2001 Chrysler Town And Country

IN JANUARY WE BOUGHT A 2001 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY MINI VAN. WE HAD ONLY HAD THIS VAN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHEN WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS IN OUR HANDS. WE WERE ONLY A FEW SHORT MILES TO GETTING ONTO THE INTERSTATE WHERE THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING. CHRYSLER SENT AN INVESTIGATOR TO CHECK OUT THIS VAN AND WE GOT A LETTER SAYING" FROM THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED, IT APPEARS YOUR INQUIRY MAY BE MORE APPROPRIATELY REVIEWED FOR POSSIBLE ACTION BY THE AGENCY LISTED BELOW." ( THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION.) CHRYSLER HAS OBVIOUSLY DONE NOTHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION. I WANT TO KNOW IF ANYTHING CAN BE DONE. WE BOUGHT THIS VAN AT DES MOINES CHRYSLER AND PLYMOUTH AND FEEL THEY NEGLECTED THE JOB IN PUTTING OUT A VEHICLE FOR SALE THAT WAS COMPLETELY SAFE. WE HAD OUR GRANDCHILD WITH US AND FEEL SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. NOTHING WAS SAID IN THE LETTER WE RECEIVED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF THE COLUMN, IN OUR HANDS AND NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WE DID GO INTO THE DITCH ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT THANK GOD, NO ONE WAS HURT. NO VEHICLE WAS ONCOMING AND THE DITCH WAS WIDE AND SHALLOW. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE KILLED TO HAVE RESULTS IN THIS CASE? I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THIS DISCUSSION. SOMEONE DID VERY WRONG IN HANDLING THIS AND I THINK THAT WE ARE GETTING A BAD DEAL. THE DAIMLER CHRYSLER CORP IS ALSO SENDING YOU A REPORT. IT IS JUST NOT A COMMON EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE TO BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY YOU HAVE THE STEERING WHEEL IN YOUR HANDS. THANK GOD MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I COULD NOT HAVE HANDLED IT. I FEEL SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO AVOID THIS EVER HAPPENING AGAIN. WE WERE ABSOLUTELY SCARRED TO DEATH. BELIEVE ME, OUR LIVES FLASHED BEFORE OUR EYES. *JB

THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON FOR 10 SEC TO 20 MIN WITH NO PARTICULAR DRIVING PATTERN.. THIS MEANS NO AIR BAG SAFETY WHEN IT IS ON. IT CLEARED DURING THE COLD WINTER BUT IS BACK DOING IT, AND DOING SOME RESEARCH I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I AM TIRED OF CHRYSLER NOT ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM. I FOUND THAT MY DAUGHTERS 97 EXPRESSO AND MY SONS 98 T&C HAD THE SAME PROBLEM . SHOULDN'T CHRYSLER DO A RECALL. *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILED, AND THE WHEELS LOCKED UP. *PH THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A VIOLENT BUCKING OF THE VEHICLE AS THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND LOCKING UP THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE INITIAL BUCKING UP OF THE VEHICLE OCCURRED BETWEEN 15 TO 20 MPH, AND THE LOCKING UP OF THE WHEEL AT 5 MPH. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND SERVICE MANAGER THAT PARTS FOR TRANSMISSION WAS ON BACK ORDER AND WILL BE AVAILABLE AT LEAST A WEEK. CONSUMER DECIDED TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO A DIFFERENT REPAIR FACILITY AND WAS ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE PARTS OVER NIGHT AND REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE DEALER PRESENTED THE DAMAGED TRANSMISSION TO CONSUMER AND IT SHOWED DAMAGE ON THE GEARS WITH MOST OF IT ARE IN THE GEAR'S INNERMOST PART. ALSO, THE DEALER'S ESTIMATION WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS A BEARING FAILURE WHICH LED TO A CHAIN REACTION AND RESULTED TO TRANSMISSION LOCK-UP. AFTER THE VIOLENT BUCKING FROM TRANSMISSION FAILURE, ENGINE DEVELOPED PROBLEM OF MISFIRING WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A BAD FUEL INJECTOR AND COIL PACK IN THE NUMBER SIX CYLINDER. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT IT WAS ALSO CAUSED BY TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *LA

