1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

THE DRIVER SIDE SHOCK ABSORBER TOWER ON A 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY HAS RUSTED THROUGH LOSING SUPPORT FOR THE SHOCK ABSORBER. HAVE CHECKED OTHER 1999 AND 2000 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY VANS AND THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. WHAT IS BEING DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM? THANKS, GPS *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE BARELY SLOWED DOWN AND GLIDED THROUGH A RED LIGHT. A MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SEPARATED FROM THE STAINLESS STEEL TO THE SOLID STEEL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,020 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,001.

1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY RUSTING STRUT TOWER HAS PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED SINCE BY DEALER, IN 2005, TOLD ME THAT IT IS ONLY A "COSMETIC DEFECT" AND IS A POTENTIAL DANGER OF RUSTING THROUGH. THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS BEEN MISCLASSIFIED BY CHRYSLER. I NOW READ ON THE WEB SITE THAT MORE OWNERS ARE SIMILARLY AFFECTED. *TR

TOOK VAN IN FOR SLIGHT ENGINE NOISE AND MECHANIC NOTICED THAT STRUT TOWER WAS NEARLY RUSTED THROUGH. TOOK TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SINCE ONE ROUGH PIECE OF ROAD AND THE CAR BODY COULD FALL TO THE GROUND AND THE STRUT ASSEMBLY COME THROUGH THE DASH INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THIS WILL NOW COST OVER 1500.00 TO REPAIR. CHRYSLER ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS IN 2002, SINCE THEY WERE AWARE THAT VANS FROM 1998 TO 2002 WERE SUBJECT TO THIS. THEY CALLED IT A "COSMETIC PROBLEM". ANY PROBLEM THAT WILL CAUSE A METAL OBJECT SEVERAL FEET LONG TO VIOLENTLY AND SUDDENLY EXPLODE THROUGH THE DASH INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AT THE DRIVER IS HARDLY A "COSMETIC PROBLEM". "COSMETIC PROBLEMS" DO NOT RENDER A VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. CHRYSLER HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND REDESIGNED THE STRUT TOWER TO ELIMINATE THIS IN LATER MODELS. NOW THEY NEED TO RECALL THE VEHICLES THAT ARE RUSTING OUT BEFORE PEOPLE DIE! *TR

NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT STRUT SUPPORT IS SEVERELY RUSTED, AS IS THE CASE WITH NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. THIS MUST BE A FACTORY DEFECT SINCE IT SEEMS TO OCCUR PRIMARILY ON THE LEFT FRONT. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT. *TR

I BOUGHT MY TOWN AND COUNTRY USED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS UNTIL AROUND THREE MONTHS AGO WHEN THE SERPENTINE BELT STARTED COMING OFF. IT HAS COME OFF APPROXIMATELY 9 TIMES IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS AND ONLY IN WET WEATHER WHILE DRIVING THROUGH SMALL PUDDLES IN THE ROAD. I THOUGHT THE TENSIONER WAS BAD AND CHANGED IT, BUT THE NEXT DAY THE BELT CAME OFF IN THE RAIN. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND ASKED THE SERVICE TECH WHY THE BELT KEPT COMING OFF AND HE ASKED ME IF IT WAS RAINING AT THE TIME. IMAGINE THAT! THEY KNOW IT IS A PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT RECALL THE VEHICLE FOR A FIX. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCT AGAIN. AGAIN LIKE ALMOST ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS, LOSS OF POWER STEERING, ENGINE COOLING, ALTERNATOR ETC. LUCKY FOR ME I AM MECHANICAL OTHERWISE IT WOULD HAVE COST ME A TON OF MONEY ON TOWING CHARGES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 95 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. SHE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A PLASTIC SLEEVE THAT FAILED INSIDE THE AIR FILTER HOUSING HOSE. A PIECE OF THE PLASTIC WENT INTO THE ACCELERATOR AND HELD IT OPEN, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DECELERATE. THE PLASTIC PIECE THAT WENT INSIDE THE ACCELERATOR WAS 4 INCHES LONG, AND ANOTHER PIECE OF PLASTIC WENT INSIDE THE HOUSING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE PIECE WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY WORKING FINE. THE MANUFACTURER WANTS THE CONTACT TO BUY A NEW RESONATOR AIR CLEANER. THE PART NUMBERS ARE AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT FILED COMPLAINT NUMBER 17422816 WITH DAIMLER CHRYSLER. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 153,873 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,823.

WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER DOOR WILL OPEN ON ITS OWN. ALL DOORS ARE LOCKED BEFORE I START THE CAR. THIS FIRST BEGAN LAST JUNE, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. IT HAPPENED ABOUT ONCE EVERY 2-3 MONTHS. NOW IT IS HAPPENING AT LEAST 2 TIMES A WEEK. I AM SCARED BECAUSE I HAVE NO INDICATION PRIOR TO ITS HAPPENING. A LOT OF THE TIME THERE IS NO PLACE FOR ME TO PULL OVER TO CLOSE THE DOOR. THEN I AM AFRAID THE VAN WILL CUT OFF BECAUSE THE OPEN DOOR LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE I AM DRIVING. THIS CAR HAS A LITTLE OVER 88,000 MILES. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED 2-3 YEARS AGO. *TR

NO CRASH INVOLVED...NOTICED AFTER A RAINSTORM HERE ON THE COAST, THAT THERE WAS THE SOUND OF WATER ROLLING BACK AND FORTH IN THE DASH AREA WHEN I WAS DRIVING..NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT(HUGE FLOOD) OF WATER COMING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FROM THE DASH AREA IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE PASSENGER SEAT...ENOUGH WATER THAT MY CARPETING WAS COMPLETELY SOAKED, AND RUINED. AFTER THIS HAPPENED MANY TIMES..I FINALLY FIGURED OUT WHAT IT WAS..THERE IS SOME SORT OF DRAIN HOSE TO A WATER COLLECTION RESERVOIR UNDER THE WINDSHIELD...WHICH CAN BE DISCONNECTED TO DRAIN, BUT IN THE EVENT OF DEBRIS WASHING INTO IT...WOULD CLOG UP AND OVERFLOW..RESULTING IN THE DESCRIBED CONDITION..THIS IS VERY POOR DESIGN IN MY OPINION..SOME OF FOLKS I HAVE HAD THIS TO..DID NOT HAVE A CLUE WHAT WAS GOING ON...I HAVE NOT SAID ANYTHING TO CHRYSLER ABOUT THIS...BUT THINK IT IS NOT JUST ME WHO HAS THE ISSUE..AND IT ALSO COULD BE A CONTRIBUTOR TO SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES I HAVE READ ABOUT..PARTICULARLY THE CONDENSATION ISSUE AND THE AIRBAG ISSUE..I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ELECTRONICS WILL FAIL...PLEASE ADVISE...I AM PICKING A RANDOM DATE WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED...ALSO..HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES SINCE UNLESS I CLEAN THE DRAIN HOSES...NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE...? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATED PASSENGER SIDE SEAT CAUGHT FIRE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED APPROXIMATELY $10,000 WORTH OF DAMAGES. THE FAILURE BEGAN WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, AND THE SEAT BEGAN SMOKING. HE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT THE SCENE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. CHRYSLER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO DEFECTS AND THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO HOW THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN BY THE OWNER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 178,000.