2005 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2005 TOWN AND COUNTRY VAN AND PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 1998 T&C. BRAKES AND ROTORS JUST HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 26,000 AFTER HEARING A HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE AND SHUTTERING WHILE BRAKING ON HILLS. SERVICE SAID ROTORS WERE RUSTED AND CRUMBLING AND SEEMED SURPRISED- I DO NOT LIVE IN A SALTY AREA. THIS FAILURE SEEMS TO BE A TREND ON THESE NEWER VANS. *JB

I HAVE THE SAME INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED IN THE BELOW ARTICLE BUT MY CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY IS A 2005. IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM IS NOT LIMITED TO 2001-2002 MODEL YEARS. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AT NIGHT. THE HEADLIGHTS SOMETIMES SUDDENLY TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING (ALTHOUGH THE RUNNING LIGHTS STAY ON) OR WHEN STARTING UP THE VEHICLE THE HEADLIGHTS WON'T TURN ON. WAS THERE EVER AN OFFICIAL RECALL FOR THIS? HTTP://WWW.AUTOTALKUSA.COM/RECALLS1.ASP?MAKE=CHRYSLER DATE: 06/08/05 MAKE: CHRYSLER NHTSA INVESTIGATES CHRYSLER MINIVAN HEADLIGHT PROBLEMS JUNE 2005 THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) HAS UPGRADED AN INVESTIGATION OF 813,597 CHRYSLER MINIVANS INCLUDING DODGE CARAVAN AND GRAND CARAVAN, PLYMOUTH VOYAGER AND GRAND VOYAGER AND CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY AND VOYAGER MINIVANS FROM THE 2001 AND 2002 MODEL YEARS TO CHECK FOR PROBLEMS WITH HEADLIGHTS, THE DOW JONES NEWS WIRES REPORTED. THE INVESTIGATION IS A RESPONSE TO CONSUMER REPORTS THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ARE FLICKERING, DIMMING AND PERIODICALLY SHUTTING DOWN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE PROBLEM HAS LED TO THE MINIVANS BEING TOWED IN SOME CASES. THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED 675 COMPLAINTS AND MORE THAN 35,000 WARRANTY CLAIMS RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT, NHTSA SAID. NHTSA INVESTIGATIONS CAN LEAD TO VEHICLE RECALLS. *JB

I HAVE A CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LX 2005, UNFORTUNATELY I HAD AN ACCIDENT, I RECEIVED A LATERAL IMPACT FROM A CAR THAT PASSED A RED LIGHT AND WE WERE PROJECTED TO THE OPPOSITE CORNER WHERE WE FINALLY STOPPED BECAUSE WE CRASHED AGAINST A POLE THAT WAS OVER THE SIDEWALK. MY CONCERN IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT OPEN (WE BROKE THE POLE). THE ADVERTISING FROM CHRYSLER SAYS THAT MINIVANS SCORED THE 5 STARS FROM NHTSA. I DO NOT FEEL SECURE ANY MORE IN THAT VEHICLE AND I WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS A WARRANTY AGAINST AIR BAGS FAILURES; WHAT CAN I DO? I DO NOT WANT THAT MINIVAN ANYMORE; I DO NOT FEEL THAT MY FAMILY COULD BE SAFE IN CASE OF ACCIDENT. *JB

VEHICLE FIRE. BRAKES FAILED THEN FIRE CAME FROM ENGINE. REPORTED TO DESOTO FIRE DEPARTMENT, INCIDENT NUMBER 06-006210 EXTINGUISHED BY FIRE DEPARTMENT THEN SALVAGE & OVERHAULED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ALL THE GAUGES ON THE DASH FAIL TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ALSO, THE SLIDING DOOR SENSOR FAILED TO STOP THE DOOR WHEN IT COMES INTO CONTACT WITH AN OBSTRUCTION. THE DEALER INDICATED THE DOORS OPERATED AS DESIGNED.

