2008 BRAUN TOWN & COUNTRY Complaints

WAS TOLD TO WAIT 1 MONTH FOR CRITICAL SAFETY RECALL THAT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. FROM RECALL LETTER: CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY AND DODGE GRAND CARAVAN VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A WATER LEAK AT THE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONER "HVAC" DRAIN GROMMET WHICH CAN LEAD TO ILLUMINATION OF AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND A POTENTIAL INADVERTENT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. I WAS TOLD AFTER TAKING MY VEHICLE IN THAT THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER AND I'D HAVE TO WAIT ABOUT A MONTH TO GET THIS DONE. MY CONCERN IS THAT I DO HEAR HISSING UNDER THE DASH AND HAVE LOSS A/C COOLANT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE AIRBAG MAY DEPLOY WITHOUT WARNING. I FELT AND FEEL THIS SHOULD BE ESCALATED TO GET THESE PARTS FASTER IN ORDER TO AVOID AN AVOIDABLE INCIDENT THAT MAY UNNECESSARY LOSS OF LIFE. NOT ONLY FOR MY FAMILY BUT OTHERS WITH SIMILAR VEHICLES. IT DIDN'T SEEM TO MATTER TO THE SERVICE PROVIDER I SPOKE TO THIS MORNING. I SUBMIT THIS STATING THAT I TRIED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, BUT CHRYSLER AND ITS REPRESENTATIVES DID NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE. LINK TO ARTICLE: HTTP://AUTO-RECALLS.JUSTIA.COM/CHRYSLER/TOWN-AND-COUNTRY/2008/10V611000/INDEX.HTML. *TR

2008 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY, 26,500 MILES. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND WHEN I PARKED MY VEHICLE THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR BRAKES. THE BRAKES HAD BEEN STUCK ON FOR AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF MILES. THERE WAS EXCESSIVE HEAT AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE AREA WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO A POSSIBLE FIRE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO WARRANTY OR RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I DON'T KNOW ANY EVENTS LED TO THE FAILURES. THE VAN IS USED FOR FAMILY TRANSPORTATION BY MY WIFE. ITS USE IS LIMITED TO ROUGHLY 12,000 MILES OF PAVED ROAD DRIVING PER YEAR. SOMETHING ELECTRICAL IS WRONG. ONE DAY IT WON'T START, THE NEXT DAY IT STARTS BUT ALL THE LIGHTS ARE ON, THE NEXT DAY THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON, THE NEXT DAY THE SPEEDOMETER/TACHOMETER/CLOCK/TEMPERATURE/FUEL GAUGES DON'T WORK. THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON TO WHAT WORKS AND WHEN SOMETHING WILL FAIL. IT IS IN A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP NOW FOR SERVICE. THEY ARE UNCERTAIN, BUT SAY IT IS "MOST LIKELY" THE INTEGRATED POWER MODULE. THEY ALSO SAY ONLY A DEALER CAN REPLACE AND REPROGRAM THE MODULE. I WILL BE CERTAIN TO SAVE THE OLD PARTS. *TR

2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY WALTER P EDITION NEEDED WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED AT 40,000 MILES. *TR

2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS 5TH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. HORN HONKING CONTINUOUSLY, WIPER AND FLUID GOING OFF EVEN WHEN TURNED OFF, LIGHTS FLASHING ON AND OFF. VERY UNSAFE THE DEALER AND CHRYSLER SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING. I HAD TO REMOVE FUSES SO THE HORN WOULD NOT GO OFF WHICH CLEARED THE CODES BUT I CAN'T DRIVE AROUND THE CAR? THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. THE DEALER ACTUALLY SAID TO TRY AND COME IN WITH THE HORN HONKING LIKE THAT!!! CRAZY *TR

I FOUND THE RIGHT-REAR VALVE STEM BROKEN, WHILE TRYING TO ADD AIR. IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN WEAKENED BY CORROSION. THE SURROUNDING AREA OF THE WHEEL SHOWED NO SIGNS OF CORROSION. THE VALVE STEMS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE ALSO THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SENSOR (TPMS) SENSORS. UPON INSPECTION, I FOUND THE OTHER VALVE STEMS/SENSORS IN POOR CONDITION. AFTER THE SPARE TIRE WAS INSTALLED, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR, UNDER WARRANTY. I ASKED THAT THEY REPLACE THE OTHER THREE SENSORS, SINCE FAILURE APPEARS IMMINENT. THE SERVICE WRITER EXPLAINED THAT, WHILE THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE, THEY CANNOT REPLACE THE PART, UNTIL IT IS ACTUALLY LEAKING AIR; BECAUSE THE SENSORS ARE EXPENSIVE. I FEEL THIS IS SIGNIFICANT, POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE WHEN THE STEM/SENSORS BREAK, THERE IS AN ALMOST IMMEDIATE, TOTAL LOSS OF PRESSURE IN THE AFFECTED TIRE. IF THE STEM/SENSOR BROKE WHILE DRIVING, LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL COULD OCCUR. THERE APPEARS TO BE QUITE A BIT OF DISCUSSION RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM ON CHRYSLER-RELATED INTERNET BLOGS AND FORUMS. ALSO, IT APPEARS CHRYSLER KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM, SINCE NEWER VEHICLES HAVE STEMS/SENSORS CONSTRUCTED OF A MORE ROBUST MATERIAL.

