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Chrysler Town and Country EX/LX/LXi/Limited

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Comments

  • inthewoodsinthewoods Member Posts: 6
    My 2001 T&C LXI AWD with 33k is experiencing the following; 1.Steering shudder/shimmy when in park and turning wheel. 2.General whining from front at speeds below 15mph. 3.Thunk/Clunk from front right suspension when driving less than 25mph on lumpy pavement.(This issue reoccurres about every 3k and dealer has replaced bushings, sway bar links, tie rods, and I think one other component. This usually will fix the noise for about 3k, before we hear it again). 4.Windshield wipers out of alignment(driver side does not sweep fully to the left - fixed once, now it's back) Just wondering if anyone has solved any of these, or am I alone with these issues? PS - Other than the things the kids do to the interior, this vehicle does not have a hard life.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Try looking in Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler minivan problems too - maybe play with the Search This Discussion tool.

    Steve, Host
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    I just bought an extra wireless headphone on EBay for $39.95 including shipping. It's exactly like original equipment down to the part numbers, and works just as well as the ones that came with the van. New in box. search Dodge/Chrysler Wireless Headphones-FREE SHIP. I am NOT the seller.
  • nolid5nolid5 Member Posts: 148
    Tom, that sounds like a great deal! Could you post when you receive them. I may take advantage of that offer. So far I've been able to deal with having just 2. We haven't been on any long trips lately.
    Rich
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    Ordered on monday 1/5, delivered thursday 1/8. They work fine, Hope this will stop some arguments when other Kids are riding in the van. We use them for short trips too, normally loud kids are so quiet you don't know they are there. They continue the DVD on the way home. It also allows the wife and I to listen to something else without the constant complaining from kids. Has anyone had false messages from the tire pressure measuring system?
  • marcie7marcie7 Member Posts: 1
    Many times the key will not turn in the lock on the steering wheelof my 98 Town and County LXI. What is to be done? Sometimes yanking wheel does not work. With a bad back jecking the wheel is not much of an option.
    I have broken three clothes hangers. Cheap plactic. Dealer says no part for hanger. Only $85 replacement of assembley with light, handle and hook. What is anyone else/\'s experience.
  • sensei1sensei1 Member Posts: 196
    I have a '99 TC Lxi AWD and have had the same prob but only on the driver side. While under warranty, have taken it to dlr several times. They did leak and smoke checks but couldn't find the source. Even injected foam to driver side pillar. Prob is you can't duplicate it when it's not raining. At least it's documented at the dealer. We've analyzed what's difft. between the dealer and how I park in my driveway. Only difference is my inclined driveway.

    So I've tried backing the van in every time it seemed like it was going to rain. Haven't had the problem since. It's just too much of a hassle to go to the dealer every time.

    Hope this helps, good luck. Don't want to get rid of the van just yet. This is my 2nd and probably my last Chryler mini-van. My 1st was a '89 GC LE and let it go @ 135k mi.
  • hansiennahansienna Member Posts: 2,312
    A friend had a 1965 Buick sedan that had rain leaking onto the front passenger floor carpet when the car was only a few months old.
        When the weather was dry, he poured water on the windshield, traced the leak, and discovered the water was leaking onto the top of the heater under the hood. He got some windshield sealer, put it around the windshield and around the heater where it was attached to the vehicle and never did have another leak. Probably cost him less than $5.
  • rthorntonrthornton Member Posts: 9
    I have a 2003 T&C Limited. The car is a little over a year old. It has a powered tailgate/rear door which can be opened/closed by a button on the remote entry fob. Several times in past month the tailgate has opened spontainously while driving (fortunately it was on city streets and not the freeway).

    Has anyone else experienced this problem? If so what can be done about it?

    Thanks,
    Roger Thornton
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    Our 2003 will not open when the van is in drive. Try putting the van in drive in your driveway and pushing the tailgate open button, if it opens there is a problem to be resolved by the dealer
  • mkindelspergermkindelsperger Member Posts: 4
    We also have power door problems like others who have posted here. We have a 2003 LXi that I am scared to drive, especially with my children. The drivers side sliding door opened while I was driving, with my toddler in the middle seat. This has only happened the one time, but we have a constant battle with the sliders not working properly. You click the button to close the doors and they will close, then open, open close, and on and on. It has been back to the dealer MANY times for this and other problems. The van also has a problem with spontaneous locking. It locked my newborn in the car during the winter. I had to have the police get her out. Most recently the gauges stopped working, along with the steering wheel controls, including the horn. You had no idea what gear you were in, how fast you were going etc. They fix it, but then it does it again or something else.

