2005 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

RACK & PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY FAILURE. SEALS IN THE ASSEMBLY HAVE FAILED AND POWER STEERING FLUID HAS LEAKED OUT. WAS TOLD BY REPAIR SHOP THAT IT ALL THE FLUID DRAINS OUT THE STEERING SYSTEM COULD FREEZE UP CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE PROBLEM WAS ONLY DISCOVERED DURING A STATE INSPECTION, SO WAS LUCKY THAT IT WAS CAUGHT, BEFORE IT WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY. I WAS TOLD THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND HAS HAPPENED TO THOUSANDS OF THESE VEHICLES. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2005 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY TOURING EDITION BRAND NEW IN JULY OF 2005. DURING DECEMBER OF 2007, I NOTICED A SLIGHT HUM UNDER THE HOOD DURING STARTUP. THIS SOUND EVENTUALLY KEPT GETTING LOUDER AND LASTING LONGER. THIS SOUND IS MORE DRASTIC DURING TURNING OF THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER. THEY SAID IT WAS DUE TO A LEAK IN THE RACK OF THE RACK AND PINION SYSTEM. THEY SAID THAT THE WHOLE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ($800+). THEY ALSO SAID THAT IS THE SYSTEM FAILS FURTHER, IT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING (DURING DRIVING!). I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. MY VEHICLE HAS 37,000 MILES ON IT (WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000). THIS IS DEFINITIVELY A RECALL ISSUE. STEERING SYSTEMS SHOULD NOT NEED REPLACEMENT IN LESS THAN 3 YEARS AND 37,000 MILES. *TR

WE BOUGHT OUR 05 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY IN FEB OF '08. THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO FINISH DETAILING IT, SO THE NEXT DAY THEY DELIVERED IT TO ME AT WORK. THAT DAY MY WIFE CAME AND PICKED THE VAN UP FROM ME AND DROVE THOUGH TOWN. SHE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED ALL THE DASH LIGHTS, AIR BAG, CHECK ENGINE ETC, FLICKERING ON THE DASH. WHEN THE LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER, THE RADIO ALSO CUT OUT AND THE SEATBELT REMINDER "DING" WOULD SOUND. SHE TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO THEN PUT A CODE SCANNER ON IT, AND SAID IT WAS OKAY TO DRIVE, WE NEEDED TO BRING IT BACK THE NEXT DAY WHEN THEY HAD TIME. LONG STORY SHORT, THE FIRST THING THEY REPLACED WAS THE BATTERY AND SAID IT WAS FIXED. ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE NEW BATTERY COMPLETELY DIED, THE VAN WOULD NOT START UNLESS IT WAS JUMPED, WE EVEN PUT A BATTERY CHARGER ON IT FOR 8HRS. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THIS TIME THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. AGAIN, WE WERE TOLD IT WAS FIXED. FROM THE MOMENT WE PICKED IT UP FROM DEALERSHIP THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. WE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID BRING IT BACK TOMORROW. WE WENT THE NEXT DAY AND AGAIN THEY SAID BRING IT BACK TOMORROW. FINALLY WHEN THEY "HAD TIME" 2 DAYS LATER, WE TOOK THE VAN BACK UP. AFTER 45MIN OR SO THEY SAID THE EGR VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, IT WAS STUCK OPEN ALLOWING TOO MUCH OXYGEN INTO THE FUEL. BUT THIS TIME THEY WERE NOT GOING TO PAY TO FIX IT. MIND YOU HAD ONLY HAD THE VAN FOR NOT EVEN 30 DAYS. AFTER A LOT OF FIGHTING WITH BOTH THE SERVICE AND THE SALES DEPT, THEY DID FIX AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. HERE WE ARE A MONTH AND A HALF LATER, AND ITS DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN! NOW WHAT, THEY FOUGHT US LAST TIME TO FIX IT... *TR

THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL COME ON BY ITSELF AND DROP OUT ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE DROP OUT IS ANNOYING, BUT THE SELF APPLY OF THE CRUISE CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SPEED UP ALSO INTERMITTENTLY. THERE HAS BEEN A FEW CLOSE CALLS. TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND THEY HAVE FOUND NO PROBLEM. *TR

PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. HAVE REFILLED SEVERAL TIMES AND NOW IS HAVING EXTENSIVE LEAKING. PROBLEM IS WITH THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. *TR

