1996 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

1996 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY MINIVAN AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. HORN DOES NOT WORK. CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. ARTICLE IN NEWSPAPER INDICATED THAT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION IS INVESTIGATING MODEL YEARS 1998 AND 1998, BUT I AM EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM WITH 1996 MODEL. *AK

1996 TOWN & COUNTRY MINIVAN 3.8 L ENGINE, CRACKED ROCKER ARM PEDESTAL. AFTER A LITTLE INVESTIGATION ON MY PART THIS APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. CHRYSLER MODIFIED THE ENGINE IN 98 TO IMPROVE PART PERFORMANCE AND MY REPLACEMENT HEAD HAS THIS MODIFICATION. THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *LA

WHILE STOPPING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AT 30 MPH. DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RETRACTOR DID NOT RETRACT, HOLDING CONSUMER IN PLACE, AND CAUSING CONSUMER TO HIT WINDSHIELD AND ROOF OF VEHICLE. *AK

I PURCHASED A USED 1996 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY VAN WITH A 2 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE, I NOTICED A WHIRRING SOUND FOLLOWED BY HESITATION WHEN PUTTING VAN INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. DEALERSHIP WHERE I MADE PURCHASE TOOK VAN FOR A TEST DRIVE AND REPORTED TO ME THAT THAT WAS NORMAL. I WENT IN AGAIN ABOUT A YEAR LATER, WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AND COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS TIME THEY PUT IT THROUGH SOME DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND CONCLUDED NO PROBLEM. I HAVE THIS IN WRITING. WELL ONE YEAR AND ONE MONTH TO THE DATE THE TRANSMISSION WENT. NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, THEY, HOWEVER DID NOT GET MY MONEY. I TOOK THEM TO SMALL CLAIMS, BUT LOST. ACCORDING TO CLICK AND CLACK, AS LONG AS IT WAS COMPLAINED ABOUT UNDER WARRANTY THEY ARE STILL OBLIGATED TO FIX IT. I DID FORGET ABOUT COMPLAINING TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS MATTER. I REMEMBERED AFTER PICKING MY VAN UP FROM TRANS. SHOP. THAT'S WHY I TOOK THE DEALERSHIP TO COURT. DO I HAVE ANY RIGHTS LEFT REGARDING THIS MATTER? PLEASE CONTACT ME AND LET ME KNOW, BEFORE I END UP WITH AN ULCER.*AK

WHY IS THERE NO RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS? WE CANNOT GET IT TO GO AT A STOP SIGN OR TURNING A CORNER, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS, AND HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STILL GO ON INTERMITANTLY SURPRISING THE DRIVER.

I PURCHASED A 1996 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LXI FROM A USED CAR LOT "AS IS".THE VEHICLE HAD SUPPOSEDLY HAD A 29 POINT SERVICE INSPECTION.THE NEXT DAY I HAD THE TRANSMISSION CHECKED DUE TO LEAKING FLUID FROM THE FRONT SEAL.THE DIFFERENTIAL PIN WAS BROKEN WITH ALUMINUM SHAVINGS IN THE PAN AND THE FILTER WAS LAYING THERE LOOSE.IT APPEARS THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD TRANSMISSION SERVICE PERFORMED,SAW THE SHAVINGS AND PARKED THE VAN UNTIL IT COULD BE TRADED IN.THERE WAS A LIGHT RUST COVER ON THE BRAKE ROTORS TO INDICATE IT HAD BEEN PARKED.I CAUGHT IT JUST IN TIME BEFORE THE PIN BROKE THRU THE ALUMINUM CASE WHICH WOULD HAVE COST AN ADDITIONAL $500.00.THE AAMCO DEALER HAS SO MANY OF THESE VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THAT THEY HAVE A BROKEN ONE ON DISPLAY IN THEIR SHOWROOM.THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME HOW EASY IT WOULD BE TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM BY GETTING THE PROPER LUBRICATION TO THE PIN.THE MODIFICATIONS HE MAKES TO DO JUST THAT ARE THE REASON THEY CAN OFFER A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON THE REPAIRS.CHRYSLER COULD DO THE SAME IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN PREVENTING THIS PROBLEM BUT THE LURE OF THE PARTS SALES MUST BE A BETTER PAYOFF.

INTERMITTENT LOSS OF SPEED. TRANSMISSION STUCKS AT LOWER GEAR. VEHICLE RUNS FINE FOR A WHILE AND SUDDENLY JUMPS TO LOWER GEAR, BRINGING THE VAN TO A SUDDEN LOW SPEED. LUCKLY ESCAPED FROM A MAJOR ACCIDENT WHILE OVERTAKING A TRUCK ON HIGHWAY AT THE SPEED OF 70MILES/HR. SHOWED THE VEHICLE TO CHRYSLER DEALER. THEY JUST KEPT THE VAN FOR LONG TIME AND REPLACE A PIECE OF WIRE AND SAID ITS GOOD TO GO. BUT PROBLEM CAME BACK AGAIN AFTER A WEEK. NOW THEY SAY ALL WIRING HAS TO BE REPLACED WHICH COULD COST ME LIKE $1700 TO $1800. I'M THE SECOND OWNER AND I TAKE GOOD CARE OF THIS VAN, CHANGING FLUIDS, FILTERS & STUFF. IF THIS IS ENGINEERING MISTAKE BY CHRYSLER WITH THEIR TRANSMISSON, THEN SHOULDN\\'T THEY TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE. I SPOKE TO CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID SINCE THIS VAN IS OUT OF THE WARRANTY THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. THANKS.

THIS VAN HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A FAILURE SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I HAVE KEPT UP THE OIL CHANGES AND MAINTENANCE AS NEEDED. THE PAINT IS COMING OF OFF THE GRILL AND THE PAINT ON THE REST OF THE VAN IS NOT HOLDING UP. I HAVE REPLACED: TIMING BELT 3 TIMES POWER STEERING PUMP ONCE THE THERMOSTAT TWICE THE RELAY SWITCH THREE TIMES AND IT STILL DOES NOT WORK THE RELAY ON THE MOTOR ONCE THE AIR CONDITIONING IS FAILING IN THE FRONT THE REAR DOOR LOCK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOESN'T WORK MY TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT VERY SOON I AM A SINGLE PARENT IN A LARGE METROPLEX. I NEED MY CAR TO GET TO WORK. I CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER CAR NOW.

DIFERENTIAL SHEER PIN BROKE OFF TRAVELING INTO RIGHT AXLE DAMAGING SAME, THEN TRAVELING THRU TRANSMISSION, DAMAGING SAME, FINALLY EXITING THROUGH TRANS CASE. (THIS ALL HAPPENED WHILE MY WIFE WAS IN A DRIVE THRU LANE) THIS VEH. IS BABIED AND DRIVEN SOLELY BY MY WIFE. WE ARE BEING TOLD BY SEVERAL SOURCES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. CAN YOU VERIFY THIS?? THANK YOU........PETE DIANGI

LEFT FRONT STRUT MOUNTING PLATE HAS RUSTED THRU ALLOWING THE STRUT TO PENETRATE INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS IS THE ONLY AREA OF RUST ON THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. CHRYSLER SERVICE PERSONEL AND MULTIPLE MECHANICS HAVE INDICATED THIS IS A CONDITION THEY WOULD EXPECT TO SEE ON A VEHICLE 20 - 25 YEARS OLD; NOT 6 YEARS OLD.