Chrysler 62TE 6-speed reliability: years to avoid, problems & recalls

By CarWhere Research · Updated

The 62TE six-speed in the 2011–2020 Dodge Grand Caravan, 2011–2016 Chrysler Town & Country and V6 Dodge Journey has no broad warranty extension or class settlement in the record reviewed. Documented issues are a 2015–2016 pump-seizure recall (16V461), shift-quality software flashes for 2011–2013 minivans, and an FCA repair guide for cracked torque-converter pistons that can cause slipping. Ram ProMaster vans had a separate 62TE park-pawl recall (23V301).

Chrysler 62TE 6-speed at a glance

Chrysler/FCA 62TE six-speed front-wheel-drive automatic transaxle: key facts
FactDetail
TypeConventional automatic
Forward speeds6
Used byDodge, Chrysler, Ram
Years in use2011–2021 model years in the FCA service records cited here
Also known as62TE, DG2 (FCA sales code)
Transmission-related NHTSA recalls listed2
Warranty extensions / special coverage listed0
Court settlements listed0

What the Chrysler 62TE 6-speed is

The 62TE is FCA's six-speed automatic transaxle for front-wheel-drive vehicles, identified in FCA documents by sales code DG2. It is the only transmission fueleconomy.gov lists for the 3.6L Pentastar Dodge Grand Caravan (2011–2020) and Chrysler Town & Country (2011–2016) minivans, and it was used with the 3.6L V6 in the Dodge Journey.

FCA's remanufactured-transmission tech tip lists 62TE applications for 2011–2020 'RT' minivans and 'JC' Journey, 2015–2020 'VF' Ram ProMaster vans and 2011–2013 'JS' vehicles; recall documents identify RT as the Grand Caravan/Town & Country, JC as the Journey and VF as the ProMaster. Chrysler's later Pacifica minivan switched to the ZF-designed 9-speed 948TE.

Which vehicles use the Chrysler 62TE 6-speed?

Makes, models and model years equipped with the Chrysler 62TE 6-speed
MakeModelModel yearsNotes
DodgeGrand Caravan2011–20203.6L V6; the only transmission listed for these years[1][2][3]
ChryslerTown & Country2011–20163.6L V6; the only transmission listed for these years[4][2][3]
DodgeJourney2011–2019 (V6)3.6L V6 models; 2.4L four-cylinder models used a 4-speed automatic[5][2][6]
RamProMaster2015–20213.6L V6 vans[2][7]

Chrysler 62TE 6-speed years to avoid vs. safer years

“Years to avoid” here means the model years with the most documented action — recalls, manufacturer warranty extensions or court settlements — not a prediction about any single vehicle. A car from these years with completed repairs and good records can be a sound buy; one without them deserves a closer look.

Model years with the most documented problems

  • 2015–2016 Grand Caravan and Town & Country; 2016 Journey V6 (built in the recall window) — Covered by pump-seizure recall 16V461 for vehicles built in specific 2015–2016 windows.[8]
  • 2011–2013 Grand Caravan and Town & Country — Named in FCA shift-quality reflash bulletin 21-012-12 for harsh upshifts and a 1-2 clunk.[3]
  • 2019–2021 Ram ProMaster (3.6L) — Covered by park-pawl recall 23V301 on the 62TE.[7]

Known Chrysler 62TE 6-speed problems

Harsh upshifts and 1-2 clunk on 2011–2013 minivans (2011–2013)

FCA bulletin 21-012-12 (Rev. A, October 2012) reflashes the powertrain control module on 2011–2013 Grand Caravan and Town & Country minivans with the 3.6L and six-speed built before Sept. 26, 2012. It lists harsh 1-3 upshifts in Economy mode, harsh 2-3 upshifts in normal mode and a 1-2 upshift clunk, and adds shift-schedule and fifth-gear converter lock-up changes to 'improve the shift quality of the 62TE transmission.'[3]

Reported symptoms

  • Harsh 1-3 or 2-3 upshifts
  • Clunk on the 1-2 upshift after lifting off the throttle

Transmission oil pump rotor seizure (2015–2016)

Recall 16V461 covered 2015–2016 Town & Country and Grand Caravan minivans built July 31, 2015–April 18, 2016, 2016 Journeys and 2016 ProMaster vans. FCA's filing describes dimensional variance in the 62TE pump rotor pocket that could seize or break the rotors, causing a loss of hydraulic pressure and motive power. Dealers replaced the transmission pump.[8][9][6]

Reported symptoms

  • Sudden loss of drive
  • Transmission warning or no movement

Cracked torque-converter piston causing slipping or erratic shifts (Not model-year specific)

