1990 Dodge Caravan Transmission Problems

I STARTED NOTICING A SLIGHT GRINDING NOISE 1 WEEK BEFORE THE FAILURE. IT ONLY HAPPENED WHEN IT WAS COLD AND ONLY WHEN TURNING LEFT. I THOUGHT IT COULD BE A BAD U-JOINT. ON THE MORNING OF 2-16-07 8:15 AM I WAS TURNING LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT. IT CHEWED UP ONE OF THE BEARINGS (WHICH A MECHANIC LATER TOLD ME WAS NOTORIOUS FOR GOING OUT) AND DROPPED THEM ALL OVER THE ROAD. I WAS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION WITH NO WAY TO GO ANYWHERE, BLOCKING TRAFFIC. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I WAS ALSO UNABLE TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHICH HAD AN INCLINE TO IT. THE TRANSMISSION WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE DRIVETRAIN AND PUTTING THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK HAD NO EFFECT. I HAD TO PUSH THE VEHICLE INTO SOMEONE'S DRIVEWAY AND LEAVE IT THERE WITH A ROCK IN FRONT OF THE WHEEL. I DID HAVE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON BUT I WAS NOT GOING TO TOTALLY TRUST IT TO KEEP THE VAN STATIONARY. THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO THE VAN. IT IS A 1990 WITH ONLY 87000 ORIGINAL MILES. I AM THE SECOND OWNER AND ONLY PUT 2000-3000 MILES A YEAR ON THIS VAN. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION HAS LESS THAN 25000 MILES ON IT. *NM

NHTSA ID

10183038

Incident

Feb 16, 2007

Mileage

87,534 mi

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. AT 48,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. IT WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER, GLENN E. THOMAS DODGE IN SIGNAL HILL. THEREAFTER, EVERY 15,000 TO 25,000 MILES OR SO, THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED, PROBABLY 5 TIMES NOW; THE COMPUTER FOR THE TRANS HAS FAILED TWICE, THE MOTOR COMPUTER FAILED 2 TIMES, THE POWER WINDOWS BROKE OFF THEIR TRACKS, THE SLIDING DOOR JAMMED SHUT AND WOULDN'T ALIGN. NOW THE PAINT JOB ON MY WHITE 1990 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN (WITH WOOD TRIM) IS PEELING OFF, MOSTLY ON THE ROOF (WHERE IT IS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE, DOWN TO THE PRIMER, RUSTING THROUGH TO THE ROOF METAL) AND ON THE HOOD AND FRONT QUARTER PANELS. THE PAINT WAS NOT PROPERLY APPLIED TO THE PRIMER UNDERCOAT OR THE PRIMER WAS NOT PROPERLY APPLIED SO AS TO ADHERE TO THE TOP COLOR COAT. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER CARAVAN'S OF THE SAME MODEL WITH THEIR PAINT COMPLETELY OR PARTIALLY PEELED OFF AS I HAVE DRIVEN AROUND. IT IS A VERY OBVIOUS DEFECT OF THE PAINT--THERE ARE NO OTHER VEHICLES OUT THERE WITH THIS KIND OF PAINT FLAKING AND PEELING PROBLEM TO THIS EXTENT. THE PLASTIC COATING ON THE WOOD TRIM IS ALL FLAKING AND PEELING OFF AS WELL. IT MAKES THE CAR LOOK "SHAGGY!" WHAT A MESS. THIS CAR REALLY NEEDS A PAINT JOB TO BE PAID FOR BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE PAID OUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR TRANSMISSIONS TO BE REPLACED. I AM ON A THREE-YEAR WARRANTY WITH DODGE FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND ON MY THIRD TRANSMISSION FAILURE UNDER THAT WARRANTY! THE OVERDRIVE UNIT IS FULLY DEFECTIVE AND THE COMPANY WILL NOT UNDERTAKE TO FIX IT. THE CAR WILL FAIL AND THE TRANS WILL JUST SPIN WITHOUT ENGAGING ANY FORWARD GEAR OR IT WILL NOT SHIFT INTO THIRD OR OVERDRIVE. THE SPEED SENSOR UNIT IS ALSO DEFECTIVE AND FREQUENTLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. WHAT A MESS OF A TRANSMISSION! I HAVE IT REGULARLY SERVICED AND I DON'T DRIVE IT HARD OR ABUSE THE TRANS. HELP.

NHTSA ID

10005828

Incident

Jan 1, 2000

Mileage

140,000 mi

TRANSMISSION FAILED. *YH

NHTSA ID

568098

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO ANOTHER GEAR/ STARTED JERKING, AND LOCKED IN PARK. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

8007468

I KNOW OF 3 OTHER FAMILY'S THAT HAVE THE SAME YR., MAKE & MODEL OF VAN WITH THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

743772

Incident

Nov 1, 1999

THIS SEEMS TO BE A REAL PROBLEM AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE . I FEEL THAT DODGE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE TRANSMISSIONS CONSIDERING THAT THEY KNOW THE ARE BAD . PEOPLE SHOULDNOT HAVE TO GO TO COURT FOR DODGE TO PAY UP.THERE SHOULD BE A NATIONAL RECALL AS THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTS ON FILE .THE TRANSMISSIONS LOCK-UP WITHOUT WARNING AND CAN BE A MAJOR CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT. THEN WHAT WILL BE DONE?*AK

