1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

THIS IS THE 2ND INCIDENT FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. FIRST COMPLAINT #10468365. I WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION. I CROSSED THE STREET AND MY TIRES SPLASHED WATER THAT WAS RUNNING DOWN THE STREET GUTTER. THE WATER WAS 2-4" DEEP. I ONCE AGAIN IMMEDIATELY LOST STEERING AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. I WAS ABLE TO MUSCLE THE STEERING WHEEL ENOUGH TO PULL IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND THE BELT HAD SLIPPED OFF AGAIN. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE GARAGE. THE MECHANIC CHECKED OUT THE BELT AND THE TENSIONER AND SAID THEY WERE OK, AND THEY REINSTALLED THE BELT. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS TURNING A CORNER, AND THE VAN WENT INTO THE OPPOSITE LANE. I GUESS I CAN BE THANKFUL FOR THE DRAUGHT THESE PAST FEW MONTHS. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. IT MAKES ME AFRAID OF DRIVING WHEN IT IS RAINING OR WITH ANY WATER ON THE ROAD. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70MPH, PASSING SOMEONE, OR TAKING A CURVE IN THE ROAD. I CONTACTED THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. A BULLETIN #07-0299 WAS ISSUED IN 7.14.99. THE DEALERSHIP SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE ANY FIXES AS IT WASN'T A RECALLED PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD MY MECHANIC THEY OFFERED A $400 KIT TO FIX THE PROBLEM, OR I COULD PURCHASE A "SNOW" SHIELD AND HAVE IT INSTALLED. WHY WOULD I NEED A "SNOW" SHIELD IN LOUISIANA? *TR

IT HAD BEEN RAINING BUT HAD STOPPED. I WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN WHEN MY RIGHT TIRE WENT THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 2-4" OF WATER IN THE GUTTER. I IMMEDIATELY LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND VEERED INTO THE OPPOSITE LANE. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO CARS IN THAT LANE. I HAD DIFFICULTY STEERING AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. I WAS FORTUNATE THE GARAGE WAS AROUND THE CORNER. THE BELT HAD SLIPPED OFF THE PULLEYS. THE BELT HAD NOT BROKEN, ONLY SLIPPED OFF. THEY SAID I WAS THE 3RD TOWN AND COUNTRY THAT DAY THAT HAD TO HAVE THE BELT PUT BACK ON DUE TO THE WET WEATHER, AND THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH MODEL FOR MANY YEARS. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME TO SEND THIS REPORT. WHEN I HIT "VERIFY" EVERYTHING GOES BLANK. *TR

ON THIS DAY I WAS SITING IN MY VAN WITH THE IGNITION IN THE ON POSITION RESETTING MY CLOCKS IN THE VEHICLE I RESTED MY HAND ON THE SHIFTER WHEN IT RELEASED FROM PARK INTO REVERSE GEAR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING THERE ARE NO BRAKES BECAUSE OF POWER BRAKING YOU CANT STOP ON A DIME SO I QUICKLY ENGAGED THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING DOWN MY DRIVE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED CHRYSLER WHO CLAIMS THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE SINCE THEY DID NOT INSTALL THIS SAFTEY FEATURE ON ANY CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY VAN TO DATE ALSO I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH WHEN IT RAINS THE SERPENTINE BELT FALLS OFF THE PULLEYS IF WATER SPLASHES UP ONTO THE BELT ITSELF CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKES AND STEERING DUE TO THIS DEFECT CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BUT AGAIN REFUSES TO RECALL THE VEHICLES FOR A SAFER FIX SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEOFE THEY KILL SOMEONE. *TR