An FCA STAR repair index (case S2121000005, 2021) says some vehicles 'may have been produced with a torque converter that has an internal piston that could, over time, develop a crack,' scraping friction material and leading to slipping, erratic shifting and codes P0740, P0868 or P0944. It lists suspect Mopar replacement transmission and converter part numbers and says newer remanufactured units built after August 2017 should not show the condition. A separate FCA tech tip says P0740 or P2764 with a working converter-clutch solenoid indicates converter failure.[10][2]

Reported symptoms

  • Transmission slip or erratic shifting
  • Codes P0740, P0868, P0944 or P2764

Park pawl may not fully engage on 2019–2021 ProMaster (2019–2021)

Recall 23V301 covered 2019–2021 Ram ProMaster vans with the 62TE, whose park pawl might not fully engage because of debris inside the transmission. Dealers update PCM software and inspect or replace the transmission or internal components.[7][11]

Reported symptoms

  • Van may roll after being placed in Park

Underfilled transmissions in a short 2015 minivan build window (2015)

FCA bulletin 21-046-15 covers 2015 Grand Caravan and Town & Country minivans with the 62TE built June 19–21, 2015, which could be low on fluid. Owners might notice harsh shifting under heavy acceleration; dealers check and top off the fluid.[12]

Reported symptoms

  • Harsh shifting under heavy acceleration in hot or cold weather

Chrysler 62TE 6-speed recalls

Transmission-related NHTSA safety recalls (campaign numbers link to NHTSA)
NHTSA campaignReportedVehiclesSummary
16V4612016-06-242015–2016 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan; 2016 Dodge Journey; 2016 Ram ProMaster26,298 vehiclesTransmission pump may seize, causing a loss of hydraulic pressure and motive power; dealers replace the transmission pump.[8]
23V3012023-04-272019–2021 Ram ProMaster with 62TE transmission165,503 vehiclesPark pawl may not fully engage the park gear due to debris inside the transmission; dealers update PCM software and inspect/replace the transmission or internal components.[7]

Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of age or owner. Check a specific car by its 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with the CarWhere recall check.

NHTSA owner complaints: the power-train signal

Owners file complaints with NHTSA and tag each with the components involved. The tables below count, for each model year, how many complaints include NHTSA’s “power train” component (transmission, transfer case and driveline). Raw counts are not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age, so compare the power-train share across years of the same model rather than across models.

Dodge Grand Caravan

In the model years that used the Chrysler 62TE 6-speed (highlighted), 541 of 4,047 NHTSA owner complaints (13.4%) list the power train as a component, versus 4.9% across the other Dodge Grand Caravan model years in the same snapshot. The highest count is the 2016 model year, with 240 power-train complaints.

Dodge Grand Caravan: NHTSA owner complaints by model year, all components vs. power train
Model yearAll complaintsPower-train complaintsPower-train share
20081,290685.3%
2009543203.7%
20101,038545.2%
2011Chrysler 62TE 6-speed530438.1%
2012Chrysler 62TE 6-speed583488.2%
2013Chrysler 62TE 6-speed469367.7%
2014Chrysler 62TE 6-speed356185.1%
2015Chrysler 62TE 6-speed2767627.5%
2016Chrysler 62TE 6-speed1,11824021.5%
2017Chrysler 62TE 6-speed401379.2%
2018Chrysler 62TE 6-speed262228.4%
2019Chrysler 62TE 6-speed361336.1%
2020Chrysler 62TE 6-speed16850%

Chrysler Town & Country

In the model years that used the Chrysler 62TE 6-speed (highlighted), 464 of 3,618 NHTSA owner complaints (12.8%) list the power train as a component, versus 0% across the other Chrysler Town & Country model years in the same snapshot. The highest count is the 2016 model year, with 186 power-train complaints.

Chrysler Town & Country: NHTSA owner complaints by model year, all components vs. power train
Model yearAll complaintsPower-train complaintsPower-train share
2011Chrysler 62TE 6-speed773395%
2012Chrysler 62TE 6-speed631355.5%
2013Chrysler 62TE 6-speed679416%
2014Chrysler 62TE 6-speed635518%
2015Chrysler 62TE 6-speed37911229.6%
2016Chrysler 62TE 6-speed52118635.7%
2017100%

Source: NHTSA owner-complaint records (api.nhtsa.gov complaintsByVehicle), snapshot as of 2026-07-14. Complaints are unverified owner reports; one complaint can list several components.