    We are at the end of our rope with this thing, Chrysler told us we should look into the fabulous incentives on their new models. Like I want more of the same! For goodness sakes the van is practically new and should function as such. Any suggestions as to what we can do?
  • maw1982maw1982 Member Posts: 62
    I just wanted to know how easy it is to install an RB1 system into a DC van. I just bought a used unit off of ebay for my 2002 GC ES along with a used OEM 4 disc CD changer. Installing the new head unit and CD changer are very straight forward. However, the antenna installation is what confuses me. Anyone have experience/suggetions?

    BTW, has anyone seen about buying and programming an '04 van key (all-in one key and 6-button trnasmitter) for an earlier model?
  • hansiennahansienna Member Posts: 2,312
    Check out the Lemon Laws for your state. Send Chrysler a letter that you will sue them if they don't get the problem fixed.
  • tomtomtomtomtomtom Member Posts: 491
    sometimes the weather strip on the sliding door bent outward and gives the senor a false alarm of a finger being caught in between and the door will open by itself.
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    Does your van have the automatic door locking feature when van reaches 15 MPH? If it does and it is activated the doors cannot be opened until the unlock button is pushed or the rear passenger lifts the locking button.
  • rthorntonrthornton Member Posts: 9
    Maybe I wasn't clear. It's the rear lift gate (the 5th door as it were) that is opening spontaneously.
    It has opened while setting in the garage over night and it has opened on two occasions while driving.

    Roger
  • pnh21pnh21 Member Posts: 10
    This is a safety concern if the 5th door or lift gate opens when driving. The unlocking mechanism should be deactivated when the tranny is in drive position. You should have the dealer put it down on the job order or complaint paper that "owner said the lift gate door sometimes unlocks when driving and or the gear shift is in drive position". Safety issue is subject to recall and should be corrected by the dealer free or reimbursed when it officially becomes a recall. Similar thing has happened on the clockspring recall. Owners were given refunds on what they have spent to fix the clockspring before the recall.
  • bobrobinbobrobin Member Posts: 7
    To read about the rear door opening really
    concerns me. I have had occasions with my 2003 Limited where one of the sliding side doors mysteriously opened by itself. Twice in my garage and once in my driveway. Luckily not while driving. I suspected that I (or my cat) may have somehow pressed the buttons on the remote. But now after reading some of these post, I am not so sure. I have not experienced (and hope I don't) the rear door opening in this way. Would like to hear from others that may have experienced this "phenomenon" and their thoughts. Also, it has been stated that the doors have to be unlocked before the sliding doors or rear liftgate will open with the remote. This is not the case with mine. I can park the car, lock the doors with the remote and then press one of the buttons on the remote and the sliding doors or rear lift gate will open (without unlocking the doors first). I would prefer that you had to unlock the doors first. I believe this in itself might make it more difficult for the doors or lift gate to mysteriously open. I worry that the doors will open by themselves while in a shopping center or motel parking lot. In fact, from what I have read in the post and my own experience, I now wish that I did not even have this feature. I would just as soon open the doors manually and not have something else to be concerned about.
  • mkindelspergermkindelsperger Member Posts: 4
    It sounds as if more than a few of us have trouble with the automatic doors. I called the DOT Auto Safety Hotline 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236) to register a complaint. I would encourage everyone else with this problem to do the same.
    I believe there is a very serious safety issue here that Chyrsler is ignoring. My van has been in the shop many times and never seems to be fixed. I am uncomfortable driving with my two babies in the van when I am alone. We bought a new car to have reliable transportation, boy were we wrong! I would be much better off in my old 89 Volvo wagon.

    Here is what they say about registering a compaint (from their website http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/):
    Your complaint information will be entered into NHTSA's vehicle owner's complaint database and used with other complaints to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.

    If a safety-related defect exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment, the manufacturer must fix it at no cost to the owner. Your complaint is the first step in the process.

