)
Yea...about 3 million other people...lol. Those units are very deceptable to converter clutch failures which clogg cooler passages and in turn destroy the gear train because the lubrication to the gears comes from cooler flow. Spinning at 2500 rpm with very little lubrication can destroy metal very quickly and you wouldn't even know it till it was to late. Metal fatigue? More like lack of lubrication....

#1575 of 2067 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan (first posted months ago) by classic7

Jan 25, 2008 (10:35 am)

Replying to: rhtrans (Jan 24, 2008 6:58 pm)
Well, it's official. Our 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan's transmission is going out. Just got the news. The vehicle only has 90,000 miles on it. I posted about it a few months ago, and I had to stop in to say my husband was right!
 
Does anyone want to guess what the MSRP is on a "fully loaded" car like this? TOO MUCH! Not if it's only got 6 six years, and 90,000 miles on it.
 
Whatever happened to the cars that would run forever? Oh yeah, America doesn't make them anymore...

#1576 of 2067 Re: 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan (first posted months ago) [classic7] by maguy

Jan 25, 2008 (10:42 am)

Replying to: classic7 (Jan 25, 2008 10:35 am)
At least you got 90K out of it. I just had my FOURTH tranmission put in my 2002 Honda Accord that I bought brand new in March 2002. I have 81K on the odometer right now. The first transmission went at 13K!! We actually just bought a 2008 Town & Country because I could not stomach another Honda even though the Odyssey is well regarded.

#1577 of 2067 now what? by handicap

Jan 30, 2008 (8:51 pm)

We own a Chry TC '01 minivan w/ 44K miles on it. It was bought used and is equipped as a handicapped vehicle. (Side door opens, car side lowers, ramp extends.) Car has been well cared for and all fluids reg checked. Today, w/ no warning the trans broke down...2 coughs and enough speed to get us to the road side before it stopped. It has NO trans now. There was a burning smell at the time. Trans is 6 yrs old and 44K miles, am I out of touch or is this par for the course? Chry said it had a 3yr/36K warr on "power train" so too bad for me. Do I have ANY recourse? 44K miles and the trans breaks totally as in: I need another trans for xxxx$/?

#1578 of 2067 Chrysler Van transmission problems by jsw3

Jan 30, 2008 (10:39 pm)

#1579 of 2067 Chrysler Van transmission problems by jsw3

Jan 30, 2008 (10:39 pm)

I have a 2002 Chrysler minivan with only 40,000 miles on it and the transmission went, of course out of warranty. It was working fine, then the engine light came on and now we have go get a whole new transmission, something about the torque, pieces broke inside something.

#1580 of 2067 Transmission Reliablity by srs_49

Feb 07, 2008 (10:31 am)

I just went back over the maintenance records for our '94 Caravan (which we no longer own). The transmission was rebuilt at 56,000 miles, but cost us zero because the power train warranty at that time was 7 months/70,000 miles. Over the next 121,000 miles (we got rid of the van when it had 176,900 mile on it), only work done on the tranny was a fluid change at 113,000 miles, and another at 160,000 miles as part of fixing a leaking transmission pan gasket. We never experienced any hesitation in shifts, "clunks" when downshifting, or any of the other symptoms that others have complained about.
 
One of the options our van had on it was the towing package. In addition to a heavier duty suspension, that package also came with a transmission cooler, if memory serves me correctly. I think the transmission cooler has a lot to do with extending the life of the transmission fluid and, directly, the life of the transmission, IMO.
 
BTW, this was the standard length van, not the grand.

Messages Page 158 of 207

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