2005 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

MINIVAN STALLED WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE SPUTTERED AND SHUT OFF. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 36,000 MILES. CHRYSLER CLAIMS IT IS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE RELATED TO ITS THROTTLE BODY. DEALER WILL ATTEMPT TO CLEAN THROTTLE BODY. I BELIEVE THAT A VEHICLE NORMAL USE AND DEALER MAINTENANCE SHOULD NEVER SHUT OFF WHILE IN MOTION AND THAT THERE IS A AN ISSUE WITH CHRYSLERS THROTTLE BODIES. *JB

I PURCHASED A NEW, 2005, TOWN & COUNTRY MINIVAN OVER THE SUMMER. I HAVE JUST 6000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE. LESS THAN THREE WEEKS AGO I HAD TO TAKE IT IN BECAUSE THE VEHICLE KEPT STALLING OUT. THE COMPANY FIXED IT AT NO COST TO ME, AND EVEN PROVIDED A RENTAL VEHICLE. APPARENTLY THERE WAS AN "IN-HOUSE" RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. MEANING THAT THE DEALERSHIPS KNEW ABOUT IT, BUT NOT THE CONSUMER. NOW, THREE WEEKS LATER I START HEARING A NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. I TOO HAD A 2003 TOWN & COUNTRY MINIVAN WHICH WAS SUBJECT TO STEERING PROBLEMS. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS FLUID ALL OVER MY DRIVE WAY AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS UNDRIVEABLE. SO, NOW, CHRYSLER REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE RENTAL CAR. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE PART IN QUESTION WAS ON BACK ORDER, AND THAT THERE WERE OVER 180 PARTS ON THAT BACK ORDER. WHY SHOULD I THE CUSTOMER HAVE TO PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR ON A NEW CAR WHEN THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED THE COMPANY, AND I ONLY GET THE SAME OLD "I AM SORRY. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH" SONG AND DANCE. WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? *NM

MY CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LTD MINIVAN (BOUGHT NEW IN JULY 2001) SUFFERED SUDDEN AND COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN MARCH 2005. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT HAD COME ON ONE DAY PRIOR - NO TIME TO EVEN SCHEDULE FOR SERVICE. A MODERATELY AUDIBLE WHINE HAD BEEN NOTICED FOR A MONTH OR SO PRIOR WHILE DRIVING BUT HAD NO REASON TO SUSPECT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED BY DEALERSHIP RELIGIOUSLY, INCLUDING FULL TRANSMISSION SERVICE AS RECOMMENDED. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT, IT WENT OUT WITH A LOUD BANG - THEN LOST ALL POWER. COASTED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT LUCKILY. THE MINIVAN HAD 49,000 MILES ON IT. CAME WITH ALL OPTIONS INCLUDING TOWING PACKAGE, BUT I NEVER TOWED ANYTHING - NO TOW BAR INSTALLED. THIS DOES NOT SAY MUCH FOR CHRYSLER QUALITY. I IMAGINE IF I HAD BEEN TOWING A BOAT OCCASIONALLY THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE FAILED MUCH SOONER. MY COST FOR REPAIRS WAS ABOUT $2,500. I WOULD LIKE TO BE NOTIFIED IF CHRYSLER EVER STEPS UP TO THE PLATE AND OFFERS TO REIMBURSE THOSE WHO LOST TRANSMISSIONS PREMATURELY. TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD LAST AT LEAST 100,000 MILES - I DON'T CARE WHAT THE WARRANTY SAYS. THAT IS A COP OUT. WITHOUT SOME REIMBURSEMENT I WILL NEVER BUY A CHRYSLER AGAIN. THIS WAS MY FIRST AND PROBABLY MY LAST. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAD TWO SEPARATE BLOW OUTS ON NEW ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES. THE RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPLODED WITHOUT ANY ROAD HAZARD OR PRIOR PROBLEMS. THE SPARE TIRE WAS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS SOME DIFFICULTY IN RETRIEVING THE SPARE DUE TO ITS LOCATION, ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN AN INJURY TO THE CONTACT'S ARM BY THE EXHAUST. SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE ON A SPARE TO A TRUCK REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR SHOP COULD NOT DETERMINE WHY THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED. ABOUT A WEEK LATER A SECOND BLOWOUT OCCURRED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE LEFT REAR TIRE. SHE NOTED THERE WAS A DUSTY POWDERY RESIDUE IN EACH OF THE TIRES AFTER THE BLOWOUT. THE SPARE WAS AGAIN USED UNTIL SHE WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TIRE. THE TIRE IS A BRIDGESTONE TRANSMISSION WITH A TIRE LINE SIZE P215/65/R16. *AK UPDATED 1129/05. *JB

