2007 Chrysler Town And Country

DURING A LOW-SPEED LOCAL TRIP (LESS THAN 2 MILES, 45 MPH MAX) ACRID SMOKE STARTS COMING OUT FRONT A/C VENTS. STOP, TURN OFF IGNITION. AFTER MERELY DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM TO AN EXPERIENCED MECHANIC, HE SAYS HE KNOWS WHAT THE CAUSE IS AND PROVES IT BY REMOVING THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT TO REVEAL A FRIED WIRE AND NEARBY HEAT-DAMAGED PARTS. HE ADDS THAT MANY CHRYSLER-BUILT (ALSO GM-BUILT) VEHICLES HAD CAUGHT FIRE BECAUSE OF THIS VERY REASON. THE A/C BLOWER MOTOR HAD STARTED DRAWING TOO MUCH ELECTRICAL CURRENT (REASON UNKNOWN*) WHICH CAUSED ITS WIRE TO GET HOT ENOUGH TO BURN ITS OWN INSULATION PLUS MELT NEARBY PLASTIC PARTS. THE WIRE IS, OBVIOUSLY, UNDERSIZED FOR A NOMINAL OVERLOAD. (*THE BLOWER WAS STILL BLOWING AS IT ALWAYS HAD, AND HAD NEVER BLOWN ITS FUSE.) AS AN ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN WITH 39 YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN ENGINEERING, I FIND THE USE OF WIRING TOO SMALL IN GAGE TO SAFELY HANDLE THE FULL LOAD RATING OF ITS BRANCH CIRCUIT (AS DETERMINED, IN THIS CASE, BY THE BLOWER FUSE AMPERAGE) TO BE APPALLING. THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE PROTECTS US IN OUR HOMES FROM SUCH DANGEROUS ELECTRICAL DESIGN, WHY ISN'T THERE A CODE TO PROTECT US IN OUR HIGHWAY VEHICLES AS WELL? WHAT OTHER UNDERSIZED WIRES IN MY CAR ARE WAITING TO SET IT ON FIRE? WHAT SUCH WIRING IN OTHER MAKES AND/OR MODELS? YOUTUBE PROVIDES GRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN A CAR BURNS, EVEN WHEN NO CRASH HAS OCCURRED. *TR

THIS IS BEING FILED FOR SOMEONE ELSE OF NORWALK, CT, WHO DRIVES A VAN ADAPTED FOR HER TO DRIVE FROM THE WHEELCHAIR. ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2011, SHE HIT THE BACK OF A HONDA CIVIC ON CONNECTICUT AVE IN NORWALK, CT WHEN HER SERVO GAS/BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. THIS SYSTEM IS EQUIPPED WITH A BACKUP BRAKE FOR THIS TYPE OF EMERGENCY BUT THE BACKUP BRAKE WAS NOT WORKING. SHE HAD NO INDICATION THAT THE BACKUP BRAKE WAS NOT WORKING BEFORE SHE STARTED TO DRIVE. THE MANUFACTURE OF THE ELECTRIC SERVO GAS/BRAKE SYSTEM IS AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATIONS, 4 FIRST STREET, P.O. BOX 474, BRIDGEWATER, MA 02324-0474, TEL: (508) 697 8324. JIM SANDERS, OWNER OF AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATIONS, CLAIMS THAT IT IS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT THE SYSTEM SHOULD WARN THE USER IF THE BACKUP BRAKE IS NOT WORKING BEFORE THEY START DRIVING. I AM THE ENGINEER WHO INSPECTED THE GAS/BRAKE SYSTEM AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND IT IS MY INFO BELOW.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT THERE WAS A SQUEALING NOISE AND THE WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE RACK AND PINION. A WEEK LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR THREE DAYS BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER WHO SENT THE CONTACT A LETTER EXPLAINING THE FAILURE AND WHAT ACTIONS THEY WERE TAKING. THE NOTICE STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DRY PARK AND NORMAL OPERATIONS OF THE VEHICLE. THEY OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,900 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,600.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS HE NOTICED A BUCKING FEELING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE INPUT AND OUTPUT CONTROL MODULES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 94,000. UPDATED 12/20/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER GETTING THE VEHICLE BACK, HE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION GOING INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY WHERE A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER WAS INSTALLED. UPDATED 12/23/11

OUR VAN WAS SITTING IN OUR DRIVEWAY ON A DAY THAT WAS COOLING FROM 69F TO ABOUT 50F AT 7PM. WE HAD JUST GOTTEN BACK FROM A DRIVE TO THE STORE. THE REAR HATCHBACK WINDOW EXPLODED SPONTANEOUSLY, LEAVING A 1 FOOT X 6 INCH HOLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND A 6 INCH ROUNDISH HOLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. BOTH HOLES WERE A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE MIDDLE, TOP TO BOTTOM. THE WINDOW WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED IN SMALL PIECES, TOP TO BOTTOM, AND THE SLIGHTEST SHAKE CAUSED PIECES TO FALL OFF AND THE HOLES GOT BIGGER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN SHE NOTICED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS LEAKING FLUID ONTO THE FLOORBOARDS. AS A RESULT, THE AIR BAG LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

2007 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. CONSUMER STATES WHEN IGNITION IS TURNED ON DASH DISPLAY NOTIFICATIONS STAY ON *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE TURNED ON THE IGNITION, NONE OF THE INSTRUMENT GAUGES WORKED ON THE DASHBOARD. ALSO, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT REMAINED ON. THE DASH DISPLAY, COMPUTER AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE WERE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2007 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE CONTACT THEN SHIFTED THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BACKWARDS, CRASHING INTO TWO VEHICLES. THE CONTACTS VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED, BUT NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER, NOR THE DEALER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,200. UPPDATED 08/01/11*LJ

SLIDER DOORS ON MY MINIVAN WILL NOT OPEN AND CLOSE COMPLETELY ELECTRICALLY. CHRYSLER HAS ADMITTED THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH A SHORT IN THE WIRING HARNESS BY RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES. ON MY CAR THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED MANUALLY OR ELECTRICALLY FROM INSIDE THE CAR. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CARS THAT STARTED ON FIRE. WHY DOESN'T CHRYSLER ADMIT THEY HAVE A BIG PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS AND RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM BEFORE THEY HAVE A SEVERE PROBLEM.