Chrysler Town and Country EX/LX/LXi/Limited

jefe5

Gosh you got lucky, Do you ever walk away from the table a winner? Believe me now is the time...

itsup2u

Purchased a new '99 T&C Ltd 3.8L FW in Jan; now has 11k miles. It's getting progressively slower from a dead start through most of 2nd gear (especially uphill). While gradually getting up to speed from 1st to 2nd, there seems to be a surge of "power" between 35-40 MPH. Downshifting by acceleration only momentarily picks up the pace. Anyone else experiencing this phenomenon?

I hope the dreaded ChryCo. trannie has not come back to haunt me again; shades of '90 Dodge GC (3 trannies).

Fuel mileage is a disappointing combined 14.4 MPG. You'd think I'm driving a V8 SUV!

Has anyone's keyless entry lost it's locking "honk" acknowledgement?

Thanks in advance for your replies. As for Chrysler...

stevensoriano

OK..We have had 2 Windstars and a Venture....and are now considering replacing our Venture with a T&C AWD, mostly to get the rear disc brakes.

Why doesn't Lexus or Infiniti come out with a Minivan so I don't have to roll the quality dice on a Chrysler product that, based on this forum, has no real quality, or manufacturer support.

What to do, what to do?

guitarzan

Itsup2u, although this could be a tranny problem, it also could be a bad fuel pump. Let us know what is happening.

Your Fob's are not programmable to start/stop the honks, are they?

I'd change your tranny fluid once each year. Hopefully that will help the life of this tranny.

Stevensoriano, have you considered the Honda and Toyota products?

guitarzan
Community Leader/Vans Conference

itsup2u

Thanks for the advice on the fuel pump; will advise after taking it to a 5 star dealer. Re: tranny fluid. Based on prior discussion, should it be refilled with a certain type of fluid; e.g. MOPAR, aftermarket, special additive?

The key FOBs are programmable although directions in the owner manual are contradicted by copies I have from the shop manual. My concern is how it might have been reprogrammed in the first place. Then again, ChyrCo. has those notorious phantom wipers and mysteriously opening trunk lids.

guitarzan

Itsup2u, if I may: I would not tell the dealer your assumptions. Tell them the symptoms, and let them figure it out. Sometimes you will throw them off track by guessing.

guitarzan
Community Leader/Vans Conference

stevensoriano

Yeah, I considered Honda and Toyota, but:

I want leather, integrated child seats, and 4 wheel disc brakes. The only vans that meet that trio list are the Chryslers, I think.

If someone knows of van with the dual integrated child seats, luxury interior features, and the Honda/Toyota attitude towards quality, I would love to know about it.

For now, the only choice I see is leasing a T&C LTD AWD, for about 24-36 months

tiltboy

I have a 99 T&C limited and have noticed a strange rattle when idling. It doesn't seem to do it when in neutral, only drive. Dealership said it was a belt(air compressor) and they knew about the problem but currently there was no fix. Anybody else been told this? Makes me suspicious. He said it didn't affect driveability, and as far as I can tell, he's right. Any others with this problem?

jilldob

I have a 1977 T&C LXi. It has been a lemon from day one. They have replaced the cd player, the chip in the overhead, it leaked water and they had to replace the carpet, the water pump exploded, they have had to replace the suspension system, the brakes had to be redone, had to replace back windshield wiper because the paint was chipping off and I know I have forgotten what else has been wrong with it. It only has 30,000 miles on it. Has anyone else had these problems

guitarzan

Jilldob, did you mean "1997"?

guitarzan
Community Leader/Vans Conference

fitz12

My wife and i are shopping for our first van. Need help and advice.

drivehard1

This is what I can tell you if your looking to a new van probably your best bet is a Honda Oddysey or a Toyota Sienna in terms of reliability but in terms of comfort and price a minivan from either Ford or the GM triplets {Oldsmobile Silhouette, Chevy Venture, or Pontiac Montana} and they have more optional bells and wistles. One thing I can tell you is probably steer clear of a chrysler product, just read of the stories behind one or two years of ownership of these things, you only get what you pay for.

nygranny42

Just purchased my first minivan and a T&C LX at that. Since I brought it home yesterday, I've read the posts on other yrs. and models and am beginning to wonder if I bought the right vehicle. I'm a grandmother that travels all over the country either alone or with a female friend. Need a dependable car. Has there been any reports out yet on the 2000 model?
I did get a great deal on this car. Have many of the luxury options of the LXI with the exception of the leather seats, and got it for under 26k.

codetalker

Although I'm certainly not a big booster of Chrysler products, I wouldn't be overly concerned regarding your 2000 T&C. Remember that failure rates of any component needs to be taken at absolute value as well as relative rates. As a PURELY hypothetical worse-case example, let's say that the failure rates for transmissions of minivans are:
Chrysler 15% (probably high)
Toyota 3%
Honda 3.5%

Relatively speaking, the Chrysler pales in comparison with the other makes. However, "absolutely" speaking you still have an 85% chance that your Chrysler won't have a transmission problem.

