2000 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

ABOUT A WEEK AFTER WE PICKED UP THE NEW VEHICLE THE ENTIRE REAR LIFTGATE HANDLE ASSEMBLY FELL APART INSIDE THE DOOR. CONSEQUENTLY IT WOULDN'T OPEN AND HAD TO BE TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. CHRISLER REPAIRED THE REAR ENTRY MECHANISM BUT THEN THE DEALERSHIP, IN ITS HASTY REPAIR, STRIPPED OUT ALL OF THE SCREWS THAT HOLD THE REAR LIFTGATE MOLDING IN PLACE SO THEY ALL FELL OUT. FEARING MORE DAMAGE WOULD BE CAUSED BY THE DEALERSHIP IN ANOTHER REPAIR I REPLACED THE SCREWS WITH LARGER SHEET METAL SCREWS WHICH LOOK DUMB.

THIS 2000 TOWN & COUNTRY HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH ITS DRIVE TRAIN/DRIVE SELECTOR. THE RECENT HAS BEEN THE FOLLOWING CASE THAT HAS OCCURED TWICE IN THE LAST MONTH WITH NO REACTION FROM CHRYSLER DAIMLER DUE TO LOCAL DEALER NOT BEING KNOWLEDGEABLE OF PROCESSES TO REGISTER OCCURANCE. THE VEHICLE, WHEN PARKED, WITH ENGINE TURNED OFF, AND KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION, COMES OUT OF GEAR AND ROLLS OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY BY ITSELF, WITH NO ONE IN THE VEHICLE. HAS SPOKEN WITH CHRYSER-DAIMLER AND THEY ARE SENDING AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER TO INVESTIGATE WITHIN 72 HOURS.

2000 CHRYSLER TOWN& COUNTRY (LIMITED) OWED FOR 2 YEARS 11 MONTHS, 57300 MILES -I WENT TO MY VEHICLE TO RUN AN ERRAND. WHILE SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY, I TURNED ON THE SEAT HEATER TO WARM IT UP DUE TO THE SEVERE COLD. THE SEAT BEGAN TO SMOKE AND BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER AND SAW GLOWING EMBERS AROUND THE HOLE THAT WAS CREATED FROM A HIGH HEAT SOURCE. I TURNED SEAT HEATER BACK ON TO CONFIRM THE SOURCE OF THE GLOWING EMBERS. SPARKS BEGAN TO SHOT OUT OF HOLE IN BURNT LEATHER SEAT. MY THOUGHTS ARE THAT SOMETHING IN THE HEATER CAUSED THE SMOKE AND GLOWING EMBERS. ALTHOUGH, THIS CAR HAS HIGH MILEAGE, THE LEATHER SEATS ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I WOULD EXPECT THAT THE SEAT HEATER WOULD BE REASONABLY DURABLE. THIS CAR HAS THE CHRYSLER BASIC WARRANTY, BUT THE ISSUE OF SAFETY/HAZARD CANNOT BE DENIED. IF THIS HAD BEEN THE PASSENGERS SEAT WITH A CHILD, INSTEAD OF AN ADULT, THE OUTCOME MAY HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. ALSO, IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE (MY ROUTE TO WORK IS VA INTERSTATE 66 AND IS USUALLY VERY HEAVILY TRAVELED) I MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY. NOTE, DURING THIS EVENT, NO FUSES BURNED OUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER STARTED SMELLING BURNING OF WIRERS. SMELL WAS COMING FROM UNDER DRIVER'S SEAT. DEALER NOTIFIED. PH..

SEAT WARMER IN DRIVER SIDE SEAT CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED HOLE IN SEAT AND DAMAGED WOMANS COAT.

ALL 4 INCIDENTS HAPPENED ON A RAINY DAY (SPRING 1X (WIFE DRIVING AND TURNING FROM A STOP LIGHT 5-10 MPH), FALL 2X IN ONE DAY(30-40MPH), LAST INCIDENT 12/4/02 (30-40MPH)). WHEN BELT SLIPS OFF, POWER STEERING DISABLED, POWER BRAKE DISABLED, ALTERNATOR DISABLED, COOLING SYSTEM DISABLED, ENGINE OVERHEATS, STALLS WHEN BATTERY RUNS OUT. LOCAL DEALER (SPIRIT CHRYSLER, LUBBOCK) HAS NO IDEA WHY THE PROBLEM PERSIST. DT

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. CONSUMER HEARD VEHICLES' ALARM BLOWING, AND WENT OUTSIDE TO SEE WHY. THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE MARSHALL INSPECTED VEHICLE AND INDICATED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THIS VEHICLE WAS A DEALERSHIP DEMO AT TIME OF PURCHASE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS.PH

THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BURNED. THE SPONTANEOUS IGNITION WAS CAUSED BY THE HEATING ELEMENT IN THE SEAT CUSHION WHICH BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT. NO ONE WAS OCCUPYING THE SEAT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. *MR *NLM

OEM SEAT HEATER CAUSED FIRE AND BURNED HOLE IN THE LEATHER. CAN'T SEEM TO GET CHRYSLER INTERESTED IN THIS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS ISSUE. DT

WHILE DRIVING IN THE PASSING LANE ON A THRUWAY, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULLED OVER SAFELY. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. SCC