Chrysler Fights Customer Loyalty With "Minivan Pledge"

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Yes, they’ve got themselves one heck of a problem down Pentastar way: the boffins have done the math and reckon some 67 percent of Chrysler Group minivan buyers are previous owners. That’s a good thing when it comes to polishing your R.L. Polk Owner Loyalty award, but it’s not exactly helping Chrysler make inroads on volume or market share. Which is where the “Minivan Pledge” comes in. “It’s Time To Drive Detroit Again: The Best Minivans In The Industry Just Got Better,” shouts the headline of Chrysler’s release announcing a 60-day money-back guarantee for buyers who trade in a competitive product towards a 2010 minivan. “‘Minivan Pledge’ gives competitive owners the peace of mind to ‘try us again,’” is the pitch. The only problem: everyone knows it takes at least 90 days for a Chrysler minivan to eat its own transmission.


Edward Niedermeyer
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  • Moparman426W Moparman426W on Feb 12, 2010

    That is correct, many of these transmissions that later came from the factory were ruined later on down the road because an owner or garage added dexron. Chrysler discovered that the dexron was not compatible with the clucth packs, and ate them up. But if a person changed to the ATF+3 in time after the transmission stared actting up then it was normally fine afterward. If the trans was operated for too long a period of time with the wrong fluid after starting to act up then the clutch packs would burn up from slippage. This transmission was actually the first totally electronic trans ina production car. All transmissions are now electronically controlled, just like this one. Chrysler was the one that paved the way. GM"S 700 R4 that came out in the 80's was conventional in operation, with only the torque converter lockup feature being computer controlled. For the first few years it was a total disaster. They made changes to it over the years, rerouting and enlarging fluid passages, stronger input shafts and better clutches, etc. They finally made it into a good unit, and it is still used in some of their vehicles only now it's called the 4L60E. When first intoduced in 84 tho it had a lot more problems than chrysler's ultradrive.

  • Accs Accs on Feb 13, 2010

    I got one massive gripe... Chrysler ("thinks" -- and I know they dont..) that they can drum up some other b.s customer awareness program.. sitting on top of their minivans.. hoping that some SUCKER is going to give them the time of day. When its a here today, gone tomorrow situation. I really feel bad for people who buy shit from them. Minivan pledge... How bout ya design decent vehicles.. worth a shit, in competitive markets.. and not go bankrupt or wards of the state..every 10yrs. Minivan pledge.. Id love to give them a GIANT 1 finger pledge.. Show them how much I really.. WANT MY MONEY BACK!

  • Moparman426W Moparman426W on Feb 15, 2010

    I'm no minivan person myself. But....except for the idiots in here who operated theirs with the wrong fluid, if chrysler's minivans were so bad then why were they No.1 in minivans for so long? They are the only american company to still be in the soccer-mom business as ford and gm have pulled out of that segment. Gm tried with the lumina apv and it's pontiac and olds siblings. They later brought out the chevy venture which didn't pan out. Ford flopped with the aerostar and windstar. There was even some idiot that posted that the volkswagen routan was nicer than a mopar minivan and that chrysler copied it. Hello? That shows the mentality of some of the people posting in here, he doesn't even know that the routan is a rebadged chrysler.

    • See 1 previous
    • Accs Accs on Feb 15, 2010

      And the person who actually CAN SELL that "VW" to someone... THAT.. is a genius, and the person buying.. IS TRULY AN IDIOT.

  • Moparman426W Moparman426W on Feb 15, 2010

    So if the level of knowledge is so high in here, thalter, then why didn't any of these people know they were using the wrong tranny fluid? The tsb came out for that way back in the 90's. And why would they need to take it to a trans shop if they know anything? You can avoid being ripped off by fixing your own car.

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