Chrysler 62TE Buyer's Guide: Vehicles and Problems
Which Chrysler and Dodge vehicles use the 62TE six-speed, its known problems, the ATF+4 rule, and what to verify before you order.
The 62TE is a six-speed front-wheel-drive transaxle that Chrysler built into minivans and delivery vans for about fifteen years. If you drive a late-model Grand Caravan or Journey, that's probably the unit under you. Probably. Engine and year decide.
What has one
It debuted for the 2007 model year in the
Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger with the 3.5L V6, and in the Pacifica. The Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country got it in 2008, the Dodge Journey in 2009. On 2008–2010 minivans it came with the 3.8L and 4.0L V6s, while the base 3.3L kept an older four-speed; from 2011, when the 3.6L Pentastar became the only engine, every van got the 62TE. The Journey used it with the 3.5L and later the 3.6L. The Ram ProMaster followed later, and the unit stayed in production into the 2020s.
Chrysler didn't start from scratch. The 62TE grew out of the proven four-speed 41TE, adding an underdrive compounder that splits the gearing into more ratios.
Fluid: the one rule you can't bend
The 62TE needs ATF+4. Ordinary Dexron or Mercon fluid isn't a substitute, and running it is a documented way to ruin a Chrysler transaxle. Whoever installs your unit should put the exact fluid type and quantity on the invoice. Expedia Protection asks for it as well.
Known problems
Owners and rebuilders keep reporting the same short list. It's not glamorous.
**Converter shudder.** A vibration under light acceleration, often mistaken for an engine misfire.
**Solenoid and pressure faults.** Erratic shifts and harsh or flared changes, sometimes a transmission that sulks in limp mode. The solenoid pack on the valve body carries most of the electronics.
**Heat.** Vans hauling loads or working delivery routes run hot, the fluid breaks down, and the clutches wear early.
**Leaks.** A weeping pan gasket drops the level, and so does a bad cooler line. Low fluid is a common way transmissions begin to die, so a leak is worth fixing before you fit anything.
A 62TE that dies with metal in the fluid has spread that metal through the cooler and lines. Skip that flush and you've handed the new unit the same debris.
What to verify before you order
1. **Match by VIN.** The engine and drivetrain change between a 2008 Caravan, a 2010 Journey and a ProMaster, and we check the unit against your vehicle rather than a listing. 2. **Ask about your use.** Fleet, rideshare, tow or plow use counts as commercial. ProMaster vans often live that life. Personal use carries the 5-year, unlimited-mile term; commercial or fleet use follows the manufacturer's commercial term, typically 18 months or 75,000 miles. 3. **Cooler service.** Machine-flush and flow-test it, or replace it. The invoice must show which. 4. **Module programming.** If your vehicle requires the control module reprogrammed, the shop does it at installation and records it. 5. **Pre-authorization first.** Get our written number before you pull a unit over a warranty problem. No number, no removal.
Compare that with the GM 4L60E and 6L80 covered in [our other buyer's guide](/blog/4l60e-6l80-buyers-guide). The 62TE's weak points are less about one part and more about heat and cooler condition. If the shop can't tell you what the old fluid looked like, ask before you approve the job. [Reman versus used](/blog/reman-vs-used-engines-transmissions-how-to-choose) is worth a read too.
One question we can't answer without seeing the van: whether the shudder you're feeling is the converter or the engine.
Related on Expedia Parts
- Warranty policy and Expedia Protection: /warranty
- Pre-authorization before removing the unit: /blog/pre-authorization-before-removing-unit
- When your transmission needs a reflash: /blog/when-transmission-needs-reflash
- Check engine light after engine swap: /blog/check-engine-light-after-engine-swap
- Transmission slip and shudder after replacement: /blog/transmission-slip-and-shudder-after-replacement
- Torque converter shudder vs bad transmission: /blog/torque-converter-shudder-vs-bad-transmission
