1997 Chrysler Town And Country

AS HEAD OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT AT TEMIC AUTOMOTIVE, N.A., NOW OWNED BY CONTINENTAL TEVES, I WAS INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATIONS INTO HUNDREDS OF CASES OF 'THERMAL INCIDENTS' ON ABS CONTROLLERS ON NEARLY EVERY PROGRAM. THE INCIDENCE WAS HIGHEST, ON THOSE VEHICLES WITH THE GREATEST EXPOSURE OF THE CONNECTOR TO THE ELEMENTS. OUR INVESTIGATIONS SHOWED THAT A DIRECT BATTERY TO GROUND SHORT WOULD DEVELOP IN THE PRESENCE OF MOISTURE AND CONTAMINATION, AND EVEN A 'SEALED' CONNECTOR DESIGN WOULD NOT PREVENT THIS. THE HIGHEST FAILURE RATE WAS ON THE CHRYSLER MINIVAN. AN INTERIM FIX USING A RAYCHEM GASKET WAS EMPLOYED, AND EVEN USED AS A SILENT RECALL FIX ON MANY CUSTOMER VEHICLES. IT IS MY OPINION NOW, THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALLABLE ISSUE, SHOULD SUCH AN DIRECT SHORT SITUATION DEVELOP THAT IT MIGHT LEAD TO A VEHICLE FIRE. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY VEHICLE FIRES DIRECTLY TRACEABLE TO THIS. I WOULD THINK THE PROBABILITY WOULD BE VERY LOW, BUT I'M SURE IT IS NOT ZERO. I THINK THE ACTIONS TAKEN, AND THE VEHICLES EFFECTED, AND THE LACK OF WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR A KNOWN DEFECT IN MANY CUSTOMER CASES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA. THE TIME PERIOD OF INTEREST WOULD BE FROM MY 1997 UP UNTIL 2000 OR 2001. THE MAIN PLATFORMS EFFECTED WOULD BE CHRYSLER MINIVAN, JEEPS AND FORD EXPLORER. *NM

CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY MINI VAN 1997 SERPENTINE BELT FALLS OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO US AT LEAST 5 TIMES. THIS BELT WILL COME OFF WHEN EVER IT IS RAINING OR SNOWING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS WE LOSE POWER STEERING IMMEDIATELY. WE HAVE HAD SOME NEAR TERRIBLE ACCIDENTS WITH THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO NOT GET HURT. CHRYSLER KNOWS ABOUT THE FAILURE IN THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 07-02-99. WE HAD TO INSTALL A SPECIAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY 4612412. EVEN WITH THIS BRACKET THE BELT CAME OFF AGAIN. *JB

WHILE IN TRAFFIC THE CAR JUMPED TO NEUTRAL. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND TRIED TO PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE, BUT IT ALTHOUGH I COULD MOVE THE LEVER TO DRIVE, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF SECOND GEAR. WHEN STOPPED IT WOULD START IN SECOND GEAR AND NOT SHIFT INTO THIRD. I CREPT IN TRAFFIC WITH EMERGENCY BLINKERS ON TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHERE I LEFT IT. BEING NEW YEARS DAY IT WAS CLOSED. *JB

MY 16 YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING OUR 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY MINI VAN. HE WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30 MPH. HE HIT A TRUCK THAT WAS PARKED ALONG OUR STREET. THE IMPACT TO OUR VAN WAS ON THE PASSENGER FRONT SIDE. NEITHER THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG NOR THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. BOTH PASSENGERS IN THE FRONT HIT THE WINDSHIELD. THE DRIVER WAS WEARING HIS SEATBELT, BUT HIT BOTH THE STEERING WHEEL (WHICH BENT) AND THE WINDSHIELD. *AK MY VAN IS TOTALLED AND THE TRUCK NEEDS A NEW BED AND BACK FENDER ALL REPLACED. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE SEATBELT DID NOT RESTRAIN MY SON AND ALSO THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY FROM THIS IMPACT. PLEASE RESPOND - THANK YOU, KARI KIENITZ

PLASTIC LENS COVERING THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY HAS BECOME CLOUDED 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 . I WAS TOLD BY MY DEALER THAT THE REPLACEMENT OF THESE LENS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE, OVER $500.00. I LOVE MY TOWN AND COUNTRY, ITS GREAT FOR VACATIONS BUT I FEEL THAT DRIVING IT AT NIGHT IS A DANGER TO MYSELF, FAMILY, AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. *JB

VEHICLE STALLED, AND CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK ARRIVING A TSCHOOL THE TRANSMISSION FAILED IN TRAFFIC. HAD TO PUSH IT INTO THE PARKING LOT, THEN CALLED TOW TRUCK. CONTACTED NANUFACTURER AFTER DISCOVERING THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON FAILURE, BUT NOT RECALL ITEM. *AK