Mine only seems to do it when idling or engaged in gear with the foot on the brake. The sound seems to be coming from the engine compartment. Sounds like a belt of pulley squeak. Anybody else notice this?
MY GRANDMOTHER IS LOOKING AT BOTH OF THESE VANS SHE HAS HAD DOUBLE HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY AND NEEDS A VAN SHE CAN GET EASILY IN AND OUT OF, WHAT ABOUT THE POWER AND PICKUP OF THE 3.8 V-6. HAVE THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS BEEN CORRECTED WHAT ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VANS ARE THEY ONLY COSMETIC, ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THE TWO VANS WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
With or third child, my wife and I decided to purchase a mini van which I never thought the word "minivan" would leave my lips. We sold our SUV and it was the best decision we made. We love it. We bought a 1997 LXI.
Any recommendations on conditioning the leather seats? The leather is very, very dry.
Also my wife is wondering if there is somewhere on-line where we can buy gold emblems rather than going through the dealership(it really is my wife who is wondering!!!)?
We just took a 3,500 mile trip in our T&C. This is the third mini we have owned and by far the best. This van is fantastic! It is quiet, comfortable, and relatively economical. The power is adequate for all situations. Part of the trip was thru the mountains in Colorado. No problem. 20-25 mpg was the average for 65-75 mph speeds. PKennison
We have a 1998 2000 LX FWD. We have had vibration problems from the start. The vibration is usually in a specific 5 mile per hour range. When we first got the van it was between 65 and 70 mph. Each time we take it to the dealer they mess with the tires (balance and possibly rotate them) and the vibration becomes less and switches to a different speed range, only to increase in intensity as time goes on. Right now it is vibrating at about 35 to 40 mph.
We thought it was just us or perhaps our van, but a friend was recently riding with my wife and when she experienced the shake she said "hey your van does what mine does as well and Kitty's does the same thing."
At this point my wife got really frustrated (we are up to 40,000 miles with a trip to the dealer every 10K miles) and called Chrysler directly. Chrysler gave her the number for Michelin and said it was a known Michelin problem. (The tires are Michelin MX4 215/65 R16 98T M&S). She called Michelin and they said, it is a known Chrysler problem and if you call Chrysler back they will admit it and buy you a new pair of tires. She called Chrysler back and they said Michelin was wrong that in fact Michelin would cover the labor and give us an adjustment on the remaining tread wear on a new set of Michelins. Back to Michelin who claims its Chryslers fault and that it is happening with the Goodyear tires as well.
Arrrggghhh! I don't care who's problem it is we are a Chrysler and a Michelin customer, so somebody please fix it before you both lose a customer!!
At this point my wife was totally frustrated and said "honey can you find out the real story on the net so we can get this fixed"? So here I am a bit frustrated and wondering if it is Michelin or Chrysler and if I should get rid of both the tires and the van.
The vibration is such that if you have a water bottle in the cup holder the water shakes back and forth real noticeably. The steering wheel also vibrates noticeably.
Has anyone else had/heard of this problem? Once we got angry Chrysler and Michelin both seemed to be very aware of the problem and quick to blame the other.
We were thinking of replacing the Michelins as the car also seems to hydroplane excessively and does not handle very well in the rain. But I need to get the problem solved before we introduce a new variable.
You may want to have an independent tire outlet, who specializes in Michelin, have a look into this problem. Typically they're aware of certain tire model problems and may have a solution for it. When we had our 88 Dodge GC, the original Goodyear had problems with capping and the solution was rotating the tires more often. Hope this helps.
I bought a T&C LX a month ago and love it. MSRP was $28005. I got it at invoice minus $2000 rebate $23396, minus my trade $2375 (93 Ford Tuarus with a blown head gasket), grand total $21021 plus tax and license. So, what do you think, good deal or not. JC
I'm new to this forum and want the minivan world to know that my 1998 Chrysler Town & Country is the clearly the best vehicle I've ever owned. It literally does everything and does it well. Comfort, flexibilty, luxury, economy, reliability..I don't believe there is another van on the market that so effectively combines all of these attributes and features. I traded an 87 Caravan with 159,000 miles that was virtually trouble free. My T&C has 45,000 miles in two years with the only costs being oil changes and (recently), new tires. While I'm sure there are those out there who may have not been as fortunate, I do believe this is an extremely well thought out and engineered vehicle. I anticipate that the new models, which appear to be evolutionary, will be even better. Bob
I live in New England where winters are unpridicable and sometimes very long. Does anyone on this chat line drive a 2000 T&C with AWD? Please let me know if you think its worth having and would it slow down an LX model (3.3 litre) too much? I am almost through with my lease on my Jeep and am looking for more room, but I'll miss the security of 4WD. Please inform.
We purchased a 2000 T&C Limited AWD earlier this year and are quite pleased with it. Haven't had a chance to drive it in the snow yet. The 3.8L is the only engine available for the AWD and there is no performance degradation. There is a small difference in gas mileage, our T&C around town has been averaging 18-20 MPG. Also, the AWD has disc on four wheels which I like. However, this vehicle has low ground clearance (typical for a mini-van) which for us is not a problem. We went for the Limited Edition because it has very comfortable seats (front seats are heated too!) which my wife absolutely loved it. Good luck on your purchase.
