1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

CHRYSLER LXI MINIVAN -- 1997 -- AIRBAG, HORN FAILURE [CLOCKSPRING?] -- REPORTED BY MANY AS A COMMON ISSUE. CAR HAS ABOUT 52,000 MILES. ENGINE WAS REPLACED (SHORT BLOCK) AT 13,000 MILES. *NM

PAINT JOBS DEFECTIVE IN A 1995 DODGE NEON AND A 1997 TOWN & COUNTRY ON THE ROOFS/ I WENT TO HAVE THE 1995 DODGE PAINTED THEY SAID IT HAD CONTAMINATED PAINT ON ROOF/ON BOTH VEHICLES ITS FADED OUT AND PEELING/EVERY DODGE IVE SEEN HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WHY?

THE SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF WHEN IT RAINS. YOU LOSE STEERING ABILITY IMMEDIATELY. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS ACTIVATED, THE HAZARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY THE DEALERSHIP.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD THE SHOCK TOWERS OBSERVED RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE SHOCK TOWERS. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED.

AUTO IN GENERALLY VERY GOOD CONDITION, WITH 110000 MILES ON ODOMETER. I BOUGHT FROM CHRYSLER DEALER IN 2004 WITH 90000 MILES ON ODOMETER. I NOTED A FAIRLY SUDDEN "FRICTION" IN THE STEERING (I.E. SLOW TO RETURN TO CENTER AFTER A TURN). ENTERED A PARKING LOT TO INSPECT, STOPPED, THEN TURNED THE WHEEL TO ENTER A PARKING SPACE AND THE LEFT BALL JOINT BROKE (WAS NOT MOVING). REPAIR SHOP (NOT THE DEALERSHIP) REPLACED THE "PERMANENTLY LUBRICATED" ORIGINAL JOINT WITH AFTER-MARKET PART WHICH INCLUDES A GREASE FITTING FOR FUTURE LUBRICATION. THE SHOP FOUND THAT THE OTHER BALL JOINT HAD A GREASE POINT, INDICATIVE OF PREVIOUS REPLACEMENT, AND LUBRICATED THAT JOINT. IN MY JUDGMENT, THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL FAILURE; IT COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY OR DEATH. THE CAR IS TOO NEW AND THE MILEAGE IS TOO LOW TO JUSTIFY THIS AS NORMAL WEAR, AND THE SHOP FOREMAN SAID "WE SEE THESE ALL THE TIME". I BELIEVE CHRYSLER SHOULD LOOK AT THIS AND A RECALL OR IMPROVEMENT MAY BE IN ORDER. *NM

THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY CHRYSLER ON OCT. 14,2002 (TSB 23-044-02) ON THE PROBLEM AND IT COVERS ALL MINIVANS BUILD FROM 1996 UNTIL 2000. MY 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY MINI VAN HAS RUSTING FRONT STRUT TOWER ASSEMBLY'S . MY MECHANIC THAT IF THIS CONDITION IS LEFT AS IS , IT WILL RESULT IN THE FRONT STRUTS FAILING BY PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE CHASSIS TO HOLD THEM IN PLACE. THIS WILL RESULT IN THE LOSS OF STEERING . THIS COULD EASILY LEAD TO AN IMMEDIATE ACCIDENT. THIS IS A KNOW DEFECT FOR 1996 TO 2000 MINI VANS. THE CHRYSLER COMPANY HAD REPAIR PARTS AVAILABLE BUT WILL NOT ON IT'S OWN MAKE A RECALL. I AM ASKING THAT THIS RECALL ME MADE IMMEDIATELY AS TO AVOID THE LIKELIHOOD OF ACCIDENTS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURES DESIGN. THE YEAR 2001 CHASSIS WAS CHANGED TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE ACT TO HELP US GET MONETARY ASSISTANCE FROM THE MANUFACTURE IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS A WELL KNOW PROBLEM THAT IS BEING IGNORED. PARTS ARE AVAILABLE TO REMEDY THE DEFECT BUT ONLY IF PAID BY THE OWNERS OF THE DEFECTIVE VEHICLES. SINCE ALL THE VANS IN QUESTION SUFFER THIS CONDITION , IT COULD NOT BE THE RESULT OF THE OWNERS. CAN YOU HELP US? THANK YOU. *NM

