1996 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

THERE IS FUEL LEAKING IN A DRIZZLE OUT OF THE END OF THE FRONT FUEL INJECTION CROSSOVER TUBE/ INJECTION RAIL ASSEMBLY ONTO THE VALVE COVER WHERE IT ACCUMULATES INTO A PUDDLE OF GAS ON THE VALVE COVER. LIP THEN SPILLS ONTO THE EXHAUST HEADER. HUGE HUGE FIRE HAZARD. THIS MUST BE RECALLED. CALLED MY CHRYSLER DEALER AND THEY SAY THERE IS NO KNOWN RECALL ON THIS AND WOULD NOT HONOR A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. HOW MANY LIVES AND VEHICLES MUST BE LOST BEFORE SOMEONE FORCES CHRYSLER TO RECALL AND FIX THIS. THIS WILL BE THE LAST CHRYSLER I OWN. *NLM **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*753523

CLOCK SPRING FAILURE RESULTING IN AIR BAG LIGHT STAYING ON - E.G. THE DRIVERS AIR BAG PROBABLY WON'T DEPLOY IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURS - ALSO THE HORN NO LONGER WORKS

BOTH PROBLEMS ARE PERENNIAL, IN FORM I COULD NOT SPECIFY. AIR BAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND MAY FAIL IN AN ACCIDENT; HORN, BY NOT WORKING MAY NOT PREVENT AN ACCIDENT, IT ALMOST HAPPENED ONCE ALREADY; CRUISE CONTROL IS AN INCONVENIENCE NOT HAVING. WIPERS GO ON BY THEMSELVES, SPECIALLY WHEN TURNING ON THE BLINKERS. AT TIMES WIPERS DON'T STOP AND MAY DIVERT YOUR ATTENTION FROM TRAFFIC, IT COULD BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. *AK

DIFFERENTIAL UNIT BLEWOUT WHILE DRIVING PUTTING A HOLE IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE THE COMPANY WANTS ME TO PAY 2/3 OF THE TOTAL TO FIX IT, AND I THINK THE PROBLEM CAME FROM THE REBUILT TRANSMISSION THEY PUT IN LAST YEAR, MY PROBLEM IS THE VEHICLE IS 5 YEARS OLD AND TO GO THRU TWO TRANSMISSIONS JUST DONT MAKE SENSE EXPECIALLY AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. APPARENTLY THERE IS A PLOBLEM SOMEWHERE IN THE DIFFERENTIAL AND THE TRANSMISSION FOR THIS TO HAPPEN NOT ONLY TO BE BUT OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE FOR THE SAME YEAR THEY ARE TELLING ME THEY WONT KNOW IF IT IS THERE FAULT UNLESS THE OPEN THE AREA UP TO SEE WHAT HAPPEN BUT I HAVE TO AGREE TO PAY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN I DONT THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THERE MISTAKES THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPEN I OWNED A TOWN@COUNTRY BEFORE AND HAD TO PUT 2 TRANSMISSIONS IN THAT THINKING BECAUSE THEY CAME OPUT WITH A NEW STYLE AND PRESUMABLE A BETTER VECHICLE I DECIDED TO GIVE THEM ANOTHER TRY. PLEASE HELP ME IN THIS OR PROVIDE ME WITH WHO CAN HELP ME IN THIS MATTER. THANK YOU DEBRA C JACOB. *AK

PLASTIC FUEL TANK HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK ALONG THE TOP (PER DEALER). I DID NOTICE ON ONE OR TWO OCCASIONS THAT THE TANK BOTTOM DEVELOPED A CONCAVE APPEARANCE. THE DEALER HAS OFFERED TO REPLACE THE FUEL TANK FOR APPROX. $800 WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT THE REPLACEMENT TANK WON'T FAIL FOR THE SAME REASON THE ORIGINAL TANK HAS. I WOULD BE INTERESETED IN HEARING FROM YOU ABOUT THE SAFETY RECORD AND LONGEVITY OF PLASTIC GAS TANKS. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A VEHICLE IN WHICH THE GAS TANK HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK. *AK

AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON INTERMITTENTLY AND STAYS ON, PERFORMED DIAGNOSTICS, NO CODES PRESENT AND COULD NOT GET LIGHT TO COME ON, ALSO COOLANT LEAK AT HOSE AT REAR LEAF SPRING, REPLACE REAR COOLANT TUBE-RUBBED THROUGH ON SPRING,

