1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

I WAS CLEANING OUT MY VAN ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2005 AFTER WORK WHILE MY 3 KIDS PLAYED OUTSIDE. MY VAN STARTED ROLLING BACKWARD DOWN THE DRIVEWAY (IN PARK, CAR OFF, KEY OUT OF IGNITION ENOUGH SO IT WOULDN'T BEEP AT ME) MY 8 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY BEHIND MY VAN DRAWING WITH SIDEWALK CHALK. SHE HAD GOTTEN UP TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF HER DAD'S CAR JUST IN TIME TO AVOID BEING RUN OVER. MY PASSENGER DOOR WAS OPEN AND SO WAS HIS SO THEY COLLIDED AS MY VAN ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN THE DRIVE. I HOPPED IN THE VAN AND TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKE, BUT THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED MY VAN FROM ROLLING IN TO THE ROAD WAS HIS CAR. THEY "LOCKED" TOGETHER. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THEY DID SEND AN INSPECTOR OUT, BUT A COUPLE WEEKS LATER DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY. I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS NOT BEHIND MY VAN AND HURT OR KILLED BY THIS FREAK ACCIDENT, BUT NEEDED TO RECORD THIS INCIDENT IN CASE OTHERS HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE VIBRATED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE DRIVESHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE IS 12 MONTH WAIT ON REPAIRS TO HIS VEHILCE. *TC

WHILE DRIVING A 1999 TOWN AND COUNTRY CHRYSLER VAN THE PULLEY FOR THE WATER PUMP SEPARATED FROM THE WATER PUMP. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVE BELT FOR ALL ENGINE ACCESSORIES TO COME LOOSE. THE LACK OF THE BELT CAUSED THE LOSS OF ALL POWER ASSIST, I.E., BRAKES,STEERING ELECT. ETC. A SUBSEQUENT REVIEW OF THE WATER PUMP PULLEY SHOWED THAT IT WAS BOLTED TO A THREE BOLT HUB. THE HUB WAS A PRESSED FIT ON THE WATER PUMP SHAFT. THE HUB APPEARED TO BE DESIGNED TO BE PERMANENTLY ATTACHED TO THE WATER PUMP SHAFT. THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO THE WATER PUMP SHAFT NOR TO THE HUB BEARING THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT AN INDUCE TORQUE CAUSED THE SEPARATION OF THE HUB AND THE WATER PUMP SHAFT. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 42,000 MILES ON IT. IT APPEARS THAT THIS PREMATURE FAILURE IS EITHER A POOR DESIGN OR A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IN EITHER CASE THE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED WOULD INDUCE A HIGH RISK ACCIDENT. THE LOSS OF STEERING POWER ASSIST ALONE WOULD MAKE THE DRIVER FEEL THAT THE STEERING HAD LOCKED UP. WHEN I DISCUSSED THIS FAILURE WITH THE CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT STATED THAT THEY HAD NO RECORD OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. WHEN I DISCUSSED THE FAILURE WITH THE LOCAL REPAIR GARAGE ( PEP BOYS ) THEY RECALLED SEVERAL PULLEY FAILURES ON CHRYSLER/DODGE VEHICLES. THE QUESTION IS DO WE HAVE A POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE WATER PUMP SHAFT AND THE HUB CONNECTION THAT CAN FAIL WITH ANY PRIOR WARNING. I HAVE THE WATER PUMP AND THE HUB. *NM

THE INCIDENT IS THE FAILURE OF THE RETAINING BOLT ON THE ACCESSORY DRIVER'S BELT TENSIONER PULLEY ASSEMBLY. THE BOLT FAILED BY SHEARING OFF AT THE ENGINE BLOCK. IN FAILURE, ALL ACCESSORIES DRIVEN BY THE DRIVE BELT CEASE TO OPERATE, INCLUDING THE ALTERNATOR, WATER UMP AND POWER STEERING PUMP. WHEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP STOPS, THE DRIVER IS LEFT IN THE HAZARDOUS SITUATION OF NOT BEING ABLE TO HANDLE THE VEHICLE. IF THE VEHICLE ENGINE IS LEFT RUNNING, IT WILL SOON OVERHEAT BECAUSE THE WATER PUMP IS NO LONGER RUNNING. ADDITIONALLY, ON FAILURE, THE TENSIONER PULLEY ASSEMBLY FALLS DOWN INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHERE IT CAN DAMAGE OTHER COMPONENTS. IN OUR CASE, IT BROKE THE POWER STEERING PUMP PULLEY. THE FAILURE WAS CORRECTED BY DRILLING OUT THE BROKEN BOLT FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK, REPLACING THE TENSIONER ASSEMBLY, AND REMOVING THEPOWER STEERING PUMP TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP PULLEY. THE OLD PART IS AVAILABLE.*AK

