2005 Dodge Caravan Transmission Problems

2005 DODGE CARAVAN. I HAD AN ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AND HEARD A CLICKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE. I HAD IT CHECKED BY A NON-DODGE DEALER AND HE RESEARCHED AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS ENGINE HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED FLYWHEELS CAUSING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. I THOUGHT IT UNUSUAL THAT A MAIN PART SUCH AS A FLY WHEEL WOULD CRACK. I TOOK IT TO CLASSIC DODGE IN DENTON, TX AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FLYWHEEL IS CRACKED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1080.00 HAVE ANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS TYPE BEEN SENT? *TR

NHTSA ID

10312847

Incident

Feb 18, 2010

Mileage

77,200 mi

FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS I'VE BEEN TAKING MY VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP WITH CONCERN OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. MY TRANSMISSION SLIPS IN 2 AND 3RD GEAR, I'VE BEEN IN REVERSE AND MY VAN HAS GONE INTO DRIVE, I'VE BEEN IN DRIVE AND MY VANS GONE IN REVERSE, MY VAN HESITATES, STALLS AND EVEN DIES. MY TRANSMISSIONS FEELS AS THOUGH IT'S DROPPED INTO "NEUTRAL" WHEN IT SLIPS GEAR CAUSING MY VAN TO IMMEDIATELY DECELERATE SPEED (SOMETIMES DIE), FREEWAY OR CITY DRIVING. I HAVE TAKEN MY VAN IN HANDFULS OF TIME WITH THIS CONCERN AND EVERYTIME I WAS TOLD MY TRANSMISSION IS FINE, 1 TECH SAID HE NOTICED A SLIGHT SLIP IN GEARS. BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I'VE BEEN TO 3 DIFFERENT DODGE DEALERSHIPS AND NO ONE HAS NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I'VE TAKEN IT TO AAMCO 1 TIME AND THEY INSTANTLY FOUND THE PROBLEM, THEY JUST CAN'T REPAIR MY TRANSMISSION BECAUSE I AM STILL UNDER DEALER WARRANTY. WHAT AAMCO HAS FOUND IS: 2-3 GEAR SLIPS BAD, TORQUE CONVERTER: NOISY, BAD, TCC/LOCKUP: SLIPS BAD. DODGE WILL NOT HONOR AAMCO FINDINGS, WHICH IT TO BE EXPECTED BUT I HAVE 3 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 9 AND NOT ONE DEALER WANTS TO TAKE IT UNDER WARRANTY AND FIX THE KNOWN PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10291572

Incident

Oct 31, 2009

WHILE PARKING ON A SLOPE VEHICLE START ROLLING BACK BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE DRAGGING ME HITTING THE WHEELS OF A TRAILER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10239483

Incident

Aug 23, 2005

Mileage

16,814 mi

I DROVE 2 HOURS ON THE HIGHWAY AND PARKED THE CAR WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION. AFTER 10 MINUTES I WENT TO LEAVE AND I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE; IT STARTED CRANKING AND STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. PARTS OF MY CAR STARTED FALLING OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. MY CAR ONLY HAD 32,000 MILES ON IT. THE AXEL GOT CAUGHT IN THE TRANSMISSION AND BROKE ALL THE PIECES IN THE TRANSMISSION. IT TOOK 3 WEEKS FOR MY CAR TO BE REPAID AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET A LOANER CAR FROM DODGE EVEN THOUGH I COMPLAINED.I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AN HOUR EARLIER ON THE HIGHWAY. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED IN OCTOBER. I WAS DRIVING ON MY WAY HOME WITH MY SISTER AND MY 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. IT WAS RAINING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WENT HAYWIRE. MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING AND MY WINDOWS WOULDN'T OPEN. A FEW MINUTES LATER WHEN I ARRIVED HOME, I NOTICED THAT MY CAR WAS SMOKING. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, I WENT OUT TO CHECK ON MY CAR AND FOUND THAT IT WAS RUNNING WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. I PUT THE KEY IN AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN. THE NEXT MORNING, I WENT TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND WHEN I WENT TO LOOK AT MY CAR, IT WAS RUNNING ONCE AGAIN. BY THE TIME THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, MY BATTERY WAS DEAD. ONCE AGAIN WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT. THESE ARE TWO MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR NOW. I THINK THAT I SHOULD RECEIVE A NEW CAR THAT DOESN'T HAVE ALL OF THESE MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10207717

Incident

Aug 4, 2007

Mileage

32,500 mi

TL* -THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IN THE 2005 DODGE CARAVAN HAS BEEN REPLACED AT 17,000 MILES AND 34,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS AN ODOMETER READING OF 48,000 MILES. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. HE WAS TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE SNOWY. THE CONTACT STATED HE LOST ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE. THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS WENT OUT ON THE VEHICLE, THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE VEHICLE RESTARTED. THIS HAPPENED AFTER 34,000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID

10180588

Incident

Jan 3, 2005

Mileage

17,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE THE DEALER DETERMINED THE BRAKES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS DISCOLORED. BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS WERE RESURFACED. VEHICLE HAD AN ALIGNMENT. TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS DISCOLORED, BUT THE CONTACT DECLINED TRANSMISSION FLUSH. *AK

NHTSA ID

10154409

Incident

Mar 31, 2006

Mileage

12,748 mi

DT: SINCE MARCH WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY ABOUT 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE RUMBLING SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS DRIVING OVER RUMBLING STRIPS ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS PROBLEM IS SPORADIC. NO DASH LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING THERE WAS ANY TYPE OF PROBLEM. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH REFERENCES THIS PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SPRINTERS WHICH LATER TURNS INTO A TORQUE CONVERTER PROBLEM. IT MAY ALSO CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN INTO TO THE DEALER YET. THE OWNER HAS NOT CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER. THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED EVER SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. THE OWNER WOULD LIKE TO REFER THE INVESTIGATOR TO [email protected] WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROBLEM. OWNER ALSO WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS FRUSTRATION ABOUT THE SPRINTER NOT BEING AVAILABLE AS ONE OF THE CHOICES IN THE COMPLAINT DATABASE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10129187

Incident

Mar 25, 2005

Mileage

30 mi

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE, AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD JUMP OUT OF DRIVE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THEY AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE UNABLE TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10103858

Incident

Aug 20, 2004

Mileage

200 mi