Seems like most people like there van, and that is very wonderfull. I would like to add something, to the remarks. Every man made object will need repair and there will be defects, so I guess what I am saying is, there is no such thing as reliability. The other thing is, you dye hard chevy and ford people, will never know what it's like to own a Chrysler mini van, and just remember, we invented them, and will always have the best, and until these other manufactures, get a clue that they need to design their vehicles specific to their purpose, Chevy, all the sister companie there of, Ford, all their sister companies, and every other American car manufacture, they will never even catch up to Chrysler Corp.. That means that Ford needs to take the mustang off the Escort frame work, and Chevy needs to take their Astro van off the weak S-10 frame, and start doing something. Unfortunately most consumers don't know what their buying, so they buy what looks good on the outside. All you Dodge, Plymoth, and Chrysler owners keep your head up, and stick with it. The new Chrysler Town & Country, is nothing you've seen before. Of coarse the Limited is unbelievable, so go and check one there on the lots now!!! Just remember you other than Chrysler owners, you can't reinvent the wheel, and Chrysler invented it!!!!!!!!! Neal A. Page
No, AWD will not doing anything to the 3.3L. In fact because there is now wheel slippage, it will actually feel like it has even more power. The other thing is, go for the LXi. You can negotiate the price easy. I bought my T & C brand new, LXi, loaded with AWD for 16,500, I don't take no for an answer. Yes go for the AWD!!!!!!!!!! I don't think you can the AWD with an LX. Only with with LXi. Neal A. Page Check out my column on "Let's wake up."
I also live in NE and recently purchased a GC LE AWD w/3.8L and look forward to driving it up to ski country this winter. I think cesarp is right, you can only get the 3.8 with AWD. It has plenty of power, drives great and we are very happy with it. My overall gas mileage averages around 19.8 mpg.
A Instrument Panel Cluster Circuit Board appears to be the source of all the problems I have experienced with my 1997 Town and Country Van.
The car has been in shops over 50 days and some astute technician finally traced the fault. The symptoms were starting and then stalling out and then having to set anywhere from two hours to three days before it would start and run normally for awhile. The dash suddenly going out and giving no indication of speed, gas reserves, rpm or anything else. The Service Engine light coming on when the car had just been serviced, The Overhead Console going out and then later coming back on. The function of the car automatically locking all the doors after a few minutes of travel working sometimes and not others.
The driver's seat has a nasty little habit of suddenly and without warning running the driver into the steering wheel..the Seat Module has been unplugger for over a year now. This is not related to the Circuit Board problem.
The mechanic who finally found the problem was surprisingly very helpful when I talked to him. In addition to telling me that the defective board could be the cause of all the problems he gave me other interesting facts.
He said that there was an abnormal failure rate, especially in 97 and 98. He said in some periods he replaced a couple a week or more. He said it had with the BUS sending 8 volts to the computer instead of 4 volts (I believe he said 4, at least it was a stronger surge than it should have been). He said Chrysler was aware of the problem and that there had been several revisions to the board. He said he had been a Chrysler mechanic for over ten years and he certainly talked as if he knew what he was talking about.
He suggested I call the Chrysler Help Hotline and since they were not too experienced someone may let information slip as to just how extensive the problem is.
I reported all the symptoms when I took the car in for repairs 4 1/2 months after I bought it new. These are all recorded on the Work Order. They had just told me that the only thing recorded was there was a Body Electrical problem. My lawyer sent a subpoena for everything they had and lo and behold there recorded on the Work Order were all the symptoms as I had given them at the time I took it in.
The Dealership Shop just said there was nothing wrong with it and therefore nothing to fix. That was the story I got every time I took it in. That it was functioning normally as designed. The problem was that it only did these things intermittently and like going to the Dentist it was fine while it was there. As soon as the Warranty mileage was reached Chrysler refused to do anything, They said it was out of Warranty. My expenses to date are a couple of thousand dollars plus rental cars and legal expenses. Chrysler is completely stone walling and washing their hands of the whole thing.
We are set to go to trial in January of 2001. I am suing Chrysler for Breach of Contract, under the Va Lemon Law and under the Magnuson Moss Act.