    Government engineers analyze the problem. If warranted, the manufacturer is asked to conduct a recall. If the manufacturer does not initiate a recall, the government can order the manufacturer to initiate a recall.

    We do not have to receive a specific number of complaints before we look into a problem. We gather all available information on a problem. Your complaint is important to us.
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    "Does your van have the automatic door locking feature when van reaches 15 MPH? If it does and it is activated the doors cannot be opened until the unlock button is pushed or the rear passenger lifts the locking button. " (I should have added while driving). Doors and hatch will open when locked and stopped by pushing the remote fob.
    The manual lists 4 possible causes, 1. failure of sliding door control or body control module 2. failure of latch assembly 3. failure of open/close command switch. 4.failure of striker. As far as the rear hatch is concerned or the power sliders the dealer should use a scan tool to detirmine if any trouble codes are stored for either of these systems. If they can't fix it go to another dealer.
  • mkindelspergermkindelsperger Member Posts: 4
    Yes my van has the autmatic door lock that activates at 18 mph. But this is not the problem. The drivers side sliding door opened while driving. I was going slow so it opened before the doors locked. Plus, the doors will open, close, open, close etc. For example, I click the button for the door to close, but it immediately pops open again and so on and so on. The tailgate sometimes never closes. It just makes a clunking noise. I also have other issues, like driving along in the summer with the air conditioning on, then I notice that it is unbelievably hot. I look down at the ac/heating controls and the heater is on and set very high. Other times the revese happens. I also have controls that go out on the dashboard and steering wheel. The gas gauge, speedometer, horn etc won't work and all my warning lights go on. They replaced the cluster, but it still wouldn't work. Then they replaced it again and it seems to work for now.
    I am scared to drive with my children in this van. It is an unsafe vehicle. We have had problems with it since the first month. They "fix" it, but then something else or the same thing goes wrong again. We have been more than patient, always giving them the benefit of the doubt, but enough is enough! Chrysler should do something about these problems, we are not the only ones with these issues.
  • cesarpcesarp Member Posts: 47
    Can the doors be opened remotely while the key is in the ignition and the motor running?
  • chicagoskychicagosky Member Posts: 36
    My mom and her husband also have a similar problem with the key locking in the steering column when turning the ignition. The van won't start when this happens. They have a 2000 Limited. Any thoughts/similar problems? I think one of their mechanics told them that this is a common Chrysler vehicle problem.
  • mkindelspergermkindelsperger Member Posts: 4
    The doors can be opened remotely while the engine is running as long as it is in park and the doors are unlocked. At least that is how it is supposed to work, ours has a major defect and have a mind of their own.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,145
    A magazine reporter is looking to interview automotive technophiles who have DVD players, MP3 players, satellite radio and/or surround systems in their cars and cannot wait for the next big thing to come so they can add it to their rolling entertainment centers.
    Please respond no later than Wednesday, February 4 to jfallon@edmunds.com with your daytime contact info, make/model of vehicle and a sense of the entertainment technology you have and aspire to own.
    Thanks!
    Jeannine Fallon
    PR Director
    Edmunds.com

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
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  • altenburgpjaltenburgpj Member Posts: 1
    I don't yet own a Chrysler Town and Country, but I can say this. Most mysterious problems with electronic devices in automobiles is caused by a poor ground connection between the controlling module, and the chassis. Modules control everything, and modules are often mounted to plastic parts, so their only ground is through one wire in their harness that goes to a bolt or screw on the chassis some place. Dealers never check these grounds from end to end, they test the module, replace the module and bill somebody. The problem is never fixed. It would not surprise me if many of the problems I am reading in these messages are related to poor grounds.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    What do you current owners of T&Cs think of the front end of the 2005 van? Except for headlights that are shaped slightly differently, it is exactly the same as the front end of my 2003 Voyager LX. Any thoughts?
  • tomtomtomtomtomtom Member Posts: 491
    I have a 2001 T&C and I like the shape just fine. However, if you like to let people know you are driving a 2005 instead of a 2001 then I guess you are not too happy about DC not doing a restyling on the new one. I think they were more focused on the interior than anything else.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    No, that's not what I said. Usually the first thing people talk about when a vehicle gets restyled is the way it looks from the outside--since that is the first thing they (or anyone else) sees. I did not find any posts here about the styling. Plus, my point was that I have a 2003 Voyager LX--the SWB van. The new T&C looks just like my van. I'm happy about that as it will help my van look newer longer as the new vans now look like my van. That's all I meant. Who wouldn't rather have the newer look over an older one (in most cases, of course). If you like the look of the 2001 (the first year of the body style now ending) then great--I agree with you, I think it's a better looking van also.
  • mrblonde49mrblonde49 Member Posts: 626
    We just bought an '04 T&C Platinum. While I do like the front of the '05 in that it's a little different, with the emblem at the top of the grill, I think I prefer it - slightly - in the middle. It stands out more there, and it's a nice logo
  • tomtomtomtomtomtom Member Posts: 491
    no, no, I totally agree with you on the styling thing for supposely to be a new model. I guess DC wants to see consumer's reaction with just the new interior. If the sales number stays low they might redo the exterior to boast the sales for 2006.

