2001 Chrysler Town And Country

I PURCHASED A 2001 CHRYSLER T&C NEW ON 9/10/2001. PRESENTLY I HAVE 38,000 MILES ON IT. FIRST ITEM REPLACED WAS THE SWAY BAR AT ABOUT 30,000 MI. THEN ON 5/22/07 THE TIE RODS HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO FRONT WHEEL PLAY. ON 8/13/2007 AFTER ARRIVING ON VACATION, THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO A LOCAL STORE ABOUT 4 MILES FROM THE RESORT. ON THE WAY BACK THE VAN STARTED TO OVER HEAT AND THE ALARM SOUNDING. I PULLED OVER AND WAITED FOR IT TO COOL. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE RESORT I CHECKED THE COOLANT. REMAINING WAS ABOUT 4 1/2 QUARTS OF THE REQUIRED AMOUNT. I FILLED IT TO CAPACITY AND RAN ENGINE NOTICING COOLANT LEAKING. I HAD IT TOWED TO A CHRYSLER DEALER. THEY WERE ABLE TO PLACE IT ON A LIFT IMMEDIATELY ADVISING ME THAT THE DUAL COOLANT TUBES MADE OF STEEL PIPE HAD RUSTED UNDER THE VAN ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. I HAD 37,800 MI AT THIS POINT. REPAIRS COST $423.22. AMAZINGLY CHRYSLER CHANGED THE REPLACEMENT TUBES WITH ALUMINUM TUBES. I NOTICED IN READING REPORTS REGARDING MY SAME PROBLEM, MANY OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME SITUATION. SURPRISINGLY THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY ALONG WITH THE TIE ROD REPLACEMENT. ALL THE VEHICLES I HAVE EVER OWNED NEVER NEEDED TIE ROD REPLACEMENTS. REGARDING THE USE OF STEEL TO RUN COOLANT UNDER A VEHICLE TO THE REAR HEATER KNOWING ROAD SALTS, RAIN, ETC HAVE A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON THIS METAL, CHRYSLER ENGINEERING GOOFED AT THE COST OF THE CUSTOMER, AVOIDING LISTING THIS PART UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. AT THIS POINT HAVING OWNED A 1990 DODGE CARAVAN WITH 2 TRANSAXLES REPLACED AND GIVING CHRYSLER ANOTHER CHANCE TO PROVE THEMSELVES IN BUILDING A BETTER VEHICLE I GUESS I OVERESTIMATED THEM ALONG WITH PLACING MY FAITH IN THEIR COMPANY. I HAVE SENT CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE MY COMPLAINT AND BILL FOR THE COOLANT PIPE REPLACEMENT PLACING LITTLE HOPE IN REIMBURSEMENT. NOW I SEE WHY THE AMERICAN CAR MANUFACTURERS ARE LOOSING OUT TO FOREIGN CAR MANUFACTURERS. *TR

BACK IN EARLY 2005 WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE SWAY BAR, SWAY ELIMINATORS & SWAY BUSHINGS HAVING TO BE REPLACED ON OUR 2001 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LX WITH ONLY 31,000 MILE ON IT (PURCHASED NEW IN 2001). WE CONTACTED CHRYSLER WITH THE PROBLEM & THIS WAS RESOLVED PROMPTLY BY CHRYSLER. SAME CAR 1 1/2 YEARS LATER AND NOW WITH ONLY 40,000 MILES ON IT A "THUNKING" NOISE IN THE FRONT END AGAIN. UPON TAKING IT TO A LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE THE MECHANIC TOLD US THAT THE RACK & PINION STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $900. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME TO CONTACT CHRYSLER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE IT SEEMED TO POSSIBLY BE A PREMATURE FAILURE. WE IMMEDIATELY HAD THE RACK & PINION STEERING REPLACED BY OUR MECHANIC BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF IT FAILED WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH THE FAILURE OF MAJOR PARTS ON THIS VAN STARTING WITH ONLY 29,000 MILES ON IT SUGGESTS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE MANUFACTURE OF THIS VEHICLE. CHRYSLER WAS CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO THE RACK & PINION STEERING AND REPLIED WITH A SORRY PAST WARRANTY REPLY. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE UPPER CONTROL ARM AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL # 01V152000 REGARDING THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. ADDITIONALLY, THE SPEEDOMETER INTERMITTENTLY WORKED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER AWAITING REPAIRS FOR THE SUSPENSION AND INSPECTION OF THE SPEEDOMETER.

