1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

LAST DECEMBER 2004 WHILE DRIVING, MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE A TURN. I LOOKED UNDER HOOD AND FOUND S BELT HAD SLIPPED OFF. I WAS ABLE TO HAVE IT FIXED. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS. TODAY 5/9, AGAIN, THE BELT CAME OFF AS MY SISTER WAS ABOUT TO GO DOWN AN INCLINE. SHOULD SHE HAVE BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF DESCENDING, SHE WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT, BECAUSE OF A SHARP TURN IN THE ROAD. AT THE REPAIR SHOP I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT EXIST WITH THE TENSIONER IN THIS VEHICLE, AND THAT IT SLIPS OFF WHEN IT RAINS OR IF WATER GETS INTO IT. IN ORDER TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN USE I'VE HAD TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. FROM THE COMPLAINTS I'VE READ, THIS SHOULD BE MADE INTO A RECALL ISSUE, AND THOSE WHO'VE HAD TO MAKE REPAIRS AND REPLACE BELTS, SHOULD BE REIMBURSED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THE TRANSMISSION CONTAINED CHUNKS OF METAL. THE PLANETARY HAD DISINTEGRATED. *JB

THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE FAN BELT TENSIONER ONTO THE ENGINE BROKE UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE GOING ABOUT 25 MPH. AS A RESULT, THE FAN BELT BROKE OFF AND THE CONSUMER LOST STEERING. *AK THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE STOP. THE FAN BELT PULLEY TENSIONER WAS REPLACED. *BF

THE PLASTIC HEADLAMP COVERS ON MY CHRYSLER MINIVAN HAVE BECOME FOGGED OR HAZED OR OTHERWISE BECOME CLOUDY AND WILL NOT ALLOW LIGHT TRANSMISSION REQUIRED FOR SAFE NIGHTTIME DRIVING MANY CARS HAVE THIS PROBLEM, AND THE MANUFACTURER BUILDS THE HEADLAMP UNIT AS A SINGLE ASSEMBLY COSTING $400 TO $500 FOR EACH LIGHT TO REPLACE THE CLOUDED PLASTIC. *NM

I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE IN MY DAIMLERCHRYSLER 1997 MINIVAN. IT IS A CHRYSLER GEN3 BELT THAT DOES NOT PASS THE STANDARD AUTO INDUSTRY TEST FOR ACCIDENTAL RELEASE. ADDITIONALLY, IT IS TOO EASY TO INSERT THE TANG WRONG, WHERE THE BELT IS NOT LATCHED AT ALL. *NM

WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAME INOPERABLE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. *AK

UPPER STRUT TOWERS RUSTING. TSB ISSUED BUT NOT WARRANTY. THIS IS DANGEROUS. I HAVE 2 1997 CHRYSLER MINI VANS, A VOYAGER AND THIS TOWN AND COUNTRY. BOTH ARE RUSTING IN STRUT TOWERS BUT OTHERWISE RUST FREE. *AK

AS HEAD OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT AT TEMIC AUTOMOTIVE, N.A., NOW OWNED BY CONTINENTAL TEVES, I WAS INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATIONS INTO HUNDREDS OF CASES OF 'THERMAL INCIDENTS' ON ABS CONTROLLERS ON NEARLY EVERY PROGRAM. THE INCIDENCE WAS HIGHEST, ON THOSE VEHICLES WITH THE GREATEST EXPOSURE OF THE CONNECTOR TO THE ELEMENTS. OUR INVESTIGATIONS SHOWED THAT A DIRECT BATTERY TO GROUND SHORT WOULD DEVELOP IN THE PRESENCE OF MOISTURE AND CONTAMINATION, AND EVEN A 'SEALED' CONNECTOR DESIGN WOULD NOT PREVENT THIS. THE HIGHEST FAILURE RATE WAS ON THE CHRYSLER MINIVAN. AN INTERIM FIX USING A RAYCHEM GASKET WAS EMPLOYED, AND EVEN USED AS A SILENT RECALL FIX ON MANY CUSTOMER VEHICLES. IT IS MY OPINION NOW, THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALLABLE ISSUE, SHOULD SUCH AN DIRECT SHORT SITUATION DEVELOP THAT IT MIGHT LEAD TO A VEHICLE FIRE. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY VEHICLE FIRES DIRECTLY TRACEABLE TO THIS. I WOULD THINK THE PROBABILITY WOULD BE VERY LOW, BUT I'M SURE IT IS NOT ZERO. I THINK THE ACTIONS TAKEN, AND THE VEHICLES EFFECTED, AND THE LACK OF WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR A KNOWN DEFECT IN MANY CUSTOMER CASES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA. THE TIME PERIOD OF INTEREST WOULD BE FROM MY 1997 UP UNTIL 2000 OR 2001. THE MAIN PLATFORMS EFFECTED WOULD BE CHRYSLER MINIVAN, JEEPS AND FORD EXPLORER. *NM

CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY MINI VAN 1997 SERPENTINE BELT FALLS OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO US AT LEAST 5 TIMES. THIS BELT WILL COME OFF WHEN EVER IT IS RAINING OR SNOWING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS WE LOSE POWER STEERING IMMEDIATELY. WE HAVE HAD SOME NEAR TERRIBLE ACCIDENTS WITH THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO NOT GET HURT. CHRYSLER KNOWS ABOUT THE FAILURE IN THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 07-02-99. WE HAD TO INSTALL A SPECIAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY 4612412. EVEN WITH THIS BRACKET THE BELT CAME OFF AGAIN. *JB

COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ASSISTED STEERING WHILE DRIVING ALMOST CAUSED ME TO VEER OFF THE ROAD. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET HOME. STEERING IT TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH.*AK