2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR SHUTS OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING WIPERS STARTS FLASHING DASH BOARD GOES HEY WIRE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND ITS VERY HARD TO STEER AND WONT START. THEN AFTER A FEW HOURS IT MIGHT STAR BACK UP OR DAYS LATER.

I AM A 29 YEAR OLD MALE. I AM SEVERELY DISABLED (QUADRIPLEGIC). I DRIVE A MODIFIED 2008 CHRYSLER T&C VAN WITH SPECIAL STEERING AND BRAKE CONTROLS AND A WHEEL CHAIR LIFT. I HAVE OWNED AND DRIVEN MY VAN 3 YEARS. IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY WELL MAINTAINED. IT MUST BE A SAFE AND RELIABLE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF MY SPECIAL NEEDS AND PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS. IT IS THE ONLY VEHICLE ON THE PLANET THAT I CAN DRIVE. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I TOOK MY VAN INTO CHRIS MYERS CHRYSLER, DAPHNE, AL, WHERE THEY REPLACED MY IGNITION SWITCH AND KEY FOB PER SAFETY RECALL #14V373000. ON FRI JULY 15, 2016, I WENT TO DRIVE MY VAN TO THE GROCERY STORE. I PRESSED THE DOOR OPEN BUTTON ON MY NEWLY PROVIDED KEY FOB AND THE VAN IMMEDIATELY WENT BERSERK. JUST ABOUT EVERY ELECTRICALLY POWERED DEVICE ON THE VAN EXPLODED INTO OPERATION - ALL AT THE SAME INSTANCE - WIPER BLADES ON ULTRA HIGH SPEED, REAR WINDOW WASHER SPEWING FLUID, HORN BLASTING, FAN MOTORS ROARING - AND ON AND ON! CONFINED TO MY WHEELCHAIR, THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO STOP THE CRAZINESS FROM THE VAN. ALL THE NEIGHBORS IN MY APARTMENT COMPLEX WERE NOW OUT IN THE PARKING LOT WITNESSING ALL THE OUTRAGEOUS THINGS THE VAN WAS DOING. I EVENTUALLY HAD TO GET THE HOOD OPEN AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY TO PUT A STOP TO THE VEHICLE SELF DESTRUCTING. WITH A FRIENDS HELP (A FRIEND WITH SOME VEHICLE MECHANIC EXPERTISE), WE CHECKED ALL FUSES - ALL WERE OKAY. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO START THE VAN - THE VAN WAS COMPLETELY "DEAD"! MY FRIEND MANAGES AN AUTO PARTS STORE IN GULF SHORES, AL, AND KNOWS THE SERVICE MANAGER AT GULF CHRYSLER, FOLEY, AL. AS SOON AS MY FRIEND DESCRIBED THE SITUATION, THE FOLEY SERVICE MANAGER ASKED IF THE RECALL HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AND SAID IT WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE NEXT MORNING, MY TOWING SERVICE TOWED MY VAN TO NEARBY CHRIS MYERS CHRYSLER. THEIR SERVICE MANAGER HAS PRESENTED ME A $1K BILL TO REPLACE A MODULE.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 55 NIGHT DRIVING ! COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING ENGINE AND BRAKING ALL HAMPERED BY LOSS OF POWER AS I TRIED TO SLOW VEHICLE TO A SAFE STOP ALL OF A SUDDEN POWER CAME BACK. THIS WAS A COMPLETE SAFETY ISSUE WITH NO POWER NO HEADLIGHTS NO TAILLIGHTS DRIVING 55 AT NIGHT ON A BACK COUNTRY HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 50000 MILES ON IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED AND THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TO RELEASE THE KEY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V373000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

I AM SENDING THIS TO INFORM YOU OF A FAILURE TO REPAIR A RECALL RO3/NHTSA 14V-373 BY OUR LOCAL DEALER. WE INITIALLY GOT THE RECALL L25/NHTSA 14V-373 IN 2014. THIS ONE WAS NEVER DONE EITHER. L25 WAS SUPERSEDED BY RO3. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER ON 10-2-14 AND 3-10-15 ABOUT L25. SINCE THEN, I HAVE CALLED ON 6-23-15, 6-6-16, AND ON 6-29-16 ABOUT RO3. EACH TIME I HAVE BEEN STALLED, WITH THEM SAYING THE PARTS ARE ON BACKORDER. IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS DEALER HAS NO INTENTION OF MAKING THE REPAIRS. THE DEALER HERE IN CANTON, GA. IS SHOTTENKIRK CHEROKEE CHRYSLER, PHONE NO. 678-493-1000. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V373000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V373000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V373000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V373000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

REAR AXLE BRACE THAT FASTENS REAR WHEEL TO BODY BROKE ,LEAVING WHEEL ONLY FASTENED BY SPRING AND SHOCK , FLOPPING ERRATICALLY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE TO US ONCE AT 20 MPH AND ONCE AT 40 MPH .WE BOTH TIMES BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A SLOW EASY STOP ..WE SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, AT ANY HIGHER SPEEDS.THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP WE SHOWED PHOTOS OF THE BROKEN BAR TO AFTER THE FIRST BREAK EXPRESSED SURPRISE ,"WE HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE " WAS THEIR COMMENT. THE BREAK WAS AT THE CUT-OUT HOLE IN THE BRACE ,THE HOLE IS FAIRLY LARGE , BIG ENOUGH TO STICK ALL 5 FINGERS INTO.(WE NOTICE THAT AFTER 2009 MODELS, THIS FAIRLY LARGE CUT-OUT HOLE WAS REDUCED TO A QUARTER INCH SLIT , ON THE MODELS WE CHECKED. CHRYSLER WANTED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE REAR AXLE ,BUT WE ENDED UP TAKING IT TO A MASTER WELDER WHO AS A FAVOR WELDED AND SANDED IT TO WHERE YOU COULD NOT TELL THERE WAS EVER A BREAK..6 MONTHS LATER IN OCTOBER 2015, IT HAPPENED AGAIN BREAKING ABOUT 2 INCHES FROM THE FIRST EPISODE BREAK,ON THE SAME PIECE OF METAL .WE WERE AT ABOUT 40 MPH ,THE BACK WHEEL FLOPPING ,ALMOST THROWING US OFF THE ROAD.THIS TIME WE REQUESTED OUR WELDER FRIEND TO ADD PLATES TO THE BRACE ,PHOTO OF FINISHED JOB ENCLOSED , YOU CAN STILL SEE THE ORIGINAL CUT-OUT. .WE FIGURED WE JUST ENDED UP WITH A BAD PIECE OF METAL ON OUR VAN. BUT THEN IN APRIL 2016,MY NEPHEW ,WHO HAS A 2008 CHRYSLER BUILT VAN (SOLD BY VW) EXPERIENCED EXACTLY THE SAME AXLE BRACE FAILURE,WHILE MOVING, AT EXACTLY THE SAME SPOT IN THE BRACE,AT THE SAME TYPE OF CUTOUT HOLE.HE LIVES ABOUT 5 MILES FROM US, I PERSONALLY EXAMINED HIS VAN AXLE BRACE ,AND WE DISCOVERED THE OTHER SIDE BRACE WAS ALMOST BROKEN THROUGH TOO ..HE HAS A WIFE AND 3 SMALL CHILDREN,THIS WAS VERY TRAUMATIC THING FOR THE FAMILY. WE CONCLUDED THIS MUST BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AND WONDER IF PEOPLE ARE NOT DYING ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM THIS OBVIOUS AXLE BRACE DEFECT.