Buying a used car with the Chrysler 62TE 6-speed: what to check

  1. Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup; on 2015–2016 minivans and 2016 Journeys confirm recall 16V461 is complete, and on 2019–2021 ProMasters confirm 23V301.
  2. On 2011–2013 minivans, ask a dealer whether the powertrain control module has the software from bulletin 21-012-12 or later.
  3. On a test drive, check for slipping, flare between gears, harsh 1-3 or 2-3 upshifts and a clunk on the 1-2 shift.
  4. Ask whether the transmission or torque converter was ever replaced and with what part; FCA lists certain older Mopar replacement units as suspect for torque-converter piston cracks.
  5. Have a shop scan for stored transmission codes such as P0740, P0868, P0944 or P2764.

Related research

Year-by-year verdicts for models with the Chrysler 62TE 6-speed

Engines and model known-issues pages

Compare other transmissions

All transmissions: reliability and years to avoid

Frequently asked questions

Which vehicles use the 62TE transmission?

FCA documents list the 62TE for 2011–2020 Dodge Grand Caravan, 2011–2016 Chrysler Town & Country, the 3.6L Dodge Journey and 2015–2021 Ram ProMaster vans. In the minivans it is the only transmission offered with the 3.6L V6.

Was the 62TE recalled?

Yes, in two campaigns. Recall 16V461 replaced transmission pumps that could seize in 2015–2016 minivans, 2016 Journeys and 2016 ProMasters built in specific windows (26,298 vehicles). Recall 23V301 addressed a park pawl that might not fully engage on 2019–2021 Ram ProMaster vans.

Is there an extended warranty or class settlement for the 62TE?

We did not find a manufacturer warranty extension or a court-approved class settlement specific to the 62TE in the records reviewed for this page. Recall repairs are free regardless of age; check the VIN on NHTSA's recall site.

Why does my Grand Caravan shift harshly?

For 2011–2013 minivans, FCA bulletin 21-012-12 lists harsh 1-3 and 2-3 upshifts and a 1-2 clunk, fixed with a PCM reflash. A narrow group of 2015 minivans built June 19–21, 2015 could be underfilled with fluid (bulletin 21-046-15). Slipping with codes like P0740 can point to a torque-converter fault, per FCA's repair index.

How CarWhere compiled this page

Every problem, recall, warranty extension and settlement above is CarWhere’s own summary of a primary record — NHTSA recall campaigns, manufacturer service bulletins and warranty-extension notices filed with NHTSA, manufacturer press material, and court or settlement-administrator records — and is numbered to its source below. We list a model year under “years to avoid” only when a manufacturer, regulator or court record ties it to the transmission. Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public owner-complaint data, counted once per complaint. We do not estimate failure rates or repair costs. See also the years-to-avoid methodology.

Sources

Descriptions are CarWhere’s own summaries of the records below. Recall details are as reported to NHTSA by the manufacturer.

  1. fueleconomy.gov: 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan options (Auto 6-spd, 3.6L) — U.S. DOE / EPA (fueleconomy.gov)
  2. FCA GPOP tech tip 9004206: Remanufactured Transmission Assembly (62TE) – MY11-13 JS, MY15-20 VF, MY11-20 RT, JC — FCA US LLC via NHTSA
  3. FCA Service Bulletin 21-012-12 REV. A: Flash – Transmission Shift Quality Improvements (2011–2013 RT Caravan/Town & Country, 62TE) — Chrysler Group LLC via NHTSA
  4. fueleconomy.gov: 2014 Chrysler Town and Country options (Auto 6-spd, 3.6L) — U.S. DOE / EPA (fueleconomy.gov)
  5. fueleconomy.gov: 2016 Dodge Journey options (4-spd 2.4L; 6-spd 3.6L) — U.S. DOE / EPA (fueleconomy.gov)
  6. FCA US Safety Recall S44 advance communication – vehicles equipped with a 62TE transaxle (sales code DG2) — FCA US LLC via NHTSA
  7. NHTSA recall 23V301: 2019–2021 Ram ProMaster with 62TE – park pawl may not fully engage — NHTSA
  8. NHTSA recall 16V461: transmission pump may seize (2015–2016 minivans, 2016 Journey, 2016 ProMaster) — NHTSA
  9. Part 573 Safety Recall Report 16V-461 – seized pump rotors in the 62TE transmission — FCA US LLC via NHTSA
  10. FCA STAR case S2121000005: 62TE 6-Speed Transmission Cracked Torque Converter (TC) Piston Repair Index — FCA US LLC via NHTSA
  11. FCA Safety Recall 61A / NHTSA 23V-301 remedy instructions – applies only to vehicles with the 62TE transmission — FCA US LLC via NHTSA
  12. FCA Service Bulletin 21-046-15: Low Transmission Fluid Level (2015 RT, 6 speed 62TE) — FCA US LLC via NHTSA

Independent reference compiled by CarWhere Research — not affiliated with or endorsed by any manufacturer or transmission supplier. Product and model names are trademarks of their owners.