Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1994 Dodge Caravan submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 108 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 108, in the owner's own words
LACKS POWER, WANTS TO STALL LIKE IT'S NOT GETTING ANY FUEL, HAVE REPLACED NUMEROUS PARTS INCLUDING WHAT WAS LISTED ON THE DIAGNOSTIC SCANS, CLUNKING NOISE UNDER VAN. NOTHING SEEMS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HAVE SPENT OVER $600 IN PARTS ALONE, NOT COUNTING LABOR. *NM
DT: CONSUMER STATES HIS 1994 DODGE CARAVAN THAT HE PURCHASED USED ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IMMEDIATELY. THE TRANSMISSION WILL POP OUT OF GEAR WHEN IT IS HOT. THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE SHUT OFF AND THEN IT WILL START AGAIN. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, SEPTEMBER 2004, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT 30 DAYS AGO AND HAPPENED AGAIN YESTERDAY. *JB
HAVE A 1994 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. ALREADY REPLACED ONE TRANSMISSION AND I AM LOOKING AT REPLACING ANOTHER. TOLD BY TRANSMISSION MECHANICS AND OTHERS THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE VEHICLES ARE NOTORIOUS FOR FAILURE AND THAT THE COMPANY KNOWINGLY INSTALL SUCH EQUIPMENT AT THE CONSUMER'S ULTIMATE EXPENSE. *JB
TRANSMISSION FELT LIKE IT WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE ON OUR WAY HOME, AT NIGHT, THEN IT JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD ON A CORNER. WE PUSHED IT SOMEWHAT OFF THE ROAD AND TURNED ON THE HAZARDS. THEN I PROCEEDED TO HAUL MY FIVE KIDS OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND DOWN THE ROAD TO TRY TO PHONE FOR HELP. WALKING AT NIGHT WITH 5 YOUNG CHILDREN ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD IS DANGEROUS. I TRIED TO GET IT REPAIRED AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH DODGE. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT IT WOULD TAKE APPROXIMATELY $3,000.00 TO FIX AND THEN IT COULD TURN AROUND AND HAPPEN AGAIN. NO INDICATOR LIGHT EVER CAME ON. THE DEALER TOLD ME THESE WERE GOOD VANS AND VERY DEPENDABLE TOO. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BY BEING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC BEFORE SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING? THESE TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD BE DECLARED LEMONS, RECALLED AND MADE GOOD ON. *LA
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION EXPLODED INTERNALLY, AND HAD TO BE REBUILT. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON OUR 1994 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITHOUT ANY WARNING - THE VAN IS JUST UNDER 9 YEARS OLD AND HAD 86292 MILES. IT HAS BEEN REGULARLY SERVICED AND IS MAINTAINED IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. IT IS USED TO COMMUTE TO WORK AND AS A FAMILY CAR WITHOUT ANY TOWING OR HEAVY LOADS. REGULAR TRANSMISSION SERVICE AND CHECKUP HAS BEEN PERFORMED WITH LAST ONE BEFORE THE FAILURE AT 72456 MILES. NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND AT THIS SERVICE, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE TAKEN APPROPRIATE ACTION. THE FAILURE HAPPENED IN AN OFFICE UNDERGROUND PARKING LOT AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN MY WIFE TRIED TO PARK IT. IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY OR ON A BUSY STREET AND COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS TO HER SAFETY AND TO OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. I RESEARCHED INTO THE ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND A LOT OF CHRYSLER/DODGE CARAVAN OWNERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS OVER THE YEARS. I EVEN TALKED TO FRIENDS AND PEOPLE I KNOW WHO ARE CARAVAN OWNERS AND SEVERAL TOLD ME IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS BUT CHRYSLER HAS FAILED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. FAILURES EVEN HAPPEN AT LOWER MILEAGE THAN MY VAN AND TO OLDER MODELS. REPLACED TRANSMISSIONS ARE ALSO KNOWN TO FAIL WITH LOW MILEAGE IN SEVERAL CASES THAT I CAME ACROSS. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH CHRYSLER ON THIS MATTER AND THE RIDICULOUS COST OF $2500 THAT I HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A REMANUFACTURED ONE. THE DEALER THAT CHECKED THE PROBLEM ON MY VAN FOUND THAT THERE WERE 4 PROBLEMS FOUND INCLUDING WORN OUT CLUTCHES AND HE HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR THE FAILURE. CHRYSLER INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM AT THIS TIME BUT THEY MAY HAVE ONE LATER ON. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT CHRYSLER/DODGE IS WELL AWARE OF THIS DEFECT PROBLEM AND THAT IT IS ALSO A SAFETY HAZARD. CHRYSLER SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND REPLACE THE TRANSMISSIONS WITH A BETTER DESIGNED ONE FOR THE SAKE OF SAFETY TO THEIR CUSTOMERS AND OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD.
