DEAR NHTSA, PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. WE HAVE HAD THIS VAN ONLY 7 MONTHS!!! WE HAVE A 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE THAT HAS 97,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. WE TOOK A TRIP IN THE LAST WEEK TO CALIFORNIA TO SEE OUR DAUGHTER WHEN THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. EVEN THOUGH WE COULD NOT SEE OR HEAR ANY PROBLEMS, WE TOOK IT TO A DEALER IN RENO, NEVADA - (3223 MILL ST, RENO, NV 89502 -- #(775)-323-3106). THEY SAID THAT THE SPARK PLUGS NEEDED REPLACING. AT A COST OF 300 DOLLARS, WE AGREED IN HOPES THAT THE LIGHT PROBLEM WOULD BE CURED EVEN THOUGH NOTHING SEEMED WRONG. AFTER PICKING UP THE VEHICLE THE NEXT MORNING, WE NOTICED THAT THE VAN WAS RUNNING TERRIBLY AND WOULD DIE WHEN STOPPED. FRUSTRATED THAT "NO" PROBLEM WITH OUR VAN PROGRESSED TO WORSE WE RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK IT AGAIN. AFTER TESTING IT AGAIN, THEY SAID THE CAMSHAFT HAD TO BE REPLACED. SINCE WE HAD TO RETURN HOME FOR WORK, WE COULD NOT WAIT TO GET IT FIX. ON RETURNING HOME WE TOOK IT INTO OUR TRUSTED MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY. HE CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND SAID THAT WE WILL NEED A NEW ENGINE. OUR COMPLAINT IS THAT OUR ENGINE SHOULD NOT OF FAILED ONLY AFTER ONLY 97,000 MILES - IT IS LUDICROUS.*AK
2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THIS ISSUE OCCURS EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE. IT IS A CHRYSLER FINANCIAL LEASE VEHICLE, AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 9,200 MILES. THE PROBLEM STARTED OCCURRING AT APPROXIMATELY 250 MILES. I AM AN ENGINEER ON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMPLAINT IS TO PROVIDE NHTSA AND THE MANUFACTURER WITH ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF AN ISSUE THAT SEEMS TO BE COMMON WITH THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION/VEHICLE. THE DODGE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SERVICED. ISSUE ? THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS AN EXTREMELY HARSH 2А1 DOWNSHIFT. IT ALSO EXHIBITS A MILDLY HARSH 1А2 UPSHIFT. I SUSPECT SOLENOID AND/OR VALVE BODY DEBRIS IS PRESENT CAUSING DELAYED/HARSH SHIFTS. THERE IS ALSO A MODERATE AMOUNT OF TORQUE CONVERTER LOCK-UP CLUTCH SLIPPAGE IN THIRD GEAR. THE VEHICLE REMAINS IN THIRD GEAR UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. DURING THIRD GEAR TORQUE CONVERTER LOCK-UP MODE, ENGINE SPEED FLUCTUATIONS ARE VISIBLE ON THE TACHOMETER. THE ENGINE SPEED CHANGES ARE AUDIBLE AS WELL. I HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID (ATF) LEVEL AND COLOR. THE LEVEL IS CORRECT AND THE FLUID DOES NOT SMELL OR APPEAR BURNT (FLUID IS RED IN COLOR). *TR