Chrysler/Jeep Automatic Transmission Survey

[chris thomas]

A friend of mine was told by a tow truck driver that Chrysler does not make a reliable automatic transmission, that he tows Chrysler vehicles with 80,000 mi on their automatic transmissions as a matter of routine. He wasn't kind toward Ford saying they don't make a decent auto-tranny either. Just for the heck of it I thought I'd ask for some input here from anyone with an opinion either way. Anecdotes more than welcome.

Chris Thomas

[Chris S]

The tranny put in the first generation of Mini-vans was a car tranny not capable of dealing with the extra weight of the van + 5 people and a full vacation worth of luggage. The tranny would overheat regularily and often would last 50,000 miles or less.

The Jeep Auto tranny is an entirely different creature. The only Jeep auto trannys I have seen fail have either been submerged in water or have been abused with over-load towing. Most out last the rest of the jeep.
Most supposed early failures of the tranny are actually computer or sensor problems, not the tranny itself.

[Pick]

And to add to what Chris said.................. a friend of mine has drag raced autos on his 360, now 440.............and no failures. He does have an aux. cooler, but hasn't had a failure, and I've known him since the 80's. Hope this answers your question :dance:

[1337j33px0r]

they all have their good and bad trannies. Mainly, the front wheel drive mopar trannies are ****. The torqueflite trannies (904, 909 999, 727) are great. Ford's AOD is junk, but the old C6 is indestructible (have a buddy who has an 88 1-ton extended van with a c6/351 and over 300K miles on the tranny most of these miles came from the van being filled with automotive literature and weighing in at over 6 tons)

The AW4 (one of the Jeep autos) is almost indestructable as well. Mine has 310K miles on it, no aux cooler, i tow stuff all the time, overheat it to the point of boiling over, and it will not die (same with my motor)

Saying in general that a company makes ****ty trannies is dumb. but he was probably a hardcore chevy guy who gets a giant erection over his th350. to each his own.

[chris thomas]

Thanks for the responses one and all.

Chris Thomas

[cherokeefever]

Of all the different cars I have owned, worked on, and driven with any regularity in the past 14 years I have been working on and driving cars, I have had more tranny troubles wiht ym GM cars adn trucks than I have ever had with any other manufacture, imports included (I owned a Toyota Corolla for a couple of months before I found my Jeep in 95)

I have an 88 Celebrity with a cold-blooded tranny right now. It takes it 10 minutes to warm up before the tranny will engage. I have asneaking suspicion it is in the valve body or the TCC myself, cause it will slip on occasion once it is warmed up as well.

Reently, htough I had to replace a tranny in my 87 laredo with a 4.7 stroker engine. The tranny literally EXPLODED while I was running some 1/4 mile times on it. But I got another AW4 for it and put it back in, with a little stronger rebuild this time round, and toughened up the t-case as well, and things are running smoothly for now.

The guy who told you the Ford and Chrysler trannies are junk obviously never had to work on them, or was towing a lot of minivans with the Pentastar on their hoods. Either way, he don;t have a clue as to what he is talking about IMHO.

[Yucca-man]

I agree with cherokeefever; the AW4 is supposed to be one of the stronger auto trannies out there, and lifespans approaching those of the 4.oL I6 are not unheard of.

Minivans are an entirely different beast, as are any of the front-wheel drive trannies.