1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

RECENTLY THE POWER LOCKS ON OUR CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY MINIVAN HAVE BEGUN TO MALFUNCTION. THEY LOCK AND UNLOCK WITHOUT REASON, BOTH WHILE WE ARE DRIVING AS WELL AS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. TONIGHT THEY LOCKED IMMEDIATELY AFTER I HAD CLOSED ONE OF THE SLIDING DOORS AFTER BUCKLING MY CHILDREN IN AND BEFORE I HAD OPENED THE DRIVER'S DOOR, LOCKING MY KEYS INSIDE. FORTUNATELY MY HUSBAND WAS ALSO AROUND AND WAS CARRYING HIS SPARE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS MALFUNCTION PRESENTS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN IT IS BOTH A CHALLENGE AND AN INCONVENIENCE TO SCHEDULE THIS SORT OF REPAIR, BUT PLAN TO HAVE THE REPAIR MADE AS SOON AS FEASIBLE. *NM

I OWN A 97 CHRYSLER T & C. IT APPEARS THAT THE CLOCKSPRING IN THE STEERING WHEEL IS DEFECTIVE AND THE MFG STATES THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM BUT IT COULD LED TO A AIRBAG MALFUNCTION. IT APPEARS THIS IS NOT COVERED BY A RECALL WHICH IT SHOULD BE... HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE YOU RECEIVED ON THIS???? *NM

THE CLEAR PLASTIC LENSES ON THE FRONT OF MY HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES WERE DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED AS THE PLASTIC IS ESPECIALLY PRONE TO DAMAGE BY UV LIGHT, HEAT, COLD, &/OR ROAD CHEMICALS. THE PLASTIC AFTER A FEW YEARS HAS COME TO BE FOGGED OR HAZED OR CLOUDY LOOKING... AND UPON CLOSE INSPECTION ALSO HAS THOUSANDS OF TINY CRACKS THROUGHOUT EACH LENS. OUR VEHICLE IS A 1997 CHRYSLER T&C WHICH WE PURCHASED IN 2000. BY 2002 WE NOTICED THE HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT WERE GETTING DIMMER AND IT GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE UNTIL ABOUT 2004 WHEN I BOUGHT BRIGHTER BULBS TO TRY TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS. IT DID NOT HELP AT ALL. THE DAMAGED LENSES CAUSES SEVERE DIFFRACTION OF THE LIGHT COMING FROM THE BULBS CREATING ESSENTIALLY A PAIR OF VERY BRIGHT "NIGHT LIGHTS" ON THE FRONT OF THE CAR. BY 2005 VISION WAS LIMITED TO 25-50 FEET AT NIGHT DEPENDING ON WEATHER CONDITIONS. THIS MADE NIGHT TIME DRIVING EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SO WE STOPPED DRIVING IT AT NIGHT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IN LATE 2005, AFTER CHECKING THE COST OF HAVING THEM REPLACED AND FINDING THAT IT WOULD BE $400-500 PER LIGHT, I DECIDED TO REPLACE THEM MYSELF. AT LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORES THE PART ALONE IS $219-255.88 EACH PLUS TAX. I THEN SEARCHED THE INTERNET WHERE I FOUND AND BOUGHT THEM FROM WWW.YOURAUTOPARTSTORE.COM. THE SKU NUMBERS ARE HL 3163 AND HL 3164 AND THE TOTAL WAS $221.24 INCLUDING SHIPPING FOR THE PAIR. I INSTALLED AND ALIGNED THEM MYSELF. IT IS MY FEELING THAT THIS CRUCIAL PART SHOULD NEVER DETERIORATE WITH TIME, AND THAT THE COST OF REPLACEMENT SHOULD BE BORNE BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR DESIGNING THESE DEFECTIVE, AND EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE PARTS. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT SMELLED GASOLINE WHEN PARKING HER VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE APART AND THE MECHANIC FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL #00V268000 FOR THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY STATE THE RECALL WORK HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED PRIOR TO HER PURCHASE. *AK