Add in to the equation that Chrysler has sold orders of magnitude more minivans than other manufacturers. A higher sample size will have higher absolute number failure rates (and those people will be the ones that tend to post in forums).

I would advise not worrying about the van and enjoy the many outstanding features that it has. I would also advise servicing "by the book" (not a bad idea for any brand).

Have fun with your purchase.

1234

32840 MSRP paid 26000 + tax. miles=100.
How did I do?

4aodge

We bought a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan SE and we now have 46k miles on it, and we haven't had a single problem since we brought it home. The car is always being used and the whole family loves it. I know you will enjoy your new T&C!

limitedguy

Tomorrow I will be purchasing a 2000 T&C Limited. I was wondering if anyone out there has heard anything about the reliability of the 2000's. Is it good? or is it bad? Love the looks, style, and comfort of the Town & Country, and hope everything goes well with it.

dogtrainer

It's really to early to tell about the reliability of the 1998 & 1999 vans. There are those who speculate (I haven't seen anyone who knows) that DC has fixed the problems reported in the past.

My own feeling is that I will not spend ~ $20,000 of my own money for the privilege of testing this premise. I decided on an Odyssey narrowly over a Sienna.

dogtrainer

"buy a T&C despite the reliability problems"???? You're kidding, right? You just forgot to add the ;-) right? Please tell me you're not serious!!!!

kkietz

We have a 97 T&C and love the leather, versatility etc...

However... it's a piece of junk. Brakes. CD player. Steering. A/C. Computer chip. At least $2000 so far and counting. Now I'm in the market to find something better but I can't find it. Honda van... no leather or luxury. Other American vans, what's the point? SUV... expensive and won't seat enough people. Perhaps the only other real option is a Durango. Ooooops. Same company. Can I convince my wife to drive something smaller?

eneth

You might want to do what a lot of others are doing - sacrifice a bit of flash and dazzle for substance.

I just read that DaimlerChrysler is struggling to sell 400,000 Caravoyagers this year - down from a record high of 650,000 when it ruled the minivan road.

lpearce

My wife and I just bought a shale green limited today. Although I am aware of some tranny trouble history, I bank on the fact the most people that have trouble shout the loudest. This forum is unlikely to represent the actual satisfaction rates. Everyone also assumes that, say of the 15% tranny failures, how many are abusively driven? When I was a teenager, I used to smoke tires in my dad's Ram van all day, blew 1st gear out and the rear out, my da never knew. So these things occur w/o mention. I've never heard anyone say, "Gee, I don't understand why my 16 yr old can't do 15 neutral slams in the street every time he drives it, and now we have tranny problems" Or towning WAY to much payload etc, which is common, I've seen some draggin-[non-permissible content removed] mini vans puulin crap. Most commonly sold, most commonly abused. I'm, guilty, let's not pretend everyone is a perfect driver. Huh?

I have also owned Toyotas, and Hondas, had major brake problems with a Corolla, bad tranny in a Honda, and major repair fees, your won't get a Honda tranny repair for $750. I've actually never had a major problem with any Chrysler product and I've had about 15 since the mid 70s. So, that's what I'm saying.

Anyway, the Ltd is much more comfortable than anything we saw, price was no object, but I paid 31,000 even for my Ltd today. 11/30/99 Happy mini-vanning!

sfchew

We just purchased a 2000 T & C Limited with AWD & Towing Prep Option for $29850 before taxes, license. How does this compare with others? I think this is a good price since the invoice is $33500. This was at a dealership in San Jose, Ca.

I checked caroder.com and their pricing was the MSRP ie $36450.

sfchew

I just purchased a 2000 T & C Limited with AWD. Is there a way to test the All Wheel Drive?

sfchew

Here's a good site for information about All Wheel Driver in case you are interested.
http://www.subaru.com/awd/index.html

csmith7

In the "New Vehicle Preparation" check sheet that came with my 99 T&C Limited, there is a section on "Programmabel Electronic Features". There is an option of having the headlights come on with the wipers, which is checked. The headlights currently do not come on with the wipers, but since it is law in my state, I would like this feature. The dealer said that they would have to charge me to program it. I know other options are programmable by the owner. Does anyone know how to program this, or any other information.

