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2015 200 Transmission Failure "service Transmission"

290K views 412 replies 97 participants last post by  fltru103 
#1 ·
Hello,

I own a 2015 200 S with 9k miles. Driving home from work Wednesday at highway speeds I got a message that said "Service Transmission" as well as a check engine light. When I tried to accelerate it would not shift out of 8th gear and the paddle shifters would not shift either. I came to a red light eventually and pulled to the side. Once green I realized I had very little power. I shut the car off and restarted it to find the CEI light still on but the transmission message gone. I drove slowly to the dealer where after two days of reprogramming the TCM they say that they have ordered a valve body for the transmission and it will be done next week. I see there are many issues with these transmissions. Has anyone else experienced this issue? I have read a few posts that say some people needed a whole new transmission. I am just worried the dealership is just guessing at the issue. Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff
 
#3 ·
I see from your profile that you have the 2.4 engine. Some, or all of them have an update for the transmission.
Hopefully they can correct your problem. Please return after the repair and keep us informed on the issue.
We have a 200S with the 2.4 engine. No problems to date after 8 months and 12000 miles.
 
#4 ·
Hi fltru103, I posted today on the same issue. My car did the same thing to me about 6 weeks ago and the dealership did nothing because they could not replicate error & also today on my way to work on I-75. I just lost power and got errors saying "disengage parking brake" "performance shifters unavailable " and "service tranmission" just before it slowed down to almost a halt! I got over to the shoulder & had to turn off car and restart. I'm going after work today to the dealership. This issue almost cost me my life today!
 
#5 ·
Your profile shows that your car has the V-6 engine. As with a few others on this site, I believe the dealer should be looking at the updates available, the wiring harness connections and the transmission itself as a possible issue.
If you have a cell phone ( camera ) then a video of the message screen would help document your problems.
Keep all records and if your dealer doesn't find, or can't replicate the problem, then I suggest calling the local Chrysler field zone office to file a complaint.
Remember, keep those records of your visits to the dealer.
Ask them to write exactly on the repair orders what you tell them you have witnessed, as well as anything they observe and repair.
Good luck.
 
#6 ·
I have a 2015 200s with 8K miles and have the same issue. I dropped it off at dealership on Monday after almost dying on I-75 because of this. I just got a call from the dealership that they need to replace the transmission! Not a happy camper. Contact your dealership and see if they say the same for you. Also, they said the transmission is on backorder....
 
#8 ·
Ok so I got the car back after 8 days at the dealership and I am not sure If i am happy or not. They updates all the computers with the current programs. After that they were still getting at P0711 and P073E code apparently. I had the same errors messages as someone above saying service transmission and performance shifters not available and when I stopped it said to engage parking brake. So the dealer said that Chrysler advised them to replace the Valve body and start there. So they replaced the valve body and said I need to drive it for 1500 miles so the car can relearn my drive patterns and shift patterns. So going through the paperwork they gave me and the parts list with numbers, I see that they originaly added to quarts of #68218925AA, which I believe is MOPAR® ZF 8&9 Speed ATF. However after they dropped the pan and replaced the valve body they put in 13 quarts of #68055894AA which lists ATF-4!! Why did they use ATF-4 in a car that requires MOPAR® ZF 8&9 Speed ATF? Should I be complaing up a storm?

The car drives ok, no service transmission messages or check engine lights but still doesnt shift as smooth as I would expect. But now I wonder if them adding the wrong fluid is going to trash this transmission in the years too come. Thoughts on what I should do?
 
#11 ·
Ok so I got the car back after 8 days at the dealership and I am not sure If i am happy or not. They updates all the computers with the current programs. After that they were still getting at P0711 and P073E code apparently. I had the same errors messages as someone above saying service transmission and performance shifters not available and when I stopped it said to engage parking brake. So the dealer said that Chrysler advised them to replace the Valve body and start there. So they replaced the valve body and said I need to drive it for 1500 miles so the car can relearn my drive patterns and shift patterns. So going through the paperwork they gave me and the parts list with numbers, I see that they originaly added to quarts of #68218925AA, which I believe is MOPAR® ZF 8&9 Speed ATF. However after they dropped the pan and replaced the valve body they put in 13 quarts of #68055894AA which lists ATF-4!! Why did they use ATF-4 in a car that requires MOPAR® ZF 8&9 Speed ATF? Should I be complaing up a storm?

The car drives ok, no service transmission messages or check engine lights but still doesnt shift as smooth as I would expect. But now I wonder if them adding the wrong fluid is going to trash this transmission in the years too come. Thoughts on what I should do?[/QUOTI

I would sure ask about the fluid because this transmission is supposed to have the ZF 8&9 speed fluid.
 
