Hi everybody, long time no stop by. I own #4934 and developed the dreaded problem where it pops out of the first gear gate. In the spring of '04 my dealer did the TSB to replace the synchros, and that worked fine until a few months ago when my problem reappeared. Just after New Years I took it in again, and the dealer performed some sort of cable adjustment and assured me all was well. Yep, you guessed it, just a few days later it popped out of the gate again. After politely expressing my displeasure and lack of interest in being the trial and error guinea pig, I will be getting a new transmission.

So it looks to me like Chrysler steps up after two failed attempts at a fix.

 

I have the same problem and my number is 4,850. My Chrysler dealer told me they couldn't find anything wrong with the tranny, but it pops out of gear at least once a day, and sometimes it even does it as I try to pull out in front of someone quickly. I hate it and I need to bring it to another Chrysler dealer for a 2nd opinion.

 

Keep up the heat on your dealer. After round 2 I got the same "It's all OK, we adjusted cable such and such and you're fine." A few days and maybe 100 miles later Bam! and out it pops. I frankly don't want to drive the car if I don't have confidence, like you too many times where I go to make that left and out it pops, then the mad scramble to jam it into second before getting T-boned.

 

I called my dealer today and had them log the problem and told them that it was hard to replicate. They knew of the whole story before the words ever crossed my lips... Obviously this is not a random occurrence and most dealers have been notified by DC.

If you do not get a satisfactory response in ONE visit, write a letter stating that you feel unsafe driving the vehicle because of this problem, GIVE EXAMPLES. send a certified copy to the owner of the dealership and to your insurance agent. This should take a whole 4 days. Drop the car off at the dealer and demand a loaner until the problem is fully repaired.

This problem is sitting on the fence between TSB and recall...

 

This is the exact same thing that happened to me. My car was lemoned after countless "cable adjustments" and even new trannies. I will be turning it in 3 weeks and collecting my "go away" check. And then I will most likely go back to the same dealership and get a SRT6.

 

They actually replaced several trannies and it was still popping out of gear? I am surprised that the same problem persisted - the only possible explanation is that all the trannies were defective - actually the syncro gear. Was that the only issue that deemed it a lemon?

 

That blows, a new tranny might not even fix it. Never fathomed that.

 

Yep that was the only reason. I had a couple other minor problems that were fixed on the first try, but the tranny was a mystery.

 

This forum stuff is new to me. I have not seen anyone mention difficulty getting out of first gear. I am number 42,067, with just over 3K mi. I notice that sometimes it is difficult to pull out of first and shift into second gear.

 

Well i picked mine up yesterday with the new tranny. Everything seems fine, and the clutch feels quite a bit different, it seems to me the travel before it engages has been reduced quite a bit, which I like. Anyone else find this?

Also caught a nail in the left rear tire, of course can't be fixed. $400 for a new one... ugggh.

 

I have the same problem with my 2004 Crossfire ie popping out of first. I initially thought I was not engaging 1st gear properly but the problem recurs. Is this a common problem with the Crossfire? Should I be considering letting go of the car? Should I insist that the guys at Chrysler replace the transmission without attempting any of the steps you guys mention earlier?

 

<<Is this a common problem with the Crossfire?>>

I think it's been a relatively common problem with the first 7K or so off the line. I'm #4934.

<<Should I be considering letting go of the car?>>

I would at least wait until you get a new tranny.

<<Should I insist that the guys at Chrysler replace the transmission without attempting any of the steps you guys mention earlier?>>

If you can, yes. On mine the synchro change worked fine for a while. Then with the "cable adjustment" I was told the synchros and all else was fine. Then, lo and behold, on the work order from my tranny replacement last week it suddenly says "dropped unit, discovered metal shavings, first gear synchro worn", something like that (two weeks after the "synchros were fine"). So it would appear to me the goofballs want to do a cursory visual inspection, tweak a cable and explain the rest away. Much better to make one trip and get a new tranny than three trips and serve as the guinea pig.

 

Has anyone who has experienced this problem ever had it resolved?

 

Yes, my transmission was replaced shortly after I bought my car. No problems since then and that was 21,000 miles ago.