2006 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

FAILED POWER STEERING RACK AT 45K MILES. WHINING NOISE WORSE AT START UP AND COLD TEMPERATURES. UPON RESEARCHING THE INTERNET, I FOUND ONE WEBSITE DISCUSSION BOARD (HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F172B27/0) WHERE THERE ARE OVER 21 SEPARATE INSTANCES OF THE SAME PROBLEM. MANY OF THESE OCCURRING BELOW 50K MILES. I PURCHASED THE CAR USED IN JULY OF 07. IT ALWAYS HAD A SLIGHT WHINE BUT HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER TIME. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT CHOOSES NOT TO DO ANYTHING TO RESOLVE IT. *TR

REPLACED MY 2006 T&C FRONT BRAKES WITH MACHINE ROTORS AT 29,400 MILES(15 MONTHS). NOW ONE YEAR LATER AT 44,000 MILES I HAVE A HONING NOISE IN LEFT REAR WHEEL. TOOK TO DEALER AND SERVICE TECH SAYS FRONT ROTORS WARPED NEED REPLACING AND NEED NEW PADS TOO. ALSO NEED REAR BRAKES TOO! THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON DEFECT IN T&C MINIVANS. MY HISTORY OF OTHER CARS I OWN SHOWS NORMAL 2-2/ 1/2 YEARS BEFORE REQUIRING NEW BRAKES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN I STARTED NOTICING THAT MY FRONT BRAKES WERE GRINDING AND SQUEAKING VERY LOUDLY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY USUAL MECHANIC TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND FOUND THAT MY PADS WERE GONE, METAL TO METAL WITH THE ROTORS. THERE WAS ONLY 18, 000 MILES ON THE CAR AT THE TIME AND FAILURE OF THE BRAKES WAS PREMATURE. MY MECHANIC WAS SHOCKED THAT A VIRTUALLY NEW CAR HAD SUCH SEVERE BRAKE EROSION. I NEVER HAD AN INDICATOR TO LET ME KNOW THAT THE BRAKES WERE GOING BAD. FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WERE REPLACED AND THE FRONT ROTORS WERE REPLACED. A TOTAL OF $600. ABOUT A YEAR LATER AT 38,000 MILES THE SAME THING HAPPENED ALL OVER AGAIN WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF HAVING THE BRAKES CHECKED BY MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THE BRAKES LOOKED LIKE NEW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON CRASH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE CONTACT WAS INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 36,000.

MY 2006 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY HAS A WHINE IN THE STEERING. AFTER RESEARCHING ON-LINE AND TALKING TO LOCAL MECHANICS THIS IS A VERY COMMON AND COSTLY ISSUE. THE MINIMUM COST I HAVE FOUND IS AROUND $800. CHRYSLER TO MY KNOWLEDGE HAS NOT STEPPED UP AND ADDRESSED THIS. A 2 YR. OLD VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2006 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY HAS WATER LEAKS COMING FROM THE FACTORY INSTALLED SUN ROOF. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES BUT IT STILL LEAKS. *NJ THE RACK AND PINION FAILED AND THE PART WAS OUT OF STOCK FOR 6 WEEKS. THE TRANSMISSION OIL PUMP LEAKED ALL OVER THE DRIVEWAY. *JB

PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. NO SERVICE LIGHTS WERE ON AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY. AT 11:00 PM ON THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT, I LOOKED OUT OUR WINDOW AND SAW OUR VAN ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS LOCATED IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, PRIMARILY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DASHBOARD. THE WINDSHIELD AND THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW HAD BEEN BLOWN OUT AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND IS A COMPLETE LOSS. THE FIRE FIGHTERS ON THE SCENE LOOKED FOR SIGNS OF ARSON AND INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ARSON AND NO ACCELERATE WAS NOTED OR SMELLED. THE REPORT WE RECEIVED FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT INDICATED THAT THE CAUSE OF IGNITION WAS FAILURE OF EQUIPMENT OR HEAT SOURCE, THE HEAT SOURCE WAS ELECTRICAL ARCING, THE ITEM FIRST IGNITED WAS ELECTRICAL WIRE, CABLE INSULATION AND THE TYPE OF MATERIAL FIRST IGNITED WAS PLASTIC. IT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO IGNITION WERE MECHANICAL FAILURE, MALFUNCTION. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR FIVE MONTHS EARLIER. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO PROVIDE A LOANER CAR EVEN THOUGH OUR VEHICLE IN UNDER WARRANTY THROUGH 36,000 MILES. IT CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 29,000 MILES. THE EVENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS INDICATED THEY BELIEVE WE SHOULD FILE A CLAIM WITH OUR INSURANCE COMPANY. WE HAVE REFUSED TO DO THIS AS IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT THIS ISSUE OCCURRED DUE TO A DEFECT WITHIN THE VEHICLE AND IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE FACTORY WARRANTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS 30 POUND INFANT PULLED ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LEVER WHILE NO KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE BEGAN MOVING AND CRASHED INTO A STOP SIGN. THE DEALER STATED THAT A PIN IN THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF OVER $1,595. THE TECHNICIAN FURTHER STATED THAT IT NORMALLY TAKES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO BREAK THAT PIN, WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A 30 POUND INFANT. THE STEERING COLUMN DID NOT LOCK PROPERLY TO PREVENT THE GEARS FROM SHIFTING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 46,000.

IT WAS A CLEAR DAY AND THE PAVEMENT WAS DRY. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY HEADING WEST ON DAYTON-YELLOW SPRINGS RD NEAR FAIRBORN OHIO. THE CAR APPEARED TO SPEEDUP ON IT'S OWN, I HIT THE BRAKES AND LET UP TO TRY AND GAIN CONTROL. THE MINI VAN WENT LEFT OF CENTER, SPUN BACK TO THE RIGHT AND FLIP ON IT'S SIDE INTO A DITCH. I HAD BEEN COMPLAINING TO MY HUSBAND THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VAN. HE DROVE IT A COUPLE OF TIMES BECAUSE OF THE HIGH MILEAGE HAD NEW TIRES PUT ON. A COUPLE OF DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, A CO-WORK DROVE THE VAN AND SHE SAID SOMETHING DID NOT FEEL RIGHT WITH IT. SHE HAS DRIVE MY VAN NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE PAST. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEATS DO NOT HAVE THE LATCH MECHANISM. ALL OF THE SEATS HAVE SEAT BELTS WITH EMERGENCY LOCKING SYSTEMS. SHE WAS INFORMED BY AN INSPECTOR AT THE FIRE STATION THAT SHE SHOULD NOT PLACE A BOOSTER SEAT ANYWHERE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,300. UPDATED 11/24/08 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE CHILD IS ONLY SAFE IN THE VEHICLE WHEN SITTING UPRIGHT. THERE WAS NOTHING TO PROTECT THE CHILD FROM LEANING FORWARD. UPDATED 11/26/08. *JB