    Yes, it is still much better looking than most minivans after 4 years.
  • info4uinfo4u Member Posts: 9
    2001 T&C LXi about 1year 11 months with 42,000 miles. Made uneventful trip of 1000 miles. Parked car totally shut down. Next morning the battery was dead. Not even a click. Jump started. Disconnected and it died. Jumped again. This time it continued to run with dashboard gauges dancing like crazy. Dealer service dip suggested driving about 10 miles to see if it would charge. No dice. Took it for a check and it showed totally dead. Never in 15 vehicles have I had a battery die in less than five years and that was in areas with very cold winters. This happened after living near Phoenix, AZ for about 8 months. Was told that batteries rarely last longer than 2 years in this heat. Never heard of such a thing. Cold is what finishes off a battery in my experience but never in only 2 years.
    Need input on this subject.
  • jtheronjtheron Member Posts: 24
    if you have never lived in the heat of places like phoenix then your experience will be biased toward battery failure from the cold. I have lived in the cold north and the hot south west and i was always told that the heat is harder on batteries than the cold, keep in mind cold for most is usually 1 - 10 + with rare sub zero weather while hot in phoenix is 110 - 115 + and alot more under the hood
    I have had batteries fail at less miles than that, thing just blew up, sounded like a gunshot, Neat thing about batteries is they are relatively cheep and easy to fix, even a do it yourself fix
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    Original equipment batteries dying at a relatively young age is nothing new to me, either. I've had a couple die within 2 years and I know others that this has happened to as well. I would not give it another thought.
  • nolid5nolid5 Member Posts: 148
    I live in the northeast and I thought they same thing regarding batteries and the fact that they are prone to die in the cold. However I met a battery distributor a couple years back who told me he does better business during really hot summers. So that doesn't surprise me at all. I think up here dead batteries get more press when you're stranded in the frigid cold not in the summer when it is nice and hot out and you're stranded at the beach. Now stranded in AZ is another story, I think I'd want two batteries on board.
  • tomtomtomtomtomtom Member Posts: 491
    Get a diehard from Sears and don't worry about it. I think DC might be using some cheap reconditioned battery to cut cost.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    No manufacturer uses reconditioned batteries in their new cars. It is illegal to sell used merchandise as new, and besides a large company like DC would not want to mess with any used components like this in their new car plants. You can argue all you want about the OEM batteries not being all that great, but they definitely would not put a reconditioned battery in at the plant.
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    heat can be as draining if not more so than cold. Extreme heat promotes loss of water in even "sealed" batteries.
  • tomtomtomtomtomtom Member Posts: 491
    PLEASE CROSS OUT THE WORD "RECONDITIONED" IN MY POST. MY INFORMATION IS INCORRECT. DC MIGHT USE CHEAP BATTERIES BUT THEY ARE NOT RECONDITIONED.
  • pigfanaticpigfanatic Member Posts: 14
    Hi - Our 2001 T&C EX warranty ends at the end of the month..3yrs now at 32,000 miles. Since I know it will be ending soon I am super sensitive to any new noises and such. :)
    I did notice some grinding like noise when I was making sharp or tight turns (not the sound it makes when you go all the way to the stops, sometimes this happened right when you started to turn!)Took it in a couple of weeks ago and they said that they had a service bulliten that the line feeding into the power steering pump was to short and to replace it with a longer line. They did this and the noise stopped. Today I noticed a high pitched squeal/noise coming from the right side of my van when I was excelerating. Let off the gas and the noise continued, then stopped. Husband thought he heard the same noise last week. Going to take it in on my day off next week...
      I was wondering if anyone knows of other service bullitens that I need to have the fix before the warranty runs out? Anything that I should have them look at?
    Thanks for any and all help.
    Pigfanatic
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    The Edmunds Maintenance Guide lists recalls and summary TSB info - maybe one of those will trigger something for you to check.

