Any experience with 2012 Chrysler Town & Country?

arasheed2010arasheed2010 Member Posts: 4
edited January 2012 in Chrysler
Test drove the 2012 Town and Country and it seems really nice. With incentive/rebates, the dealer is offering the Touring for $21000!

Seems like a great deal. A bit nervous based on some brakes & transmission shudder troubles I've read (see post in Edmunds) on the 2011 version.

Would really like to hear from those who have purchased one on their experiences - specially with regards to maintenance issues. Anything in particular I should be on the watch for? Thanks!

Comments

  • arasheed2010arasheed2010 Member Posts: 4
    Forgot to mention... based on the other posts, here's what I've gathered as common issues on the 2011 version (please correct me if you find out otherwise):

    1- Transmission shudder at idle (1200-1400 RPM) and stopped:
    Responses/fixes:
    a- this is normal behavior for the PentaStar engine. Suck it up. (really? wow)
    b- could need a "reflash" of the transmission
    c- converter needs to be shimmed?

    2- Transmission clunking/banging when shifting into 2nd gear:
    Responses/fixes: reprogram the computer ... but problem not fixed

    3- Transmission clunking at ~4 mph:
    Chrysler response: this is normal and there is no repair

    4- Car jerking when in ECON

    4- Excessive brake wear + brake dust:
    Response/fixes: keep changing the rotors/pads.... apparently someone complained enough and got upgraded rotors/pads that solved the issue

    5- Check engine light with chugging sound:
    Chrysler response: replace the "cam sensor phasers"
  • shugaray89shugaray89 Member Posts: 2
    The deal that you were offered was with what dealership because I'm in contact with a dealer in SC and he's only offering the Touring for $27,000 your dealer info and incentive/rebate info would be helpful.

    Thanks
  • drivejapcardrivejapcar Member Posts: 4
    $21K for the 2012 T&C Touring is a steal. I'm looking to get one and would jump on the deal for any they have, even with the color I hate. Care to share the info? Thanks.
  • arasheed2010arasheed2010 Member Posts: 4
    Sorry for the delay... wierd internet issues. The deal was offered in January in the Albany (NY) area at a local dealer. It included a huge number rebates ($3100 from the dealer, $1000 rebate from Chrysler, $3000 for balloon financing, $500 for being a realtor, $500 for military service, $1000 for some kind of Chrylser direct marketing, $750 for previously owning a minivan, $1000 for previously having a leased car). Pretty much everyone qualified for the $3100+$3000+$1000 ($7100 off MSRP).

    If you qualified for everything (unlikely) - you could get the T&C for $19k! Overall a pretty amazing deal. Salesperson said it was unlikely to be that low again (no surprise).
  • shugaray89shugaray89 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks arasheed I don't know if I will get the $7100 off but it's worth a try.

    Thanks again
  • drivejapcardrivejapcar Member Posts: 4
    $7100 off for ~$30K is a lot of discount that is great you that you be able to get. Any catch with this?

    I came to a local dealer to test drive the Touring and was offered $24K. I considered it a good price, but the fishy part is I have to do the balloon finance through Ally to get that price. Otherwise, $3000 more ($27K), even with cash.

    They said I can do finance to get discount and payoff the next day. This is too good to be true if there no catch.

    Anyone did this balloon finance and paid off? Is there a mark up, extra fee for them to get you back on the $3K discount they gave. They told me no early pay off fee. But I'm still keptical. Unless I see the whole contract and and fine prints, I smell something not right with the deal.

    Anyone care to share experience with the discount/balloon finance?
  • arasheed2010arasheed2010 Member Posts: 4
    I am very curious too about the balloon finance. I've heard different answers from different dealers. One said I could pay it off the next month (I didn't ask about next day). The other said I would have to wait 11 months and could pay it off in the 12th month (still a great deal.. one year of interest is still pretty low). Another said, if I pay it off too early - I could jeopardize the rebate. Definitely read the fine print.

    Would love to hear from anyone who has experience with the balloon rebate and paying off the loan early.
  • dave415dave415 Member Posts: 2
    hi

    first post in the forum!

    i just bought today a T&C touring L with Sunroof, nav,... MSRP $36k i was able to get 3000 cash back with Ally which was not a balloon financing, just regular loan with a very low rates!
    Final price 28k + tax
  • drivejapcardrivejapcar Member Posts: 4
    Thanks Dave for the info. I asked and concerned above about the finance. But just cleared it up and bought the Touring few days ago and want to share some info with other members here.

    Like Dave, we got $3K off the price for financing with Ally. It was just regular finance, not balloon as thought/mentioned before. The $3K off was written as rebate on the sale. And the finance terms & conditions clearly stated no early penalty for early payoff. No other fee or fine print lines that I can catch that concerns me. Interest rate was one of the lowest I ever seen too, as for up to 84months for 2.9%. I was very skeptical about this whole finance/discount deal.

    Dealer also mentioned about other discounts as mentioned here like military, current dodge/jeep/chrysler owner discounts etc... I dont qualify for any of those (I shoulda say yes to all of those :-), not sure what proof required.)

    We bought the Touring for $23,995. I tried to bargain down a little more, but couldn't get them go down a dime. They even refused give all-weather floor mats ( I always got this in any previous purchase/negotiation deals). Other than $25 for a temp. plate registration on top of the price we pay nothing else. $23,995 + $25. That's it. No BS documentation fee. And no sale tax in NH.

    The only thing we have to sacrify was we didn't get to pick the exact ext. and int. color we wanted. They wanted extra $900 for that and would take few weeks to locate and deliver. They had the Touring-L in color we wanted but its $4K more. Not only it's over our budget but I also think its not worthed that much more $$$ for the extra features.