NOVEMBER COLD MORNING VAN BACK BRAKE DRIVER SIDE LOCKED UP MOVED VAN BACK AND FORWARD WHEEL FREED UP. DECEMBER ON COLD MORNING BACK BRAKE LOCKED UP. AGAIN MOVED VAN BACK AND FORWARD WHEEL FREED UP. JUNE 9 2006 VAN WENT INTO A 30 MPH CURVE BRAKES WERE APPLIED BUT VAN SPEED INCREASED SENDING VAN INTO SPIN AND RAN INTO TREES. VAN DID 360 DEGREE SPIN AND STOPPED THEN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AFTER VAN STOPPED. INJURIES WERE A BROKEN LEFT WRIST AND BROKEN BREAST BONE A BROKEN NECK AT FIRST VERTEBRAE AND BROKEN MIDDLE BACK BONE. MANY BRUISES ON BREAST AND WAIST AND HEAD AND DRIVER AND BRUISED LEGS FROM AIRBAG. VAN WAS TOTALED. *JB

I WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AN THE AIR BAG FAILED TO INFLATE ON MY 2005 CHRYSLER MINI VAN. *NM

UNDER BODY SPARE TIRE CABLE SYSTEM. THE VAN HAD A FLAT TIRE, I LET THE TIRE DOWN AND REPLACED IT. WENT TO RETURN CABLE AND TIRE HOLDER BACK UP AND IT WOULD NOT CRANK UP ALL THE WAY, THERE BY LEAVING THE SPARE TIRE HOLDER STILL HANGING DOWN ALMOST TOUCHING THE GROUND. I TIED IT UP TO KEEP FROM HANGING DOWN AND TOOK THE VAN IN TO HAVE THE TIRE FIXED, TIRE SHOP TIRED TO PUT SPARE TIRE , IT WOULD NOT GO UP ALL THE WAY THAT TIME EITHER. I THEN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED IT WAS STRIPPED AND THAT IT WAS A POOR DESIGN BY CHRYSLER AND THEY HAD REPLACED OTHERS TOO. STATED THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WE HAD TO PAY @$144.61 TO HAVE IT REPLACED. THE ITEM IS CALLED A SPARE TIRE LOCK WINCH ASSEMBLY. *JB

RE: 2005 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY (TOURING MODEL) -- ON 4/27/06 I ENTERED UNIONTOWN, PA VIA US RT. 40--- A STEEP GRADE WHICH I HAVE TRAVELED FREQUENTLY IN THE LAST 20 YEARS USING MANY VEHICLES INCLUDING A FULLY LOADED G-20 CHEVY PASSENGER VAN (3/4 TON), AS WELL AS OTHER CHRYSLER MINI-VANS---- ALL PREVIOUSLY WITHOUT INCIDENT. THIS HOWEVER WAS THE FIRST TIME I TRAVELED THAT ROUTE WITH MY NEW 2005 TOWN & COUNTRY --- AND MIDWAY DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, THE BRAKES STARTED TO FEEL "SPONGY" AND I COULD SMELL BURNING BRAKE PADS (WHICH AT FIRST I ATTRIBUTED TO A PRECEDING TRUCK) --- HOWEVER, ON REACHING THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN AND THE STOP LIGHT IN HOPWOOD, THE BRAKES FELT QUITE MARGINAL, AND I HAD TO PRESS HARD TO GET THE VAN STOPPED. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND ALL FOUR WHEELS WERE SMOKING!! AND VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH. THE NEXT MORNING (PRIOR TO UNLOADING) I HAD THE VAN WEIGHED. (LOADED WEIGHT = 5560 LB. GVW ---- WHICH IS BELOW RATED CAPACITY FOR THIS VEHICLE). THEN I TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE BRAKES INSPECTED.... THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM..... BUT I AM STILL HAVING 'PULSATION AND SPONGY' BRAKES WHEN TRAVELING ANY STEEP GRADES ----- NEVER A PROBLEM WITH PREVIOUS MINI-VANS. *NM

1.) EVENTS: NOTICED A LOUD NOISE WHEN TURNING SHARPLY AT SLOW SPEEDS, AND A DIFFERENT BUT LOCALLY THE SAME NOISE, WHEN BRAKING HARD. 2.) FAILURE: HASN'T FAILED YET BECAUSE I AM HAVING THE PROBLEM REPAIRED AT A COST OF $800.00. VEHICLE HAS LESS THEN 50,000 MILES. 3.)REPLACE BOTH UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS,(THEY ARE ONE PART SO REGARDLESS OF WHICH FAILS, BOTH HAVE TO BE REPLACED DOUBLING THE COST TO ME). PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. AFTER REVIEWING MANY ENTRIES ON LINE FROM OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE, THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT IS ENDEMIC TO THE MODEL. CHRYSLER REFUSES TO ASSIST WITH THE SERVICE, STATING THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. ACCORDING TO MY REPAIR TECH, THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE LEFT UN-ATTENDED AND COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AT ANY SPEED. *JB