FCA Discontinues One of the Longest-Running Automatic Transmissions

The FCA’s automotive investment program covering the period until 2023 implies the discontinuation of what is known as a time-proven industry veteran: the 4-speed Ultradrive automatic transmission. It is not surprising that time of this famous unit comes to an end, as more stringent CO2 emission rules require the use of more efficient transmissions, which, in turn, implies more gears.

According to published documents, the Ultradrive solution will become a thing of the past in 2020. This info came to light thanks to FCA’s preliminary deal with the UAW, which confirms that the Kokomo Transmission Plant will produce the last Ultradrive units sometime in 2020, ending its more than 3 decades presence on the automotive market.

The 4-speed Ultradrive (also known as A604/40TE/ 41TE), which has been modified several times during its development path, was launched into production as a gear shifting solution for Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth beginning in the 1989 model year, when it found application in the Plymouth Voyager, Dodge Daytona IROC and Chrysler LeBaron.

When it hit the market, the Ultradrive became a notable achievement in transmission operation, as it was one of the 1-st electronically controlled automatics. This remarkable unit came with several previously unknown features such as adaptive shifting, wherein the ECU adjusts shifting process on the basis of driving behavior.

Learn more about a compound planetary of the A604 transmission

It is claimed that this transmission gained a reputation for being quite problematic powertrain component. However, despite the presence of several real issues, most likely caused by the fact that the product was rushed into production, a typical issue not necessarily stemmed from engineering miscalculations, but rather by inaccurate labelling: the owner’s manual recommended the use of Dexron fluid in case if the original fluid was unavailable. But in fact, this unit was designed to operate with a special fluid only (ATF+4). Many owners complained about transmission malfunctions after using Dexron, while at the same time, some temporary issues were fixed when the proper fluid was added.

In some cases, drivers may think that the Ultradrive transmission has got out of order because of a special “limp mode”. When the computer detected an issue, such as a faulty sensor, an error code would be stored in the car's computer and the transmission would automatically shift to 2-nd gear only, under TCM control, so that drivers could still reach the nearest repair shop for diagnostics and/or repairs. This may have led to a mistaken belief that something was wrong with the transmission unit and its subsequent premature replacement.

Currently, the Ultradrive transmission comes standard in the 2019 Dodge Journey, starting at $23,245. However, it should be acknowledged that this model is as outdated as its gear shifting mechanism in many aspects. Dodge is believed to be working on a replacement for today’s Journey SUV, which will come with a more sophisticated transmission and be constructed on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Giulia platform.

Most of FCA’s current models come with more sophisticated and efficient 8- or 9-speed automatic transmissions supplied by ZF rather than outdated 4- and 6-speed automatics.