9.3

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,030
Average Mileage:
109,250 miles
Total Complaints:
15 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (7 reports)
  2. replace transmission (5 reports)
  3. help - sue them (3 reports)
2000 Dodge Caravan transmission problems

transmission problem

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2000 Dodge Caravan Owner Comments

problem #15

May 082015

Caravan ES 3.3L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 151,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought a used dodge caravan that appeared to be in good shape, I had my mechanic check it after I test drove it and he said it was in good shape. A couple of months later I shifted from park to reverse and heard a very loud bang, after that my speedometer stopped working and I only had first gear if I tried to go faster the engine just revved. Limped to my mechanic where I was told the transmission was cooked. After calling around for a new transmission to several junkyards I told the last guy that I was looking for a transmission for a dodge caravan and he laughed and said "yeah, you and a 1000 other guys". It was only when I went online to search for a transmission that I learned the true extent of the problem, that it had been going on for years and years and that dodge had done nothing to fix it. No recall, no courtesy service and in fact they continued production of the same defective garbage. Dodge is all about short term profit and not customer loyalty. When my replacement trans dies (which I'm confident will be quite soon) I will never touch a Chrysler product ever again. I consider their company a criminal enterprise. If I won a new one on the price is right I would tell them to keep it and walk off the set rather than help those greedy pieces of crap advertise their product. After all this is a safety issue as well, if one of these transmissions that they know to be defective fails when a dodge customer is merging onto the freeway it could prove to be catastrophic.

- Adam S., Oakland, ME, US

problem #14

Jun 112013

Caravan

  • Automatic transmission
  • 177,000 miles

For the past few months the check engine light has intermittently lighted up, had it checked. My mechanic cant figure out what is going on with the different codes that came up. So we did nothing. For past few weeks and in this past winter we were experiencing problems with the transmission not going into drive...it sits like its in neutral when I go from reverse to drive. Sometimes just a few seconds, other times longer. I thought when it happened this winter it was just that the engine was too cold. Now it does it in this summer heat/then rain/cold weather changes of northern illinois too?????? Tonight I had to let engine cool for 2 hours before it would go into drive again. What is up? I saw one other problem posted here that sounds like my problems. His mileage was a lot lower than mine. The mechanic who happened to be near by tonights breakdown, told me he thought it could be a sensor in the trans, or the gear box. His mom's caravan did the same thing a couple years ago. Anyone else have this problem?

- sdraper, Carpentersville, IL, US

problem #13

Oct 142010

Caravan 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 241,224 miles

WE BOUGHT THIS VAN CAUSE I AM DISABLED & IT WAS SO MUCH EASIER TO GET INTO THE VAN THAN OUR TAHOE. NOW MY MULTIPLE SCLOROSIS HAS GOTTEN WORSE & I CAN'T USE OUR VAN (thanks to the trans), & I NEED MUCH HELP EVERY TIME I HAVE TO GO TO THE DR. OR THE HOSPITAL, UNLESS I CALL FOR AN AMBULANCE. WHY THE HELL DO I TO CALL AN AMBULANCE WHEN I HAVE A VAN THAT I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE MY SOLUTION. I HAVE GONE TO SEVERAL PLACES TO HAVE QUOTES ON GETTING MY TRANSMISSION FIXED BUT BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE A 2000 TRANS & NO OTHER I AM BEING CHARGED AN ARM & A LEG TO GET IT FIXED. NOW ASK YOURSELF IS THIS FAIR? I D O N ' T THINK SO!!!!! I LIVE OFF OF A SMALL SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK & THATS Y I CAN'T GET THE SUCKER FIXED, AND I AM A YOUNG WOMAN (44), BAD ENOUGH I HAVE MS & CAN'T GET OUT MUCH & NOW THANKS TO THIS STUPID VAN I GET OUT LESS. I HAVE HEARD OF SO MANY VANS JUST LIKE MINE THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM & HAD I KNOWN THIS, I WOULD OF GOTTEN A DIFFERENT KIND OF VAN, NOT THAT PIECE OF CRAPP!!! IT TOOK FOREVER TO SAVE THE MONEY TO BUY THE VAN & NOW I JUST CAN'T FIX THE TRANSMISSION.

