I apologize that I couldn't find the Recall for the Flash update to protect the trans bearing. Chrysler probably removed it, but I swear it existed at one point.

But after looking at the photo, DAMN!! that look pretty bad... usually if air bag is deployed, the car should be totalled. Unless you drive an expensive exotic car.

the dealership is kinda caught in the middle. their goal is to get pay by someone, Dodge, Insurance co, or the customer, it doesn't matter to them.
However, once they tear it down, they will send out photos and digital imaging to Chrysler for evaluation. MOST of the time, Chrysler are pretty good at helping out. Unless there are something obviously bent by external impact. then you can use those photo to claim insurance.
Usually if chrysler is willing to consider tear down for inspection, they will help. But sometimes, might not be 100%, as TNtech mentioned. Once in a while, they will ask for few hundred Co-pay, their defense is "it is out of waranty"


the bad thing is, this is a pretty lengthy process that could take a week or 2 b4 u get you van back.

 

steak59,

It was Rapid Response #09-039, "Flash: #5 Thrust Bearing Protection". I had this performed on my 2009 Caravan at around 35,000 miles in July of 2010, I don't know why the dealer didn't do it earlier as the Rapid Response was dated June 2009.

I had the dealer do the transmission service at around 60,000 miles (filter and fluid). Then at around 71,000 miles the transmission developed a whine, dealer said it was defective compound bearings. The transmission was repaired under the lifetime powertrain warranty.

I don't know if the failure was related to not having the Rapid Response done earlier or not.

Here is a link to the only information I could find on the rapid response:
http://www.chryslerforum.com/forum/c...09-039-a-9523/


georgef

 

George, was that whine at 71k miles occuring every time the van shifted gears up or down? Because we had ours serviced at 50-60k miles (I can't remember exactly when, but it was last spring) and at 71k miles, that's when the whine developed.

Ours is a 2008 model so I don't know if that particular recall applies to ours, but if so, I imagine the recall would have been addressed prior to our purchase, as we purchased it in 2010.

Still waiting to hear back from the tear down.

 

There were quite a few for a while, now they've tapered off a lot.

Keep us updated

 

Heard back from the dealership and from Chrysler. The tear down didn't really tell us anything that we didn't already know, except that they confirmed their suspicion that the damage is NOT from the accident. There was no evidence of anything bent, etc.

The tear down indicates that something failed internally. Chrysler is going to pay for the bulk of the repair, leaving us with about $700 to cover ourselves.

On the one hand, I'm furious at having to pay anything towards this repair, given our current financial situation and the fact that the transmission failure is not because of anything we did.

On the other hand, I'm very very thankful to not be forking over $3500.

 

That's a good way to look at it. They met you a big part of the way.

What's the $700 for? If parts, you might be able to get a discount on that equal to an employee discount or a shop (trade) discount. For example I buy $5.00 Mopar oil flters for $2.50 from the Dodge Dealer. I get the prices they would sell parts to other dealers and shops for. Sometimes it's a lot, sometimes not that much.

I tried this on Honda here as well but only got 10% discount on parts and labour (on behalf of a friend). Still better than nothing and it didn't cost anything to try.

 

nah, usually they way it works is Chrysler pays for the parts, and customer pays for the labor.
as I mentioned, their defense is "your car's waranty is expired", And chrysler is willing to fetch up $2000 is consider pretty generous. I can't see Toyota or Honda will do it for me if my engine blows up after my waranty period.

 

The whine was pretty constant but it seemed most noticeable when cruising at highway speed in the higher gears, not so much when changing gears. It sounded like my old Chevy truck (manual transmission) did when the truck was moving in reverse.

I'm glad to hear that Chrysler has agreed to pay for the majority of the cost.

George