TRANSMISSION HAD SOME MAJOR REPAIRS DONE AT 90,000 MILES. CURRENTLY, TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH. *AK
NAR 05/21/2003 *MR THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE TWO TRANSMISSIONS ON THE 1994 DODGE CARAVAN TWICE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *CB
THERE WERE SEVERAL REPAIRS DONE TO THE TRANSMISSION AND EVENTUALLY THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *JB
WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, LOCKEDTHE UP VEHICLE. HAD PART REPLACED. 62000 MILES LATER, AND TRANSMISSION WENT AGAIN.*AK
WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION DOES NOT WORK, GEAR GOES INTO NEUTRAL WHEN TRYING TO SWITCH TO FIRST GEAR.*AK
AT 20 MPH AND 50 MPH THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT TO NEXT HIGHER GEAR, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALER AT THIS TIME. NLM
WHILE DRIVING COULD HEAR A FORCE NOISE COMING FROM TRANSMISSION, LIKE IS WORKING HARD, BUT VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE AS FAST.TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED ONCE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS DODGE VAN WILL FAIL AT UNKNOWN TIMES. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THE TEMPERATURE OR SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. IT CAN FAIL WHILE TURNING LEFT ACROSS TRAFFIC. IT CAN AND HAS FAILED IN THE CENTER LANE OF THE DAN RYAN EXPRESSWAY AT 3:00PM ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON. WHEN IT FAILS THE CAR IS TOTALLY WITHOUT DRIVE POWER AND CANNOT BE MOVED. THE DEALER HAS SEEN THIS AND CANNOT 'DETERMINE A CAUSE' I HAVE REPORTED TO DAIMLERCHRYSLER ( TRACKING NUMBER 355565) NO RESPONSE FROM EITHER.*AK
WHEN PURCHASING VEHICLE IN FEBRUARY OF 2001 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAD JUST BEEN REBUILT. TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE ON FEB 10TH, AND WHILE TRAVELING ON AN INCLINE AT APPROXMIMATELY 45 MPH ON MAY 28TH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 65MPH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED ON ITS OWN AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 85MPH. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, BUT PEDAL WAS LOCKED. SHE USED BOTH FEET ON BRAKE WITH NO RESULTS. THEN, PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO SLOW IT DOWN, AND VEHICLE WENT INTO REVERSE, HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE, $ AMOUNT OF DAMAGE UNKNOWN. *AK
CONSUMER IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT/CHANGE GEARS AFTER APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
RELPACED TRANSMISSION. *AK
TRANSMISSION STARTED LEAKING.AFTER DEALER FIXED THE PROBLEM I WAS TOLD IT WAS "HARD SEALS" DUE TO TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS OR WEAR AND TEAR. OUR CLIMATE DOES NOT CHANGE DRASTICALLY AND HOW CAN A MAJOR PART LIKE THIS FAIL AFTER ONLY 43,000 MILES? WE HAVE DONE THE ROUTINE MAINTANENCE ON THIS VAN EVERY 3,000 MILES.IS THIS A NORMAL PROBLEM? *AK
WHEN TRANSMISSION IS COLD AFTER STARTING VEHICLE, WOULD NEED TO WAIT BEFORE BEINGABLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. SOMETIMES WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE, IT WOULD SKIP. TOOK TO DEALER & SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED PROBLEM WAS KNOWN TO MANUFACTURER, BUT WOULD NOT REPAIR IT.*AK
TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING AT LOW GEARS, THEN PAUSING AND JUMPING INTO GEAR. BEGAN STICKING IN 1ST GEAR CAUSING DRIVER TO STOP, RESTART ENGINE TO RESET TRANSMISSION OR DRIVE AT SPEEDS UNDER 30 MPH. REBUILT IN 5/99 BUT TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AGAIN AND WILL NOT SHIFT INTO HIGHER GEARS.THIS PROVES DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS AND CANNOT ACCELERATE TO A SAFE SPEED.
THE TRANSMISSION HAS RECURRING PROBLEMS WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL IN TRAFFIC. NLM
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED. *ET
IF ANYONE HAS CLASS ACTION SUITE?TRANSMISSION FAILS,FAILS,FAILS,EVERYONE I KNOW HAS HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THATS AT LEAST 5 PEOPLE. I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANYONE W/CARAVAN WHO HASN'T HAD TRANS PROBLEMS. MINE HAS FAILED TWICE.*AK
TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WITH SHIFTING OUT OF GEAR. ALSO, ON ONE OCCASION VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, AND SUDDENLY COMMENCED TO ACCELERATE. NO INJURIES REPORTED. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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