Hi Everyone -

I have a 2017 Grand Caravan that I bought last year. It's got 44,600 miles on it and I have had the engine oil changed and the tranmission fluid changed. On Monday the 2nd I went to run an errand and stopped at a light, but when the light changed and I accelerated off it hung in 2nd or third gear with only this and reverse. I headed home and the Check Engine light came on, so I stopped by a Napa store and had the code scanned. It came back as a problem with the shift solenoid, so I took it to a local transmission shop. On the way it shifted fine until it got to operating temperature.

I left the van with the shop. They said it does need a solenoid pack and informed me that the fluid is burned and the transmission is likely shot.

I'm going to get the solenoid replaced and go to a distant but trusted shop for a second opinion. Would the solenoid have caused such damage when it failed?

I am not sure if solenoid alone was the sole issue. I bought a 2017 Grand Caravan that I used about 6 years ago. Under warranty I had to have the front of the transmission fixed. Next the "middle" of the transmission broke, and finally, 2 years ago the rear of the transmission went out. During this time, and while still under warranty, I took it back to the dealership, who also was a Dodge sales center. The first time the original warranty covered it. The second time, the original warranty covered the parts, not the labor, but the dealership gave me a 2 year "Dealership" Warranty. One year later, the rear part of the transmission went out. The entire time I asked Dodge, the Dealership/Salesforce to put in a "Rebuilt" and to go "half with me on the price". All 3 times they said, "No." I cannot help but think, when the lawsuit cut off the Model year as 2016, if my 2017 did not have "residual effects" of left over parts and issues from the 2008-2016 recalls and lawsuits. (Season letters, etc. on manufacturer's tag). Anyway, after the third attempt to protect myself, they finally said, "No". If I did not pay to replace it with the "Rebuilt" myself, they were not have been working on it. So, while we argued, it sat on their lot about 4-6 months. I had to get a rental to keep all 3 of my rideshare & delivery jobs. I was not reimbursed by that. The entire time, I would leave messages for them, the head of the Dealership and the Head Maintenance Manager. I finally had enough. The Shop manager and the Secretary did call me multiple times, trying to reach me about the situation, but we kept missing each other. I did have personal cell phones. Not once in their messages to me, did they tell me it was "Urgent" to get back to them, nor did they tell me that they had chosen to "fix" my van. After months of the rental situation, on a Sunday, I went and retrieved my personal belongings out of the van. I knew it was on the security camera. They assumed I got a new car. Once they saw me on video, a different person called and left me a message and said to get my van, the transmission was fixed. I was "shocked". When I called and arranged to pick it up, I asked them what I owed. They said I did not owe them anything. I was "shocked" again. I took my van and the paperwork and drove it home. However, before I left, I asked the garage was my van “roadworthy”, they said "yes", but did not know for how long, and then told me, they would not guarantee the work or the labor on this last repair. Honestly, it lasted until January 2026, so the 'repair' "worked". I cannot help but think, if I had just a couple of years newer model, I may not have had these issues at all. Now I am at a transmission garage, where the mechanic and business have been here over 30 years. He knows this situation "inside and out". I have 270470 miles on my van. I had around 40,000 miles when I bought it. I can tell you that I have really gotten my use out of it. The engine is not "leaking" oil. I was heading home from nightshift dropping off at the airport, when my van, which was still running, stopped moving. I lost all power. It was not until it stopped that I realized my shifter was in the "park" position, but it let me drive the van anyway. Yikes! The end of the story. So, I cannot afford a new car, higher insurance premiums, and a new extended warranty package, so I'm getting my transmission fixed for about $3000.00 for a rebuilt, with a 3-year warranty. It is my most affordable choice currently. I owned numerous Dodge vans. A 1999, 2008, 2014 Special Edition, and now my 2017. As stated on this forum, there are families who loved them for their "luxury" design, electronic features, and the smooth ride. Mine has a built-in DVD player. It did not come with the wireless headsets, but we found a pair at a Goodwill that worked and then looked up the company online, which still existed, and ordered three more pairs. The total cost for all 4 headsets? Less than $20. It has "Stow and Go" and the rear door is "Square" at the top, so when the seats are down, I can move mattresses, dressers, and more. It has served me well. The Good news is that my model has the new "Stellantis" drivetrain and Transmission, so it is easier to repair and once this is done, I will have a Great transmission, for the first time ever, in the history of my Dodge minivan series. It is just frustrating that it all worked out this way. I fear getting a "new one" because many were made slightly before Covid, during and after, and as with all things manufactured during that time (ex: Tesla's, electric cars, PS 5, etc.) many of these products have serious issues. So, I am "stuck". I am hoping this will get me a couple more years, where I will be at my new job for a while and I will upgrade. I do not mind the new "SUV"'s and "Hybrids”, but they just do not have all the features that I love about the Dodge Grand Caravans. The best one I owned so far was 2014, which I inherited when my father-in-law passed. The entire time he owed it, several dealerships called and offered him 1 1/2 X the value, because of the shortage of vans, for distinct workforce jobs. He declined the offer, and so did I. Unfortunately, less than a year later, I was in a "slide off" accident in town, and the insurance company "Totaled" it. The good news is my local junk yard took it for parts, which were hard to find at that time as well, so other people benefited too. It was both a "rewarding" and "frustrating" journey with my vans. A quick note, this last time when I ran a "Code" check, over thirty codes "popped" up, many of them about the catalytic converter and the charging system, but after adding a new alternator and a new belt, twenty of those codes went away. The remaining ones were 2 for sensors, 5 for catalytic, 1 for my airbag, 1 for my electric seats (These last 2 are common on-going issues, as when you purchase your van, they try to sell a "separate warranty" just for them), and the final codes were for the transmission. I am not sure where this journey will lead me, but once my van is "up and running" I am going to take "Family Road trips" this year. I just cannot understand why they cannot get the transmissions right, on the minivans and caravans. They have "Pit Crews" at the racetrack that can tear down engines and transmissions on the fly, and most Dodge Grand Caravan engines outlast the car parts on them, but Dodge/Stellantis cannot make a decent working transmission for a "Family Grand Caravan." I wonder what is next in this series of minivans.