Problems with 1999 Dodge Caravan POWER TRAIN

Preparing to exit a parking lot, the gear shift was accidentally caught by my sleeve and pulled down to the "drive" position. the vehicle was not running, but it began to move forward. being on somewhat of a slope, the vehicle pulled onto a busy street. i grabbed the wheel to turn the van away from traffic, but it hit and scraped against a high curb, flattening 2 tires, damaging the wheels/rims of those tires, bending a strut and other damage to the suspension (i got a repair estimate from firestone, which totaled over $1,900.00). i didn't think it was possible for the gear shift to move without having my foot on the brake, but move it did and so did the van. other than being frightened and shaken, we were fortunate that no physical injuries occurred. however, had i not had that split second reaction to turn the steering wheel, there would have been a very bad collision with at least two vehicles driving down the busy street. wondering why the gear shift was able to move without the car running and without my foot on the brake, i did some research and found that chrysler knows about this grievous omission and did not want to spend the extra $9.00 per van to install a brake shift interlock. i'm incredulous! i intend to write to chrysler in hopes of being reimbursed for the damages sustained to my vehicle, but first wanted to report this incident to the appropriate agency. *tr

Driving 20 miles an hour under normal conditions. my transmission fell apart in my 1999 dodge grand caravan se 3.3 automatic transmission. there is a pin inside the transmission that simply breaks apart. you receive no warning of the defect. when this happens your vehicle seizes and stops. i was lucky i was close to home. when the pin breaks it destroys the case as well. in researching this defect i found out it also happens in 1999,2000, and 2001 dodge caravans, plymouth voyager and chrysler town and country vans. this breakage can occur at any speed. it seems to happen at around 100,000 miles. again in my research came across a person who replaced the transmission 5 times in one year and another who was going 60 miles an hour when it happened luckily they gained control of the vehicle and no one was hurt. there are still a great many of these vehicles on the road and present a danger to all occupants and even those who are next to them on the road when all systems shut down. you must purchase an after market built case that stabilizes the pin and helps prevent the metal fatigue or the problem will continue to happen. chrysler needs to offer some assistance to owners as this is 2000.00 or more repair. they do not acknowledge the problem and it seems to be very common. *tr

1999 dodge grand caravan had recall in 2004 to replace a clockspring, but dealer avoided this after customer's 3 or 4 tries in 2004. on 06-16-2010 when the vehicle was put in reverse, (all [xxx] broke loose!) the motor hit high revolutions, the steering wheel and the brakes immediately "locked" up and could not be moved as it traveled backwards and finally hitting and totaling 2 vehicles at over 50 mph.note: since about 2007 a brake light has been on and the cruise control was not working. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I was driving down a major road (m-59) and my minivan made a popping noise (my initial reaction was my tire blown) and came to an abrupt stop and engine cut off. i was able to restart and pull into a parking lot near by. i noticed transmission fluid leaking(which left a trail and a decent puddle when stopped). after speaking to 6 different transmission repair shops they all stated that there is a pin that is know to slip and shoot out causing the gears to slip out that has been know with the 99 dodge caravan .two mechanics believed there had been a silent recall because it is the most common problem with the transmission and dodge was aware of this problem. after reviewing online it seems that this is the biggest complaint. there is a bracket that now fixes this problem. i am grateful what happened didn't cause my 6 yr old daughter and i to get into a collision. i talked to my local dealership and the lady, samantha, i talked to was aware that this issue does exist. i don't understand why the consumer has to experience this expensive, dangerous event and be left to bear the cost to fix this. all of the repair shops state there are brackets that are designed to prevent this from occurring again, but it's something that shouldn't occur in the first place! there was no warning that my transmission was about to falter. the consumer shouldn't have to bear the financial consequence of a faulty design. if there is solution then dodge should have/or be fixing this not the consumer! *tr

While driving about 45mph i heard a loud thump. a few moments later the van stopped pulling itself. i took it to a shop and they said that a pin in the transmission had broke and tore up the housing of transmission causing all of the fluid to pour out onto the road. no one was hurt but i was told that it was a common problem and think that if it is common dodge should help pay for some of the damage. *tr

