I've been told by numerous people that the transmissions need either rebuilding or replacing within a few years, 3-4yrs.
2006-08-08 03:10:00 · 7 answers · asked by lorrhill 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Dodge
they had a weak transmissions in them,,this and some people try ed pulling small utility trailers with them,,and they wont hold up if you use it to pull a trailer with,,i have seen some go for 200.00- miles and never give any trouble,,and i have seen some go out in as little as 40.000 miles,,they just don't hold up like they should,,i own a repair shop in Tennessee and see a lot of them bad,,i hope this helps you,,good luck.
2006-08-08 03:24:30 · answer #1 · answered by dodge man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Every year since about 1995 those transmissions have gotten gradually better and better. (3 speed and 4 speed) The biggest thing is to avoid overheating them. (heavy towing, stuck in snow/mud ect) They really should have come with transmission coolers from the factory. The other thing is the differential in the transmission is not much stronger than neccesary, so it can't take abuse for too long (neutral drops, burnouts, etc). They also have occasional electrical problems (solenoids, sensors) but nothing that the other manufacturers don't have. If you are going to buy a used one, check the fluid and drive it first. Make sure the fluid doesnt smell bitter or burned, and if you rub some on the back of your hand, it shouldnt have alot of black 'dust' in the fluid. If you buy one, a transmission cooler is a wise investment, even in a cold climate area.
2006-08-09 00:11:37 · answer #2 · answered by neondohc 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
IT'S THE A604 or 41TE transmission. has spider gears and they tend to break around 60k miles even with proper maintanence. I have a dodge avenger with the exact same transmission and they never fixed their DESIGN FLAW and ANY transmission shop will laugh when you ask about this particular transmission. If it's not covered under warranty get rid of it, if your thinking of buying a car with one in it dont. thank me later.
2006-08-11 04:47:50 · answer #3 · answered by greg jr 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are pretty weak. They under built the transmissions in all of their cars, and they go out. If you have one, don't tow anything or haul any heavy loads, and you'll probably be ok. Don't beat on them either, or they will start to slip and the end is near.
2006-08-08 10:14:53 · answer #4 · answered by sethle99 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That was true in the earlier model years, but not so much now.
As long as you follow the regularly scheduled maintenance, I have seen Caravans will upwards of 100K miles with no signs of transmission problems.
2006-08-08 09:17:44 · answer #5 · answered by msdagney 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
its not just the caravan, all the transmissions in Dodges after 94 are crap. They should never had gotten rid of the TF-727.
Take care of it and have it serviced regularly and that should lessen the chance of problems
2006-08-08 03:38:05 · answer #6 · answered by moparcop2003 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My 1998 Grand caravan'a transmission went out at 107,000. I'm getting a new one put in right now. It sucks. My best friend owned one and had to get it done at 99,000. I don't know what's wrong with them, bue I do know I will never buy one again.
2006-08-09 02:32:06 · answer #7 · answered by franny4181 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