I FEEL IF DODGE KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM THEY SHOULD HAVE RECALLED OR TOLD US THE CONSUMER ABOUT THIS TINY HUGE PROBLEM. NOW I HAVE A VAN THAT I LIKE & THAT WAS SOOO COMFORTABLE FOR ME TO GET IN & OUT OF BECAUSE OF MY HANDICAP, JUST SITTING IN MY YARD TAKING UP SPACE BECAUSE I CAN'T MOVE OR USE IT. IF I WER'NT HANDICAP I WOULD'NT CARE BUT I REALLY NEED MY VAN OR A VAN BUT I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY OR TO FIX THE ONE I HAVE.

NOW IF YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION OR IF YOU KNOW AN ORGANIZATION THAT CAN HELP ME FIX MY VAN FOR A SMALL VERY SMALL PRICE I'M ALL EARS!!!!!!! I THINK DODGE HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY THAN I DO, SO I'M HOPING THAT THE COMPANY CAN DO SOMETHING TO HELP THIS VERY SICK YOUNG WOMAN THAT APPARENTLY BOUGHT THE WRONG VAN. THANK YOU & HAVE A GREAT DAY

- Ana L., Patrick Springs, VA, US

problem #12

Nov 122009

(reported on)

Caravan Sport Edition

  • Automatic transmission
  • 53,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My daughter spun the wheels on ice and apparently a pin from the back flew up and punctured something in the transmission. The mechanic said it's a common problem with vans.

- Connie B., Minot, ND, US

problem #11

Aug 102009

Caravan SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 168,900 miles

The transmission went out in my 00 Caravan the other day and part of exploring my options was to look for other Caravans to buy for parts as the whole van costs about as much as a rebuild or new tranny...while looking I noticed several 99 & 00 Caravans that had either rebuilt transmissions or also needed "transmission work", so I wonder if I fix this, it will just happen again in a year or so?? Overall, I've been pretty happy with the van...bought it less than 9 months ago though, so didn't plan on needing this kind of major repair so soon. I was hoping Dodge had a recall on this, so I wouldn't have to pay to fix it...sounds like perhaps they should since so many people obviously have had this problem...sad that they aren't covering this problem.

- Crystal W., Sedalia, MO, US

problem #10

Mar 092009

Caravan 3.3L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 84,000 miles

I bought this caravan in December of 2007 with 50,xxx miles because i have kids and needed to upgrade from my little Honda civic hatchback. About 2 weeks later I started to notice a little hesitation while accelerating, took it back to the place where i bought it and he said that he would give me a tranny tune up for no charge, so great i said,, No more than another 2 weeks go by and what do you know same problem again. so now its March 2008 fed up i went to my mechanic and he referred me to a tranny place in the area, went there and he told me that it would cost between $2100 and $2500 to replace it with a rebuilt tranny i had it done and had no problems after that.................... Until now my tranny is doing the same exact thing it did about a year ago. WTF!!!!!

- sasquatch, Lowell, Massachustettes, US

problem #9

May 132008

Caravan LE 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 56,953 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought this van on September 14, 2007 at Kent County Chrysler in Chatham Ontario. It had 79,000kms on it.I got 11,000 kms out of it (not even 2 freakin oil changes) before it went into torque converter failure.Transmission went south so to speak.They had to put another transmission in it (when I say "they" i mean my mechanic, sure as hell not Chrysler!)Anyway, it would buck like a bronco on the highway because it was constantly slipping out of overdrive and was running in high gear and was just DRINKING the gas.I tried to take it back to the dealership because i didn't think i should have had to fix that so soon and all they had to say was "what, do you need another car cuz i can sell you one"? I wanted to slap him one and ask him if he had another car on his lot that needed an engine or something.Anyway, in the short time i have owned this piece of crap, the repairs have cost me $6000 so far and i haven't even had it 9 months yet.Some advice, STAY AWAY FROM ANY LOW MILEAGE CHRYSLER PRODUCT cuz they will own you!