Our belts sips off during wet weather"five times we replaced the "s" belt and the tensioners,waterpump,overheating our 2nd yr of owership.now the 3rd yr of transmissions leaking,the abs light came on while driving at 35mph w/children in car ,starting to brake causing to slow way down in traffic and made a chime sound,the horn went off and it got hot fast causing the car to shut down. thank god there was room to get over. all the lights were flickering all over the dashboard. the car just leaks everywhere,water,oil,trans. something needs to be done about these cars. i cant even get mine smog because i have to keep unplugging my battery because now we have a short in the electrical system somewhere. i brought a lemon.....oh yeah! i called the dealer, they cant replace the cruise control unless the abs light stays on. i hope i don't die cause the airbags wont work because i have a electrical shortage. 2 batteries were replaced,alternator too. the clockspring wont work for my car only the cruise control so said the dealer. i would feel bad selling this car to a family ,cause what if they were killed. i couldn't deal with that. the day that happened was on my daughter 16th birthday. i had to stop everywhere all day to put water in the radiator just to keep it cool enough not to ruin her day. i hate hot days,i fear the rainy days, i cant see at night cause my headlights on the left side burned out and the covers has a glass over them. *tr

Tl*- the contact owns a 1999 dodge caravan. while driving 40 mph and at any speed the gear shifted into neutral without warning. the driver had to stop the vehicle, put the vehicle in park, and it accelerated a few times before she could drive forward. the gear shift indicator was in the drive position, but the vehicle would not move forward. she stated that the failure was due to a continuous transmission leak. the dealer informed her that there have been failures on the rubber transmission lines. the dealer advised the driver to her call the corporate office and the nhtsa hotline to file a complaint. the contact did not feel the vehicle was safe to drive, and the leak could cause a fire. the current mileage was 58,000. the failure mileage was 57,500. *ak

I am a licensed day care provider who transports several small children daily. my vehicle is a 2000 dodge caravan. on tuesday, my transmission failed without warning while i was on the interstate with five children inside. i was horrified. my transmission needs to be replaced, which will cost upwards of around $2000. i did research on the internet and i have discovered some disturbing facts. chrysler vans from 1998-2002 have a reputation of having this type of failure happen. the cause is a differential pin that shoots through the casing of the transmission. there is nothing the consumer can do to prevent this. newer models of the caravan 2003 and later have the same transmissions but they now have metal plates installed which keep the pins from breaking through the casing. i tried to get assistance from chrsyler directly, but according to their customer service department, there has been no problem with these transmissions. i asked them why then were there several stories on the internet of customers having the same problem that i just experienced. they replied that there is nothing they can do to help me. my transmission did not wear out, it failed. the differential pins shot out and broke the transmission casing. if you call locally or across the country and try to locate a used transmission for 1998-2002 chrysler vans you will discover that the majority have the broken cases caused by the differential pins. thus, they recommend replacing with a new transmission that has the corrected plates inside. i also discovered that at lithia dodge, they have on an average 2 or more of these vans coming in with the same defect. they charge the customer to replace a transmission that they know has a defect, yet they do not take responsibility for it. there are millions of chrysler's on the road. it is a safety hazard to have these vehicles on the road that can fail without any prior notice. *jb

While driving through the neighborhood the rear end pin came loose in the transaxle and cracked the housing. lost all the transmission fluid and vehicle became inoperative. vehicle had 49,992 miles and dodge would not repair under warranty. they dealer recommended a new transmission for almost $3000. i had it rebuilt with replacement parts at a transmission shop for $1600. *jb

My 1999 dodge caravan shift lever can be moved out of park position with engine running without having to press on the brake pedal ,this creates a very dangerous safety problem if a child is left in van without being restrained chrysler corp.corrected this problem in 2001 can something be done to earlier models? *jb

Transmission failure at 96,000. *nm

Transmission failure(blown apart per mechanic)and no warranty provided with less than 54000 miles.had 8 year/80000 mile warranty plus extra to 100000 mile paid. paid out of pocket for repair.tranny slipping again since with another 2500 miles added. 1999 dodge caravan factory warranty refused.

