1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY. WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 30 MPH DURING RAINY WEATHER, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 196,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 198,000.

I TURNED ON THE IGNITION AND I HAVE NO INSTRUMENT GAUGES WORKING ON THE DASH ALSO THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT AND ABS LIGHTS ARE ON. I WENT TO A SERVICE TECH AND HAD THE DASH DISPLAY REPLACED, THE COMPUTER AND THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE REPLACED AND STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. CAN YOU HELP? *TR

MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING A 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY MINI-VAN WHEN SHE STOPPED TO PICK UP YARD SALE SIGNS. WHEN SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND PLACED IT PARK, SHE EXITED THE VAN AND STARTED WALKING TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE VAN WHEN IT SELF-SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, KNOWN AS THE PARK-TO-REVERSE DEFECT. THE VAN KNOCKED MY MOTHER DOWN AND PINNED HER UNDER THE VAN WHERE SHE DIED FROM BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO THE HEAD. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT BUT HAS NEVER BEEN RECALLED IN CHRYSLER VEHICLES. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND YOU HAVE EVEN INVESTIGATED THIS VERY DEFECT 3 OR 4 TIMES PREVIOUS TO MY MOTHERS DEATH AND HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT, NOW I DON'T HAVE A MOTHER. *TR THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN ENGINEER AND HE CONCLUDED THAT THE VEHICLE DID HAVE THE PARK-TO REVERSE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO FALSE PARK AND SECONDS LATER, IT WOULD GO INTO REVERSE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TESTED, IT HAPPENED FOUR OUT OF TEN TIMES. UPDATED IVOQ 11/17/10 THE CONSUMER STATED NONE OF THE RECALLS THAT WERE ISSUED, REALLY FIXED THE ACTUAL DEFECT IN THE SHIFT SELECTOR OF THE TRANSMISSION. UPDATED IVOQ 12/10/10.*JB UPDATED 12/21/10.*JB

1997 CHRYSLER T&C VAN REPEATEDLY LOSES ALL DASH GAUGES SO YOU CAN NOT TELL HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING ETC.. ABS LIGHT AND SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT COME ON. NO REMEDY AS OF YET . HAD ONE MECHANIC TELL ME IT WAS THE BODY CONTROL MODULE BUT IT WOULD COST OVER $900 TO REPLACE{AND THAT MIGHT NOT FIX THE PROBLEM!}. ALSO LOST WIPER FUNCTION, I HAVE TO USE THE WASH FUNCTION TO CLEAR WINDSHIELD WHEN IT'S RAINING OR SNOWING. MECHANIC SAID THAT IS RELATED TO THE BCM ALSO. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SOMETHING UNDER THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A GRATING SOUND. SHE COULD FEEL AND HEAR A POPPING SOUND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS WERE DEPRESSED. SHE BELIEVES THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 111,501.

I FEEL THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE 1997 CHRYSLER MINI VAN SHOCK TOWER. I BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO BE LOOKED AT BECAUSE IT WAS RIDING ROUGH IN THE FRONT END. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE STRUTS 7/13/04 AT 107,819 MILES. ON 11/19/04 I HAD THE FRONT END REALIGNED AT, BECAUSE IT WASN'T HANDLING POORLY. THEY FOUND IT VERY DANGEROUS, THE LEFT FRONT STRUT LOWER MOUNT BOLTS WERE LOOSE/CAUSING STRUT TO POP IN KNUCKLE MOUNT AND BOTH BOLTS WERE LOOSE. THEN NOW, 5/27/08 AT APPROXIMATELY 170,780 MILES I WAS TOLD ME THAT THE RIGHT STRUT WAS BAD AND THE LEFT STRUT WAS READY TO POP THROUGH THE FRAME OF THE CAR WHERE IT WAS RUSTED. THIS IS DIRECTLY UNDER THE HOOD, I DO NOT SEE ANY REASON FOR IT RUSTING. I WAS TOLD IT COULD OF BEEN VERY DANGEROUS FOR US IF THE LEFT STRUT HAD POPPED OUT. CHRYSLER SELLS A KIT SPECIFICALLY TO REINFORCE THIS PROBLEM, IT IS PART NUMBER AND DESCRIPTION: 5080009-AA (CAP SHOCK 23034233), 5086513-AB (CAP PKG S 23034233) AND 5083855-AA (ADHESIVE 1081005). THEY ALSO HAD TO INSTALL LONGER BOLTS, SO THE CAR COULD BE ALIGNED CORRECTLY. AFTER REPAIRING THE SHOCK TOWER AND REPLACING THE STRUTS, IT WAS REALIGNED. I DID WITHOUT MY CAR FOR OVER 4 WEEKS. I FEEL THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE SHOCK TOWER, THEY SELL A KIT SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AND THE DEFECT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

WHEN YOUR SERPENTINE BELT BREAKS, IS REPLACED BECAUSE OF DAMAGE OR WEAR OR JUST FALLS OFF THE PULLEYS WHEN YOU GO THROUGH WATER PUDDLES... THEN YOU MUST REPLACE THE BELT TENSIONER AS WELL AS THE BELT TO REDUCE FUTURE PROBLEMS... I HAVE A 1997 T & C AND HAVE JUST RECENTLY REPLACED THE BELT TENSIONER OF THE 2ND TIME... NOT HARD OR EXPENSIVE.... MUST DO ABOUT EVERY 3 TO 4 YEARS... THE TENSIONERS WEARS OUT. *TR

I HAVE 1997 DODGE TOWN AND COUNTRY VAN AND EVERY TIME IT RAINS THE SERPENTINE BELT POPS OFF. DODGE TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND THERE IS NO SURE WAY OF RESOLVING IT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THERE IS NO POWER STEERING ONCE THE BELTS POPS OFF. *TR

AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE EXPRESSWAY ONE DAY THE GAUGES ALL FROZE FOR ABOUT 3 DAYS AND FROM THAT MOMENT ON THE LOCKS LOCK AND UNLOCK WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, IT IS A CONTINUOUS THING EVERY TIME WE GET IN THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ONEDAY AND THE DOORS UNLOCKED ON HER AND THE DRIVER DOOR SLUNG OPEN , THE ONLY WAY THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DEAL WITH THIS IS BY DRIVING WITH THE DOOR NOT FULLY CLOSED SO THAT IT WILL STOP LOCKING AND UNLOCKING, BUT THAT ONLY LASTS FOR SO LONG THEN IT DOES IT AT TIMES WHEN THE DOOR IS NOT FULLY CLOSED AS WELL. THIS HAS GOT TO BE SOME KIND OF A MANUFACTURERS THING BECAUSE MY HORN IS NOT WORKING EITHER AND IT ALL HAS TO DO WITH MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. IF THERE IS SOME TYPE OF RECALL OR ANSWER PLEASE INFORM ME IN A HURRY, THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED. *TR

SINCE WE PURCHASED THIS VAN IN 2001 WE HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT NOT WANTING TO RUN, AT FIRST IT WAS INTERMITTENT, BUT NOW IT IS JUST SITTING AT THE SHOP. WE HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO THE DEALER 6 TIMES, AND TO 2 OTHER MECHANICS 4 TIMES AND FINALLY MAY HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. WE HAVE ALREADY SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THIS VAN AND NOW THEY WANT ANOTHER $1000 THAT WE DO NOT HAVE. I HAVE BEEN READING LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE COMPUTER CONCERNING THIS PART OF THE VEHICLE, WHY IS THERE NO RECALL FOR THIS??? *JB