Windstar versus Caravan Tranny problems

[HeadlessHorseman]

I'm a '96 Dodge Grand Caravan LE (GC) owner and I've had it with Dodge. I've been through three transmissions including the one that came with my GC when I bought it new. Enough is enough. I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it up the tailpipe anymore.

Here's the thing... I am just wondering if Windstars suffer from the same transmission failures that I have had on average every 68,000 miles or 3 years, whichever comes first.

I'm sick and tired of replacing transmissions at $2,600 a pop every three years. Would anyone care to speculate whether or not I might do better with a Windstar Got an opinion? I'd love to hear what you have to say.

[sunmicroman]

I bought a 2002 in Windstar November 2003. It had 19k on it. The transmission (AT) went at around 23k. I was sorely dissapointed. Then found out from another Windstar owner that that was typical he'd been through 3 already (his was a few years older than mine). Suffice to say I'll never buy a Windstar again. Period. Maybe a Toyota or Nissan next time. Good thing it still had the new vehicle warranty and I purchased an extended warranty for when it happens again.

[rodeo02]

All the domestic minivans suffer the same transaxle issues. DMC,GM & Ford all basically slap a passenger car tranny into their minivans. You can *usually* prolong their lives by doing REGULAR ATF changeouts, like every 24K miles (or sooner if you can), but that still does not eliminate the mechanical/hardware failures they can have. A light foot, no towing & fresh ATF should get you well beyond 100Kmiles on these transaxles.
G/luck
Joel

[wiswind]

I would also strongly suggest a auxilary transmission cooler. Heat is a MAJOR stress on the transmission.

If you think of the minivan as a big station wagon....and not a truck. It will help keep things in perspective.

My 1st tranny went at about 100K miles. I bought my '96 windstar in '99 with 38K miles on it....Previous lease owner had used it for towing.
I keep up with the fluid changes, and after having the tranny changed, installed a nice big auxilary cooler.
If you buy a windstar, stay on top of the routine maintenance. And do a bit of research to make sure that you buy the correct fluids....
I felt that the windstar was a bit more solid than the caravan. But...that is just my opinion.
I have over 145K miles on mine.....and hope to hang onto it for a while.

[HeadlessHorseman]

Originally Posted by wiswind

I have over 145K miles on mine.....and hope to hang onto it for a while.

Just curious... I presume your Windstar has a V6 in it, right? What size motor is it?... I've got a 3.8L V6 in my Grand Caravan (which, BTW, is one thing I have NEVER [knock-on-wood] had a problem).

[Drewan35]

Have 1999 ford windstar 128,000 miles. The tranny has had a hesitation when you slow down to turn, then jerks when speeding up again. had this problem the last 2 years, thought I was going to have to replace it back then. However, still hanging on. I have been much more gingerly with it, seems to not jump back as much when taking it easy.

Have never replaced the tranny, but as recomended have change fluids. Anyone have any sugestions on a fix with outreplacing the tranny?

[wiswind]

I have the 3.8L V6 engine.
The ONLY other engine available was the 3.0L V6.
I have read here...and elsewhere that the 3.0L is much more reliable. However, there are not many of them out there.
Ford did not offer a 4 or 8 cylinder engine in the Windstar.

The 3.8L engine can develop a bad head gasket.....
It is a bit narrow at a point or so.....due to passages within the engine being close to each other. Coolant can "wick" into the narrow point on the head gasket....causing it to fail.
It might be worth having an oil analysis done before buying..... You would be looking for signs of coolant in the engine oil.

Information on oil analysis can be found at www.blackstonelabs.com

The other point of leakage that can develop is the "timing cover" gasket.....also called "front cover" gasket. The part is cheap.....but changing it is a major labor item. The front cover is what the water pump and oil pump are mounted on.
Mine developed a very slight seapage......I added some stuff to the coolant to seal leaks......and it solved the problem.

I have had NO signs of head gasket failure on mine.....

I have been staying VERY much on top of routine maintenance....as I have done with all my cars.

The 1999 and newer 3.8L Windstars have a TSB to correct problems with the upper intake manifold. The older windstars do use a different upper intake manifold that does not have those problems.
The same TSB included changing one of the valve covers....which has an improved baffel to prevent excessive oil from being drawn into the engine through the PCV valve. The newer windstars (01-03) had the improved valve cover from the factory.

