Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Caravan Door & Window Problems

britsys · October 2007

We picked up our new 2008 Town and Country Touring with swivel and go seating after waiting for the dealer to scour the nort east to find one.

First couple of days we are happy as can be, its a fantastic car. The we discover an issue.

We purchased the 25L package which comes with heated front and rear seats. My wife tells she found the rear heated seat buttons on both sides but the front are missing. After closer inpection, checking the photos on chrysler.com and looking at the owners manual we are 100% certain that the buttons for driver and passenger heated seats are missing. We call the dealer who tell us to bring the car in on Monday so they can check it our (it was Saturday). Sunday afternoon the van starts running very roughly, all the engine management and warning lights are on and it has no power. We turn the car off, then try to start it again and it wont start. Let me tell you it was no fun pushing the car into a parking space. Monday morning i call Chrysler and have it towed to the dealer. Tuesday evening the electical problems are fixed (crimped wire in engine bay) and the car runs. I tell dealer i dont want car back until they have determined if its just the heated seat buttons missing or more.

Thursday i get an update, all the wiring and heating elements for the heated seats in the front is missing.

I call the general manager of the dealer to voice my concerns that a car could leave the factory with such a huge error and ask for a replacement van as i dont want anything retrofitted. He gets chrslyer involved, I am now waiting for an update on when i can get a replacement van.

I picked up the car from the repair shop so i can get my stuff out of it before i turn it in.

Anyone out there have issues with their 2008 or did i just get a lemon?

greener1 · October 2007

my 2005 T&C with 25,000 miles has a new tranny installed before 2,000 miles, new muffler system, new water pump, new AC lines, multiple paint quality issues, oh well, they claim quality control back then and i guess its the same old BS, chrysler has a long way to go as far as i am concerned, and they fought tooth and nail about replacing the tranny which had 3 TSB's performed and still wasnt fixed, then finally replacing it calling it Customer Satisfaction issue, not a mechanical issue, who are they trying to kid, think twice about chrysler no matter what year

britsys · October 2007

Update: General manager from the dealer sent Chrysler corporate representaive to my house to look at the car to verify everything that was missing (guess they dont trust their service techs who already verified). He confirmed what we already knew.

Spoke with our sales guy general manager and it looks like we are getting a replacement van directly from Chrysler factory as this one never should have made it past quality control.

Van is just sitting there gathering dust, we are scared to drive it after the electrical failure that nearly caused and accident as the engine lost power last Sunday.

Will keep you posted to see what happens. Lets hope chrysler do the right thing and take the :lemon: back.

ferarree · October 2007

I also had the same problem with door locks not working from inside switch or wireless from key on my 2005 T&C, I checked the fuses and resistance of all switches and solenoids and all seemed ok. Thought I'd try resetting the software in the BCM by disconnecting car battery for a few minutes, and it worked! We'll see how long though.

hkannal · October 2007

No, but I don't know how much the total bill was. Luckily, we bought the extended warranty and only pay the $50 deductible. We did this because the Ford Windstar I had before my T&C was a piece of junk and needed almost everything replaced and we used the warranty on it like crazy!!! I'm MUCH happier with my T&C! Good luck!

hkannal · October 2007

Good luck with that. Mine worked for about a week and a half the first time, then only about a week the second time. Then a day. Then it wouldn't work at all by doing this, and that's when I finally took it in to the dealership. Maybe you'll be luckier than me! But, so far, my locks are all working perfectly!!!

tripptc · October 2007

The fuse that everyone is talking about pulling to correct the door lock problem is the ignition off draw (IOD) fuse. Pulling the fuse while the car is off cuts off the low power draw of the computer system and anything else that draws power with the ignition off (e.g. security system). This does the same thing as disconnecting the battery. Both actions cause a reset of the computer system (and BCM, MCM, etc)- in our case temporarily correcting the issue with the door locks. How long it stays corrected seems to vary - my wife says she has to reset about once per week. It could be a software issue that Chrysler has yet to identify or own up to - but it worked for a couple years without an issue which would seem to exonerate the software. Another hint is that our problem ALWAYS re-ocurs when the doors are manually unlocked from the inside.

