1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

CAR WAS RUNNING, THE HEAT WAS ON, THE LIGHTS WERE ON, AND THE CAR WAS IN PARK. I DOUBLED CHECKED THAT THE CAR WAS IN PARK WHEN I STEPPED OUT OF THE VAN. ANDRIA SAID SHE TOO LOOKED TO SEE IF THE CAR WAS IN PARK AND IT WAS. I SHUT MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AND HEADED TO THE GARAGE TO GO INSIDE WHILE ANDRIA GOT HER PURSE AND BOOK OUT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER CAR SEAT, WHERE SHE HAD BEEN SITTING. I WENT INTO THE HOUSE AND UNPACKED THE BREAKFAST OUT OF THE MCDONALDS BAG FOR MY GIRLS AND SET DOWN THE 3 ORANGE JUICES ON THE COUNTER, NEAR OUR TOASTER. I THREW SOME GARBAGE OUT INTO THE TRASH UNDER THE SINK THAT I HAD PUT INTO THE MCDONALDS BAG, WHICH WAS MADELEINES BANANA PEEL THAT SHE HAD BEEN EATING ON THE WAY TO GET ANDRIA. I HAD BEEN INSIDE THE HOUSE FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS OR MORE. I THEN WENT OUT THE DOOR THAT LEADS TO OUR GARAGE TO HEAD TO THE CAR. WHEN I STEPPED OUTSIDE THE DOOR, I SAW ANDRIA HAD UNBUCKLED MADELEINE FROM HER CAR SEAT AND HAD MADELEINE IN HER ONE ARM, AS SHE WAS PICKING UP HANNA WITH HER OTHER FREE ARM TO CARRY BOTH GIRLS INSIDE THE HOUSE. I SAID I WAS LEAVING NOW AND WAITED FOR THEM TO JOIN ME NEAR THE DOOR, WHICH LED TO THE HOUSE. I KISSED BOTH GIRLS ON THE CHEEK AND SAID GOODBYE. ANDRIA TOLD ME SHE HADNT SHUT THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR WHERE SHE HAD GOTTEN THE KIDS OUT, AS SHE HAD NO FREE HANDS. (SINCE SHE WAS CARRYING THEM BOTH). SO I STARTED WALKING IN A DIAGONAL IN THE GARAGE, TO HEAD OUTSIDE THE GARAGE TO THE DRIVEWAY TO CLOSE THE PASSENGER SIDE, SLIDING DOOR, WHICH WAS THE ONLY DOOR, OPENED AT THAT POINT. JUST AS I WAS ALMOST 2 STEPS AWAY FROM BEING OUTSIDE OF THE GARAGE, THE CAR STARTED MOVING TOWARD ME. I SCREAMED OH MY GOD, ANDRIA THE CAR IS MOVING. ANDRIA HAD BEEN STANDING ON THE STEP BY THE DOOR THAT LED TO THE HOUSE. I YELLED FOR HER TO GET THE KIDS INSIDE THE HOUSE. I COULDNT GET OUTSIDE THE GARAGE AS THE CAR HAD ENTERED THE GARAGE NOW SO I STEPPED BACK INTO THE GARAGE INTO MY HUSBANDS GARAGE SPACE. MY HUSBAND SIDE. *AK

THE INSIDE OF THREE RIMS SHOW SIGNS OF OXIDATION WHICH CAUSED AIR LOSS IN THE TIRES DUE TO LACK OF A SMOOTH SURFACE WITH WHICH THE TIRE COULD MATE, THE SHOP STATED THAT CHROME PLATED WHEELS SHOULD NOT BE USED IN WINTER AS THE ROAD SALTS DESTROY THE PLATE, CONSUMER BELIEVES CHROME PLATED WHEELS SHOULD NEVER BE OFFERED AS AN OPTION FOR VEHICLES DELIVERED TO REGIONS WITH SNOWY WINTERS AND THINKS THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED. NLM

MASTER CYLINDER LEAKED INTO THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER WHICH CAUSED MY ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM TO FAIL. IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MOVING AT THE TIME OF FAILURE, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED MANY FATALITIES. THE DEALER FIXED IT AT NO COST, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT THIS COMPONENT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED MANY FATALITIES.

