1998 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. ON NOVEMBER 7, 2007, WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED GASOLINE. HE LIFTED THE HOOD AND NOTICED FUEL LEAKING. HE TOOK THE PART TO CHRYSLER TO PURCHASE THE CLAMP TO REPAIR THE FUEL LINE HIMSELF. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HE HAD TO PURCHASE THE ENTIRE FUEL RAILS AND NOT JUST THE CLAMP. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE FUEL RAILS LEAKED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEY WERE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED ON MAY 17, 2002 BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER DOES NOT HAVE A PERMANENT REPAIR AND JUST KEEP REPLACING THE FUEL RAILS INSTEAD. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 142,000. UPDATED 03/06/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE FUEL RAIL LEAK. THE CONSUMER STATED THE FIRST TIME IT WAS REPAIRED, HE WAS NOT THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. UPDATED

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 1998 CHRYSLER, TOWN & COUNTRY ARE FROSTED OVER DUE TO EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS AND ARE BECOMING MORE OPAQUE WITH TIME. THE HEADLIGHT QUALITY AND QUANTITY IS DIMINISHING AND MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THIS IS A CAUSE FOR CONCERN FOR NIGHT DRIVING SAFETY. THE HEADLIGHTS ARE AN ASSEMBLY AND NOT MADE UP OF REPLACEABLE COMPONENTS. EACH HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY COSTS NEAR $300.00 I FEEL THIS IS A DESIGN AND MANUFACTURERS DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE AUTO MANUFACTURER WITH A FREE REPLACEMENT. *TR

VEHICLE CAN BE SHIFTED INTO DRIVE WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKE. ISN'T THIS DANGEROUS? *TR

WHEN GOING THROUGH AVERAGE SIZE PUDDLE, SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF. THIS DISABLES ALL STEERING CONTROL AND ALTERNATOR/COOLANT SYSTEM, ETC. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. HAVE REPLACED BELT MYSELF NUMEROUS TIMES. FAILURE OF TENSIONER AND 2 OTHER PULLEYS EVENTUALLY NEEDED AT COST OF $300+. WAITING FOR IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN... I SEE THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. *TR

ON A REGULAR BASIS, VAN WILL NOT REMAIN RUNNING. START VEHICLE AND IT STALLS IMMEDIATELY. IT WILL DO THIS FOR 5-6 STARTS, THEN WILL NOT EVEN TURN OVER. ALL GAUGES GO TO ZERO, NO DIGITAL ODOMETER, ETC. IF LEFT FOR A FEW HOURS, WILL START AGAIN. SOMETIMES GAUGES ZERO OUT WHILE DRIVING. USUALLY, TAPPING ON THE DASH HARD WILL RETURN THEM TO OPERATING POSITION. BUT NOT ALWAYS. HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS ANYTHING FROM ALARM SYSTEM, MAIN COMPUTER, AFTERMARKET AUTOMATIC STARTER SHUTTING DOWN ALARM. ONE DEALER REPLACED STARTER FOR +$300. DID NOT FIX PROBLEM. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF THESE VANS, AS I CAN SEE BY READING ON THE INTERNET, AND THIS SITE. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR 3+ YEARS. NO SOLUTION. *TR

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATED H (HOT) POSITION. STOPPED VEHICLE ON SIDE OF HIGHWAY AND INSPECTED COOLANT. NO COOLANT IN SYSTEM. ADDED COOLANT, DROVE 3 MILES, REPEATED. HAD TOWED TO PRIVATE GARAGE. MECHANIC REPLACED COOLANT LINES TO REAR HEAT AT A COST OF $321. MECHANIC STATED THAT LINES WERE ROTTED THROUGHOUT. STATED THAT EVERY T&C HE SEES WITH REAR HEAT HAS COOLANT LINE FAILURE SUCH AS THIS. STATES THEY ARE OF INFERIOR QUALITY, CHEAP ALUMINUM WITH NO PROTECTION. CANNOT GUARANTEE THEY WILL NOT FAIL AGAIN. *TR

ON INTERMITTENT OCCASIONS THE MINIVAN WILL NOT START. IT WILL RUN FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS THEN STALL. AFTER 3-5 ATTEMPTS AT STARTING, IT WILL DO NOTHING AT ALL, NOT EVEN TURN OVER, BUT ALL THE GAUGES WORK. THIS EVENT DOES NOT GENERATE AN ERROR CODE. AFTER RETURNING TO THE VEHICLE AN HOUR OR TWO LATER THE CAR STARTS NORMALLY AND WILL BE FINE FOR DAYS. SERVICE TECH'S ARE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM - BATTERY, FUSES, STARTER, ARE ALL FINE. *JB

SUDDEN PREMATURE FAILURE OF BOTH REAR SERVICE BRAKE HYDRAULIC LINES RESULTED IN LOSS OF ALL BRAKE FLUID IN A VERY SHORT TIME (MINUTES FROM FIRST ILLUMINATION OF BRAKE WARNING LIGHT). FAILURE WAS DUE TO CORROSION FROM DISSIMILAR METALS AT THE JUNCTION OF THE FLEXIBLE BRAIDED BRAKE LINE TO THE RIGID BRAKE LINE FOR BOTH REAR BRAKE SYSTEMS. *JB

SERPENTINE BELT/PULLEY DEFECTIVE BELT IS GUARANTEED TO SLIP OFF VAN) DURING WET WEATHER CONDITIONS, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. BELT AND PULLEY HAVE BOTH BEEN REPLACED ,BUT STILL COULD NNOT DRIVE IN RAIN DUE TO BELT COMING OFF. THIS PROBLEM WILL CAUSE YOU LOSS OF STEERING, POSSIBLE ENGINE OVERHEATING AND LEAVES YOU AND YOUR PASSENGERS STRANDED ON THE ROAD. I WOULDN'T ATTEMP TO DRIVE IN SNOW OR SLEET, ESPECIALLY WITH LOSS OF POWER STERRING. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILS TO START SOMETIMES AND HAS BEEN TOWED TWICE. WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, THE GAUGES WILL GO TO ZERO AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS DIM. WHEN IDLING, THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF AND SEVERAL WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS WILL ILLUMINATE. THE MECHANIC AND THE DEALER WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 121,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,900.