2004 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

WE EXPERIENCED A RECURRENCE OF THE VEHICLE NOT STARTING AGAIN. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED AND STOPPED WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VAN, THE ENGINE TURNS OVER AND STARTS BUT THEN IMMEDIATELY STOPS. IT IS AS IF AN ANTI THEFT SWITCH IS ENGAGED OR THE REMOTE STARTER MECHANISM MALFUNCTIONS AND STOPS THE ENGINE. AFTER LETTING THE VEHICLE SIT FOR AN HOUR, IT WAS ABLE START UP AND REMAIN RUNNING. THE VAN WAS DRIVEN THE NEXT DAY AND A POWERFUL ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL WAS NOTICEABLE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. A FAINT CLICKING/SQUEAKING NOISE WAS ALSO HEARD IN THE VICINITY OF THE ALTERNATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO FOR THE SAME SITUATION, BUT THE VEHICLE STARTED THE NEXT DAY AND SERVICE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *TR

THE VEHICLE HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS RELATED TO QUALITY AND SAFETY. IN JUNE OF 2004 THE SERPENTINE BELT SPLIT AND ALL POWER ASSIST WAS LOST, CHRYSLER REPLACED THE AC COMPRESSOR AND THE BELT BUT DID NOT REPLACE ANY PS HOSES. THE VAN IS NOW LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID THAT MUST BE REPLACED ALMOST AS OFTEN AS I GET GAS. THIS IS UNSAFE AND ANNOYING. THE VAN ALSO HAS A THUMPING SOUND WHEN WHENEVER YOU GO OVER THIS SLIGHTEST BUMP. IT SOUNDS LIKE A STRUT OR SPRING IS LOOSE IN THE FRONT END. I TOOK IT TO BCP IN SMYRNA WHEN IT FIRST STARTED HAPPENING AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. IN 2005 THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHUTTERING WHENEVER WE CAME TO A STOP AND IT DOWNSHIFTED. THE SERVICE FOREMAN TOOK A RIDE AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. I TOOK IT TO WORLD TRANSMISSION IN DOVER AND HE PUT A TESTER ON IT AND DETERMINED THAT THE DEFAULTS WERE OFF AND HE RESET THEM. I HAVEN'T HAD A TRANSMISSION SHUTTER SINCE THEN. *JB

GROANING SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN STEERING, CLUNKING SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. DEALER DIAGNOSED GROANING SOUND AS LEAKING/BAD STEERING RACK AND SAID IT MUST BE REPLACED, WHICH WAS VERY COSTLY. DEALER DIAGNOSED CLUNKING SOUND AS BAD SWAY BAR LINKS AND BUSHINGS, WHICH THEY REPLACED. FILING COMPLAINT BECAUSE THOSE ITEMS SHOULDN'T GO BAD AFTER ONLY 3 YEARS OF NORMAL USE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH ON A CITY STREET, THE PASSENGER SIDE EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR AND ATTACHMENTS FRACTURED, AND SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT ALERTED.

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BACK BROKE DURING A REAR END COLLISION SEAT BELTS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN THE CAR IMPACTED A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT DRIVER SEAT BELT DID NOT PROTECT DRIVER FROM HITTING THE TOP OF THE CAR WITH HIS HEAD, AND ALSO CAUSED A BRUISE ON THE LEFT ARM WHICH CONTACTED THE UPPER SEAT BELT BRACKET. *NM

1) 2004 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY MINIVAN WAS THE THIRD CAR IN A SIX CAR CRASH. IT WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT BEHIND OTHER VEHICLES AND IN FRONT OF A RED MERCEDES WHEN A NISSAN SEDAN SLAMMED INTO THE REAR OF THE LINE OF CARS WITHOUT EVER APPLYING ITS BRAKES. 2) A & B. FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY WHEN THE T&C SLAMMED INTO THE CADILLAC IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF IT SENDING THAT CAR INTO THE TWO CARS FURTHER UP THE LINE. C. THE BACK OF THE OCCUPIED SECOND ROW CAPTAIN'S CHAIR BROKE SENDING ITS OCCUPANT BACKWARDS INTO AN OCCUPANT OF THE THIRD ROW SEAT. FOUR OF THE FIVE SEPTAGENARIANS IN THE T&C WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH INJURIES. THE DRIVER'S HEAD SMASHED INTO THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE AND HIS LEFT ARM WAS THROWN VIOLENTLY INTO THE DOOR. MY FATHER, THE DRIVER, SAYS HE WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS. HE COULD NOT SEE OUT OF HIS LEFT EYE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. I FLEW FROM CA TO TX AND DROVE HIS RV TO MY SISTER'S HOME IN VA SO SHE COULD LOOK AFTER MOM AND DAD. THEY AND THEIR RV BUDDIES CUT SHORT THEIR PLANNED TRIP AND ALL THREE RVS RETURNED TO VA THIS WEEK. CHARLIE, ARLENE, AND BETTY ARE RECEIVING MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR THEIR INJURIES. 3) THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THEREFORE, IT WILL BE REPLACED WITH A SAFER VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE NHTSA SHOWS TWO FOUR STAR AND TWO FIVE STAR RATINGS FOR THIS VEHICLE. *NM

