1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

DRIVERS SIDE STRUT TOWER IS VERY RUSTY, VERY CLOSE TO ALLOWING THE STRUT TO PUSH THROUGH THE HOUSING. CHRYSLER HAS A REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE, I HAVE SEEN THE PROBLEM ON COUNTLESS CHRYSLER AND DODGE VANS 1998-2001. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY LIMITED EDITION, IT STARTED HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, I GOT THAT REPLACED, THE LIGHTS THAT TURN ON THE WIPERS AND AIR KEEP BLINKING AND WILL NOT TURN OFF, THE VANS' PANEL LIGHTS WON'T CUT ON AND THE VAN WON'T START. WHEN IT DOES START, IT CUTS OFF AFTER ABOUT 3 SECONDS. AFTER IT DOES THAT, IT WON'T START AGAIN FOR 24 HOURS. SOMETIMES I UNLOCK THE DOORS AND THE LOCKS RELOCK THEMSELVES BEFORE I CAN OPEN THE DOOR. THE ALARM CUTS ITSELF ON AND SOMETIMES LOCKS ME OUT THE CAR TO WHERE I CAN'T PUT THE KEY IN THE DOOR. WHEN I AM ABLE TO CUT THE ALARM OFF AND TRY TO START IT, IT WILL START FOR 3 SECONDS THEN CUT OFF CONSTANTLY UNTIL IT DOESN'T START AGAIN. I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED A NUMBER OF TIMES, NO DEALERSHIP I HAVE TALKED TO SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. SOME DEALERS WON'T EVEN TAKE THE VAN AS A TRADE-IN. THIS WAS AN INVESTMENT FOR MY FAMILY TO TRAVEL, NOW I'M TO SCARED TO LET ANYONE RIDE IN THE VAN FROM FEAR OF BEING STRANDED. LAST NIGHT WE WERE STRANDED AND HAD TO CALL A CAB TO PICK US UP FOR A $50 RIDE HOME. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR A CONSUMER TO GO THROUGH THESE PROBLEMS AND CHRYSLER HAS NO IDEA HOW TO FIX IT WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR A QUICK FIX AND THEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. GOING THROUGH THESE PROBLEMS MAKES WANT TO NEVER OWN ANOTHER AMERICAN MADE CAR, AND THEY WONDER WHY PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO BUY FOREIGN CARS WITH HIGHER PRICES BUT BETTER LONGEVITY. *TR

I BOUGHT 4 DOUGLAS P215/65R16BW TIRES FROM WAL-MART IN PISCATAWAY, NJ IN FEBRUARY, 2006. THOSE DOUGLAS TIRES WERE ACKNOWLEDGED TO HAVE BEEN FABRICATED BY GOODYEAR TO WAL-MART'S SPECS. MY VEHICLE IS A CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LTD, WHICH FOR ME HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL, RELIABLE VEHICLE. I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR 20,000 MILES SINCE THEN. THE TIRES SHOW ONLY MODEST WEAR AND I THOUGHT WERE PERFORMING WELL, DRIVEN MOSTLY IN FLORIDA, WHERE I NOW RESIDE. SIX TIMES SINCE THEN I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO A WAL-MART STORE BECAUSE OF A SLOW LEAK IN THE TIRES (I HAD PURCHASED LIFETIME SERVICE), AND EACH TIME SOME WORK WAS DONE WHICH TEMPORARILY SEEMED TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS WEEK I TOOK THE CAR IN BECAUSE THE AIR LEAKAGE HAS BECOME MORE SEVERE. I WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE TIRES HAVE "DRY ROT" CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO WARM PAVEMENT AND SUNLIGHT. THEY WILL NOT TOUCH THE TIRES BECAUSE THE BEAD IS SO DELICATE IT COULD BREAK AT ANY MOMENT. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR LEST A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE INJURE ME, MY FAMILY, OR OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY.

THE SERPENTINE BELT FELL OFF LAST NIGHT AND DUE TO THE LOSS OF STEERING ASSIST I ENDED UP IN AN ACCIDENT. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT. IT HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROBLEM WITH THE SERPENTINE BELT FALLING OFF. I REPLACED ALL THE PARTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BELT AND IT STILL HAPPENED. IT IS DANGEROUS AND WHY DOES CHRYSLER NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THIS? *TR

HIT THE BRAKES HEAVILY TO AVOID A STOPPED VEHICLE. FOUR MILES LATER, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHILE PROCEEDING DOWN A THREE MILE MOUNTAIN ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS FINALLY STOPPED BY PLACING THE TRANSMISSION IN LOW RANGE, PUMPING THE BRAKES AND APPLICATION OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM BOTH METAL BRAKE LINES JUST AFT OF THE ANTI-LOCK CONTROL VALVE. THE METAL LINES ARE SEVERELY CORRODED AT THE JUNCTION OF THE SOLID METAL LINE AND THE BRAIDED STAINLESS STEEL SECTION. SEARCH OF THE INTERNET AT "WWW.RIPOFFREPORT.COM" REVEALED THAT MINE ISN'T AN ISOLATED CASE. REPORT #153655 AT THAT SITE READS IDENTICAL TO MY EXPERIENCE. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE STRUT MOUNT AT THE TOP OF THE WHEEL WELL HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND CAN BREAK OFF. NOT SURE ON THE CRITICALITY OF THIS DEFECT, BUT LOOKS VERY UNSAFE, AND CHRYSLER NEEDS TO TAKE SOME ACTION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. IN JUNE OF 2006, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STRUT TOWER COULD DETACH FROM THE VEHICLE AND CAUSE A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AT THAT TIME AND THE MECHANIC WARNED HIM THAT A FAILURE WAS EMINENT. IN 2007, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR MINOR SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT HE COULD DIE IF HE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. HE WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE STRUT MOUNT TOWER WAS RUSTED OUT. AS A RESULT, IT COULD SEPARATE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, BURST THROUGH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE, AND CAUSE THE WHEEL TO FALL HORIZONTALLY. HOWEVER, THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE HE HAD NO OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO JIFFY LUBE FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND HAD TO SIGN A FORM ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT WAS TREATED RUDELY AND WAS DISCONNECTED. HE FEELS THAT HIS VEHICLE IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND COULD LEAD TO A FATAL CRASH. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 160,000.

1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY THE DASH LOSE FUNCTION, DRIVING WITHOUT SPEED AND THE REST OF THE FUNCTION. *TR

SERPENTINE BELT SLIPPED OFF TENSIONER PULLEY AFTER DRIVING THROUGH PUDDLE ON HIGHWAY MAKING ALL POWER ACCESSORIES INOPERABLE INCLUDING POWER STEERING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN 3 WEEKS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED AND UPON FURTHER RESEARCH ONLINE THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM ON CHRYSLER/DODGE MINIVANS BUILT BETWEEN 1996-2000. *TR

1. POOR QUALITY 2. FRONT STRUT TOWER IS RUSTED THROUGH. STRUTS ARE WOBBLING INSIDE THE STAMPED BODY HOUSING (PART OF THE UNIBODY). THE RUST IS SO BAD I'M AFRAID THE STRUT IS GOING TO PUNCH THROUGH AT ANY TIME LEAVING THE VEHICLE LIKELY TO CRASH DISASTROUSLY. 3. NOTHING SO FAR. *TR