2005 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LIMITED VIN# [XXX] - THREE TIMES WITHIN THE FIRST 1600 MILES, THIS CAR EXHIBITED UN-COMMANDED ACCELERATION WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE FIRST TIME TO 2500 RPM, THE SECOND TO 3000 RPM AND THE LAST TIME IT WENT FULL THROTTLE! THROWING THE SHIFT LEVER INTO NEUTRAL AND WAITING A FEW MOMENTS WOULD END THE INCIDENT. MY DEALER COULD FIND NO DEFECTS AND FELT THE CAR WAS SAFE TO OPERATE AS IS. I FELT OTHERWISE AND SOLD IT BACK ( SUFFERING A LOSS). I HOPE YOU FIND THIS OF INTEREST AND WILL BE ABLE TO INFORM ANY FUTURE OWNERS OF THIS SERIOUS DEFECT BEFORE A DISASTER OCCURS. THANK YOU!*JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT: THECONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOWN AND COUNTRY CHRYSLER TOURING VAN. SHE H HAD TO REPLACE AN AIR BAG SENSOR FOUR TIMES. THE FIRST ONE WAS REPLACED IN JANUAR 2005. THE DEALER THINKS THESE ARE JUST BAD SENSORS. THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON, SOMETIMES IT WILL GO OFF WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. BUT AFTER THE CAR IS STARTED BACK IT WILL COME BACK ON. THEN IT JUST STAYS ON CONTINUOUSLY. THE CONTACT HAS NOT YET SPOKEN TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE COST OF THE SENSORS BEING REPLACED HAS BEEN COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON AND WENT OFF INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. *AK UPDATED 11/15/2005 - THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED REPLACING THE WIRING HARNESS AND CONTROL MODULE. . *NM

NOTICED A GRINDING NOISE IN ENGINE AT 4,000 MILES. TOOK IN FOR THE OIL CHANGE AND MENTIONED TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THERE WAS A NOISE. AFTER 3 WEEKS IN A RENTAL CAR, THEY FINALLY RETURNED THE VAN AFTER REPLACING THE FOLLOWING: CYLINDER HEAD, VALVES, CYLINDER HEAD GASKET, INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, 3 PUSHRODS, ROCKER ARM, AND AN AIR CONDITIONER BELT. NOT MORE THAN 8 HOURS LATER, I RETURNED THE CAR WITH A NEW NOISE. THIS TIME THEY REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND GASKET AS THEY WERE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED BY THE MECHANIC. FINALLY BACK IN MY OWN CAR AFTER ANOTHER 2 DAYS. *NM

I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER IN MAY BECAUSE I HEARD A WEIRD NOISE COMING FRONT THE BACK OF MY CAR WHEN I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES...THE DEALER STATED THE BREAKS NEEDED CLEANING. WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME, I HEARD HE NOISE AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER THE SECOND TIME THAT SAME DAY AND THE SUPERVISOR DENIED HEARING NOISES WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH ME. SUGGESTED IT NEEDED MORE CLEANING. THE DEALER "CLEANED" IT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND I WENT HOME. THREE WEEKS LATER THE NOISE APPEARED AGAIN. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER IN AUGUST, NOW TOLD ME THE NOISE IS COMING FROM BAD BRAKES IN THE FRONT. THEY CHARGED ME $200 TO CHANGE PADS AND ROTORS. WELL, TOOK IT HOME NEXT DAY WHILE DRIVING HEARD THE NOISE AGAIN. CALLED THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HEAR A NOISE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THEY SAID IT WAS COMMON SINCE THEIR WERE NEW MATERIALS ON THE CAR. SINCE THEN, THE NOISE IS STILL PRESENT. TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALER. THE OTHER DEALER SAID NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, JUST HAS A NOISE, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THE NOISE IS COMING FROM. IF THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE CHANGED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM WHY IS THE NOISE STILL THERE. *NM

IF YOU TAP THE KEY WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING IT SHUTS THE MOTOR OFF. THE STEERING LOCKS AND YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER CAR. IT DOES THIS IN REVERSE AND DRIVE ALSO. *JB