1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF DURING A SLOW SPEED TURN IN THE RAIN, CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE TENSIONER PULLEY IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE BELT TRACKING PROBLEM. IT IS MISALIGNED. INFORMATION FROM WEBSITES AND NHTSA DATABASE, AND MY LOCAL DEALER IN WISONCIN CONFIRMED THAT HIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES AND CAN RESULT IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. I BELIEVE THIS REPRESENTS A SERIOUS DESIGN DEFECT AND CHRYSLER SHOULD REDESIGN THE PART AND REPLACE IT FOR FREE.*AK

THE ORIGINAL BATTERY FAILED AT 27,000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED IN MARCH 1999 WITH A NEW 60 MONTH BATTERY. NOW 17 MONTHS LATER THE BATTERY HAS FAILED AGAIN AND WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED. THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE SHORT LIFE OF BATTERIES IN THESE MINIVANS. A SIDE NOTE IS MY SISTER INLAW HAS A 98 T&C WITH 26K AND HER BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE ON THIS. THANKS!

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A THUMBING AND BANGING NOISE. BECAUSE IT WAS HITTING UP AGAINST THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF VEHICLE, LEFT REAR TIRE SEPARATED. MICHELIN TIRES, P215-65-R15, AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK

EVERY TIME I DRIVE INTO A PUDDLE MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, IT TAKES ABOUT 2 MINUTES FOR THE CAR TO REGAIN ITS STEERING. I HAVE THREE CHILDREN AND THIS HAS HAPPEND DOZENS OF TIMES. I WENT TO CHRYSLER IN VERO BEACH, FLORIDA AND AT FIRST THEY TOLD ME THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING TO ANYONE. THEY THEN TOLD ME THE BELT GOT WET AND REPLACED IT. THE NEXT DAY IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I WAS 1 1/2 HOURS FROM HOME AND THEY SAID BRING IT BACK WHICH I DID THAT DAY. WHEN I RETURNED TO NEW YORK WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THE DEALERSHIP IN LARCHMONT, NEW YORK SAID THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM AND COULD NOT FIX IT. THIS SUMMER I WAS IN VERO BEACH AND THEY SAID THEY HEARD OF THE PROBLEM BUT FIXED MY PROBLEM 2 YEARS AGO AND NOW THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! I CANNOT HIT A PUDDLE FOR IF I DO, I CANNOT CONTROL MY CAR. YOU CAN HEAR THE STEERING STRAINING WHILE I AM TRYING TO CONTROL THE CAR. I HAVE 3 CHILDREN, CHRYSLER SHOULD REPAIR THIS CORRECTLY AND HAVE A RECALL IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE HELP!

DOORS BEGIN TO MAKE A WHIRRING NOISE WHEN ATTEMPT TO LOCK, THEN WON'T LOCK. REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY ON 3 PREVIOUS OCCASIONS. AT DEALER AT PRESENT AND TOLD THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR DEFECT THIS TIME. FOUND TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN#230399 DETAILING EXACT PROBLEM. SHOULD I BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIRS?

WHEN YOU START UP THE VEHICLE, THE INTERMEDIATE WIPERS AND WIPER BUTTON BOTH FLASH CONTINUOUSLY, OTHER BUTTONS (AC AND CIRCULATION) DO NOT LIGHT UP AT ALL. AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF. HORN DOESN'T WORK ON OCCASION. WIPERS TURN ON BY THEMSELVES SOMETIMES. OCCASIONALLY DOESN'T START WHEN RAINING OR WILL DIE WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. *AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 30- 35MPH ON THE SERVICE RAMP, SHE WENT TO APPLY BRAKES, AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES, AND NO PRIOR WARNING. IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE, VEHICLE HAS DELIBERATELY CRASHED INTO METAL BARRIER. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

SERIOUS GRINDING IN BRAKES AT 38000 MILES. 45000 MILES DEALER NOTED DISCS WORE CORROEDED AND WARPED. BRAKES NOW RATTLE DURING BRAKING.

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS PART HAS FAILED. THE PREVIOUS FAILURE WAS IN JANUARY 1999 ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE WRITER AND THE DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE WRITER TELLS ME I MUST PAY FOR THE TIME FOR REPAIRS AND I FEEL THIS COST SHOULD BE ABSORBED BY THE MANUFACTURE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. JAMES W. ROBERTS. DOES NOT MENTION ANY SAFETY DEFECTS. *AK

THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. THIS CAUSED THE BRAKES TO BURN UP AND RUIN ALL THE REAR COMPONENTS. THE WIPERS WOULD ACTIVATE WITHOUT BEING TURNED ON. THIS WOULD HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS NEEDED TO REPAIR SO I BELIEVE THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT THEY KNEW ABOUT.*AK