rvenkat · October 2007

I have a 02 T&C limited. Got it 2 years ago with 83K miles on it. Has a litle over 100k now. It has worked excellent so far. However, the power sliding doors and liftgate were not automatically opening as soon as I got it. I got the liftgate and the passenger door fixed by the dealer for about $1K and they have worked fine since. I still have the problem with the driver side sliding door (closes perfect but has problem opening) unless the ambient temp is above 80. I could shell the $400 to get it fixed at the dealer's. We know what part it is (from a link in one of the first few posts) and it costs $80. Has anyone fixed it with a regular mechanic before? I wouldn't dare do it myself even with step-by-step directions. Thanks.

britsys · October 2007

UPDATE:

In to our 4th week of owning a new 2008 minivan that we dont have possesion of and cannot drive. So far this is costing me $1000/month between having to keep our existing Subaru, paying for a new 2008 Minivan and insurance on both which in NY is expensive.

Chrysler dealer called and wanted the car back on Monday, they gave me a Jeep wrangler loaner as they were out of minivans. I was told that the replacement is on its way and we should be good to go Wednesday the same week.

I gave them until Friday and then i called as they are not staying on top of this issue. It turns out that we have to wait a week or two to get a letter or phone call from Chrysler corporate, would have been nice if i had know that from the start so i coule have had a loaner all this time and sold the subaru.

I took the Jeep back and switched it for a 2007 minivan loaner as they had no 2008's available.

So far i am very dissapointed in Chrysler and the dealer for a very slow response and no one staying on top of things and keeping me informed. I dont think i will ever buy another Chrysler car again.

We will see how Chrysler handle compensation for this ordeal, i hope i dont have to get a lawyer involved. :mad:

robdodge · October 2007

I ran into the same problem with our 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. The locks suddenly stopped working. Neither the switches or key would work. I disconnected the battery, and now things are working again. Hopefully it continues to work...

ezjim · October 2007

I don't think they will work. I have tried everything and after 3 or 4 days i have to pull the fuse and put it back in

misterunit · October 2007

All, new update on the lock issue. After detailing the problem, and the threads on this site about pulling the IOD fuse, my Dodge dealer (for free during a regular checkup) did update the BCM permanently with a newly released code fix. This was here in Olathe, but the sales guy basically said 'you're a little out of your warranty, but we'll take care of it', and that was right after I told him again about the forums. Just an FYI, it's a code issue...so don't let them charge you for it. Ask them if they are charged by Microsoft for Windows code/bug fixes...

ezjim · October 2007

I thank you my friend for the info. I got wet pulling the fuse yesterday. I have a dealer about 2 minutes from me. I'll be there Monday morning. Thanks

jimruff · November 2007

I have a 2000 T&C and the Driver's side window will not go up. I turned the car off when it was half way down and now it will not work. Any idea's on how to fix?

12458789 · November 2007

joanne, how did you see if child locks were on on if the door will not open.I have the same thing going on. I'm unable to unlock the the door at all.I tryed disconnceting the battery snd pulling iod fuse,still not working.

srt10 · November 2007

Did you get the new van? I am considering a 2008 Town and Country and I am curious if this is a wise choice.

britsys · November 2007

We finally got our van (officially the 3rd one) last week. I have been driving my insurance company and credit union crazy with new VIN numbers because the Chrysler dealer has no clue how to handle a exchange vehicles.

We had completed all the paperwork on the second van and were ready for delivery when the dealer shocked us that we would have to pay an additional $2100 for features on the replacement van that were not on our original because no other vans with the same spec were available. We declined to pay this so we waited for number 3 van to be found which we now have.

