2008 Braun Town & Country

I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON JUNE 16TH TO DIAGNOSE A "HOWLING" NOISE, WHICH BEGAN A FEW MONTHS BEFORE AS AN OCCASIONAL NOISE, AND WAS NOW OCCURRING ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY. I SAID I THOUGHT IT WAS COMING FROM THE REAR BRAKES. THE NOISE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, NOT WHILE BRAKING. THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES, AND SAID THE NOISE WAS DUE TO THE WEAR ON THE TIRES. I DID NOT HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED AT THE TIME, AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT WITH THE NOISE. DURING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, I OCCASIONALLY NOTICED A BURNING SMELL. ALSO GETTING VERY POOR MPG; 14.3. I APPLIED AND RELEASED THE EMERGENCY BRAKES WHILE PARKED, AND THE NOISE STOPPED FOR A FEW DAYS. THE NOISE EVENTUALLY BECAME LESS FREQUENT, AND WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE, WHEN THE BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER SERVICE SHOP ON SEPT 19, 2010. THIS TIME, THEY FOUND THAT THE REAR BRAKES PADS WERE COMPLETELY WORN OUT; THE BRAKES WERE INCH WORN INTO THE METAL. THE FRONT BRAKES ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND WERE COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY (LESS $100 DEDUCTIBLE). I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH CHRYSLER, AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD REIMBURSE COST OF REPLACING BACK BRAKES & ROTORS THIS TIME. THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE CALIPERS, ONLY "CLEAN/LUBE CALIPER SLIDES & APPLY BRAKE QUIET". DEALER INSISTS THAT THE CALIPERS WERE NOT STUCK OR CAUSING PROBLEMS -SAID IF THEY GET STUCK, THEY STAY STUCK. MY BROTHER AND I EACH BOUGHT NEW VEHICLES IN JAN 2008; HE GOT A 2008 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ,AND I GOT A 2008 TOWN & COUNTRY. HE WAS HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. HE TOOK HIS BACK BRAKES APART TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. HE FOUND THE CALIPERS WERE A NEW DESIGN; THE PISTONS "SCREW" IN & OUT, RATHER THAN THE USUAL CLAMP & RELEASE, OR PINCH DESIGN. THE PISTONS WERE SOMETIMES NOT RELEASING, WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKES TO BE APPLIED EVEN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN FOR LONG PERIODS ON HIGHWAY, WHICH CAUSED THE NOISE & BAD GAS MILEAGE. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO RECALL/REPLACE CALIPER DESIGN. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2008 TOWN AND COUNTRY IN 2008, AND SINCE THEN HAVE CHANGED THE BRAKE PADS 5 TIMES AND ROTORS 2X. ONE MINUTE YOUR DRIVING FINE, NEXT MINUTE THE BRAKES ARE GRINDING AND THE CAR BEGINS TO SHAKE. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER DIRECTLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND TO THEM HOW I USE THE VAN TO DRIVE MY NINE YEAR AROUND AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO TAKE UP THAT ISSUE WITH THE DEALER. I WENT TO THE DEALER, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT ONLY CHRYSLER COULD DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CARS BRAKES ON A DAILY BASIS. AS A RESULT, CHRYSLER SENT OUT A LETTER TO REPLACE THE BRAKES FOR ANYONE WHO OWNED ONE AT THEIR COST FOR 1 TIME ONLY. HOW ABOUT FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR? VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. *TR

THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DOING A FEW CYCLES OCCASIONALLY WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN. WE COULD BE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY OR START FROM A STOP SIGN. IT PROGRESSED UNTIL MANY SYSTEMS:SPEEDOMETER, AND OTHER GAUGES SHUT DOWN AND COME BACK ON, THE WARNING CHIME SOUNDS. THE DEALER IN ELKGROVE DODGE HAD ON OF ITS SERVICE PEOPLE DRIVE IT HOME AND HAD MULTIPLE FAILURES. THEY HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR OVER A MONTH AND HAVE STILL NOT FOUND THE PROBLEM. AFTER READING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS AND CONNECTING A FEW DOTS, I WONDER IF THERE IS NOT A COMPUTER PROCESSING/PROGRAMMING PROBLEM CAUSING THESE MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. ESPECIALLY AFTER THE DEALER SAID THERE WERE MULTIPLE FAILURES ON THEIR DIAGNOSTIC REPORT, IE MULTIPLE MODULE PROBLEMS AND OTHER INDICATED FAILURES. *TR

I OWN A 2008 TOWN & COUNTRY MINIVAN. HAD RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT THE FRONT BRAKES MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT NOT ONLY WERE THE FRONT BRAKES PADS & CALIPERS WERE BAD BUT THE REAR BRAKE PADS & CALIPERS WERE BAD AS WELL AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AS A COST OF OVER $300. FOR MAJOR SAFETY PARTS AS BRAKES AND FAILING IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS IS VERY BAD WORKMANSHIP AND CHRYSLER SHOULD REIMBURSE FOR THE REAR BRAKES AS WELL. THE BRAKES ARE A CONTINUING BAD SAFETY PART FOR CHRYSLER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST COOLANT FLUID AND THE BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER YET THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SECOND DEALER WHERE THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ONE MONTH LATER. THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED THREE TIMES TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH SLIDING DOORS WOULD BECOME JAMMED AND HE WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE THE BATTERY CABLE TO RESTART THE COMPUTER FOR THE DOORS TO CLOSE PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

I BOUGHT A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY IN 9/08. I RECEIVED A WARRANTY EXTENSION REGARDING THE FRONT BRAKES. TOOK IN TO A DEALER 8/20/10 WAS TOLD THAT THERE ARE NO FRONT BRAKES AVAILABLE AS THERE IS A NATIONAL BACKORDER FROM CHRYSLER BUT THE REAR BRAKES ARE OKAY. I CALLED 3 TIMES TO INQUIRE ON THE PARTS STATUS TOLD NOT AVAILABLE FROM CHRYSLER. WENT TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO HAD THE BRAKES BUT AM NOW TOLD THAT MY REAR BRAKES WILL NOT PASS NYS INSPECTIONS ON 9/28/10. I HAVE EXACTLY 24,171 MILES ON MY CAR. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT WAS MY BAD DRIVING HABITS THAT CAUSED THE REAR BRAKE FAILURE AND NOT DEFECTIVE PARTS ALTHOUGH THE FRONT BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE AND CHRYSLER IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY OUT OF THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE CUSTOMER. I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR HAVE REAR BRAKE ISSUES ESPECIALLY AT 24,000 MILES. I HAD TO PAY THE ADDITIONAL $50 TOWARD THE DEDUCTIBLE B/C CHRYSLER WAS OUT OF BRAKES AND I WENT OVER THE 24,000 THRESHOLD WHILE WAITING FOR THEM TO SHIP. NOW I HAD TO PAY $267.00 FOR REAR BRAKE PADS IN A TWO YEAR OLD VEHICLE. I HAVE NOTICED ON THE INTERNET THAT MANY MORE PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS REAR BRAKE PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER AS WELL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, BOTH OF THE SIDE DOOR PANELS OPENED SUDDENLY. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND CLOSED THE DOORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE DOORS WERE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT SHE HEARD A GRINDING NOISE WHILE DRIVING BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE TRANSMISSION FELL OUT OF THE VEHICLE ONTO THE GROUND. THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED TWICE AND THE FRONT BRAKE PADS ALSO FELL OFF. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VALVE STEM ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL CRACKED IN MAY 2010 WHILE HE WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHICH HE NOTICED BECAUSE IT SEEMED AS THE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN SEPTEMBER 2010 ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL. BOTH STEMS WERE REPLACED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT; THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 10,800. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,800 UPDATED 01/12/11*LJ UPDATED 04/13/11