1996 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT WOULD NOT REMAIN IN PLACE ON THE PULLEY IN HER VEHICLE. THE BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST THREE TIMES. THE CONTACT HAD TO REPLACE THE TENSION PULLEY AND THE WATER PUMP PULLEY TO KEEP THE SERPENTINE BELT SECURE. THERE ARE ONLY TWO BELTS LEFT TO BE REPLACED AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY WORKING PROPERLY. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS COMPONENT; THEREFORE, THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,619.

THE 1996 TOWN & COUNTRY VAN LOST ITS HEAT..UNKNOWN TO ME, IT WAS LOSING ANTI FREEZE ALSO. I TOOK IT TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY SAID I BETTER FIX IT THEN. OR MY MOTOR WOULD BURN UP A HOSE CONNECTS TO RADIATOR TO HEATER CORE...METAL. IT COST ME 60/00 TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THE SERPENTINE BELT ON MY 1996 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LXI, MAKES A LOUD SQUEAL AND THEN FALLS OFF A WEEK LATER. WHEN DRIVING IN RAIN AND GOING OVER A PUDDLE THE SERPENTINE BELT FALLS OFF THIS HAS HAPPENED SO MANY TIMES THAT I HAVE INSTALLED BRACKETS ONE BY THE TENSIONER AND ONE BY THE PULLEY. THE IMMEDIATE & DANGEROUS RESULT IS LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES NEXT IS WATER PUMP FAILS CAUSING ENGINE TO OVER HEAT SO UNLESS YOU HAVE A SPARE BELT IN YOUR VAN AT THE TIME AND THE TOOLS TO CHANGE IT YOU ARE LET STRANDED. *TR

THE SERPENTINE BELT ON OUR 1996 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LXI, MAKES A HORRIBLE SCREECHING SOUND, THAT WE'VE ALMOST COME TO APPRECIATE, WHEN FACED WITH IT'S ALTERNATIVE SILENCE, WHEN THE SERPENTINE BELT GETS WET & SLIPS OFF. THE IMMEDIATE & DANGEROUS RESULT IS LOSS OF POWER STEERING, LEAVING THE DRIVER SURPRISED WITH THEIR INABILITY TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VAN. WITHIN LESS THAN A MINUTE, A FAST HAZARD BELL SOUNDS & THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE SENSOR IS PINNED AT HOT. IF THE DRIVER IS QUICK, STRONG, & LUCKY ENOUGH, TO GET THE FAMILY "SAFELY" OFF THE ROAD, BEFORE THE WATER PUMP FRIES, STALLING THE VAN IN TRAFFIC, THEY ARE NOW LEFT STRANDED. WE'VE HAD THE SERPENTINE BELT & TENSIONER PULLEY REPLACED TWICE, THE LAST TIME AT CHRYSLER, AND STILL THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. WE'VE CHECKED FOR RECALLS BUT CHRYSLER STATES THAT THIS IS NOT A LIFE THREATENING FAILURE, SO NO RECALL HAS BEEN MADE. THIS HAS HAPPENS TO US OFTEN ENOUGH THAT WE KEEP A WRENCH IN OUR VAN, SO MY HUSBAND CAN ATTEMPT TO RETRIEVE & RE-SEAT THE BELT ONTO THE TENSIONER, IN THE POURING RAIN. WE'VE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM & CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY CHRYSLER DOESN'T THINK LOSS OF STEERING & SUDDEN HEAT PUMP FAILURE IS NOT LIFE THREATENING. IF ONE OF THEIR CEOS WERE TO FIND THEMSELVES STRUGGLING THEIR FAMILY VAN QUICKLY OFF THE ROAD, STANDING OVER, OR EVEN LYING UNDER THEIR ENGINE, IN THE POURING RAIN, WHILE THE REST OF THE FAMILY HOPES THAT HE ISN'T INJURED MAKING THE REPAIR, HIT BY LIGHTENING, OR BY A DISTRACTED DRIVER, PERHAPS THEY WOULD RECALL THIS SYSTEM. WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME & MONEY ON REPAIRS, & HAVE COME ACROSS AN OFF-MARKET PRODUCT DESIGNED TO FIX THIS SPECIFIC, WIDELY RECOGNIZED CHRYSLER PRODUCT ISSUE, AND JUST PURCHASED IT. WE FIND IT DISGUSTING TO SEE THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS PROBLEM BEING ADDRESSED MAY DEPEND ON THE NUMBER OF DEATHS, OR PERSONS INJURED, BEFORE CHRYSLER TAKES ANY RESPONSIBILITY. THEY COULD AT LEAST ACQUIRE OR COVER THE COST OF THE OFF-MARKET REPAIR KIT. *TR