VEHICLE HAS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO POWER WINDOWS, WIPERS, STEREO, HEADLIGHTS, AND AC CONTROLS. PROBLEMS INCLUDE HEADLIGHTS FLICKERING ON AND OFF, WIPERS/STEREO DOES NOT FUNCTION WHEN YOU FIRST TURN ON THE CAR AND THEN COMES ON BY ITSELF ANYWHERE FROM 30 SECONDS TO 3 DAYS LATER. NO PATTERN CAN BE DETERMINED WHICH MAKES ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THIS VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, OR IF THEY CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, THEREFORE IT ISN'T THEIR PROBLEM. I HAVE SPENT COUNTLESS TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIPS AND PAID FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE IT. THEN THEY OFFER ME A SOLUTION FOR NO LESS THAN $400 THAT IS SUPPOSED TO "FIX" THE PROBLEM WHEN ANYONE WITH COMMON SENSE KNOWS THAT I WOULD JUST SPEND THAT MONEY AND STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT THAT THEY ARE PROPOSING ISN'T THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH THE WHEEL BEARING WENT OUT. THE TIRES LOCKED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SKID. THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS BROKE AND WRAPPED AROUND THE WHEEL, CAUSING THE TIRE TO SKID ON THE ROAD. ALSO, THE VEHICLE HAD NO POWER STEERING OR ABS. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD SO THE TRAFFIC COULD GET BY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, AND WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VEHICLE. *AK UPDATED 02/09/06. *JB

2001 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY EXPERIENCING FAILURES WITH STEERING, INSTRUMENT PANEL, AIRBAGS, SEAT BELT WIRING HARNESS AND TRANSMISSION.*MR CONSUMER STATED I'VE HAD NOTHING BUT SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE NEW. EIGHT FRONT-END AND STEERING FAILURES, 6 INSTRUMENT PANEL ELECTRONIC FAILURES, 4 AIR BAG AND SEAT WIRING HARNESS FAILURES AND NOW IT SEEMS, A SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *BF *NM

AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT BLINKS ON AND OFF. A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THE CLOCK SPRING, HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS SUCH AS STEERING PROBLEMS, SLIDING PROBLEMS, BRAKE AND ACCELERATION PROBLEMS, A STRONG ODOR OF GAS AND THEFRONT SWAY BARS AND REAR SHOCKS WERE REPLACED *JB

THUS IS A 2001 VEHICLE WITH 45K MILES - WORST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED FOR THE FIRST 18 MONTHS WE HAD THE CAR WE COMPLAINED AT EVERY VISIT ABOUT A GROANING NOISE FROM THE REAR WHEN IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC - FINALLY FIXED AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF 9/01 PAINT PEELED OFF LEFT PASSENGER DOOR - FIXED BY DEALER 11/01 RADIO STOPPED WORKING - REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY 10/02 - SLIDING DOOR HARD TO OPEN - CLAIMED TO REPAIR - STILL HARD TO OPEN 10/02 - CLUNKING NOISE OVER BUMPS IN FRONT END - REPLACED LEFT SIDE STABILIZER BAR LINK 4/02 - NOISE IN REAR WHEN TURNING - REPLACED REAR BACKING PLATE ANCHORS 6/02 AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR REPLACED - UNDER WARRANTY -THEY TOOK TWO WEEKS TO FIX THIS 6/02 ENGINE LOSING POWER WHEN DRIVING - REPLACED TPS 1/03 REAR WIPER MOTOR REPLACED - $150 (CAR HAS 38K MILES) 6/03 REAR STABILIZER BAR - $250 7/03 REAR WIPER MOTOR AGAIN - OUT OF WARRANTY - $150 9/03 DRIVER WINDOW MOTOR - $250 THE WORST OF ALL - 11/03 - TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE TOTALLY REPLACED - $2700 - NO WARRANTY - CAR HAS 45K MILES - CALLED CHRYSLER AND WAS TOLD BASICALLY TOUGH LUCK THAT I DID NOT BUY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY - THE CAR JUST STOPPED MOVING - LUCKILY WE DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT WE HAVE MAINTAINED THIS VEHICLE ACCORDING TO CHRYSLER GUIDELINES AT THE DEALER SINCE WE BOUGHT IT