Differential pin came loose and blew a hole through the transmission. failure caused van to break down on the freeway. transmission was completely ruined and would have had to be replaced. possible starter damage as well. quotes for repairs were around $3,000, so we decided to junk the car. it was only 5 years old with 62,000 miles at the time. '99 dodge caravan. *jb

Dt: contact stated something was defective with the radiator and transmission. the coolant from the radiator went into the transmission and destroyed the transmission. this happened about two weeks ago. she took the vehicle to a mechanic and he changed the radiator and tried to flush the transmission, but the transmission was to be rebuilt. she called chrysler and they said they could not do anything. the mechanic told her he had changed many with the exact same problem.*ak *jb

I bought a used 1999 dodge grand caravan se in 2002 with 28000 miles. the original mfg warranty had expired so we bought extended warranty. from the first week this car gave us trouble ending with a major accident due to gear shift. on the day of the accident while driving the car the gear shifted on its own from drive to lower gear. 5 min later the car when parked on my driveway moved from park to reverse on its own. since i was out of the car i was run over by the car causing severe injuries but i was lucky that i did not die. the fatality rate is over 50% in such accident but i escaped with rib fractures, internal blood loss and extensive bruising. *ak

Transmission needed to be replaced/rebuilt because it was leaking. had problems with it shifting to neutral while driving with my 3 kids. now, it is lurching forward by itself while slowing down at a stop light or going in reverse. it is back at the mechanic and they are stating there is 1 or 2 faulty solenoid packs and something about a sensor and not reading correctly. the van had only 50,000 miles on it when this problem first started happening. spent $2400.00 1st time at mechanic, other 2 times are for free. let's face it, people don't normally drive vans because they like them, they drive them because they have young children. this car is not safe in my opinoin at all and i will never buy a dodge or any of its 'cousins' again. why hasn't dodge had a recall for the numerous problems i have read about? oh, and by the way, where is my recall for the airbag light problem? *ak

Consumer stated while vehicle was shifting from park to reverse automatic transmission failed. vehicle was towed to dealership, and mechanic replaced the transmission at consumer's expenses of $2,200. *ak

While driving at 45 mph the steering pump failed, consumer lost the control, but was able to pull out of the road. vehicle was taken to independent repair shop, mechanic determined steering pump had to be replaced. *ak also, at 50,000 miles, transmission failed while driving. *la

While driving at 35 mph, the consumer heard a clanking sound come from the engine compartment. a few seconds later the vehicle loss power steering and stalled. after repeated attempts the vehicle would not restart. the dealer examined the vehicle and found that holes were punched into the transmission housing case.*ak

While driving 55 mph, the transmission failed without warning. please provide additional information. *jb

Last week my wife was coming home from work when she thought she ran over something. she said that the steering wheel shuttered and it scared her a lot. i'm just thankful she was not on the interstate when that happened because it could have put her life, as well as others, in danger. she was turning a corner after the light changed for left hand turns as was only traveling around 25-30 mph. when she looked she did not see anything in the road. the caravan suddenly stopped. she got off the road. she was able to restart the car and make it home, about 5 miles. i had the caravan towed to a transmission repair shop. they told me that this problem is very common with dodge caravan's with an engine rating of 3.1 to 3.8 litter and the 41te transmission. i need the car so i had it fixed for $2,265. f dodge (chrysler) knows about this problem, why is it still happening to owners of this vehicle? *ak

Transmission failed at 41,500 miles. differential pin keeper broke which did major damage to the rest of the transmission. *ak

At 72,000 miles my 1999 dodge caravan needs a new transmission due to a pinion in the pinion shaft coming loose and tearing through the transmission casing. over $2400 worth of work was required. no injuries, but i lost control when incident occurred and was able to drift to the grassy edge of a rural road. *jb

Transmission input and output sensors failed resulting in very high engine rpm and vehicle (forward) operation in low gear only.*ak

Needed to replace input/output transmission sensors. not only have we had this done but a number of 1999 caravan users we have spoken with have had this problem.*ak

While driving at 40/50 mph a pin from the automatic transmission flew off and blew the transmission. engine shut off, and driver was unable to change gears.*ak

While in an intersection the transmission slipped out of gear and the vehicle would not move. *nlm

The transmission failed while driving. *nlm

Wife was loading grand kids into minivan, grandson crawled across drivers seat and grabbed the shifting lever, which the caused van to go into reverse and back up into step wall, we realized you do not have to put foot your on the brake to shift into gear when engine is running.*jb

The transmission locked up, and caused the rear tires to lock up, which made it difficult to control the vehicle. *jb

The mechanic informed the consumer, the transmission failed. *jb

The automatic transmission continuously failed. the check engine lights illuminated and the gear became stuck in first gear. *jb

