1998 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVING BELT. OWNER WAS DRIVING AND CAME TO A STOP SIGN, APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. DRIVING BELT BROKE , CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. OWNER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, AND RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE FROM EITHER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 30-35 MPH THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER UNTIL THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. HOW THE FIRE GOT STARTED WAS NOT DETERMINED. *JB

MY CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY HAD A BELT ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. IF THE BELT GETS WET, IT SLIPS OFF THE PULLEYS OR BREAKS/SHREADS. I HAD TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BY PLACING A SPACER PLATE BETWEEN A PULLY AND THE MOTOR AND A NEW BELT TENSIONER.*AK WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, THE VAN IS VERY HARD TO STEAR DUE TO LOSS OF POWER STEERING. I RESEARCHED THE WWW, AND THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR MANY PEOPLE.

HEADLIGHTS HAVE PROGRESSIVELY BEEN GETTING MORE ETCHED OR FOGGED, CONSIDERABLY REDUCING VISIBILITY. HIGH BEAM LIGHT INTENSITY IS LESS THAN MY OTHER CARS' LOW BEAM INTENSITY. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE OF REDUCED VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. IT APPEARS THE DURABILITY OF THE PLASTIC SURFACE IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO WITHSTAND ROUTINE EXPOSURE TO WEATHER. NO ACCIDENT TO DATE. *JB

THE MIDDLE ROW SEAT SPRING WAS BROKE WHICH ALLOWED THE LATCH TO RELEASE BY ITSELF.*BF THE CONSUMERS GRANDSON WAS RIDING IN THE VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE ROW DIRECTLY BEHIND THE DRIVERS SEAT WHEN HE NOTICED THE SEAT WAS NOT FASTENED TO THE FLOOR. *TC *JB

WHEN PARKED EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE WOULD RELEASE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

IN JUNE 2004 WHILE DRIVING IN A RAINSTORM ON THE HIGHWAY SERPENTINE BELT ON MY 1998 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY BROKE. IT WAS REPLACED. IN JULY OF 2004, WHILE DRIVING ON A WET STREET, THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF. IT WAS PUT BACK ON. ON OCT 8,2004, WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF, IT WAS PUT BACK ON ALONG WITH THE TSB SHIELD RECOMMENDED IN 1999 BY CHRYLSER TO PREVENT THE BELT FROM COMING OFF IN THE RAIN. ON NOV 1, 2004 WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE BELT CAME OFF. CHRYSLER PUT IT BACK ON AND CHARGED ME $43. CHYSLER HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS DEFECT SINCE 1999. NO EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO COME UP WITH A PERMANENT SOLUTION. ALLEN SAMUELS DEALERSHIP IN WEBSTER, TX SEES 3-4 MINIVANS COME IN WITH THIS PROBLEM EACH TIME IT RAINS.*AK

UPON PUTTING FUEL IN THE VEHICLE, THE NEXT DAY UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE THE FUEL GAGE FLASHED AND STARTED TO MAKE A DINGING NOISE. THE LIGHT STOPPED ILLUMINATING, THE CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND THE STARTED AGAIN AND THE GAGE BECAME ERRATIC. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BAD FUEL. *JB

WHILE DRIVING IN RAIN THE FAN BELT WHICH PROVIDES POWER TO STEERING, BATTERY AND ENGINE COOLING FALLS OFF. FAILURE CAUSES IMMEDIATE LOSS OF STEERING & WITHIN 20 SECONDS ENGINE OVERHEATS & DISABLES VEHICAL UNTIL TOWED. DEALER ATTEMPTED TO FIX UNDER WARRANTY 6 TIMES (NEW TENSIONER, NEW PULLEY WHEE AND NEW PIPES TO DRAIN WATER. SAME RESULT EACH TIME, AFTER PERIOD OF TIME OCCURS AGAIN. CAR IS TO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE . *AK

ON MONDAY, JULY 26, 2004, WHILE ON A MINI-VACATION WITH MY FAMILY IN COVINGTON, KENTUKCY, WITHOUT WARNING THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON OUR 1998 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY XLI, WHICH IS WELL KEPT AND HAS ONLY 63,000 MILES. THIS TRANSMISSION FAILURE PLACED MY FAMILY IN DANGER IN A STRANGE CITY, AND REQUIRED TOWING TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND RENTAL OF A VEHICLE TO RETURN HOME TO LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, OVER 100 MILES AWAY. MARSHALL DODGE DEALERSHIP IN COVINGTON DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AND OFFER TO CONDUCT SUCH REPLACEMENT FOR NEARLY $2,500. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND INQUIRY, WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MR. TRANSMISSION TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. REPRESENTATIVES AT MR. TRANSMISSION NOTIFIED US THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, AND EXPLAINED THAT THERE IS A DEFECTIVE PIN IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH COMMONLY WORKS ITS WAY OUT OF THE HOUSING UNIT ON THIS VEHICLE, AND DESTROYS THE TRANSMISSION. WE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN OUR VEHICLE WITH 63,000 MILES AT A COST OF $1,848.00, PLUS VEHICLE RENTAL CHARGES AND DEALER FEES TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM (AN ADDITIONAL $169.00). I INTEND TO WRITE CHRYSLER AND INVITE YOU TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER TO CONTACT ME. THANK YOU. *AK