WHILE DRIVING ON US378 BETWEEN SALUDA AND LEXINGTON, SC, AS I DROVE UPHILL ON AN UNDIVIDED HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE SPEED BEGAN TO INCREASE, REACHING OVER 85 MILES PER HOUR WITH MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I BRAKED BACK TO ABOUT 25 MILES PER HOUR, BUT WHEN I RELEASED THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE AGAIN SPED TO OVER 80 MPH. I PULLED OVER AND TRIED TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK, BUT THE ENGINE RACED. I TURNED IT OFF, BUT IT CONTINUED TO RUN, APPARENTLY "DIESELING" FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND MADE IT TO THE DEALER BY RIDING THE BRAKE AND DRIVING IN THE LOWEST GEAR. I SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT HAD MY WIFE OR TEENAGE SON WHO RECENTLY STARTED DRIVING BEEN BEHIND THE WHEEL THEY WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY LOST CONTROL. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE BRAKES HAD BEEN REPLACED ABOUT A MONTH EARLIER AND MANAGED TO HOLD THE VEHICLE, THOUGH IT REQUIRED BOTH FEET AND MOST OF MY 220 POUNDS ON THE BRAKE. THE DEALER SAID THAT A CABLE HAD BROKEN CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO STICK. I HAVE HEARD SIMILAR STORIES ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO THIS SAME MODEL VEHICLE. IT IS INEXCUSABLE THAT THE THROTTLE SHOULD SUDDENLY STICK WITH NO WARNING, ESPECIALLY AT WHATEVER SETTING IT IS AT WHEN THE CABLE BREAKS. AT THE LEAST, THE THROTTLE SHOULD RETURN TO NORMAL IDLE IF THE CABLE BREAKS. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AND, IN MY OPINION, WARRANTS A MODIFICATION TO PREVENT THIS HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION BEFORE FATALITIES OCCUR. HAD THE THROTTLE STUCK AT A HIGHER SETTING, I COULD NOT HAVE CONTROLLED THE VEHICLE OR WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TIME TO REACT. *AK *TR

THE O-RINGS IN MY FUEL RAIL HAVE FAILED, CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FUEL RAIL AT A COST OF $542. THIS VAN IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD AND THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE EVER HAPPEND ON A VEHICLE THIS NEW. I CALLED CHRYSLER WHO SAYS THEY DO NOT HAVE RECALL FOR THIS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS, BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT OR KILLED. FACT IS THE RESULTING GAS LEAK COULD HAVE EASILY KILLED MYSELF AND MY THREE YOUNG CHILDREN. I THOUGHT TOWN AND COURTNEY'S WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE SAFEST VEHICLE AROUND. MAYBE I WAS WRONG?

THERE WAS FUEL LEAKING IN A DRIZZLE OUT OF THE END OF THE FRONT OF THE FULE RAIL ASSEMBLY ONTO THE VALVE COVER WHERE IT ACCUMULATES INTO A PUDDLE OF GAS ON THE VALVE COVER LIP THEN SPILLED ONTO THE EXHAUST HEADER. IT IS CERTAINLY IS A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD. COULD HAVE BURNED MY HOUSE DOWN. IT DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE IN MY CASE BY PURE LUCK. IT APPEARS TO LEAK AT A CRACK IN THE JOINT ON THE FUEL RAIL AT A POINT WHERE THE METEL FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE FUEL RAIL ASSEMPLY MEET IN THE FRONT AND ENTERS THE FUEL INJECTION RAIL ASSEMBLY IN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. CHRYSLER DEALER STATES THIS IS NOT PART OF ANY RECALL, YET OTHER RECALL EXIST FOR THE SAME YEAR AND ENGINE AND THEY HAVE BEEN RECALLED. I HAVE RECEIVED NO NOTICES ON THIS ISSUE FOR RECALL. IF THIS PROBLEM RECALLED AND IS THEIR A REFERENCE PLEASE LET ME KNOW. IF NOT THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THANK YOU.

VEHICLE IS LEAKING FUEL FROM THE FUEL RAIL. CONSUMER WAS SMELLING SOME FUEL INSIDE CAB WHEN DRIVING BEFORE TAKING VEHICLE INTO A DEALER.*AK