Overall we are extremely happy with the van, it really does not resemble the existing Chrysler mini van at all inside and out (We had a 2007 loaner for the 2 months it took to resolve this issue). It feels like a Mercedes to drive with excellent ride and stability. The automatic doors and tailgate are so quiet and smooth compared to the old shape and the interior lighting, storage and seating is excellent. I would highly recommend the van and the spec that we ordered (25L package Touring with Svivel and Go seats). We did not purchase the navigation or the 2nd/3rd row TV's with DVD/Sirius satellite TV as i think its overpriced at $1200 and $2100 compared to portable units for less than $200 that can be moved car to car.

Hope this helps in the decision making.

Doug

Kirstie_H · November 2007

A journalist with a national publication would like to speak to buyers of the 2008 Town & Country minivan with the MyGig, rear-seat entertainment and satellite television features. The reporter would like to discuss how your family uses MyGig and how important this feature was in your purchase decision. If youre interested in speaking to the reporter, please send your daytime contact information to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Monday, December 3, 2007.

britsys · December 2007

Sorry, wasnt checking email.

If they still want info on the MyGig let me know.

So far we have 500 miles on the van and no issues !!!!

minivangrandpa · December 2007

So far, I've only found one issue of quality control on my new 08' T&C Limited van. About a week after purchase, when unlocking the doors via the key control while approaching the back of the van after dark, I realized it had two different tail lights. The right tail light has the red stop light on the top and the left has it on the bottom. The right is the correct Chrysler light and the left is a Dodge Grand Caravan light. Since I live about 160 miles from the dealer, I asked that they ship me the correct tail light and expect to receive it tomorrow or Saturday via UPS and can easily install it. Interestingly, there is a "quality assurance" sticker on the left drivers door indicating the van was selected for quality testing. In all fairness, the dealer nor I noticed this "goof" until I approached the vehicle in the dark so it is unlikely the goof would've be noticed while walking around the van or driving it. Drivers behind my probably think the two different lights are unique to the new Chrysler vans and related to safety.

artgpo · December 2007

It is heartening to know that Chrysler's QC has not improved one bit since the '70s. My barber had a new Dodge Omni on one side and the Plymouth Horizon nameplate on the other.

While this may seem insignificant to most people it should be a major concern. What other parts were mixed/omitted during assembly?

Quality testing? By whom?

ray6578 · January 2008

Both power sliding doors don't work, but have seperate issues. The passenger side will open about 4 in and then stop. When closing it will not pull forward but will pull shut itself at about 4 in from being completly closed. The driver side does not pull back or forth at all. The interior lights do not sense the door being opened. They stopped working about 6 months apart from eachother. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Any idea of the door wiring would be great. Thanks.

gwynnwife · January 2008

I am having the same problem with the passenger slider.

According to the dealership where I took it -thiefs, the whole lot of them - they said it is a wiring harness short -and about $300 to fix.

I got angry and called Chrysler and told them about the POS car I bought and the problems I have had getting the car up to a working model. I bought the car 10/2006 and in less that 12k miles, I have had to rebuild the entire exhaust system, the struts have been replaced, the DVD system, seat belts - the works.

I am thinking when we pay down our car loan, we are getting the heck away from this car.

Be forewarned -the harness is not covered by any warranty I can find, except for the basic, which expires after 3 years (from the date it was put into service).

tedebear · January 2008

Be forewarned -the harness is not covered by any warranty I can find, except for the basic, which expires after 3 years (from the date it was put into service).

If you bought it in 10/2006 wouldn't it still be covered by the 3 yr/36,000 mile warranty?

gwynnwife · January 2008

I did buy it in 2006 - but it went into service sometime in 2005. I have gotten Chrysler to pay all but $100 of it - but I am not done with this. I think it is ridiculous that there is so much wrong with this car -- and the dealership is wretched. They argue every little thing and its just getting ridiculously old.

stobbchi · January 2008

'04 T&C Left Rear Electric Door Problem
We have an '04 T&C Limited, and the left electric door just started acting up the same way - The motor whirrs, the door opens about 5 or 6 inches and then the motor just cuts out and dies. When you manually open the door all the way and press the button for the electric door, it closes... until it gets to the same point 5 or 6 inches from being closed. And again, the electric motor just dies as if it's finished doing the job. It does this no matter which switch is used to activate it - either one of the keys or the overhead console switch.