#12 ·
Wow, this is some scary stuff. I know that if mine has these types of issues then Chrysler and the poor dealership are going to Hate me. I will be relentless in my pursuit of getting it corrected (permanently) or they will be replacing my vehicle with some other make and model of my choosing. I didn't spend $40k to have transmission issues.
 
#13 ·
Remember, what you read here are the those that have had problems.
Think how many 200's have been produced with that 9 speed and have not experienced problems.
Yes, they do have issues. Yes, they will get it right, eventually.
Our car, with over 13000 miles has not been back for any warranty issues to date, purchased in June 2014 with a May build date.
 
#14 ·
I got my tranny reprogrammed yesterday by the dealer, it shifted very smoothly for about an hour and then the rough shifts came back. When I get to a stop sign, I come almost to a stand still (and when I say almost it really is almost, barely moving) and the car is still in 3rd gear. No power at all when hitting the gas as it is in the wrong gear, until it realizes it and downshifts in 2nd.

I'm really questionning this "adaptative" transmission. A friend of mine has a 2015 Acura TLX Tech, with the same ZF tranny, and his car is really shifting well. Not sure what Chrysler is doing to this transmission that Acura doesn't do or vice versa, but there is no comparison possible. It is day and night between the 2 cars.
 
#16 ·
Don't know anything about the Acura's.
But the difference between our cars is like what you describe with your friends car. Wish you could drive our's. The shifts are smooth, it always downshifts correctly without any noticeable bump or surge. I will say cold, it is slow to shift, but once warmed up, within a minute, it is fine.
It seems like night and day as I read about others issues.
I keep waiting for the sky to fall, but the car keeps impressing me.
Mileage crawling back to 29, overall, as the temps rise.
It went down to 27 during the coldest part of winter.
 
#15 ·
I'm planning the next few days to go over to Acura to test out the TLX. I talked to the Acura sales guys this past October at a festival. They invited me over to compare the TLX to the 200. I'm very curious on how the transmission feels with this Honda. I've heard Honda has it programmed better.
 
#17 ·
I do mostly city driving to come to work during the week, about 20 km a day total (including coming to work and going back home), so no highway at all, well, maybe 1/2 a mile as I come on to it and then take the very next exit. So yes the tranny is sollicitated, it is always stop, go to next light/stop, then go and stop again. We had a very cold winter and still to this day, the temperature is below average (it was -11 celcius again this morning) and milleage is down to 21MPG but giving that I'm doing city driving and it is cold, I'm not worried about the milleage.

But the tranny, ouch!! I have a school zone on my way (15mph limit) and the cops are always there so we need to respect the limit...Good lord, at this speed, the tranny doesn't know where it should be, it keeps going back and forth between 3-4-5, my head is going forward-backward then forward again...I've never complained about a transmission before and my intent is not to complain here, but I can't figure it out. The dealer told me that if the reprogram doesn't work they will change it and I think this is the way I will go, I will ask for a replacement at the next oil change.
 
#18 ·
I'm having the same problems plus the surging when it down gears in 7 and 4 and then last night doing 5km's in 5th gear
??? I've ad 2 updates on it and still the same. Think im going to look and see how much of a hit I will take in trading it in for an Avenger or something.. :( I love this car and doing at least 200 km a day for work the gas s great but starting to et scared:((
 
#20 · (Edited)
I have 34,000 Km yes 34,000 Km on it and I sent a letter to Chrysler and someone called me with a file# but haven't spoke with him yet. Also looking to trade it in and seeing how much of a hit I will take :( maybe wait a few years until getting another one. The wife is to afraid to drive it with the surging. I love the car but.. scared fo th long run :(I really don't think a new car should have a trans replaced so I don't know what to do!!
 
#25 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hello

Purchased new 200S AWD V6 12/30/14 This is our first issue so far but not making me happy...

We just have a similar issue JEFF1842 had with ours with around 5600 on the odometer. I had gone into town to have first oil change done at dealership (don't think is related). Driving back home messages started appearing on gauge area. "Transmission requires service", "Performance features disabled", something about transmission temp (it had a temp icon in red). I decided to drive a while and then pull over. It seemed sluggish so I used the paddle shifter to download a gear but it didn't respond (duh). I found a safe spot, pulled off and turned the car off for a few minutes. It started fine but CEL was on. I drove home fine All appeared OK. CEL still on.
I decided I would scan it with a cheap hand held scanner I have. There were 2 codes P0711 and P073E My wife took it in the afternoon to go grocery shopping and told me the light turned off when she started it to come home.