WHILE VISITING A RELATIVE MY 2005 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY WAS PARKED ON A DRIVEWAY THAT SLOPES DOWN A BIT. WHILE LOADING THE CAR AND IN A MOMENT OF INADVERTENCE, MY 2 YEAR OLD SON WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR OF MY VEHICLE AND CLIMB BEHIND THE WHEEL AND SHIFT THE CAR FROM 'PARK' INTO A DIFFERENT GEAR. MY SON WAS ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION AND (OBVIOUSLY) HE WAS UNABLE TO REACH ANY PEDALS. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED MOVING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, CROSSED A 2 LANE STREET AND STRUCK THE SIDE CURB AND A MAILBOX ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET CAUSING DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND THE MAILBOX THAT WAS TAKEN DOWN BY THE CAR. AFTER THIS INCIDENT I CALLED CHRYSLER AND INFORMED THEM ABOUT THIS ACCIDENT AND THAT IN MY OPINION THE SHIFT-BRAKE-INTERLOCK SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ACCIDENT. THE SHIFT-BRAKE-INTERLOCK SYSTEM IS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE THAT PREVENTS ANYONE FROM SHIFTING GEARS WITHOUT SUPPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. CHRYSLER DID ASSIGN AN INVESTIGATOR WHO INSPECTED MY CAR AT A LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. THEY DECLINED MY COMPLAINT 'THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A MALFUNCTION WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO MOVE ITSELF.' AS OF TODAY, THE VEHICLE STILL HAS THE ISSUE WITH THE SHIFT-BRAKE-INTERLOCK SYSTEM AND MYSELF AM ABLE TO EASILY MOVE THIS CAR FROM 'PARK' TO 'NEUTRAL' OR ANY OTHER POSITION WITHOUT KEYS IN THE IGNITION AND/OR WITHOUT SUPPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. I FEEL THAT CHRYSLER DID NOT INVESTIGATE MY COMPLAINT THOROUGHLY AND FEAR THAT I'M PERHAPS NOT THE ONLY PERSON THAT IS AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM. I'M THE FIRST OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE, THIS CAR WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN VERY CAREFULLY SO I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS SAFETY HAZARD AND THE DANGERS THAT THIS COULD BRING TO OTHER PARENTS/FAMILIES WHO PERHAPS ARE DRIVING AROUND WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE DOES NOT FUNCTION CORRECT ON THEIR TOWN AND COUNTRY. *TR

STARTED HEARING A GROANING TYPE NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHEN TURNING, BACKING AND CERTAIN OTHER CONDITIONS ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO WHICH I FIGURED WAS THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I FINALLY AND RELUCTANTLY RETURNED TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING RACK HAS A LEAK AND THAT AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. OF COURSE MY 3/36 WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED IN SEPTEMBER 07 AND I ONLY HAVE 39000 MILES ON THE VAN. I FEEL THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THESE VANS AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND WE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR OUR EXPENSES WHICH IN MY CASE COST ME $1350! THIS COULD BE MUCH MORE SERIOUS WITH INJURY OCCURRING IF THE UNIT HAD RUN DRY AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING. *TR

DOOR POWER LOCKS CEASED TO OPERATE AFTER ABOUT 9,000 MILES RENDERING THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS FROM OPERATING WHEN VEHICLE REACHES 15 MPH WHICH IS A SAFETY ITEM. THE FAILURE WAS FIXED BY A SOFTWARE UPDATE DOWNLOADED FROM THE MAIN CHRYSLER FACTORY. HOWEVER, THE DEALER CHARGED ME FOR THIS SERVICE BECAUSE THE WARRANTY HAD LAPSED. I FEEL THAT THE SOFTWARE HAD A LATENT DEFECT THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD MAKE GOOD AS A RECALL. *TR

THE 2005 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY MADE A WHIRRING NOISE AT START UP AND LASTED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES UNTIL THE VEHICLE WARMED UP. ASKED DEALER SERVICE REP TO CHECK OUT THE NOISE. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A STEERING FLUID LEAK IN THE RACK COMPONENT OF THE RACK (STEERING COMPONENT) AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT ABOUT $800. SERVICE REP STATED THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE PART. SERVICE REP SAID THAT IF IT WAS NOT FIXED IT COULD RESULT IN A STEERING FAILURE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I AUTHORIZED THE DEALER TO COMPLETE THE WORK. THIS HAS BEEN A ONE OWNER VEHICLE WITH REGULAR SERVICE AND ONLY ABOUT 70,000 MILES. *TR

STEERING RACK AND PINION SYSTEM FAILED. BEGAN LEAK NG PROFUSELY. CHRYSLER WOULD NOT OFFER ASSISTANCE AS PROBLEM WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. SECOND FAILURE - UNIT HAD BETWEEN REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY ON 30 MAR 06. *TR