TRANSMISSION STARTED A WHINING SOUND AT ABOUT 48,000 MILES. THIS SOUND IS JUST AUDIBLE WHEN DRIVING AROUND TOWN. HOWEVER, AFTER 2 HOURS ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH IT BECOMES VERY PRONOUNCED. IF ENGINE IS SHUT OFF FOR 10 MINUTES THE LOUD WHINE IS BACK TO A "NORMAL" LEVEL. THIS APPEARS TO AFFECT NOTHING ELSE IN THE VEHICLE'S OPERATION. BUT IT CERTAINLY CAN'T BE CONSIDERED NORMAL. WE FEAR TAKING THE VAN ON THE ROAD SINCE SOMETHING IN THE TRANSMISSION APPEARS READY FOR SELF DISTRUCTION. OTHER THAN A FAILED BATTERY AT 2 YEARS (ABOUT 46,000 MILES) THIS IS THE ONLY PROBLEM EXPERIENCED. THIS T&C LXI WITH ALL THE OPTIONS EXCEPT POWER TAILGATE AND 52,000 MILES (MOSTLY HIGHWAY) HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT VEHICLE TO DATE AND THIS OBVIOUSLY COMING TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AT THIS EARLY STAGE IS A DISAPPOINTMENT TO SAY THE LEAST.*AK

STARTING LAST OCTOBER THE BATTERY WENT DEAD AFTER THE DOORS WERE OPEN FOR THREE HOURS. TWO MONTHS LATER THE BATTERY WENT DEAD AGAIN WHILE SETTING IN THE GARAGE AND NOT BEING DRIVEN FOR THREE DAYS. TOOK IT TO MY DEALER-THELEN CHRSYLER IN BAY CITY-AND AFTER CHECKING IT FOUND NOTHING WRONG. ABOUT TEN DAYS LATER AFTER SETTING IN THE GARAGE FOR 3 OR 4 DAYS IT WENT DEAD AGAIN. THELEN CHRSYLER PERFORMED A MORE THOROUGH CHECK AND APPARENTLY FIXED SOMETHING WHICH THEY THOUGHT WAS WRONG, BUT STILL WASN'T CERTAIN THAT THE PROBLEM WAS PERMANENTLY REPAIRED. THE BATTERY WAS THOROUGHLY CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE OK. DROVE TO ARIZONA FOR THE WINTER AND IN FEBRUARY THE BATTERY AGAIN WENT DEAD AFTER THE VAN WAS SETTING FOR FIVE DAYS WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN. ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER WHILE LOADING THE VAN FOR THE RETURN TRIP HOME AND HAVING THREE DOORS OPEN FOR 2 OR 3 HOURS THE BATTERY AGAIN WENT DEAD. THE BATTERY WAS AGAIN THOROUGHLY CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE OK. ON EVERY OCCASION A QUICK JUMP BY A WRECKER SERVICE STARTS THE ENGINE AND IN 20 MINUTES EVERYTHING IS OK. AS LONG AS THE VAN IS DRIVEN EVERY DAY OR TWO WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM. BUT, IF THE VAN SETS FOR THREE DAYS OR LONGER OR IF THE DOORS ARE OPEN FOR 2 OR 3 HOURS THE BATTERY GOES DEAD. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THERE IS A VERY SLOW DRAIN IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT LEADS TO A DEAD BATTERY. THE PROBLEM STARTED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY.

AT 50,000 MILES MY TRANSMISSION WENT AND CHRYLSER WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP. A TRANSMISSION SHOLUD NOT GO AT THIS MILEAGE. I WAS WITH MY TWO LITTLE KIDS ON A HIGHWAY AND WE WERE LUCKY WE DIDN'T GET KILLED. NOT ONLY DID CHRYLSER REFUSE TO HELP, I WAS TREATED SO HORRIBLY BY THIER "CUSTOMER SERVICE" PERSON, I WAS ASTOUNDED. CHYSLER OBVIOUSLY HAS BIG TRANSMISSIONS PROBLEMS AND THEY CAN'T POSSIBLY HELP ALL OF US. THEY LOST MY VOTE.*AK