2002 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

(1)EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE WE HAVE A 2002 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY WITH APPROXIMATELY 56,000 MILES. ON 26 OCTOBER MY MALFUNCTION/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ALL ROUTINE AND RECOMMEND MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE. DUE TO CONCERNS THAT IT WAS TRANSMISSION RELATED, I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY STATED THE PROBLEM WAS THE UPSTREAM O2 SENSOR. THE UPSTREAM O2 SENSOR WAS REPLACED, THE ENGINE CONTROLLER WAS UPDATED AND THE ENGINE CONTROLLER WAS UPDATED WITH THE LATEST SOFTWARE. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME ON 28 OCTOBER AND THE NEXT DAY THE MALFUNCTION/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER , WHICH WAS REPLACED WITH MY VEHICLE BEING RETURNED TO ME ON 01 NOVEMBER. ON THURSDAY 10 NOVEMBER, THE MALFUNCTION/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FOR A THIRD TIME. (2) FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES, AND THE THIRD TIME THE MALFUNCTION/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER ON 11 NOVEMBER. THIS TIME I WAS TOLD IT WAS A TORQUE CONVERTER/ TRANSMISSION ISSUE. THIS TIME, I WAS TOLD THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REMOVED AND A BROKEN LOW REVERSE ACCUMULATOR SNAP RING WAS DISCOVERED. THIS REQUIRED AN OVERHAUL OF THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACEMENT OF ALL SEALS AND CLUTCHES, AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SNAP RING. (3) WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; I.E, PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED (AND IF OLD PART IS AVAILABLE) OVERALL IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, ON MY A 2002 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY, THE FOLLOWING HAS BEEN DONE: 1-THE UPSTREAM O2 SENSOR WAS REPLACED, THE ENGINE CONTROLLER WAS UPDATED AND THE ENGINE CONTROLLER WAS UPDATED WITH THE LATEST SOFTWARE. 2- THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. 3- THE TRANSMISSION WAS OVERHAULED AND ALL SEALS AND CLUTCHES WERE REPLACED AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SNAP RING. *NM

THE KEY CYLINDER BROKE. WE JUST BOUGHT THE VAN WITH 28,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER A FEW WEEKS WE HAD A HARD TIME TURNING THE KEY TO GET THE VAN TO START, SOMETIMES IT WOULD TAKE 5 TO 10 MINUTES TO BE ABLE TO TURN THE KEY TO START THE VAN. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE INSIDE OF THE IGNITION. THEY SAID IT WASN'T A WARRANTY ITEM, SO I HAD TO PAY $191.82. *JB

CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY 2002. AT 20000 MILES RECALLED FOR REPLACEMENT OF GAS TANK CONTROL VALVE SEAL (B25). NOW LEAKING @ GAS TANK ROLLOVER VALVE CAUSING VAN TO FILL WITH GAS FUMES. DEALERSHIP CONSIDERS OUR PROBLEM THOUGH CLEARLY IN A 2002 VEHICLE WITH 57,119 MILES WITH PREVIOUS GAS TANK ISSUES - ONE WOULD CONSIDER PERHAPS A MUCH GREATER PROBLEM WITH GAS TANK - CERTAINLY A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. *NM

EACH YEAR THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON IN MY 2002 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY SINCE THE PURCHASE DATE. ORIGINALLY, DEALER REPAIRED AT NO CHARGE. DEALER LAST REPLACED THE CLOCKSPRING IN JUNE 2004 AT LICCARDI AUTO GROUP IN GREEN BROOK, NJ FOR $135.00. I AM NOW IN OHIO AND THE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN. IT APPEARS THERE IS NOW A RECALL ON 2000 MODELS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT WHEN I CALLED, THE RECALL DEPT SAID IT DOES NOT APPLY TO MY CAR. I AM CONCERNED THAT IT MAY CAUSE ACCIDENTAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG. *NM

DT: CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THEY INTERMITTENTLY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THE HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK ON. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH, BUT THIS REPAIR DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THERE IS CURRENTLY AN OPEN INVESTIGATION FOR THE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE. *AK UPDATED 11/29/05. *JB

PRIOR TO 15K MILES, REAR HATCH ON VAN WILL NOT OPEN. BOUNCED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SEVERAL DEALERS AND NEVER REPAIRED. # YEARS AND 60K MILES LATER, CHRYSLER SAYS THE WARRANTY IS EXPIRED AND THAT THEY ARE NOT LIABLE. ALL COMPLAINTS AND REAIR ATTEMPTS ARE DOCUMENTED.

1.3RD REPLACEMENT OF CLOCKSPRING IN AIR BAG SYSTEM (AT DEALER RIGHT NOW) 2. TRANSMISSION COOLANT LINES RUSTED OUT RESULTING IN LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID TO TRANSMISSION AND VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED ON 5-7-05 VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE GOING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS SITTING STILL IN HIS VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED BY THE ACCIDENT. THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AND DRIVER'S SIDE SEATS FELL BACKWARD. HE DID NOT HAVE PICTURES OF THE SEATS. HIS WIFE, A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE, HIT HER RIGHT SHOULDER AND ARM ON THE DOOR POST OF THE VAN. THE DAY AFTER THE ACCIDENT HER ARM WAS BLACK. ALSO, THE CONTACT HIT HIS HEAD ON A COOLER, AND HIS HANDS WERE TIGHTLY GRIPPING THE STEERING WHEEL. HE HAD A COMPRESSION INJURY BETWEEN HIS THUMB AND FINGERS ON HIS LEFT AND RIGHT HANDS. THE CONTACT CALLED CHRYSLER ON 5-15-05. SOMEONE CAME OUT TO INSPECT THE VAN. ON THIS SAME DAY CHRYSLER WROTE HIM A LETTER STATING THAT THE SEATS DID WHAT THEY WERE DESIGNED TO DO , AND THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IF HIS GRAND CHILD WAS IN THE BACK SEAT AT THIS TIME HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A FATALITY. *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED 2002 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYING ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT 5 MONTHS. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE AIRBAG LIGHT FIXED, AND THEY INFORMED HIM THAT THE LIGHT WAS ON DUE TO THE SEAT BELT LEFT TENSIONER BEING DEFECTIVE. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE WHOLE UNIT ON THE SEAT BELT TENSIONER. THE COST WAS $150.75 FOR THE CONSUMER TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT IT WAS CHRYSLER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REIMBURSE HIM FOR THE COST. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE CONSUMER WAS VERY UNHAPPY THAT CHRYSLER DID NOT REIMBURSING HIM FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER WAS AN EMPLOYEE OF CHRYSLER, HE WORKED AT A MANFACTURING PLANT IN MICHIGAN AND HAD ONLY PURCHASED CHRYSLER VEHICLES FOR 34 YEARS. THE CONSUMER DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE WITH CHRYSLER. THEY ADVISD HIM CALL NHTSA. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED SUDDENLY. WHILE AT A STOP SIGN THE TOWN & COUNTRY VAN STOPPED MOVING. THE RPM'S WENT UP WHILE PRESSING THE GAS, BUT THE VAN DID NOT MOVE. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY A TECHNICIAN IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION. BECAUSE OF THE COST TO FIX THE VAN, AS OF 08/15/05, THE VAN IS STILL PARKED. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP! *NM