DURING A LIGHT RAIN, I DROVE MY 1996 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY THROUGH 2 INCHES OF STANDING WATER. THE WATER SPLASHED INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND CAUSED THE SERPENTINE BELT TO JUMP OFF THE PULLEYS. INTERNET DISCUSSION GROUPS SHOWS THAT THIS IS COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG 1996 - 2000 CHRYSLER T & C OWNERS. I HAVE PURCHASED AN AFTERMARKET KIT DESIGNED TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. *TR

RT FRONT STRUT TOWER RUSTED THROUGH ROTTED. NOT SAFE CAN CAUSE A ACCIDENT LOSE CONTROL OF STEERING,FROM WHAT I HAVE READING AND TALKING TO SEVERAL CAR DEALERSHIPS THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND CHRYSLER IS NOT DOING ANYTHING I HAVE TALKED TO CHRYSLER DEALERS AND SOME SAY THEY GET IT COVERED AND SOME DON'T,PLEASE LETS DO SOMETHING. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE STRUT TOWER CORROSION. REAR WIPER MOTOR RUNS TILL BURNED UP. REAR WIPER RUNS INTERMITTENT (GHOSTING) ON ITS OWN. FRONT WIPER DOES THE SAME. VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY BUCKS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITH NO CODES. *TR

THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF OUR CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY IN A DRIVING RAIN STORM. WE WERE STRANDED IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 70 MILES FROM HOME UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT WHEN A FRIEND CAME AND DROVE US HOME. WE LEFT OUR VAN IN A PARKING LOT OVERNIGHT. WE ARE HOPING THAT IT IS NOT VANDALIZED OR STOLEN WHEN WE GO TODAY TO REPAIR IT. WHEN THIS BELT COMES OFF, POWER STEERING IS GONE, WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT LEADING TO SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT ALL AUTOMOBILE MECHANICS AND CHRYSLER VAN OWNERS KNOW ABOUT, BUT CHRYSLER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. THE FIX IS AN AFTERMARKET PARTS KIT BY GATES (PART NUMBER 38379K) AND GOODYEAR (PARTS NUMBER 49215K) THAT THE CONSUMER MUST BEAR THE ENTIRE EXPENSE OF INSTALLING. *TR

THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND WHEN IT HIT THE LEFT LANE GUARDRAIL AT 65 MPH, THEN SPUN TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER LANE AND HIT THE OTHER GUARDRAIL HEAD ON. IT THEN CAME TO A HALT UPON SPINNING 180 DEGREES FACING THE SOUTH PART OF THE HIGHWAY. *JB

PASSENGER SIDE LIFTGATE GAS CHARGED SUPPORT SHOCK MOUNTING BOLT FAILED WHERE SHOCK MOUNTS TO THE BODY AND THE LIFTGATE CRASHED DOWN ON A PERSONS HEAD. THIS DANGEROUS SAFETY PROBLEM THAT COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY INJURED A SMALL CHILD APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO BOLT STRESS/FATIGUE SINCE THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS EVIDENCE OF ANY CORROSION AROUND THIS MOUNTING BOLT. *TR