IN JULY 2010 THIS INCIDENT FIRST OCCURRED WHERE DRIVING WITH MY 3 CHILDREN IN THE CAR AT APPX. 5-10MPH AND APPROACHING A STOP SIGN THE CAR STALLED. I HAD NO POWER STEERING OR POWERBRAKES. THE ONLY LIGHT LIT ON THE DASHBOARD IS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP AND IT IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED. IN THE FALL OF 2010 THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED 2-3 TIMES AND ALWAYS UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY APPX. 10MPH AND APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION OR STOP SIGN. I BROUGHT THESE INCIDENTS TO THE ATTENTION OF CHRYSLER WHO SAID THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. IN JAN./FEB. 2011 THE STALLING BEGAN TO OCCUR MORE FREQUENTLY APPX 3-4 AND AGAIN UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS;WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY AND APPROACHING STOP SIGN/DRIVEWAY ETC. CHRSYLER AGAIN COULD FIND NOTHING. IN MARCH 2011 THE CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR ROAD APPX. 35 MPH AND IN THE MIDDLE OF A CURVE. I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL CAR AND MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND IMMEDIATELY IT RESTARTED. CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP STATES AT THIS POINT THAT POSSIBLY IT IS MY "KEY CHAIN" THAT IS TOO HEAVY FOR THE KEYLESS COMPONENT.(I HAVE 1 KEY ON IT) I REMOVE KEY AND REMAIN INCIDENT FREE FOR APPX. 6 - 8 WEEKS UNTIL TODAY. MY 15 YEAR OLD SON WHO IS A PERMIT DRIVER HAD THE INCIDENT OCCUR WHILE GOING DOWN HILL AT APPX. 15 MPH. WITH HIM BEHIND THE WHEEL AND ME IN THE DRIVER SEAT. WE WERE ABLE TO FINALLY STOP THE CAR AND WITH ME BEHIND THE WHEEL NOW WE RESTARTED THE CAR! THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. *TR

4TH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. I WAS DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AT 65MPH WHEN MY 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY MINIVAN BEGAN CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE. THE CAR HORN WAS BLASTING CONTINUOUSLY, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE MOVING BACK AND FORTH AND THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM WAS GOING ON AND OFF. I HAD THE ELECTRONIC COMPONENT REPLACED BUT THIS IS STILL HAPPENING. NOT SURE WHY THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS ISSUE VERY UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS AS I WAS DRIVING WITH MY 2 CHILDREN 3 YEAR OLD AND 1 YEAR OLD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THE HOSE THAT CONNECTED THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR TO THE FIRE WALL WAS FRACTURED AND CAUSING FREON TO LEAK. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE HOSE BY USING PARTS FROM A LOCAL MECHANIC BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THE CONTACT DID NOT AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 12/12/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THREE TIMES. UPDATED 01/03/12

IN NORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD DRIVING, ALL DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS LIT UP AT THE SAME TIME, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON, THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER WENT TO ZERO EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, AND MOST DISTURBINGLY, MY ELECTRIC DRIVERS SIDE SEAT STARTED MOVING FORWARD AND BACKWARD WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN AND BREAK. IT ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, BUT I WAS LUCKY. THE SYSTEM RESET ITSELF, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN, AND AGAIN. IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO SAID IT WAS A "FRAYED AND CHAFFING" ELECTRICAL HARNESS. I HAD TO REPLACE IT, EVEN THOUGH THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I COULD HAVE DONE TO AVOID THE SITUATION. I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING I SHOULD DO DIFFERENTLY, AND THEY SAID NO IT WASN'T MY FAULT. I ASKED IF THEY SHOULD BE INSPECTING ANYTHING ELSE TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN AND THEY SAID THAT WAS A ONE TIME OCCURRENCE IN THE LIFE OF THE CAR. I ONLY HAVE 39,000 MILES ON MY VAN, AND THIS WAS A VERY SCARY SITUATION. IF A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER WAS IN THE VAN, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SEVERE PROBLEM. WHEN THE DRIVER SEAT STARTED MOVING BACK AND FORTH WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND TRYING TO BREAK, IT WAS DISCONCERTING! *TR