"fhrblig" (fhrblig)
11/09/2015 at 13:13 • Filed to: None
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"fhrblig" (fhrblig)
11/09/2015 at 13:13 • Filed to: None | 0
| 29 |
Any reliability issues? Looking to add a cargo van to my fleet and we’re leaning toward a ProMaster City. I know people aren’t fond of them much, but I don’t care about that. I just don’t want it to break.
bob and john
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:18 |
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i’ve heard reliability issues... at least in the jeeps (IIRC)
Aaron M - MasoFiST
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:20 |
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It’s a ZF unit, used by FCA, Honda and Land Rover. I haven’t heard anything about reliability, but apparently the transmission can “hunt” in disconcerting ways, and some have reported problems with shifts or smoothness.
Out of curiosity, did you consider the Nissan NV2500? That’s one van in this category I’ve heard good things about, but admittedly I don’t look at cargo vans very often.
Cé hé sin
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:20 |
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I think it’s more case of how it performs rather than actually breaking down. Jerky changes are a common complaint.
It’s actually a ZF unit and interestingly BMW, who have been buying from ZF since forever, tried it for the Mini and fwd 1 and 2 series and rejected it.
RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:22 |
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On the plus side, as it’s a Fiat, I assume it’s not a Chrysler design like so many dying and malingering Chrysler autos of the past. On the I-don’t-know side, I don’t think design is the only reason Chrysler (at least used to) build(s) so many crappy autos - I’ve always assumed materials and QC had something to do with it. If it’s being made somewhere outside Chrysler US, it’s a roll of the dice. If it’s being made in the US by Chrysler, probably a different and slightly worse roll of the dice.
Still, regular prophylactic service would help in either case unless it has really ornate functional demons and not lifespan ones. I can’t answer that.
Party-vi
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:22 |
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Like this but version 2.0? lulz I have no idea.
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Cé hé sin
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
11/09/2015 at 13:24 |
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It’s a ZF 9HP made under licence by FCA.
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> Cé hé sin
11/09/2015 at 13:26 |
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I heard rumors that even the Benz designed boxes in some of the full-size Dodges were hit and miss, more so than they ought to have been. That’s why I mentioned materials/QC - I’ve never thought the waves of bad transmissions in some Chrysler models were wholly design.
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fhrblig
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
11/09/2015 at 13:32 |
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We have lots of the Nissan vans. I hate them. Parts are never in stock, they want to try to force you to go to the dealer a lot (especially for TPMS crap), and repairs cost 2 to 3 times what a similar repair costs in other cargo vans. No more for me.
BloodlessWeevil
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:32 |
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I second what Ce He sin said. Reasonably reliable, but jerky shifts. Also, change your engine oil more frequently than the service interval. The engine is very susceptible to dirty oil.
BigBlock440
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:36 |
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My mom has one in her Cherokee, no complaints yet. I know there was a recall for some programming changes to address some of the complaints for hard shifting. It’s been out three years now, so it’s proven to have at least mediocre reliability at this point.
Urambo Tauro
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:37 |
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I seem to remember someone posting a few months ago about the NV2500 having problematic differentials. Was that you?
EDIT: found it . Man, Nissan’s got some ‘splainin’ to do...
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fhrblig
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
11/09/2015 at 13:37 |
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What’s weird is that we have a couple ‘13 RAM Cargo (Caravan) vans and the transmissions are fine. We have over 160k on both and have had no major problems. That’s why I’m willing to try a ProMaster City.
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fhrblig
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
11/09/2015 at 13:37 |
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I’m ok if it’s just annoying to drive, as long as it keeps working.
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fhrblig
> Urambo Tauro
11/09/2015 at 13:39 |
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Yes. So far no problems, they just changed the fluid change from 100k to 30k. Because I just love having to spend 3x as much on these as I do on my other vans.
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:40 |
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I had heard it alleged that better things were in the works on Chrysler (particularly vans) trans reliability. That ship probably finally came in (after 30 years). Funny thing, the really old transes (727 TF, etc.) don’t really have anything wrong with them.
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fhrblig
> BloodlessWeevil
11/09/2015 at 13:41 |
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Good to know. I’ve been good at religiously changing oil on all of the vans.
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Aaron M - MasoFiST
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:42 |
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Most of the complaints are on the consumer side and it’s relatively new, so it’s hard to tell. That said, with at least two major OEMs (and Land Rover) using them, it should make parts ordering easier.
Thanks too for your comment on the Nissans. Not doing any fleet maintenance I wouldn’t have thought about it that way...kind of makes sense, when you consider how few fleet vehicles Nissan sells compared to the Big 3 dealerships.
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Urambo Tauro
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:43 |
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they just changed the fluid change from 100k to 30k.
That’s disturbingly frequent. And work trucks rack up the miles like crazy. I wouldn’t be surprised if a 30k interval meant yearly fluid changes.
Dunnik
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 13:50 |
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We have a couple hundred FCA 9-speeds in our rental fleet. I work closely with our shop (but not in it) and AFAIK, these are not notorious for having reliability issues (for that, look to the Nissan CVTs).
As for driving them, they do work as advertised in that they save you gas. Even when mated to the Pentastar, mileage is pretty decent. I still can’t figure out how to shift it manually, 9 gears confuse me. So I just let it do its thing.
The only real complaint I personally have is with the interface, so to speak: the “Dial-A-Gear” is lame and it’s all too easy to choose the wrong gear. The other electronic shifters with the traditional stem are almost as annoying, but it looks like the UglyMaster has the shifter from the new Cherokee - a more traditional unit.
davedave1111
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 14:26 |
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If you get one, order the right front end from Europe, it looks so much better that way.
I take it you don’t get a manual version in the US?
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Cé hé sin
> davedave1111
11/09/2015 at 14:49 |
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They can’t even get a manual Transit there!
I couldn’t get an automatic one...
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fhrblig
> Urambo Tauro
11/09/2015 at 15:00 |
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Yearly, that would be nice. It’s more like twice a year. My vans tend to do 60k and up annually.
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fhrblig
> Dunnik
11/09/2015 at 15:03 |
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The CVT in our NV200s and Versas haven’t broken yet, but two of them like to suddenly lose power and refuse to rev up or shift, driver pulls over, waits a minute, then it’s fine. Don’t know what that’s about.
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fhrblig
> davedave1111
11/09/2015 at 15:05 |
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Ha, no. I wish.
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Urambo Tauro
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 15:05 |
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Dang.
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davedave1111
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 15:11 |
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Well, at least fix the front. I’m sure you can buy one from a breaker’s yard over here for not much money.
I figured you wouldn’t get the manual, but it’s so weird to me. Over here, a van like that would be the last vehicle to get an auto box.
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Dunnik
> fhrblig
11/09/2015 at 15:12 |
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My best CVT fail story is when a co-worker was sent to pick up a 2014 Sentra from a local dealer that was under warranty repair for its transmission.
Forget exactly what the problems - plural - were, but it was invoiced at $3400. So my co-worker picks it up, and drives it back to our lot. The transmission dies on the highway. Dies as in dead, kaput, kicked the bucket: like being in Neutral. Revs, but nothing’s grabbing. My co-worker, who is an enthusiast like us, tried to find another gear, turn overdrive off, talk to it nicely, but nothing worked. Luckily, he was almost home, and the car died on a long off-ramp exit not far from our lot (but far enough that a tow was required).
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fhrblig
> Dunnik
11/09/2015 at 15:45 |
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Sounds like the rubberband broke.
Nibby
> fhrblig
11/11/2015 at 18:19 |
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