COMPLAINT ABOUT BLIND SPOTS REAR VIEW MIRRORS IN GENERAL - INCLUDING BOTH SIDE MIRRORS AND CENTER MIRROR. I DRIVE A 2004 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY VAN. I AM A TALL DRIVER - 6.5 FEET. THE FRONT MIRROR BLINDS MY FORWARD VIEW. ON OCCASION, I HAVE MISSED SEEING A VEHICLE ON A SIDE STREET OR AN ANIMAL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ALSO, THE REAR VIEW MIRRORS CREATE A BLIND SPOT WHICH HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR SOME TIME IN THE INDUSTRY. BOTH OF THESE SITUATIONS CREATE DANGEROUS POSSIBILITIES AND NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. CORRECTING THESE SHOULD NOT BE A LARGE ENGINEERING OR COST PROBLEM FOR THE INDUSTRY. I REQUEST THIS COMPLAINT BE PURSUED AGGRESSIVELY BECAUSE THE AUTO COMPANIES WILL NOT DO UNLESS PUSHED. I DO NOT WANT TO BE THE CAUSE OR THE VICTIM OF AN ACCIDENT RESULTING FROM THESE CONDITIONS. I WISH TO BE KEPT INFORMED AS TO THE PROGRESS OF THIS COMPLAINT. THANK YOU. *NM

I HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE FOR REPAIR ON TWO OCCASIONS DUE TO TURN SIGNALS MALFUNCTIONING, POWER WINDOWS MALFUNCTIONING, AND BACK SLIDING DOORS MALFUNCTIONING. ON THE FIRST OCCASION MALFUNCTIONS COULD NOT BE ENACTED. ON SECOND OCCASION, A SWITCH WAS REPLACED. ON JUNE 28, 2006 VAN WAS HIT IN REAR PUSHED INTO ANOTHER CAR AND THROWN INTO AN 18 WHEELER TRAVELING 60 MILES PER HOUR AND NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *JB

OWNER OF THE VEHICLE MINI VAN TOWN AND COUNTRY LIMITED 2005, IMPORTED FROM THE UNITED STATES, DELIVERY OF DARMLEY CHRYSLER SERVICES DE MEXICO, S.A. DE C.V., WHICH WAS ACQUIRED IN FAME QUERTARO, S.A. DE C.V. MEXICO. ON JUNE THE 10TH. 2006 TRAVELING WITH MY FAMILY I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP AND IT WENT ON AND ON WITHOUT STOPPING, UNTIL THE VEHICLE LOST VELOCITY AND STOPPED BY ITSELF. LAST MONDAY THE CAR WAS SENT FOR REPAIR AND TAKEN TO THE DEALER IN QUERETARO CITY WITH THE ORDER NUMBER 151713. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT THIS PROBLEM APPEARS, AS YOU MAY NOTICED THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED AND MYSELF AND MY FAMILY HAS BEEN PUT IN SEVERED RISK. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE AS FOLLOWS: THE FIRST REPAIR WAS MADE ON MAY 14TH, 2005, BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE, AS REPORTED ON THE ORDER OF REPAIR NUMBER 97273 TO AUTOMOBILES DEL BAJIO. THE SECOND REPAIR WAS MADE ON NOVEMBER THE 1ST, 2005, BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE, AS REPORTED ON THE ORDER OF REPAIR NUMBER 10841 TO FAME QUERETARO. THE THIRD REPAIR WAS MADE ON JUNE 12, 2006, BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE, AS REPORTED ON THE ORDER OF REPAIR NUMBER 15173 TO FAME QUERETARO. THE REPAIR WAS MADE REPLACING THE RIGHT HAND HOSE; IT IS ALWAYS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE. I AM ASKING FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ITEM THEN MAY PUT IN HIGH RISK FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY, I ALSO WANT TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE REPORTS OF THE DEFECT OF THIS PART. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WITHOUT INCIDENT, THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD NOT CANCEL. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH WAS REPLACED TO REPAIR THE TURN SIGNALS.