    Hope these info will help someone looking into getting T&C. If you have question or want to know other info, post it here. I'll try to answer. And I'm hoping to have some time to post few first impressions after 1 week of driving and compare to our previous Toyota Sienna.
  • dave415dave415 Member Posts: 2
    yes same deal, 2.9%, 72 m or 84m your choice, i was able to qualify for owner loyalty, and have a control number for affiliate program which saved $2000. no BS, deal closed in 5 mins. I'm in RI... had to pay sale tax!
  • docjjdocjj Member Posts: 4
    We purchased a Touring L for $7,000 off of the $34,000 sticker. When I got it home, I had to parallel park on a hill. In reverse, the car "shuddered" as was mentioned earlier. I thought I was crazy, but it did the same thing today. I contacted the dealer and Chrysler. I will let you know what Chrysler does does for me. Any advice? :confuse:
  • reddog1473reddog1473 Member Posts: 5
    Looking at the the 2012 T&C Touring-L with the below options. I have a Chrysler Affiliate number so i know I will get a discount. How did your deal breakdown? Any tricks to get a good deal? Did yours van have these options? What do you think of the van? Good / Bad? appreciate the help!

    760N package
    Power Sunroof
    Dual Screen DVD Entertainment Package
    Driver Convenience group
  • rtracingrtracing Member Posts: 1
    Response to arasheed2010's question (post #2)

    4- Car jerking when in ECON

    Have the same "problem". Dealer says it's "normal" DUH! Even an non mechanic knows that a transmission clunking, jerking will eventually break. Dealer also says that if this happens in non-econ mode then it's a problem that they will/can fix. If it gets damage, it can be fixed since it's under warranty, so what happens when it breaks after the warranty? What an idiot. But most people in forums say a re-flash will help or fix the problem. Next move is tyr another dealer and see what they say. See link below for more details.

    http://forum.chryslerminivan.net/showthread.php/23742-2011-Chrysler-Town-amp-Cou- ntry-Limited-Transmission-Problems#post229530

    Anybody else having the same issue and was there any resolution?
  • docjjdocjj Member Posts: 4
    This is not acceptable, y'all. This is what I get after buying my first American car? Are you kidding? The car requires laying on the gas to move in reverse -and even more if backing uphill . This is very dangerous because it requires moving very fast while parallel parking or while leaving a parking spot. I go to the dealer tomorrow. I will report.
  • docjjdocjj Member Posts: 4
    edited May 2012
    I went to the dealer today. They said that "the trans fluid flowing from the impeller to the stator can be momentarily interrupted. This interruption causes the perceived shudder. Once vehicle moves above 2-3 MPH, the shudder gradually disappears...."

    They go on to say "unfortunately there is no repair for this issue."

    What this has meant for us, in a hilly city, is that we are accelerating in reverse (i.e. into stuff: people, cars, etc.) to get past the "dead zone" or what they call the "interruption." This is very unsafe. It is absolutely wrong that they called it "common" and said other cars will do it too, as if I have never driven before.

    Chrysler's response via e-mail is that "The information you are seeking is either unavailable or considered proprietary."

    I am seeking a reversal of our purchase. This is a class action issue.
  • docjjdocjj Member Posts: 4
    After posting message #16, I have softened to a 'wait and see' attitude. I am going to wait for the problem to happen again and also see what else pops up.

    The positives of the car are just what the automotive press say. First of all, the leather interior is awesome and blows all competitors away. It is very Italian: very sharp with no frilly (e.g. ruffles in the leather) stuff. Second, the cornering is nuts. I actually have fun driving it. Third, it has the soft, insulated ride of a truck. It is a great driving experience being inside this thing. Fourth, I love the boxy exterior styling, which was really well-accented by the minor changes this model year.

    When I think about pursuing a return of the van, I wonder what I would get instead. There is certainly no minivan that offers that same combination. They all have a car-like ride that I really did not want.

    We did not even compare it to minivans: we were looking at the Honda Pilot, Mazda CX9, and Toyota Highlander and it still comes out ahead for us. More car for less money.

    That and, for the first time, I picked up a load at Home Depot without calling a friend.

    Of course, if the transmission turns out to be a dud, that trumps everything. What we experienced on the night we bought it was straight up dangerous.
  • jhedspethjhedspeth Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a new 2012 T&C in April also. I only had about 2570 and the transmission went out (front pump and torque converter) Chrysler refused to replace the van or a new transmission. They replace the parts. I also had water leak around windshield they had to repair. Not a happy Chrysler customer any more.
  • irwin68irwin68 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2011 and love it other than the brake problem I am currently experiencing. I got rid of the 2008 due to brake and rotor wear issues and am very irritated that at 36k I have to have the rotors turned! I was assured that the issue with the 2008 was resolved when I traded it in on the 2011.
  • tsu670tsu670 Member Posts: 293
    I experienced the same "shudder" on our 2010 T&C Limited 4.0L when backing up our uphill driveway. Dealer flashed the transmission with latest software upgrade. Shudder went away and has worked fine since the update. That was almost three years ago.
  • tsu670tsu670 Member Posts: 293
    I just recently changed out the front disc pads on wife's 2010 T&C Limited 4.0L at 35k miles. There was still a little life left on them, but decided to change them now before winter sets in. This is our 4th Chrysler minivan ('90, '94, '96), and I was used to changing out the disc pads every 25k miles. These are 4,500 lb vehicles. So much depends on driving habits. Wife likes to wait until the last second to brake when coming to a stop light (I let my foot off the gas and coast), so to get 35k miles out of these brake pads is wonderful!
Sign In or Register to comment.