    Note that just because a TSB has been issued, it may not apply to your van and the dealer isn't required to perform TSB work (that depends somewhat on whether you've complained about something). For hints on how to approach the dealer about TSBs, see You, Your Vehicle and the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB).

    Steve, Host
  • pigfanaticpigfanatic Member Posts: 14
    After looking over the list you provided I was able to tell my husband "See! I'm not insane! The dash board lights to flicker and the gauges do jump!" :-)

    We looked over the list of TSB the other day we got in the van last night and turned on the heat (rather cold here right now) and the boys started complaining that there was no heat coming from the vents in the middle row... sure enough they were right! This was also listed on the TSB.

    The only thing that I didn't find on the list was a very high pitched sound that has started in the past couple of weeks when you excelerate. It sounds like a tea kettle whistle. It only makes the noise for a second, then goes away. I know about the problem with howling from the luggage racks, but we have never moved them in the 3 years we have had this van, and the noise just started... Very Weird.

    Again, thanks for your help!!
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Your squealing sound could be coming from your serpentine belt. Maybe it is glazed or the spring tensioner is going bad. When accelerating, the belt can slip if the above conditions are present, usually more noticeable when engine is cold. This is just an educated guess, however.
  • info4uinfo4u Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for all the input. Now I know that heat shortens battery life is a fact. But I must add that this is the first DC product I've ever owned and the first in 15 new vehicles that had the original battery fail in less than 5 years.
  • info4uinfo4u Member Posts: 9
    Would you be kind enough to publish the TSB number for your 2001 T&C with the shuttering power steering pump?
  • pigfanaticpigfanatic Member Posts: 14
    badgerfan - thanks for the help. Noticed it again last night on the way home from work.. now that you mention it, it does happen when the engine is cold.

    info4u - there is one from steering shudder - #1900602 & one for power steering moan/groan sound #1900102A. The moan/groan sound is just what I told the service people even before I saw the list.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,145
    A reporter is looking for vehicle owners with a rear entertainment system who have used it for more than just entertaining the kids on a long trip. Has an adult used it frequently on long trips by sitting in the back? Have you taken a break at work by catching part of a movie in your back seat? If your hotel didn't have a DVD player on a family vacation, have you hauled the family out to the car to catch a movie? Please respond via e-mail by April 6 to jeff@selingo.com.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
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  • sunfox1sunfox1 Member Posts: 3
    I own a 2002 T&C Limited with the auto temp control and, just today, the blower has stopped regulating speed - it always runs full strength, whether the climate control is on or not (but does shut off with the engine, of course). Temperature control seems to work, the rear system works fine, and damper control also works fine.

    Anyone else have experience with this? So far this is the absolute *first* problem, minor or major, that I've had with the vehicle.
  • strokeoluckstrokeoluck Member Posts: 99
    Has anyone else had a problem where they hear a "rattling" noise coming from the top of the steering wheel column during moderately hard acceleration? We have a 2004 T&C with 8k miles. It literally sounds like a rattlesnake's rattle...

    Thanks,
    Rob
  • ViperggVipergg Member Posts: 24
    Could it be this TSB ? There is really very few TSB's for the 2004 T & C . Just bought a brand new 2004 myself , so far so good . We will see this week as it is going on a 2400 mile trip .

    Make : CHRYSLER Model : TOWN AND COUNTRY Year : 2004 Service Bulletin Num : 0200403 Date of Bulletin: OCT 03, 2003 NHTSA Item Number: 10003978 Component: SUSPENSION:FRONT Summary:
    MUFFLED RATTLE SOUND FROM FRONT SUSPENSION. 2004 VOYAGER INCLUDED. *TT
This discussion has been closed.