I did notice that the point where the electric door motor dies is at the exact point where the back roller hinge (inside the door just below the window) snaps into the fully open position.

I tend to think that it's a defective switch, but as the door motor 'dies' at the same point in the travel no matter which direction the door is moving in, I am not sure if it's an electrical problem, or if there's a mechanical problem making the door sensors 'think' that it's at a place where it is supposed to stop.

And no, the door doesn't reverse direction like it does when there is something in it's way.

Is this the same thing that was happening to you?

tcowner2 · January 2008

Passenger side electric sliding door. The door hits a "stop" before completing the closing. The clunk grrrrr click occurs but the door is not pulled shut. If I manually start to open the door I hear the clunk grrr click but cannot get the mechanism to pull the door shut. If I use the buttons, the door will start to open, then stop and I hear the clunk grrrrr click.

Also, when the door is closing (from full open) it stops at the end and looks like it is torquing during the clunk grrrrr click.

Anyone have any ideas???

tcowner2 · January 2008

It was the manual door latch. You know how the door (any car door) gets mixed up and thinks its closed when its really open, then you shut the door and it bounces off the latch receiver. Yeah that was it. It didn't ring a bell until my 13 year old son says "hey dad, I think its in back of the door." I took one look and started shaking my head

, been here before, should have looked. My wife had to drive around this morning with one of the kids holding the door shut. :shades:

rebiker · January 2008

Hi! So now the door works correctly? How was the manual door lock keeping it from opening or closing all the way? I have this same problem, the door only opens about 6" & then stops, or when it's closing it goes until about 6" short of closing & then stops. If you've figured it out please elaborate. Thanks, ReBiker :confuse: :confuse:

jess82 · January 2008

I'm looking for information on the replacement of the motor assembly for the power side door. Found a site selling a replacement motor which is stated as being better than OEM at half the cost. Before I order the motor, I would like to take out the old motor and see if I can free up the clutch. I need information on the location of the motor and replacement instructions.

rebiker · January 2008

Hi Jess82! I think the site you need is as follows
http://redhouseon7th.com/howto/2001CaravanDoorRepair/index.html

Hope this helps.

jess82 · January 2008

Thanks for getting back to me. This talks about replacing the door latch however the pictures show me what I needed to know about the door motor location.

tcowner2 · January 2008

My problem doesn't sound like your problem. Yours sounds more mechanical. Mine was just stupid. With mine, the latch mechanism (just like the one in your front doors) was in the closed position. It was not able to accept the "hook" that's on the car frame. When it closed, instead of "receiving" the hook, the latch would "bang" against the hook. The door would come 1 inch from closing. All I had to do was hold the door handle in the open or unlatch position and then move the latch to be in the "receive" position.

It sounds like yours is binding somewhere. It could be the motor or it could be a "track" problem.

hugefire · February 2008

I've got an intermittent problem with the power door locks on the driver's side of the van not working. The passenger's side are both working fine. It's hit or miss (mostly miss) whether they will lock or not, and sometimes when they don't, I can get them to work by going through the lock/unlock cycle several times with the button on the door. They will always unlock. I'm guessing that there is a bad ground or possibly a broken wire, but have no idea where to start looking. Anyone have any suggestions?

ssharland · February 2008

Did you ever resolve this? I have the same problem on a 2005.

Thanks
Steve

stobbchi · February 2008

No, I haven't... and now the left-side automatic door function doesn't work at all. It still opens manually (and it's easy - there's no resistance like other posters have had), but none of the buttons now even produce any type of reaction/sound at all. And now the right-side automatic door motor is whirring for a few seconds before opening the door. I'm wondering if that is an omen of things to come.