More to come after it visits dealership today.
 
#26 ·
Hello

Purchased new 200S AWD V6 12/30/14 This is our first issue so far but not making me happy...

We just have a similar issue JEFF1842 had with ours with around 5600 on the odometer. I had gone into town to have first oil change done at dealership (don't think is related). Driving back home messages started appearing on gauge area. "Transmission requires service", "Performance features disabled", something about transmission temp (it had a temp icon in red). I decided to drive a while and then pull over. It seemed sluggish so I used the paddle shifter to download a gear but it didn't respond (duh). I found a safe spot, pulled off and turned the car off for a few minutes. It started fine but CEL was on. I drove home fine All appeared OK. CEL still on.
I decided I would scan it with a cheap hand held scanner I have. There were 2 codes P0711 and P073E My wife took it in the afternoon to go grocery shopping and told me the light turned off when she started it to come home.

More to come after it visits dealership today.
They probably did an update on the transmission, that's why I'm not taking mine in for oil changes even though they're free for 5 years.
 
#27 ·
Well the wife wrote a letter to Chrysler Canada and someone got back to me, I will have to take it to the dealer and let them drive it and see what im talking about, but the transmission guy already told me it was bad, fingers crossed lol :) and how did you guys get free oil changes??? I like it!!! lol
 
#29 ·
Took my 15 200s awd in today and was told about the tranny recall but after they looked at mine (25123 miles) they said it needs a whole new trans.... guess im kind of happy they didnt throw parts at mine with so many miles! Now i just wait for a new one to become available. Mine was built 4/14/2014 so im excited im getting a new transmission!!! Hopefully is doesnt blow while waiting for the backorder to be filled
 
#30 · (Edited by Moderator)
I was on here looking around and my wife called saying the car "did it again." The Service transmission, Performance features disabled messages appeared. CEL is on. She didn't feel it was driving differently this time. She attempted to go to the dealer but they were closed by the time she got there. Drove home OK

I scanned it for codes only 1 this time P0711 Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor A Circuit Range Performance

Calling dealer tomorrow More to come
 
#32 ·
Update:
My wife had the problem on Thursday coming home from work. Same message as I had actaully more exactly like mine -

Alarms sounds
Service Transmission
Performance features disabled
Temperature Symbol comes up in She didn't know if she saw the actual temp in dash or not. CEL light on I scanned P0177 Temperature Sensor...

I drove with it to dinner and she was with me On the way home the car was missing terribly at idle. I have noticed the idle before It is a moderate misfire and I know it runs smoother. It also seem to be acting odd until I got out on to the highway. It was only a few miles to home. I was away at the NY car show yesterday and (hoping to find a Chrysler rep) and my wife took car to town to shop as always. The CEL light is now once again gone off.

I will be giving the dealer the link to this thread.
 
#34 · (Edited)
Chatting the the service manager at the local dealership, on top of the well-known parking prawl and tranny contamination problem, they're starting to see dog clutch failures on both of the the UF 200 AWD models that mirror what's been seen on Cherokees.

The dog clutches still don't pull in or let loose as fast at the 9 speed can shift gears. With things out of sync, you're essentially grinding the dog clutch splines. The only solution is to keep working on better computer control and deal with the mechanical failures as they occur.

The obvious symptom is a warning chime and a flashing error message on the dash saying AWD inoperative, service required. The next time the transmission shifts, the error on the dash clears but it's gone too quickly for the OBD code to be captured for a scan.

The guy said that he's mostly seeing failures on the forward dog clutch/PTO, not so many on the rear differential dog clutch.

Availability of replacement parts is running about two weeks.
 
#35 ·
Mine just did the "Service Transmission" "Service Park Brake" routine. Did not start. Turned off and waited a minute. Started and drove fine. Going to dealer tomorrow.

Mileage 5,500mi
 
#36 ·
It's fun to see users reporting this issue and not being in panic mode anymore. This issue has been reported so many times on the board that now I feel like people are happy to have it LOL!!! "Hey I won the lottery...going to the dealer tomorrow to get my stupid tranny fixed"


Good luck 121a
 
#37 ·
If this wasn't so funny.....I'm not too manly to say I might cry......aughhh....

When I learned of this issue about the recall, I have to admit, I was p!ssed. Even looked at potentially trading my 200 off. Until I started researching what manufacturer doesn't have transmission issues........I can't afford a Tesla. All others appear to have had transmission issues in one form or another.

I'm just hoping the new transmissions are decent enough to last a few years.

This does make me happy that I bought an extended warranty though.
 
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