NHTSA ID

743310

MY 3.0 L 4-SPEED AUTOMATIC 1990 DODGE CARAVAN RECENTLY BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE SHIFTING INTO OVERDRIVE. IT SHIFTS INTO 1ST, 2ND, THEN 3RD, BUT AS IT TRYS TO SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE IT BUCKS THREE TIMES THAN ABRUPTLY SHIFTS INTO SECOND GEAR SURGING THE PASSANGERS FORWARD. I MUST THEN SHUT OFF THE VAN AND RESTART IT FOR IT TO BE DRIVABLE. I NORMALLY DON'T TAKE THIS TYPE OF ACTION BUT THROUGH MY RESEARCH HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION. WHEN I FOUND AN ARTICLE IN CONSUMER REPORTS (OCTOBER 1999) WHERE THIS SAME THING HAPPENED TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL I DECIDED TO TAKE ACTION.

NHTSA ID

728475

Incident

Aug 16, 2000

PAINT PEELED OFF ALSO. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID

727864

Incident

Aug 10, 2000

POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS CAUSING VEHICLE TO EXPERIENCE NO REVERSE / NO FIRST GEAR. *YC

NHTSA ID

851485

Incident

Nov 6, 1993

TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED A TOTAL OF SIX TIMES. MJS

NHTSA ID

548182

WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST GEAR TO 2ND, TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. RESTARTING ENGINE WILL ALLOW VEHICLE TO DRIVE IN FIRST ONLY. ATTEMPTS BY VEHICLE TO SHIFT INTO SECOND WILL THROW TRANSMISSION IN TO NEUTRAL. HOWEVER, IF THE VEHICLE IS ALLOWED TO SIT FOR 1/2 TO 2 HOURS, THEN TRANSMISSION OPERATES NORMALLY. PROBLEM CAN OCCUR AFTER DRIVING FOR 1/2 HOUR OR MORE AND/OR IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. I HEAR THAT THIS OR VERY SIMILAR PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED TO MANY OTHER DODGE CARAVAN OWNERS. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? *AK

NHTSA ID

707770

THE SHIFTER IS VERY HARD TO PUT INTO GEAR. THE SHIFTER LOCKS IN WHATEVER GEAR IT IS SET IN. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES IT RELEASES. THE DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID

834717

THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION HAS LOCKED UP IN LOW GEAR. CONSUMER HAD PREVIOUSLY REPLACED TRANSMISSION TWICE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.

NHTSA ID

834399

Incident

Sep 6, 1998

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID

702727

Incident

Jan 14, 1999

TRANSMISSION IS MAKING LOUD NOISE. ALSO, VEHICLE LURCHES FOWARD WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

832933

INDICATOR LEVEL NOT SHOWN IN PROPER POSITION WHENEVER GEARS ARE SHIF. CONSUMER ALSO INDICATED THAT WHEN HE TIGTHENS THE CABLE LINE THE CABLE WOULD LOOSEN, AND CAUSES THE PROBLEM TO REOCCUR. *AK

NHTSA ID

830744

Incident

Nov 15, 1997

PUMP BUSHING DISINTEGRATED. THIS CAUSED THE TORQUE CONVERTOR TO BE DAMAGED. TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED. WAS PULLING AWAY FROM STATION WHEN A WHINING NOISE WAS HEARD. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AUGUST 1995. *AK

NHTSA ID

830698

Incident

Oct 25, 1998

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED FOUR TRANSMISSION REPLACMENTS, AND HAD TWO OF THEM REBUILT. HOWEVER, IS STILL EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE SLIPPING/JERKING INTO GEAR, AND TRANSMISSION STALLING WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP POSITION. *AK

NHTSA ID

830538

Incident

Oct 30, 1995

ENGINE FAILS INTERMITTENTLY.

NHTSA ID

539035

TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP WHILE GOING ABOUT 5MPH. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. VEHICLE TESTED AFTER BEING REPAIRED. 3 MONTHS LATER, TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AGAIN. THIS TIME AT DEALER'S, BUT NOT REPAIRED. *AK

NHTSA ID

826842

Incident

Mar 13, 1998

TRANSMISSION IS NOISY AND HAS HARSH DOWNSHIFTS. TRANSMISSION HAS CONSISTANTLY BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE PURCHASED NEW. NO KNOWLEDGE OF SERVICE BULLETIN: HL-09-91

NHTSA ID

537490

Incident

Oct 22, 1996

WHEN MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT HAND TURNS THE VEHICLE SPUTTERS THEN LURCHES FORWARD. TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS THE 2ND TRANSMISSION PUT INTO THE VEHICLE AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK

NHTSA ID

824382

Incident

Jun 5, 1995

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE, ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH. *AK

NHTSA ID

533174

Incident

Oct 1, 1997

TRANSMISSION FAILED SEVERAL TIMES AFTER REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ID

532703

Incident

Jan 1, 1997

WHEN TRAVELING 60 TO 65 MPH THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, RESULTING IN LOSS OF VERIOUS ELECTRICAL COMPONETS. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

821818

Incident

Feb 23, 1998