Reading on this forum will help you find solutions to potential problems.

[wiswind]

Tranny, Mine was just fine for 100K miles....Very little trouble with the whole car for that time also.
When mine acted up.....would not go higher than 2nd gear....the dealer replaced the shift sensor....AKA, "neutral" switch. Was fine for about 1 week....and the problem came back....and they told me that they were reading a lot of failure codes for the internals. They told me that they could open it up and start repair, but that they were concerned that something else could go wrong later....which would have me paying for repairs again (as a waranty would only cover the repairs that they made...not the whole tranny). And once they started charging me that kind of money....it was time to consider replacement with a rebuilt tranny that comes with a 2 year, 24K mile waranty. I chose that route, as I had read enough posts about tranny problems.

So, I would advise you to look at what it would cost to repair.....vs....replace. And understand that there are a few things that can go wrong in there....also....what other damage may have been done. It does not sound like you are having serious problems....maybe it is just something simple.
You can also have a fluid analysis done on the tranny fluid....as I advised for the oil. May help you determine tranny condition. It IS normal for there to be a certain amount of stuff in the fluid as the "clutch plates" wear.

If you replace, I would not go the cheap route.....
You want to get a good tranny from a reputable source.....2 national sources that come to mind would be Ford and Jasper.

If you repair....make sure that you or your shop back flush the tranny cooler that is part of your radiator assembly. This is because, when a tranny fails, often particles get into the fluid.....and can clog the transmission cooler. This can lead to failure of your replacement tranny due to the reduced flow through the cooler.... There is an actual TSB from FORD that states this.

Also, make sure to use the proper fluid (Mercon OR Mercon V...as indicated in the owner's manual and tranny dipstick) for your year...and continue to keep up on regular fluid changes.

[HeadlessHorseman]

Originally Posted by wiswind

Tranny, Mine was just fine for 100K miles....Very little trouble with the whole car for that time also. When mine acted up.....would not go higher than 2nd gear...

That's exactly what happened to the first tranny that blew in my Dodge caravan... no higher than 2nd gear. I did what you did and replaced the tranny - did mine at the dealer. The second tranny that blew up really did BLOW UP... BANG!... and then when I tried to shift it, it sounded just like shaking a coffee can filled up about halfway with nuts and bolts.

Anyway, I don't see nearly as many postings for tranny problems here as I do on the Dodge forum... my "imagination" maybe?

[RWebb]

I had have had two transmision repairs with my 96. Both times it was stuck in second and happened when driving with lots of weight from passengers. Dealers both times replaced a switch of some sort and the fluids. I have been careful to keep the weight down since then and have had no problems.

R Webb

[OHmike]

My 95 windstar's transmision has preformed well for all of its 130,000 mi exept lately it has been shifting hard into 2nd. I have a friend who as a 94 dodge gc with the same mi. on it and it has preformed well also. But we have done noting but regular maintnence.

[floridatgp]

from the post over on the caravan web site, it would seem the newer models aren't having as bad tranny problems as the mid 90's, 4 speed models.
But then again,
How easy is it to find a caravan with a 3.8 engine in it? Torque
is hard on tranny's, it would be best to compare dodges with a 3.8
to fords with 3.8.

[BleedDodge]

My mom got her van brand new in April 1998, and by June it wouldn't shift out of second gear. It was taken in and repaired under warranty. I was disgusted.

[ModMech]

We have a '99 3.0L for a reason, 100,000 miles of city driving, ATF changes every two years (25,000 miles) and it's NEVER given us any trouble (except the first time I changed the ATF I used the WRONG type). These '98 and newer ATXs use Mercon V ATF, and NOT the regular Mercon/Dexron III ATF.

I am very satisfied with the service, and economy (although not pleased with the economy), and with regular preventative maintence, they are little if any trouble.

OTOH, the DC vans ALL eat transmissions, unless you get an older 3 speed, they are VERY good.

[HeadlessHorseman]

Originally Posted by ModMech

OTOH, the DC vans ALL eat transmissions, unless you get an older 3 speed, they are VERY good.

Yeah, that's what I'm hearing - the 3spds are more reliable than the 4spds. Lucky me... I have a 4spd.