Complete transmission failure on a 1999 dodge ge and caravan vin# [xxx] at 67,723 miles. no help from chrysler on this problem, because of high mileage. transmissions should not fail this soon. we had a transmission failure on another grand caravan with vin# [xxx] that had 37,491 miles on it that was mostly covered by them. these vehicles appear to have defects and should be covered by chrysler and built to last. *jb information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

While driving the transmission slipped. the dealer indicated that the transmission completely burned out. *nlm

Engine races, the transmission whines and changes gears while in the park position. the consumer also complained of another vehicle she owns a 1996 chrysler cirrus. the key lock was replaced 3 times and it accelerated on its own. *jb

While driving, the vehicle stalled out. the dealership indicated that this was caused by a pin in the automatic transmission which was coming a loose, and had blown a hole in the transmission. ph scc

Consumer stated while driving and without warning the rear transmission seal cracked causing fluid to leak.*jb

1999 dodge caravan has two baseball size holes in casing of transmission after bringing down to ? sound of transmission and was told it was fine by dealers , i feel as though this is a defect in transmission. i would like a transmisson replaced due to only having for 11/2 yrs and owe 10.000.00 still on loan.

This is the third dodge i've owned that the transmisson has failed. i know this has been problem but i thought it had been corrected but i guess it hasn't. i'm having it repaired by an independent garage and would like for dodge to pay for it. dt

I notified the first incident to the dealer about its speed sensor, over the phone, which blew away just after the two weeks of buying this car from his showroom. last month, the break went bad and were not covered under the warranty, i had to end up replacing the rotor and complete brake set, paying around $300 from my pocket, from a midas in pennsylvania. the third incident was most dangerous, and don't know how i saved the life of my two little kids including the one with 11months infant baby, the automatic transmission blew away while driving normally and lost control on the downhill, in the city of norristown, since its break and the entire system went off due to the failure of automatic transmission and i eventually took a great risk of pulling the car all be myself on the sidewalk and somehow protected each of my family members. this car is proven to be very unsafe and does not worth the life of my kids and my family. i sincerely request to help me have my money back at the earliest. the dealer is very rude and rough over the phone and does not let me speak at all. it took me several years to save this money to buy this car but the dealer has really deceived me by giving a faulty car. it seems to me that this car did not undergo for any kind of safety inspection as long as it was sitting in his showroom and i am very afraid of driving now. *tr

Consumer's 3 year old child was able to put car in gear without putting on the brake.*ak

Consumer's wife was driving when there was a big noise. later found out that there was a hole in transmission. there was no kind of warning. no injuries.*ak consumer was informed that the differential pin broke. **slc

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

In order to change gears has to step on brakes twice.*ak

Consumer can take the vehicle out of park without feet on brake, and could cause an accident. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

On april 18, 2002 i took the vehicle into the dealer for them to investigate a noise which sounded like metal on metal. service drove my vehicle and after hearing noise for himself, they put it on the rack and said "we tightened a few things" (on worksheet stated "checked engine") and said to come back if additional problems. on the morning of may 2, 2002, i returned home from an errand and parked my van in the garage. later that day i went outside and noticed drippings in the street in front of my home into my drive and garage. backed the car up a little and discovered a pool of pinkish fluid. neighbor came over and verified that it was transmission fluid. i called dealer and was told to drive the vehicle to their service department. i did so. left the vehicle. they called me later in the day and informed me that my van needed a new transmission. the explanation was that "differential pin came loose and went through case. not rebuildable." so, the transmission was replaced. i have written to chrysler and the local dealership is aware of that; in fact, last week, district people were to have been here, supposedly to meet on this; however, i have received no information from them regarding the resolution of this.*ak

While stopping at light vehicle downshifted and made a noise. engine check light came on. lost all gears except one. dealer contacted. *ak

Consumer states there were several transmission problems during the warranty period, there was a noise present when putting vehicle in gear and it also felt sluggish, there was a shake in the front end due to the transmission not being adjusted correctly, the torque converter, output sensor, input sensor, and shift kit had to be replaced due to the torque converter coming apart, causing metal to go throughout the complete transmission and valve body. *slc

Tranmission fluid was leaking inside of vehicle. there was fluid all over pedals. consumer took the vehicle to dealerslership because there was transmission fluid all over floorboard. *ak