SNOW OR ICE LEAKED INTO MY REAR BRAKES, MY REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP AND VAN IMMEDIATELY STOPPED. THERE WAS A LOAD POP WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE VAN HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. WE WERE NOT INJURED BECAUSE WE WERE GOING VERY SLOWLY WHEN THIS HAPPENED BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC IF WE HAD BEEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR TRAVELING AT A HIGH SPEED. I THINK THIS COULD BE A PROBLEM ON OTHER VANS LIKE OURS AND THAT IT HAS PROBABLE CAUSED SOME SERIOUS CRASHES. *AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 55MPH ON HIGHWAY AND THERE WERE DEERS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD DANCING. HOWEVER, DEERS WERE FAR AWAY, UP THE ROAD. THERE WAS TIME FOR VEHICLE TO STOP. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES TWO TIMES, BUT BRAKES DIDN'T STOP. VEHICLE. THIRD TIME SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES, THEY GRABBED A LITTLE BIT. BUT, IT WAS TOO LATE,VEHICLE RAN INTO THE DEERS. VEHICLE SUFFERED DAMAGE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF MALFUNCTIONED BRAKES. THERE WAS AIR IN BRAKE LINES. ROTORS WERE HEATED BECAUSE PADS AND ROTORS WERE BLUE, AND PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED.*AK

ROTORS HAVE RUSTED FROM INSIDE, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE.*AK

BOTH REAR TIRES BEGAN GOING FLAT ON A WEEKLY BASIS. BOTH BEGAN OCCURING AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME IN AUGUST, 2000. NO PUNCTURE COULD BE FOUND IN TIRES. REPORTED PROBLEM TO DEALER (ANTWERPEN DODGE, COLUMBIA, MD). DEALER SERVICED VEHICLE AND REPORTED THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEMS. TIRES CONTINUED GOING FLAT. ANTWERPEN AGAIN SERVICED VEHICLE, DISMOUNTED ONE REAR TIRE FROM WHEEL AND FOUND SEVERE WHEEL CORROSION. TOLD US IT WAS OUR FAULT BECAUSE WE HAD PUT FIX-A-FLAT IN THE TIRE...WE HAD NOT! WE HAVE PUT NOTHING BUT AIR INTO THESE TIRES. CHRYLSER WAS CONTACTED (1-800-992-1997) AND AFTER SPEAKING WITH ANTWERPEN'S SERVICE MGR DECLINED TO WARRANT DEFECT. CHRYSLER WANTS US TO PAY $625.00 PER WHEEL TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE WHEELS A THAT ARE ONLY ONE YEAR OLD! WHEELS HAVE NOW BEEN EXAMINED BY A WHEEL SPECIALTY SHOP (YE OLE WHEEL SHOP, 6363 WASHINGTON BLVD, ELKRIDGE, MD). THIS SHOP REPAIRS DAMAGED WHEELS AND DOES WORK FOR SEVERAL INSURANCE COMPANIES. SPECIALTY SHOP FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF FIX-A-FLAT OR ANY OTHER FOREIGN MATERIAL IN TIRE/WHEEL. INFORMED ME THAT THIS TYPE OF CORROSION WAS COMMON WITH CHROME PLATED WHEELS THAT ALSO HAD BEEN CHROME PLATED ON THE INSIDE SURFACES. INDICATED THAT MOISTURE HAD GOTTEN INTO THE TIRE/WHEEL ASSEMBLY (PROBABLY THROUGH AN AIR HOSE AT A SERVICE STATION). THE MOISTURE THEN CREATED A REACTION BETWEEN THE CHROME AND THE WHEEL MATERIAL CAUSING THE WHEEL TO "EAT ITSELF". WHEEL EXAMINED HAS HOLES IN THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL WHERE THE REACTION HAS EATEN COMPLETELY THROUGH THE MATERIAL. SHOP INFORMED ME THAT QUALITY MANUFATURERS DO NOT CHROME PLATE THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL TO AVOID THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS LIKELY THAT ALL FOUR OF THE WHEELS ON THIS VEHICLE WERE BAD. THEY WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME WEAK FROM CORROSION AND COULD BREAK APART. CHRYSLER CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM AS A WARRANTABLE DEFECT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE WHEELS COULD FAIL AT SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING A CRASH.

CONSUMER HAS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH BRAKES. HAS TO INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCE TO STOP. DEALER SAYS THE BRAKES ARE THE BEST DESIGN FOR THE VEHICLE.*AK

RIMS ARE DEVELOPING HOLES INSIDE OF THE RIMS AND THE AIR LEAKS OUT. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT VEHICLE PASSED WARRANTY MARK.*AK LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT FRONT RIMS DEVELOPED PIN HOLES IN MIDDLE OF RIM. *YH

SEAT WARMER HEATING ELEMENT CAUSED SEAT ON T PASSENGER'S SIDE TO CATCH ON FIRE. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING THE VAN. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. NO ONE WAS SEATING IN THE SEAT AT THE TIME. DEALER HAS BEEN CALLED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK