2002 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

CONSUMER STATED FIRST OWNER VEHICLE: THE VAN REAR TIRE AXLE FELL OFF. THOUGHT HUB BEARING. WAS BAD BUT I FOUND THE REAR AXLE SUSPENSION BROKEN. IT IS RUST, SAME AS FORD WINDSTAR PROBLEMS REAR AXLE RECALL. I AM A PROFESSIONAL AUTO BODY REPAIR FOR 35 YEARS...UPDATED 11-06-13 *BF

POWER STEERING HOSE KEEP BREAKING, FLUID LEAKS OUT WHEN HOSE BREAKS. HARD TO TURN STEER WHEEL WHEN HOSE BROKE. *TR

GIVEN THE NEWS (MAY 14/15 2013) OF THE FEDERAL PROP FOR NOTICE OF RECALL FOR CHRYSLER VEHICLES PROBLEMS CUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING WITH NO WARNING OR INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM I REQUEST OTHER VEHICLES (IE CHRYSLER VANS) FOR THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED AND SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING: (NOTE: I CAN PROVIDE ALL EXACT DATES/MILES DOCUMENTATION AS THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY CHRYSLER, WOODBRIDGE, VA. I'M ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE.) I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY (VIN CAN BE PROVIDED ON REQUEST) APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES AN HOUR ON ROUTE 50 ABOUT 20 MILES EAST OF WINCHESTER, VA AND MY VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF. NO INDICATIONS, NO WARNING LIGHT, NO OTHER UNUSUAL NOISES. IT JUST SHUT OFF. LUCKILY THERE WAS LITTLE TRAFFIC AND I COASTED TO THE SHOULDER. I ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE SEVERAL OCCASION AND IT WOULD NOT TURN ON. ALL VEHICLE LIGHTS (INTERIOR/EXTERIOR) RADIO, FANS ETC WERE OPERATIONAL. I RECALL THE ROADS WERE CLEAR, WEATHER COOL AND IT WAS ALMOST NOON. ULTIMATELY I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED AND SERVICED BY A CHRYSLER DEALER SERVICE CENTER IN WOODBRIDGE, VA. I DID REPORT THAT THE VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF AND GAVE FURTHER INFORMATION. AFTER LEAVING THE VEHICLE, IT TOOK THE SERVICE CENTER CLOSE TO APPROXIMATELY A WEEK OR MORE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE. ULTIMATELY THE ENGINE COMPUTER MODULE (ECM) WAS REPLACED AND SOME ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESSES. I ALSO RECALL THE CHRYSLER REP SAYING THEY NEEDED THEIR ELECTRICIAN TO COME AND LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AS THEIR MECHANICS COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. I CAN PROVIDE FURTHER COMMENTS AND RECORDS. I DO BELIEVE THE ECM IN MY VEHICLE WAS CHANGED OUT ONCE BEFORE BY CHRYSLER (POSSIBLE PREVIOUS RECALL (?). I MAY HAVE A PICTURE/INFO ON THE OLDER ECM WITH SERIAL NUMBER/DATE (POSSIBLE 2005). VAN IS RUNNING FINE SINCE NEW ECM AND OTHER ITEMS THAT REPLACED..SO FAR. *TR

THE MANUAL DOOR LOCK ON THE SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK. BOTH AUTOMATICALLY OR MANUALLY. IT DOES THIS INTERMITTENTLY. MY VAN IS A WHEELCHAIR VAN AND THE SLIDING DOOR IS MY ONLY MEANS OF EXIT. I HAD A WHEELCHAIR VAN MECHANIC TAKE THE WHOLE LOCKING MECHANISM APART AND HE DISCOVERED THERE WAS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE DOOR ACTUATOR. HE MADE A MODIFICATION AND IT WORKED. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM IN ALL YEAR MODELS OF THE CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY VANS. IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, THERE IS NO WAY OF OPENING THE DOOR. THE MANUAL LOCK STICKS IN THE LOCKED POSITION AND WILL NOT RELEASE, EVEN UNDER FORCE. CHRYSLER IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. CHRYSLER COULD AT LEAST ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AND MAKE A RETROFIT PART FOR THESE DOORS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK MANUALLY OR AUTOMATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 160,200.

JANUARY 2ND 2012 REPLACED HOSE FLUID AND CLAMPS BY AN ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC. VAN WAS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID ON THE ENGINE AND SMOKING. MILEAGE 63,893 FEBRUARY 21ST 2012 HAD TO ADD MORE POWER STEERING FLUID APRIL 20TH 2012 VAN HOSE BUSTED AGAIN LEAVING FLUID ALL UNDER THE VEHICLE. WE REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP, HOSE AND FLUID BY AN ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC . MILEAGE 66,091 TODAY THE VAN IS DOING THE SAME THING WITH A WHINING OF THE POWER STEERING AND SOMETIMES STIFFENS UP WHEN DRIVING AND YOU CAN SMELL THE FLUID BURNING ON THE ENGINE. SEEMS TO BE WORSE DURING COLDER WEATHER. THERE IS ALSO A POPPING NOISE IN THE FRONTEND WHEN YOUR TURNING. ACCORDING TO CHRYSLER MY VEHICLE VIN NUMBER IS NOT PART OF THE NATIONAL RECALL #04V386000. THIS VEHICLE IS AN ADA COMPLIANT VEHICLE AND IS USED TO TRANSPORT OUR SON WHO IS PERMANANTLY IN A WHEEL CHAIR. I BELIEVE THIS VAN IS A DANGER TO OUR FAMILY AND SHOULD BE PUT ON THE REGISTRY OF RECALLED VEHICLES FOR REPAIR. *TR

MY 2002 TOWN AND COUNTRY HAD TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION IN 11/12. IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR, MY SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT HARD. I TOOK IT TO THE TRANSMISSION GUY WHO REPLACED THE SPEED SENSOR. IT WORKED FINE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THEN MY BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON SUDDENLY. I HAD MY BATTERY CHECKED AND THEY SAID IT WAS FINE. THEY SAID I MIGHT NEED A NEW ALTERNATOR. SO I HAD A NEW ALTERNATOR PUT IN. THE CAR DID OK FOR ABOUT A COUPLE OF WEEKS, THEN THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED JUMPING ERRATICALLY. I TOOK BACK TO MY TRANSMISSION GUY WHO SAID THE SPEED SENSOR WAS FINE. HE THINKS IT MAY BE DUE TO A LOOSE WIRE OR A POSSIBLY DAMAGED WIRE OR CORROSION. SO FAR, NO ANSWERS AND MY CAR IS STILL UNDRIVABLE. IT JUMPS WHEN I AM STOPPED. IT ACTS LIKE ITS ALREADY IN SECOND GEAR OR SOMETHING. I AM AFRAID TO TRY TO DRIVE IT AS IT IS DANGEROUS. HELP! I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO THIS. IT COST TOO MUCH TO START WITH. 3.8L V6 LIMITED. I AM A SINGLE MOM WITH A CHILD WHO HAS HEART DEFECTS. I NEED RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION! *TR

MY LIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF, REPLACED BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR.. NOT FIXED.. NOW I HAVE BEEN NOTICING THAT THE PANEL BEHIND MY HEADLIGHT SWITCH GETS VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH. AFRAID OF A FIRE... CAN'T FIND ANY INFO ON INTERNET AS TO WHAT CAN BE THE PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING NORTH BOUND ON M-24, (TELEGRAPH RD.), MY LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL WINDOW EXPLODED. THE TEMP. AT THE TIME WAS APROX. 65 DEG.S ROAD CONDITION WAS SMOOTH. THE WINDOW WAS OPEN AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION. AFTER CHECKING THE INTERNET CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM, IT DID NOT TAKE LONG TO FIND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME THING. ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS INVOLVED ALL YEARS FROM 2001 TO 2012. WHY HASN'T ANYTHING BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM? *TR

DRIVING VEHICLE AT APPROPRIATE SPEED IN TRAFFIC, NOTICED A/C WAS BLOWING WARM AIR, SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING AND SMOKE UNDER HOOD FROM PASSENGER SIDE. IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF AIR AND STOPPED VEHICLE AS SOON AS IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO. UPON OPENING THE HOOD FOUND SMOKE COMING FROM RIGHT FRONT ENGINE BAY AREA AROUND ALTERNATOR AND A/C COMPRESSOR. ALLOWED ENGINE TO VENTILATE AND COOL, RESTARTED VEHICLE BUT WITH HVAC SYSTEM OFF AND DROVE TO THE NEAREST REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE VEHICLE. MECHANIC CHANGED THE ENGINE OIL AND RECOMMENDED TO CHARGE THE A/C SYSTEM WITH REFRIGERANT. OTHER MECHANICS SUGGESTED TAKING VEHICLE TO A/C REPAIR SHOP. INFORMED THAT T&C VEHICLES PRONE TO HAVE A/C COMPRESSOR ISSUES AND KNOWN DEFECT. NEVER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE OR OFFER BY CHRYSLER TO HAVE KNOWN DEFECT CORRECTED. *TR