ON JULY 5TH MY FIANCEE AND MY 2 DAUGHTERS WERE DRIVING TO MEET HER AUNT IN NEW JERSEY INTERSTATE 80. WHILE DRIVING MY CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY 1997 AT THE NORMAL SPEED LIMIT SHE NOTICED THE VEHICLE SMOKING IN THE FRONT VENTS. AS THE SMOKE PROGRESSED SHE WAS CONCERNED AND WENT TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER, AS SHE DID SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO USE THE BRAKE INITIALLY AND RODE SEVERAL METERS BEFORE THE CAR WOULD COME TO A STOP (OVER ON THE HIGHWAY). AS SHE PULLED OVER SHE SAW THE CAR START TO CATCH FIRE, WHILE DRIVING WITH OUR CHILDREN AGES 2 AND 10 MONTHS IN THE BACK FROM THE GAS LINE SIDE, SHE QUICKLY UNFASTENED THE KIDS AND WAS ABLE TO SINGLE HANDEDLY RESCUE THEM FROM THE VEHICLE AS THE MINIVAN WAS ON FIRE. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT A CAR FROM 1997 MAINTAINED WELL WOULD JUST EXPLODE INTO FLAMES DURING A TRIP WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR WITHOUT BEING HIT. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 5 YEARS. PAID IT OFF EARLY IN MARCH AND COULDN'T FATHOM HOW EASY I COULD'VE LOST MY ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD WITHOUT RECEIVING A WARNING ABOUT THE RECALL. NOW I AM OUT OF A VEHICLE, MY FAMILY IS TRAUMATIZED (I AM SOMEWHAT DISTURBED BECAUSE OF THIS) AND I HAVE TO FIND ALTERNATE MEANS FOR ME TO TRAVEL AND PERFORM BOTH OF MY JOBS PROPERLY. WHY AM I INCONVENIENCED BECAUSE OF THIS OBVIOUSLY UNFORTUNATE SITUATION. I WANT TO BE CONTACTED AND I DEMAND TO KNOW WHETHER YOUR COMPANY WILL SOLVE AND RECTIFY THIS AND ANY OTHER SITUATIONS PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE. I HAVE OWNED ONLY 2 CARS MY ENTIRE LIFE AND THEY BOTH WERE CHRYSLERS. I AND MY FAMILY ARE TROUBLED, DISTURBED AND LET DOWN THAT THIS OCCURRED. IF I AM NOT CONTACTED IN A TIMELY MANNER, I WILL HAVE TO DO MY OWN CONTACTING. UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THE TOTALED VEHICLE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, NOT STANDING WATER OR HIGH WATER, MY 97 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY STARTED OVERHEATING. NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS WRONG, I PULLED OVER AND LET IT COOL OFF AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART MY TRIP. THIS CONTINUED EVERY 1/2 MILE AND FINALLY I HAD NO POWER STEERING. TRYING TO GET TO A FILLING STATION, IT FINALLY JUST DIED. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED, STAYING IN A HOTEL AND TAKING A CAB TO WORK, THE MECHANIC TOLD ME MY SERPENTINE BELT JUST CAME OFF. HE REPLACED IT. HE STATED THAT THIS HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BE HAPPENING WITH THESE VANS AND FOR ADDITIONAL MONEY AND LABOR COSTS I COULD HAVE A "KIT" INSTALLED AND WILL HOPEFULLY PREVENT THIS PROBLEM FROM CONTINUALLY HAPPENING. THE KIT HE SPOKE ABOUT WAS A BELT THAT IS RIBBED ON BOTH SIDES AND REPLACEMENT OF A PULLEY. IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THEN CHRYSLER SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THIS FREE OF CHARGE. *JB

THE HEADLIGHT ACRYLIC COVERS HAVE BECOME SO CLOUDED THAT THE LIGHTS ARE SO DIM THAT THE HIGHWAY IS UNSAFELY ILLUMINATED DURING NIGHT DRIVING. SWITCHING BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW BEAMS DOESN'T MAKE MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE. THESE ARE ORIGINAL CHRYSLER INSTALLED ASSEMBLIES, AND SHOULD CERTAINLY LAST LONGER THAN 7 YEARS. ITS LIKE TRYING TO LOOK THROUGH A WINDSHIELD THAT HAS BECOME LESS AND LESS TRANSPARENT. THE PROBLEM IS NOT WITH THE REPLACEABLE LAMPS, BUT WITH THE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLIES IN WHICH THEY ARE MOUNTED. CHRYSLER SHOULD REPLACE THESE WITHOUT COST TO THE CUSTOMER. *NM