Also, FYI, if you have intermittent cruie control failure, there is a service bulliten at you dealer to get this fixed.

podling

sfchew where in san jose did you buy your van?

I am interested in a t&c awd as well.

Thanks.

guitarzan

Csmith7, if you bought your vehicle in your own state, and if, as you say, it is your state law, they may not charge you. Find another dealer to do this for you.

If you bought the vehicle in another state, I still don't understand why they would give you any hassle about a mandatory feature.

Guitarzan
Community Leader/Vans Conference

drowe1

Has anyone had a problem with the fuel/door chime going off for no reason? My wifes van has had this numerous times with no fix from the dealer.

Thanks

chwolfman

We have a '97 T&C LXI with 76K miles on it. Other than a few computer glitchs early on the vehicle has performed well. My wife wanted something newer so we looked are various vehicles from the Honda Odesey, Suburbans as well as Volvo and Mercedes Wagons. Could not bring myself to spend over 50k for a our first choice (Mercedes Wagon) so we ended up leasing a 2000 T&C for a capitalization of 2K less than the invoice on our '97. Only disappointment was the 13.5K trade in value on the '97. Total payments for a 2 yr lease on the 2000 with 50K miles allowed are less then $12,0000. That is about 7 cents a mile less than the '97 I bought at invoice ended up costing. Chrysler is still on top of the luxury minivan market by a long shot.

jacksprat1

Just a guess but you may want to look at the sliding door electrical contacts. There should be a set on the doors and on the frame (when the door closes the two should contact each other and close a circuit). My guess is they are dirty or they may need an adjustment. I haven't had a problem with mine, but my guess is there is a screw adjustment to help ensure they match up when closed. If dirty try an eraser....no I am not kidding - it works great on cleaning electrical contacts.

Sprat

cowan3

For what it's worth I have a 1997 T&C LXi with 39,000 miles and VERY few problems. I love the way it looks, the way it drives, and the leather. The only problems to date are seat position memory that fails occasionally and once, while driving cross-country, the wipers turned themselves on for three wipes, then shut off. I would absolutely buy another T&C.

dapetrun

I just signed a contract to purchase the 2000 T&C Limited AWD that has the Towing option and the color coded running boards. (No premium paint, Champagne). I would like feed-back (pro or con) if I got a good deal. The numbers according to Edmunds are as follows:
Invoice ....$33,143 and MSRP ....$36,805
Destination Charge ....$590 (Inv & MSRP)
3WX Eastern Region Discount Inv ... $-850
3WX Eastern Region Discount MSRP... $-1000
AHT Trailer Tow Inv....$149 MSRP....$175
Long Wheel Base running b's Inv....$441 estimated
Long Wheel Base running b's MSRP...$520
Total Invoice ....$33,473 & MSRP...$37,090
I PAID $34,330 which is about $857 over invoice as best as I can determine but I don't know the dealers advertising fee is so this was not included. The thing that muddies the water and what makes this deal so-o-o sweet is that the dealer gave me about $2300 over book for my trade-in. (He looked up a 1995 instead of my 1993). The $9700 I got for my trade would be about what retail price could get after about $500 in fix-up fees. The .9% financing means I can pay the balance off over the next 5 years and it will cost me a little over $100/yr interest. What do ya think? Should I be grinnin?

jahansen2

We are adding an additional child to our family(3) and are needing an extra 3rd seat. I have
always driven Toyotas (10 years) and currently own
a 98 4 Runner and a 99 Camry. I have never stepped
foot inside a service shop except for oil changes.
We can't afford a Land Cruiser. We want to stay
around the $30,000 range. We have narrowed our
choice down to the Dodge Durango SLT Plus and the T & C limited minivan. These stories on this forum
are really scaring me though. Are Chrysler products really that bad?? Is the durango made by Chrysler. Any comments positive and negative about either vehicles would be greatly appreciated.