THE SCREW HOLDING THE HYDRAULICS TO THE VAN BODY BROKE AND THE REAR HATCH CAME CRASHING DOWN ON MY HEAD. I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM HEADACHES, NECK AND SHOULDER STIFFNESS AND PAIN. *JB

WHENEVER I FILL UP THE GAS TANKS ON MY 97 TOWN & COUNTRY AND 98 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, THE FUEL GAUGE INTERMITTENTLY GOES TO EMPTY AND YOU'LL HEAR THE "DING" SOUNDS. THIS OCCURS INTEMITTETLY UNTIL THE GAUGE IS HALFWAY EMPTY. THIS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR OVER 2 YEARS AND IT'S ANNOYING. *NM

FRONT DRIVERS SEAT MOVED ALL THE WAY FORWARD NEARLY PINNING DRIVER IN THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE IS A 1997 CHRYSLER MINI-VAN. SEATS HAVE A 2 SETTING MEMORY FEATURE. AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MEMORY MODULE FAILED. *JB

DT: 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THE LEFT FRONT AXLE BROKE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING STOPPED AND SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL IT OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A MECHANIC, NOT THE DEALERSHIP. THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENED. CHRYSLER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THERE HAD BEEN NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN FIXED, BUT THE CONTACT HAS NOT YET PICKED IT UP SO THERE WAS NO INFORMATION ON WHAT WAS REPLACED. THIS HAPPENED ON OCTOBER 11, 2005. *AK UPDATED 11/29/2005. THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED TO THE CONSUMER THAT A BUSHING ON THE AXLE HOLDS MOISTURE AND CAUSED THE PART TO RUST *NM

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS SINCE OWNING OUR 1997 TOWN AND COUNTRY CHRYSLER VAN, ANYTIME WE HAVE RUN INTO AN EVEN SLIGHT PUDDLE, TURNING LEFT ONTO OUR STREET, WE HAVE COMPLETELY LOST ALL POWER AND UNABLE TO TURN....RUNNING INTO THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD....WHERE CHILDREN HAVE PLAYED, AT TIMES. WE REPORTED SUCH TO OUR DEALER WITH THEIR SAYING THAT "NO ONE HAS EVER REPORTED THIS." APPARENTLY, THEY HAVE NOW. WE WOULD LIKE IT FIXED PLEASE, AT NO COST TO US. ALSO, OUR TRANSMISSION FOR TWO YEARS WORKS AND THEN DOESN'T WORK, WITH OUR HAVING TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD, TURN OFF THE VAN, AND TURN BACK ON IN ORDER TO HAVE IT SHIFT PROPERLY....ESPECIALLY WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING HAS BEEN ON. WE WOULD LIKE THAT FIXED, TOO, WITH NO COST TO US....FOR IT MUST BE A DEFECT AS IT HASN'T QUIT COMPLETELY. THANK YOU, LARRY WRIGHT 7/08/05

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT OPERATE IN COOL DAMP WEATHER (25-45 DEGREES F WITH HIGH HUMIDITY). THEY CANNOT BE CONTROLLED- SOMETIMES OPERATING FOR 10 MINUTES WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO TURN THEM OFF, SOMETIMES THEY GO INTO DELAY MODE BY THEMSELVES, AND SOMETIMES WILL NOT EVEN TURN ON. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN 2002. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURED WITH OUR 1997 DODGE INTREPID ES WHICH WE SOLD IN 2002 DUE TO IT BEING AN ELECTRICAL NIGHTMARE, A LEMON FROM THE FACTORY. THOUGH PURCHASED NEW, THE DEALER WOULD NOT MAKE ANY EFFORT TO HAVING THE CAR REPLACED THOUGH WE SUFFERED THROUGH 3 YEARS OF WARRANTY "REPAIRS" FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. ANYWAY, I DIGRESS...