1999 Dodge D150 5.4 V8 from North America
Summary:
Transmission is destined to have problems
Faults:
The radiator somehow got plugged and the engine ran hot. When taken to the radiator shop, the man said this happens to all Dodge pickups.
The next thing to go was the transmission, and there does seem to be an engineering problem with the automatic transmissions. With a very trusted transmission technician, I found that Dodge places a check ball (check valve) in the line that cools the transmission. This ball sticks and then you guessed it, the transmission starts to shift in and out of gears until it just burns up.
The first thing you need to do is get an external cooling unit for the lines and drill out or remove this check ball or check valve. By removing the ball, the lines work just like a Ford or Chevrolet or any other automatic lines that cool the transmission.
Hope this helps, I do like the truck and engine, I just wish the makers of Dodge would correct this problem.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 18th June, 2004
15th Jun 2005, 17:33
Maybe you should make sure to regularly service and maintain your vehicle properly. Transmission fluid doesn't last forever. 30 000k's or so. ALWAYS use the proper "expensive" ATF3+ Chrysler specific transmission fluid. Dextron 2 for Dodge's is the #1 cause of trans problems and to continue using it means eventually it will fail.