I'm bringing the van in for service in 2 days (state inspection & emissions, oil change) and I'm tempted to ask them at that point in time about the left-side automatic door... but I don't want a huge bill for 'diagnosis' time. I'm tempted to just follow the directions of an earlier posting and replace the switch inside the door myself. According to the post the switch was only about $150 and took a few hours to replace.

I used to work on car electrical problems myself and I still have the tools, so I think it would only take me about an hour to replace the door switch. The trouble is that without an electrical schematic or troubleshooting guide you're 'blind' in trying to figure out these types of things - you don't know which wires lead to which switches or are controlled by what circuits....

chas11 · February 2008

2002 LXi driver's side power window quit working. Schematic says most likely cause is motor. Chilton book not specific on how to remove door panel for motor access. It says pry off things that I can't pry off without danger of breaking. Anyone able to help with step-by-step procedure? Thanks.

srs_49 · February 2008

Don't know about your specific vehicle, but I have removed the door panels on several cars to fix things. On all of them the process was similar.
1. Remove the armrest on the door, which is bolted through the panel to the door itself.
2. Remove anything else that looks like it's bolted. Look for round plastic caps that are sometimes used to cap the screw/bolt heads.
3. Around the periphery of the door panel, it's usually held in place with a series of plastic (maybe metal) push pins or spring clips that clip into a slot or hole on the door panel are are pressed into a hole in the door. These need to be pried out of the door. A small putty knife sometimes works, but you may need something stiffer, like maybe a small pry bar. Run the putty knife around the edge of the door panel between it and the door and feel for where the pins are. When you find one, pry gently. Sometimes they pop right out of the hole on the door, but sometimes they tear through the back side of the door panel.

Have fun!

wallar · February 2008

For some reason I can't seem to find anyone who's having a similiar issue as me.. My problems not that the passenger door won't open, it's that it has to be shut manually. When I try using the remote or the button behind the passenger side to close the door there's a noise as if it's popping into place and then after an inch I get a sound like a latch clicking and I have to manually shut it.. I checked to make sure it was in the on position on the front control panel and the child restraint wasn't activated.. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!!

dovens · February 2008

Did this software fix the problem with the door locks permanently??? I'm going to be charged $50.00 at one dealer and $100 at another dealer for the fix. They say it takes about 30-45 minutes. We did pull the IOD fuse and stayed fixed for about a month. We need a permanent fix.

Please e-mail as soon as possible. Thank you for your message about this. What a time and sanity and money saver.

Dovens

wallar · February 2008

For some reason I can't seem to find anyone who's having a similiar issue as me.. My problems not that the passenger door won't open, it's that it has to be shut manually. When I try using the remote or the button behind the passenger side to close the door there's a noise as if it's popping into place and then after an inch I get a sound like a latch clicking and I have to manually shut it.. I checked to make sure it was in the on position on the front control panel and the child restraint wasn't activated.. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!!

dodgeweary · February 2008

I am having exactly the same problem with my 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan. I have been told that I need new door pins and a new actuator. Does this sound right?
Also, they have not been able to give me an estimate on the cost to fix it. How much for your repair?

wallar · February 2008

Actually since you posted your response I've been told the actuator made since and not sure about the door pins cause I'm not an expert.. I'd like to know though cause it's really getting annoying... Let me know if you hear anything else or a price to fix it..

dodgeweary · March 2008

It turns out that the actuator was okay. A pencil was jammed in the door track. Gotta love the kids! Price to fix:$0.

jess82 · March 2008

2001 T&C. A couple years I had a problem with the horn not working when the engine was warm and the fog lights would flash on and off when the van was running. The dealer replaced the computer mod for the problem and until a couple months ago I thought the problem was fixed. Now another problem has shown up. The radio will stop playing a tape for a second, power, including the clock will go off, then the power is back on and the tape plays again. It also does this with the radio, but seems to not effect the CD player. If I have the engine off and place the key in aux position, the radio, tape and CD seems to play OK. Also while driving with the radio off, the lights on the graphics equalizer (high/mid/low) will flash as if to be sending morse code and then the clock will go out then back on. Then the cycle will repeat. Any clues to what is causing the problem. The fog lights still flash at times when they are not switched on.

