1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

THE HEADLIGHT LENSES ON MY 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY HAVE BECOME HAZY AND SOMEWHAT OPAQUE, GREATLY REDUCING VISION AT NIGHT. THE HAZING SEEMS TO BE INTERNAL TO THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENS AND DUE TO TINY CRACKS. I HAVE NEVER USED ABRASIVE CLEANERS ON THE LENSES. THIS HAZING HAS OCCURRED GRADUALLY OVER THE YEARS AND IS DUE, I BELIEVE, TO THE SELECTION OF A POOR MANUFACTURING MATERIAL, (SOME SORT OF PLASTIC). MY HEADLIGHTS HAVE BECOME SO DIM THAT IT IS PROBABLY NOT REALLY SAFE TO DRIVE THE VAN AT NIGHT. I AM LOOKING INTO REPLACING THE LENSES BUT THEY ARE FAIRLY EXPENSIVE. I ALSO HAVE A '97 CHRYSLER CIRRUS THAT HAS THE SAME TYPE HEADLIGHT LENS AND IT IS SHOWING SIGNS OF THE SAME PROBLEM, JUST NOT TO AS GREAT A DEGREE AS THE TOWN & COUNTRY. *AK

STRUT RETAINING BOLTS ON THE REAR HATCH ON A 1997 CHRYSLER T&C FAILED (SHEARED) WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING THE HATCH. ONE STRUT BOLT (PASSENGER SIDE) FAILED IN 2002, THE OTHER STRUT BOLT (DRIVER'S SIDE) FAILED 6/27/04. THE 2002 FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE OPENING THE REAR HATCH. THE RESULTING FAILURE CAUSE THE HATCH TO DROP ON THE HEAD OF CHILD RESULTING IN A BUMP WHICH DIDI NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE 2004 FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN SHUTTING THE HATCH LOCKING THE HATCH IN A NEAR CLOSED POSITION AS THE STRUT LODGED ITSELF BEHIND THE CLOSING BUMPER (BOLT WITH RUBBER CAP). FIRST STRUT WAS REPLACED WITH DEALER REPLACEMENT PART BY OWNER. THE 2ND STRUT HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED YET. CLOSE OBSERVATION OF THE 2ND STRUT WITH FAILED RETAINING BOLT SHOWED A STREAK OF RUST ACROSS THE SHEAR PLANE. LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS POROSITY OR MATERIAL ANOMALY THAT RESULTED IN PREMATURE FAILURE OF RETAINING BOLT. DID NOT NOTICE IF THIS WAS THE CASE ON FIRST STRUT ASSEMBLY. BOTH OLD STRUTS ARE AVAILABLE.*AK

THE PLASTIC LENS COVERING THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY HAS BECOME CLOUDED [OPAQUE] OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS AND CONTINUES TO BECOME MORE SO AS TIME PASSES.THIS GREATLY REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT THAT THE HEADLIGHTS PUT OUT AND THEREFORE MAKES DRIVING AT NIGHT HAZARDOUS.MY LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER WANTS GREATER THAN $600 TO REPLACE THESE AND TOLD ME THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY [STILL IN EFFECT].MY SEACH AT LOCAL SALVAGE YARDS FOR THE PART WAS UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE,I WAS TOLD,THESE CHRYSLER PLASTIC LENSES ALL TEND TO GET CLOUDY[OPAQUE]AS THEY AGE. THEREFORE IF THERE ARE A LOT OF THESE CLOUDED HEADLIGHT LENSES OUT THERE,IT SURE MAKES NIGHT DRIVING UNSAFE FOR US CHRYSLER OWNERS AND ALL OTHERS USING THE HIGHWAYS AT NIGHT.AND AS THE REPLACEMENT PART IS SO EXPESIVE,MANY MAY NOT REPLACE IT.*AK

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED THE RECALL 02V293000, AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING ASSEMBLY AND INDICATED THAT IT WAS FINE, AND DIDN'T NEED REPLACEMENT. CURRENTLY, DEALERSHIP WANTED TO CHARGE THE CONSUMER $70.00 TO INSPECT THE CLOCK SPRING AGAIN. *AK

THE POWER DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTIONED. THE LOCKS CLICK OFF AND ON EVERY 5 TO 10 MINUTES. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A MANUFACTURER INSTALLED REMOTE SECURITY SYSTEM. . *LA

WENT IN FOR OIL CHANGE TO CASEY AUTO ASKED FOR A FREE INSPECTION OF VHEICLE. THEY FOUND THE STRUT TOWER CORROSION PERFORATION ON ONE SIDE THE OTHER IS PERFECT. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS ,IF THE STRUT GOES THROUGH THE FRONT SIDE WOULD DROP. THEY EXPLAINED THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETION ON THIS AND WITHOUT ANY HESITATION I WENT TO CHRYSLER WHO TOOK MY INFORMATION , EXPLANIN THAT I WAS NOT IN ANY DANGER THEY HAVE SEEN WORSE AND TOLD ME I WOULD BE NOTIFIED. AFTER ALMOST ONE MONTH LATER I WAS TOLD BY CHRYSLER --- SORRY , IF THE VEHICLE WAS 7 YEARS IT WOULD BE COVERED , NORMALLY THIS WOULD NOT BE COVERED AFTER 36MTH. BUT CHRYSLER IS EXTENDING IT TO 7 YEARS, UNFORTURTLY MY VEHICLE IS 7YRS AND 9MONTHS. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY IS IT DANGEROUR OR NOT?? ONE MECHANIC SAYS YES CHRYSLER SAYS NO. NOW IT WAS JUST BY CHANCE THAT A GOOD MECHANIC SAW THIS, CHRYSLER IS WELL AWARE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM. I FEEL THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO BRING TO SOMEONES ATTENTION. *AK

REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR NUMEROUS MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH REPLACEMENTS. *PH THE PROBLEM CAUSED THE TURN SIGNALS AND HORN TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY, ALSO THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON BY THEMSELVES. BY THE FOURTH FAILURE THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT CAR CENTER AND THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BROKEN CLOCKSPRING. AFTER TWO YEARS OF THE ONGOING PROBLEM AND ASKING IF THERE WAS A RECALL, THE CONSUMER THEN DISCOVERED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE CLOCKSPRING. *JB

CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY REPAIRED THREE TIMES. (NAR) *PH THE CONSUMER HAD MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THE MALFUNCTION ON VEHICLE FIXED, HOWEVER THE CONTINUED. THE CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS DEFECTIVE . *CB *JB

WHILE DRIVING SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF. AS A RESULT, POWER STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTIONED. SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED FIVE TIMES, HOWEVER, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, AND THE ENGINE REVVED VERY HIGH. CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE, AND KILLED THE ENGINE. AFTER A MINUTE CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OUT. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO OUT OF SECOND GEAR. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. *AK