How many here had transmission problems?

Just a simple poll (after my 2002 caravan with 90K miles lost reverse).
Thank You

 

Are you including sensor problems or just internal problems. 4 speeds
only??

 

The transmission I am looking at is 4 speed and I preffer internal problems.

 

A couple years ago we bought a used 1995 T&C, the seller had
replaced the transmission with a rebuilt 6 months prior.

Last year I bought a used 1994 T&C with a shot transmission and
I replaced it with a rebuild. The sun gear in it had broken.

Both vans are still running strong.

These transmissions will grenade if you do stupid stuff like burnies
in the parking lot, or spin wheels on ice or on gravel, or spin wheels
trying to get out of mud or sand. The old trick of rocking the
vehicle back and forth while shifting quickly into forward and
reverse to try to get out of the mud is almost a guarenteed way
to break them.

The 3.8L engine has enough low end torque to chirp tires if you
stomp on it off the line. I am sure if you were to do that more than
a few times you would probably break the transmission as well.

People have burned up their 4 speeds by bolting on a trailer hitch
and neglecting to add a transmission cooler.

Basically these transmissions are fine if you use the van for it's
intended purpose - to ferry around people - and you drive on
pavement and drive at normal speeds and with moderate inputs.
They will not last if you are the type that likes to sleep through the
alarm clock then screech down the road at 100Mph to get to
work on time, or your the type that takes weekly trips to Home
Depot and loads up on 30-40 sheets of plywood, or you want a
vehicle to tow your 25 foot ski boat to the lake every holiday.
The problem is that the minivan is small enough to be used as
a daily driver for Mom+kids, yet has enough carrying capacity
to substitute for a full sized van or a truck, in a pinch. So people
try to press them into all sorts of uses, some of which they really
shouldn't be doing.

Ted

 

Well, any time any manufacturer you can have a transmission failure. The
question to ask is how many transmission failures have there been on dodge
2002 caravans with 90k or more miles that have been properly maintained and
driven properly? Have you had your transmission flushed every 2 years or
30k miles? Do you ALWAYS drive it properly; no stomping on the gas, no
suddebn starts, do you always ease up through the gears, do you tow, check
the fluid condition every month and do you every 30k have the bands
inspected and adjusted when needed? Even if you do everything correctly
there are no guarantees and in todays markey 90k is the average when a
automatic transmission requires work.
Coasty

 

On an '87 Voyager, no problems in six years, 120K miles.

On a '93 T & C replaced the transmission three times in 90K miles.
Wifes car, she drives conservatively and the vehicle was never used to
tow.

On '99 T & C, one problem only with the speed sensor at about 40K
miles. However, van has 130K miles on it now and it has started to
hard downshift when put under load to pick up second range.
Noticeable clunk. no problems upshifting throughout the ranges nor
dowshifting to a stop. Borrowed Time?

Frank

 

Just to put some things in order:
It is a single driver car 99% of the time (no extra load, no towing and no
tire burning).
It had regular maintenance in a dealership.
Transmission oil replaced a few times during the time I own it.
As far as I can tell (and my Toyota has more then 190K miles on it with no
problems) I drive on the conservative side.

 

What does it matter? The selection of people on this forum is not
scientific, nor is your poll, so whatever answers you'd get would amount
to nothing more than useless anecdotes. You've got a transmission problem
-- you need to work towards a satisfactory solution.

 

I have a 94 GC. I am the 3rd Owner. First 2 owners were related. A
lady purchased it, drove it for a couple years, and sold it to her
sister. I purchased the van with about 127,000 km on it. The trans
went to hell at about 130,000 km (damn it). The rebuild was not done
properly and started to fail (bad shudder) at 149,500 (500km short of
the 20,000km warranty and 3 days short of the 1 year time limt! ))))

The shop begrudgingly rebuilt it a second time. Now approaching
190,000 km and 2 years later. A couple of months back it stuck in
"limp mode". Turns out the coil pack had gone. Minor repair - only
about $300 or so. Diagnostics show the internal parts are still just
fine so the rebuild was good. At that time I had the fluid and filter
changed as well (dumping the Dexron III + lubeguard from the rebuilder
and putting in ATF+4). Trans runs better than ever. Shifts solid. No
more hard downshifts. I'm lovin it. Touch wood, no more trans problems
for quite a while.

 

any one who has had a automatic trans in any brand car, any lenth of time
has had some sort of trans failure,
did iu ever take it in for any work and u declined the trans line leak
repair ??? how about the trans fluch?
ever get it stuck in mud or snow???tow a biggar load than recommended??

 

#1 Killer of these transmissions.
I was working at a Toyota dealer, and had the filter in my LHS changed and
the tranny topped off.

They topped it off with "All Purpose" tranny fliud.
The next day I made them drain the whole tranny and refill it with +3.
I always keep at least one bottle of +3 in the LHS and my van, since if
you get stuck somewhere a lot of 'gas stations' (read:Convenience Stores)
don't carry it.