AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE

NHTSA investigation DP98003 is a Defect Petition opened on 1998-03-11 and currently closed. The subject of record is CHRYSLER CHRYSLER, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for CHRYSLER. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1998-04-10 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.

A Defect Petition like DP98003 starts when a person or group formally asks NHTSA to investigate a specific alleged defect. Petitioners submit evidence, NHTSA reviews it within 120 days, and either grants the petition (opening a PE) or denies it with a written explanation in the Federal Register.

Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "THE PETITION ALLEGES THAT THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION FAILED TO PRODUCE A QUALITY TRANSMISSION IN ITS MODEL YEAR 1989 MINIVANS, WHICH CAN FAIL IMMATURELY..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time. Related CHRYSLER files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.