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL."THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT HEATER SEAT MALFUNCTIONED AND BURNED A 3/8 DIAMETER HOLE IN THE CENTER OF THE BOTTOM CUSHION. NEVER BEEN SMOKED IN. " *JB THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER A NOTICE HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE MANUFACTURER BUT A RECALL WAS NEVER ISSUED. *ER *JB

OUR 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY'S HEATED DRIVER'S SEAT DEVELOPED A HOT SPOT LAST WINTER. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP 6/23/04 TO HAVE A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS ADDRESSED, INCLUDING THE HEATED SEAT. THEY TOLD US IT CHECKED OUT OK AND THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND A HOT SPOT, EVEN THOUGH WE KNEW THERE WAS. THEY SAID IT WAS SAFE AND THAT ANYWAY THE SEAT WASN'T A WARRANTED PART. BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WOULD COST APPROX. $900 TO REPLACE, WE DECIDED NOT TO DO IT. ALSO, BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WAS SAFE, I STARTED USING THE HEATER AGAIN WHEN THE WEATHER TURNED COLD, ALTHOUGH I HAD TO KEEP TURNING IT OFF WHEN IT GOT TOO HOT. ON JANUARY 18, 2005, I DROVE ABOUT 20 MILES ON THE FREEWAY, AND WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR I NOTICED A BURN HOLE IN THE SEAT--ABOUT 3/8" ACROSS--JUST IN THE LOCATION THAT HAD ALWAYS FELT TOO HOT. I FELT LUCKY THAT IT HADN'T BURST INTO FLAMES WHILE I WAS ON THE FREEWAY! I WAS REALLY UPSET AND TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THESE SEATS, BUT THEY OFFERED TO "SHARE" THE COST OF REPLACEMENT. THE COST OF THE SEAT HAS NOW GONE UP TO $1100, AND THEY WANT US TO PAY $700 OF THAT. I'M GOING TO GET THE SEAT REPLACED BECAUSE IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A FAULTY PART. AFTER THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT, WE STARTED TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT QUITE A FEW OTHER COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO NHTSA. I DOWNLOADED REPORT #PE00-034 WHICH WAS QUITE INFORMATIVE. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER'S RECALL DEPARTMENT TODAY AND WAS TOLD THAT THE "SITUATION IS UNDER INVESTIGATION." THEN I SPOKE TO CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE, WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T DO ANY BETTER THAT THE $700 "CO-PAY." CHRYSLER SHOULD NOT GET AWAY WITH NOT ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM, JUST BECAUSE THERE HAVEN'T BEEN MAJOR INJURIES YET. ALSO, IT DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT THAT CUSTOMERS SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE WHAT IS QUITE OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT. I WILL ASK THE DEALERSHIP TO GIVE ME THE BURNED SEAT WHEN THEY REPLACE IT. *JB

THE BACK PASSENGER TIRE CONTINUOUSLY GOES FLAT WHICH IS DUE TO THE RIMS ON THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE LEAKS WHERE THE WELDING STARTS ON THE RIM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *NM

RECALL 04V480000/AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING: SINCE THIS RECALL REPAIR WAS MADE THE HORN CONTINUOUSLY GOES OFF WHILE DRIVING.*AK

I HAVE A 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY VAN. IT HAS ALL THE OPTIONS AND I PUCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW. I HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF IT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT, LEATHER WITH HEAT, IS OVERHEATING IN ONE AREA. IT GETS SO HOT THAT IT BURNS THE BACK OF MY LEG. IF I LEAVE THE HEAT ON FOR MORE THAN 1 MINUTE, I CAN SMELL BURNING LEATHER. I KNOW THAT IF I LEFT IT ON, IT WOULD PROBABLY CATCH FIRE. I CAN SEE A SMALL SPOT ON THE SEAT WHERE THE LEATHER HAS ACTUALLY BURNED. UNFORTUNATELY, I CANNOT USE THIS FEATURE ANYMORE. IT IS TOO DANGEROUS. I AM COURIOUS AS TO OTHER INCEDENTS OF THIS SAME THING HPPENING. *AK

THIS VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CHAIN EFFECT CRASH WHICH WAS NOT RELATED TO THIS EQUIPMENT FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DURING THE CRASH. WHEN HIT FROM THE REAR AND PUSHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE SEAT OF THE CAR BROKE IN TWO WAYS; THE BACK OF THE SEAT COLLAPSED AND THE BOTTOM PART OF THE SEAT TWISTED SLIGHTLY. THE CAR WAS DRIVABLE FROM THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. OF FOUR VEHICLES INVOLVED, THIS VEHICLE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHICH SUSTAINED SEAT DAMAGE. THE OTHER THREE VEHICLES HAD TO BE TOWED FROM THE SCENE. *JB