twnplsone · March 2008

Hi. I have a 2005 Town & Country. The doors will not lock unless i manually push them down. They also no longer lock when going 20 mph nor when i hit the remote. The remote will open sliding doors/rear door perfect. It beeps, just like if i locked/unlocked the doors but without actually doing that. Any ideas? Called the dealership and said it "might" be a computer problem and since i am out of warranty it will run about $600.

dovens · March 2008

Message number 110 tells about the BCM and software update to be done by your dealer. I have a 2005 Dodge Caravan. The same thing happened about 2 months ago, we pulled the IOD fuse and it worked for a couple of weeks then back to the same problem with the locks and remote. Now I went into my dealer and told them just do the update, it took about 1 hour and and told them they shouldn't charge for a software problem the needed to send a fix for. They did the update, they didn't charge and we are good. My car is out of warranty 60,000, so don't let them charge. There is a service bulletin and the service repair manager should have heard about this problem. Stick to your guns

carguy74 · March 2008

hey guys....n gals...i am brand new to this site. happen to run across this by accident trying to find some info on town and country vans.... i am looking at a 02 town and country ex... it has 95000k. thinking about buying it for the wife. don't have alot of money. i'm more a honda fan but can't afford one so thinking about buying this town and country. vehicle is owned by an old couple that is about to retire. owner states trans have been serviced twice in lifetime. they bought it brand new. has 3.8 motor in it. never been towed or does it have a hitch. owner states van runs like new, is in perfect condition. i see there is alot of issues with dodge vans. owner wants 6500 for van. is it worth it....i mean with all the problems? just want an opinion on this from people that have owned dodge vans before. i only owned 1 van before and that was a 96 chevy lumina.... never had any major problems with that one. please, any info will help me on this .....

masterpaul1 · March 2008

It sounds like a good deal for the price. I would say take it for a drive and ask to see the service records. We have an 01 DGC EX with the 3.8L engine. (Our van is pretty much a clone of the one you are asking about.) Our van has been very reliable, but we have had to have some minor things fixed since taking ownership of it back in Sep. 2003, nothing major though. A few things I don't like, is that the front bushings, even though I've been told they are easy to replace and don't cost much for the parts, only last a few years before you hear knocking over bumps. (Ours will be on it's third set, whenever I get around to replacing them.) Another thing that I don't like, but not a big deal, is that our rear hatch over the past three years, has developed surface rust in a small area on the side were the metal is welded together. It's an easy fix by sanding the metal and using the touch up paint that came with it. Outside of that we have over 96K and have never been stranded or towed. Never have had any engine or trans. problems. (As a matter of fact, our trans. has been flushed twice and the solenoid pack had a small leak and was replaced while doing an oil change around 93K.) She runs great and everything works as it is suppose to.

carguy74 · March 2008

thanx for the info. i went to chk it out tonight and it didn't look too bad. love the way the vehicle looks. drives ok, suspn was not as good as i thought. the whole rear tailgate had pin size rust spots all over. crank pulley is wobbly, also had a pulley bearing noise while running. trans shifted excellent. if the crank pulley didn't wobble and no bearing noise, probably would of bought it. my wifes co worker has and o2 and an o5 and i went over there after i looked at the vehicle for sale and compared notes....there was definetly something wrong with the one that was for sale.... again thanks for the info. i will be looking at a couple of odysseys tomorrow . i think i may consider buying the odyssey just because the resale value of hondas are so much better than dodge. but i like the ride of the dodge better. i'm kinda torn because i'm a honda tech. and it would be easier for me to work on the odyssey if need be.. but man those odysseys are damn expensive......

Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Caravan Door & Window Problems

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