ttibio

we have 97 t&c which it is time to replace, it is the second chrysler van we have had. no major problems (just usual excessive brake/tire maintenance as is the norm for minivan) - but the it ain't built like a mercedes. we looked at the audi a6 avant and m-b e320 4wd wagon which are great vehicles, but the layouts just do not work with three boisterous kids (plus occasional play dates.) the van cannot be beat for kids (sliding doors, separated seats and walk thru access). we also have a durango, which is pretty truck-like - the t&c is better to drive, and i think awd t&c would be an improvement on that. durango has the seating, but the kids still have to climb over seats to get to the back (how come they never flip the middle seat?!), it has swing out doors and no real carrying space behind third seat. also durango has rear a/c but no rear heat. the t&c is winner hands down for family transport. honda/et al may be better made (it is a matter of degree nowadays) but have no leather seats (read: kid proof) and no 4wd. i cannot say i like chrysler cars (incl. vans and durango) just they are the default choice here.

thebrakeman

The DaimlerChrysler transmissions get plenty of bad-talk around here. If you scan the posts, you will see a general trend of '96 and older DC vans having trans problems, but '97 and newer are running OK. My '97 T&C has had no problems (trans or otherwise).

If you compare the DC vans of the mid-80's to those of Honda, Toyota........wait

......I'm not sure if Honda, Toyota, and those others even had minivans back then? Maybe their transmissions (in their cars) never had any problems because they didn't have to work as hard to "pull its weight".

Oh well, at least they have minivans and trucks now..........oops, I heard someone saying that they saw plenty of transmission problems on the Oddessy sites.

Sarcasm aside....if you need to do some serious towing, go for the Durango (its on a truck platform). Otherwise, go for the T&C for its ride, convenience, comfort, and MORE THAN 2 YEARS MAKING MINIVANS.

captainmcd

My 94 Grand Voyager now has over 100,000 fairly trouble free miles (same engine and transmission) but would like to upgrade. Considered Odyssey, but dealers take it or leave it attitude is a negative. Fairly basic compared to T&C, paying mostly for a good reputation. Liked the Windstar, it has a nice selection of options and a good price, dealers offer close to invoice. What is swaying me to the Town and Country is the 0.9% financing, which really makes the total cost of the package a lot cheaper for a really well equipped vehicle. a $30.000 loan for 5 years at 0.9% saves over $5000 over a conventional auto loan. Even those who have cash on hand to pay could put the money in a T-bill and save about $3000 in the 5 years.

ndisgreat

I think that we got a heck of a deal, but you
never know ??? We Bought a 2000 TC AWD Limited.
We did not get the towing group, and paid out the
door < 30,500 >. It was well under invoice,and we
got the .9 for 60 months....
We were going to get one this summer, but the .9
made us change our minds. Its only got 50 miles,
so time will tell.... if we are going to like it!
I agree captain, we had money to put down .... but
I'll put it in stocks or mutual fund, now. Let me
know what you think... Did I get a deal???

armyltcol

I have a 1999 Limited w/18K that runs great. This is my 4th DC product mini. none have had any problems. I do miss the 89 Voyager w/Turbo & 5 speed though. That was a fun vehicle to drive.

captainmcd

Yesterday I negotiated as much as I could, with the numbers ndisgreat had, but could do no better than about $800 over invoice. Anyway, I'm just not a good horse trader. Anyway, it looks like a good vehicle, and I've been satisfied with my last two Grand Voyagers an '89 and '94 that never quit on me.

dapetrun

ndisgreat:
That price is a little hard to swallow. Was there a trade-in? Are you sure it an AWD not FWD? That is truly a terrific price! See my post #146. What part of country?

kated2

We just bought a 2000 T&C LXi fwd for 29,200 with towing package, preferred package (29Y) (includes stuff like CD, rear AC and heat, tractions control, roor rack, etc.), heated front seats and 3.8L V6. The MSRP was 33,300, so we think we got a good deal. We also got the $1500 cash rebate figured in. We had looked at the Sienna, but found it much too small for a family with two (and soon three) teens. We also looked at the Odyssey, but they were very smug with a "take it at $1700 over invoice or leave it" attitude, so we left it. (Criminy - they didn't even throw in the mats!). They have called us back twice, and the last time I told them we bought a different van and how their attitude affected our decision. When dealers leave a bad taste in the customer's mouth it stays through future purchasing decisions as well. Although my husband loves his Acura Integra, it will be a long time before I look at another Honda.
We hope we will be pleased with our purchase. We have owned two Voyagers, an 86 and a 93 and we had problems with both. We kept the 93 for about two years too long and had the transmission go about a year and a half ago. Luckily we had the 7/70K warranty and had reached neither limit. This time we bought the 6yr/75K warranty. We have purchased warranties on both vans and they always more than paid back the purchase price. (Of course, I think when you pay this much for a car, you shouldn't HAVE to PAY for the manufacturer's mistakes (Too bad Maytag doesn't make cars!).
I plan to check into Edmunds from time to time and see how others are faring with their van purchases.
I would like to thank all the people who wrote here before me. I learned a lot from your input, especially you purchasers of post-1996 Chrysler vans who reported fewer problems with transmissions, etc. Let's hope we all have good luck. Happy driving.
kated2