I OWN A 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY VAN. MAJOR PROBLEM IS SERPENTINE BELT COMING OFF AND CAUSING A LOSS OF STEERING. EVERY TIME IT RAINS MY SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF WHICH CAUSES EXTREMELY HARD STEERING. I HAVE REPLACED TENSIONERS TWICE IN THE AND BELT 4 TIMES. THANK GOD I WAS NOT ON THE FREE WAY OR A STREET WITH ALOT OF TRAFFIC OR THIS COULD KILL ME OR AN OTHER PERSON. I HAVE LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND THIS HAS HAPPENED TO 100S OF PEOPLE. ON THE INTERNET IT STATE THAT THE FACTORY RECOMMENDED REPAIR ( THE REPLACEMENT OF THE IDLER PULLEY AND THE PULLEYS RETAINING BRACKET.) IN THE TSB I READ, CHRYSLER'S ENGINEERS HAVE DECIDED THAT ON SOME MODELS THE IDLER PULLEY IS MISALIGNED BY .08 INCHES. CHRYSLER SHOULD RECALL THIS AND FIX THERE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. GET INVOLVED AND MAKE CHRYSLER FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

STRUT TOWER CORRODED AND SPRING AND STRUT POPPED THRU AND CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL. *TR

WE TOOK OUR 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY TO OUR MECHANIC TO HAVE THE WATER PUMP REPLACED AND HE INFORMED US OF THE DRIVERS SIDE STRUT TOWER RUSTING OUT AND SHOULD HAVE IT REPLACED AS IT COULD BE A HAZARD WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS REPORTED TO US ON 08-2011 WITH THE CAR HAVING 142000 MILES ON IT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO REPAIR IT AT THIS POINT. AM LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER ADDING OIL IN THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE SHOCK STRUT TOWERS WERE RUSTED AND WOULD CAUSE THE STRUCTURE OF THE VEHICLE TO FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED NOR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 158,000. UPDATED 3/14/11 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE STRUT TOWER WAS RUSTED AND THE STRUT BROKE THROUGH THE BODY OF THE TOWER. THE STRUT CAME TO REST ONLY INCHES AWAY. THE LOCAL BODY SHOP REBUILT THE TOWER BY WELDING SHEET METAL . HE FORMED AND REINFORCED THE SHOCK TOWER. UPDATED 06/30/11

I OWN A 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY MINIVAN. WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN WITH 3 PASSENGERS ( 1 YOUTH, 1 TODDLER IN CAR SEAT AND 1 ELDERLY PERSON) I NOTICED THE STEERING BECAME VERY HARD TO CONTROL, IMMEDIATELY AFTER I LOOKED AT MY INDICATORS AND NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE WAS ON THE MAX HOT SETTING. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND ARK IT AND UPON HAVING IT TOWED I NOTICED A BELT HANGING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. AFTER ASKING AROUND AND DOING RESEARCH I FOUND IT WAS THE SERPENTINE BELT, WHICH I CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX AT THIS TIME AND I ALSO FOUND OUT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. WONT CHRYSLER DO ANYTHING TO FIX THIS MOST DANGEROUS DEFECT??!! *TR

THE SERPENTINE BELT FALLS OFF IN WET WEATHER ON MY 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY MINIVAN. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES THIS PAST YEAR ALONE AND HAS COST ME IN TERMS OF TOWING AND SERVICE. THIS CAN ALSO BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION DEPENDING ON WHEN AND WHERE THE BELT FALLS OFF. WHEN THE BELT COMES OFF, THERE IS NO POWER STEERING, THE RADIATOR OVERHEATS, AND THE ALTERNATOR ISN'T CHARGING. THIS CAN RUIN THE ENGINE. AFTER SEARCHING THE WEB, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH DODGE CARAVAN AND CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY VANS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

I DROVE THROUGH A PUDDLE TODAY TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30 MPH WHEN I LOST MY STEERING. LUCKILY I WAS BOUT .5 MILES FROM HOME. BY THE TIME I GOT WITHIN .25 MILES MY TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT HAD COME ON. WHEN I GOT TO MY DRIVEWAY I NOTICED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS DRAGGING. THIS SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY DAUGHTER ABOUT 5 WEEKS AGO. MY VEHICLE IS A 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A HABITUAL PROBLEM. MY SERVICE PERSON REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. HE SAID I WAS LUCKY IT HAPPENED ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND NOT ON A HIGHWAY. *TR