- Melissa R., Chatham, ON, Canada

problem #8

Mar 022008

Caravan ES 3.3L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 160,000 miles

this is incredible im a mechanic myself i would of though they fixed this and then the issues is as a mechanic the problem at most doesn't seem to be transmission i bough the vehicle and it had just had a rebuilt on the tranny and a year later its gone all leaking in the parking lot its crazy they must do something about this it gets this pull all of sudden type lost of power then pulls hard dangerous for someone who's not controlling and very good at driving its a crazy issue and how quickly it happens is not good if you have to keep spending money in dropping and putting in transmissions

- fggeorgia, Douglasville, GA, US

problem #7

Apr 182007

(reported on)

Caravan SE 3.3 MFI

  • Automatic transmission
  • 116,000 miles

I didn't know that Dodge Caravans had transmission problems until now. I recently bought my van from used car dealership. owned for almost 4 months tranny started leaking fluid from differential. I didn't know this until I went to leave work one morning and when I put into drive it didn't move. Garage said I was lucky I got it in before pin put a big hole in casing cost would have been a lot more. Had to have tranny fixed "Replaced differential carrier and bearings" when I went to pickup van they said it had been replaced before. I am on the 3rd tranny in 6-7 yrs at 116,000 miles not good. If this has been going on for years, why hasn't it be fixed, why isn't someone accountable for faulty product. This has put a vacation planned for next week out of the question.

- Martin B., Caledonia, NY, US

problem #6

Dec 252003

(reported on)

Caravan

  • 49,500 miles

3 1/2 years old, less than 50,000 miles and a useless 3 yr./36k warranty... all add up to $1,700 out-of-pocket. Turns out (unbeknownst to me) that Dodge/Chrysler has a long-history of transmission problems. To compound this, the company has apparently been aware of this since the early 80's, yet has done nothing but continue to market faulty equipment to unsuspecting consumers. I'd be interested in learning of any Class-Action suits against the manufacturer.

- Jay L., Weston, FL, US

problem #5

Mar 082007

(reported on)

Caravan ES 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I had bought this van 1 year and as soon as it turned over to 60,000 miles it wouldn't go into park easily. I took it to be looked at and it was discovered that I needed a whole new Transmission. I was floored. I was without a car for 2 weeks while they rebuilt it. The transmission works great now, but it cost 1500.00.

- nspearman, 235 S. Crosswell Dr., Greenville, US

problem #4

Oct 222006

(reported on)

Caravan EC

  • 72,000 miles

While going to pick my 15 yrs old son from work the sensors went off the engine light came on and the transmission made this LOUD metal popping and grinding noise while going at hwy speed. I thought the van was going to skid out of control and me and my wife were going to die, the way it started stopping and jerking us on the hwy. I told her to pull off the road but dont stop too quick. It may cause us to skid out of control. This happened at as the mileage read 72,000, I could not believe it. We have had it serviced by the book too. I hope Chrysler will cover it.

- Perry D., Arnold, MO, US

problem #3

Jan 232006

(reported on)

Caravan

  • 95,000 miles

to start off, I'm a 57 yr.old grandmother. I alone drive the dang car. I do not speed take off fast or miss use it in anyway. all of a sudden the transmission started slipping and fluid started to leak out. took it to my mechanic and he wants 1995.00 to fix it. this is out of my scope. everytime I take it to the dealership to have anything fix, being a woman all I get is the shaft and have to return next week to have something else done that was working just fine before I took it there. I really need a car. my husband is sick and loosing his sight and has to go to the doctors 2 or 3 times a week. I really don't know what to do .also the air condition went out twice. where does this end.

- Kathy&John B., Palm Coast, FL, US

problem #2

Nov 192003

(reported on)

Caravan

  • 64,000 miles

I was backing out of the driveway this morning (a cool morning), and when I finally shifted from reverse into drive my Dodge Caravan did not respond. It acted as if it were in neutral. I was forced to put the van into park, rev the engine, and try again. This time it shifted properly. However, after going about 20 feet and coming to a stop sign, it once again shifted back into neutral (even though it had been in drive). I again put the vehicle back into park, revved the engine, and drove away. Once the vehicle is warmed up, I don't seem to have any problems.

I have had this happen on multiple occasions in cold weather (both last winter and now), but it never happens in the summer months). I have read about many transmission problems on the 1990s Caravan models, but I would have thought that Dodge would fix the problem. I plan on bringing my van to my mechanic next week, as I don't want my wife and kids to be driving in an unsafe vehicle. Any advice?

- Jeff A., Cincinnati, OH, US

problem #1

Oct 172003

(reported on)

Caravan

  • 90,000 miles

I lost all steering power. Two kids under three in the car... Almost ended up in the Pompton Falls!!! Still shaking after twelve hours after the function.. second transmission replacement on a three year old van.

- amickensnj, Kinnelon, NJ, US

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