markindenver1

I'm about to buy a T&C Lxi (waffling on wheter to upgrade to the Limited). Chrysler's 0% financing offer that begins on 2/18 and lasts a couple weeks is kind of hard to pass up....But I was wondering if the tow prep package with the heavy duty suspension makes rides more bumpy (which I hate--I'm kind of quirky when it comes to vibration and shakes). I do like the extras like the trans and engine coolers, heavy duty radiator and brakes that also come with that package. And from the discussion so far, the talk I've been reading about torque converter and trannie problems is not exactly boosting my confidence. Does anybody know what percentage of vans seem to experience this fate?

btill

To markindenver1 if you don't mind me asking what type of deal are you getting on a new T&C? I have a 96 T&C with 108,000 miles and I am potentially thinking about replacing it or maybe waiting to see the 2001. Good Luck

mchaudron

My wife and I have been van shopping for over two months. Drove most of the ones on the market except Toyota and Honda. (Could not find one to drive)Did not drive the Mazda, need something longer.

Kept coming back to the T&C. Found out the shale green one we drove on an overnight test drive was still available two months later. (It pays to make good notes when shopping)

Salesdroid we first dealt with was no longer there. (Big surprise, LOL) New sales guy was nice, but tried to get 400 more $ than deal two months ago. We had negotiated our price on the van, then sprung our trade on them so no surprises. Haggled and yelled at them when they played good cop,bad cop on us. Told them to make it up on the other poor saps who did not have the advantage of using Edmonds. Ended up getting it for $100 over invoice, MSRP of $28415, paid $26000, including the stupid dealer advertising fee. With the 0.9% financing we came out pretty good.

Found the T&C to be a great van. Large enough for our two growing sons, 12 and 8, but nice enough to take my wife on a date in. It was by far the quietest van we tested, great sound system, (Get the Infinity 10 speaker set up) with great features. (Lift up Quad seats for easy entry into the back, bag holders on the back of the third row) The Pontiac Montana was a close second, but over all the T&C offered too much value with a great price and almost free money to pass up.

Without sites like this one I would have paid a lot more. Thanks for all the imput on here to help us make a more informed decision.

lilyl

Just bought T&C Limited last weekend. The .9% financing eliminated all other competition. Also waffled about Limited vs. LXi-the price difference seemed more than the benefits returned. However, am glad we did-the best feature is the automatic dual driver positioning for seats and mirrors. Great feauture when you have 2 drivers of different sizes. Loved the info here-really helped make the decision process easier

george79

I am getting ready to purchase a T&C Limited very soon. I agree that the 0.9% financing is great! Lilyl, or anyone else, can you share what you ended up paying for your T&C Limited?

wonderinghow1

Ndisgreat: We are all wondering how you did it. Please let us know where you did it, because I guarantee you that I will be there tomorrow. thx.

wonderinghow1

I am shopping for a 2000 T&C LTD AWD in the Bay
Area. Invoice is 33,143, tri-color paint is 170,
tow prep group is 149, loyalty mail/gas is 26, CA
bonus discount is -1250, CA advertising charges are 210 & 305, and destination charges are 590 for a total of $33,318. Agent is looking for $500 profit over above costs. Is this reasonable (are you listening ndisgreat?)?

markindenver1

I'm waffling on the LXI vs Limited, and I posted an earlier comment about the tow prep package. Seems worth it with the heavy duty suspension, heavy duty radiator, transmission and oil coolers. But I was wondering if anyone has experienced a stiffer, bumpier ride compared with the normal suspension. The remarks about the serpentine belts scared me. But service managers I've spoken with said that they protect them better now against rain, slush, etc. With 0% financing now in effect (down from .09%), it makes sense to seriously consider Chrysler. I was offered a price of $29,805 from John Elway Chryler Dodge in west Denver for the LXI Y package, including tow prep. From there, you can elect the $1500 rebate off that price, or go for the 0% financing. What do you folks think about that deal? (I'd like the Limited, but at $2000 more, I'm not sure I can really justify that price based mostly on cosmetic enhancements.) Any ideas?????????