Can anyone give me any tips as to how I might get any information that may be of help in the case? The fellow at the Help Hotline was unfortunately for me pretty good at his job. He told me the 97 T&Cs had absolutely no trouble with the Circuit Board or the Seat Modules and it was a perfect car in every way except there was a General Recall for the Master Cylinder - something no one had informed me of before.
anyone else out there with a 99 T&C having transmission problems. I was stranded yesterday 200 miles from home, when the transmission suddenly and quite literally came to a grinding halt. Lucky for me, I was not on the interstate at the time, just moments before, it might have cost my life! The dealer said it looked like metal confetti in there. Had to order new transmission (only one more left in US!!!). there was no forewarning of this problem, and I love this van, but now, I wonder if I shouldn't have stuck with Toyota!!! Anyone else hear of this problem, dealer says it's a first for 99, but has had problems in past models!! thanks
My car--98 TC LXi with 42k. Agree with many here who say that reliability is a concern. Many outstanding features that would make this an absolutely great vehicle--Style, ergonomics, features, handling (for a van), etc. The "but" of course concerns the numerous mechanical gremlins I've had--no failures but noises indicative of something not being right. Good news is that my dealer has been acceptably fair and responsive--fantastic mind you. Specifics: belt tensioner noise (ringing), warped exhaust manifold (almost like noisy tappet sound), CV joint (metallic pop noise), leaking rear brake cylinders, low speed tire wobble (good results by going directly to Michelin customer service), sliding and rear door adjustments (hard closing), slight pull to left (now gone with new cv) but van is sensitive to radial tire belts so correct alignment, properly constructed tires, and pressure are important. Transmission shifts are noticeable at times but have been overall okay to date with severe duty schedule oil changes (every 15K or annually) using Chrysler filters and recommended oil. I agree with many who say that Chrysler needs to re-engineer and strengthen their 4 speed automatics--rough shifts should be a thing of the past. The "logic" works well however with downshifts at the right time--albeit a little slow. Bucket seats don't fit me but with lumbar cushion, they're fine. The Toyota and Honda seats fit me better. Door weatherstripping fit improperly and was also replaced under warranty. Yes, edges are rough and there are too many reliability items for any vehicle but as most have stated herein, the TC is the only luxury van now available and it's subjective qualities--style, features, etc. after three years of ownership--helps outweigh (for me) the problems to date--mainly because the repairs were performed under warranty and my dealer has been fair. By the way, I do have mechanical repair insurance for later? and am retired with time to deal with these problems without having to threaten. Oh, a few more items: Front pads were gone at 30k (San Francisco hills) and were replaced with Raybestos Superstop pads along with turning of rotors--I think their ceramic Quietstop might be better, again, if maximum durability is desired. The Superstops (fleet type pad) squeal from time to time and the anti-lock doesn't work as well as before. Mileage varies from 11 mpg in 90% stop and go (S.F., CA) and about 22 at constant 75 mph--25 mpg best ever with big tail wind. Power with 3.8 liter engine is adequate but with full load at 10,000 feet elevation, a few additional horses would be good. Engine noise under acceleration is a minor annoyance but interior noise level (average for vans at 70 decibels per magazines) needs to be lower to easily carry on conversations above 70 mph. The 2001's apparently are much improved in this regard. Note: Dealerships are notoriously bad about torqueing mag wheel lug nuts, too hard or too loose. Buy a torque wrench and torque each nut properly. Last comment: Would think that a better van would have Chrysler Styling and features, Lexus quality, and certain aspects of Honda/Acura + BMW attention to detail and engineering.
Could be a noisy serpentine belt tensioner. If so, like mine which was replaced under warranty at 20k, I would get d/c to fix it (under warranty). Sounds like a ringing noise and could lead to loss of A/C and power steering if it freezes up. d/c mechanic said it was a common problem.
Seems to me that by reading these posts, there isn't anyone that is happy with the quality of the Chrysler Minivans. The question I have is why do this to yourself? I have always had a Honda, Toyota, Nissan, or Subaru and I must say I have NEVER had a problem with any of them. I usually drive my cars really hard, and still nothing. I purchased my cars new, and usually drive them for at least 120,000 miles. I have normal wear and tear (oil, sparkplugs, brakes, tires, etc.) Never would I tolerate a car that is not trouble free for at least 100,000 miles, let alone a transmission quitting before 300k. The question I have is why do you accept this poor quality? If you wouldn't buy these poorly built vehicles, then Chrysler (GM and Ford) would have to build something to sell, maybe a car with quality a little bit closer to that of the Japanese. Check out a Honda or Toyota for your next car, and admire the quality and craftsmanship.
I have owned 5 Toyotas, 2 Hondas, 3 Fords, and currently have 2 Dodge Caravans.
They all have their strengths and weaknesses.
I purchase my cars new and keep for them for at least 10 years/200,000 miles and in top condition.
I am an engineer and an accomplished shadetree mechanic.
I have never had an automobile that was "trouble free" for 100,000 miles. Not even my best friends $40,000 BMW has been trouble free for the first 18 months!
There are just too many massproduced, moving parts for that to hold true in the majority of cases. We'll just have to credit your good luck for your reported trouble free ownership experiences or perhaps you have a lot of deferred repairs that don't result in drivability problems.
In any case, most of the auto "makers" are really just parts "assemblers" nowadays - buying parts from many of the same suppliers. The parts on a Ford, Toyota, and Nissan can be produced in the same third party manufacturing facility (I know, I've been there and watched them doing it).
All one has to do is read the problems posted on the Honda and Toyota boards to see the fallacy in your argument.
All automobiles have their strengths and weaknesses, just like the people who make them.
I have LTD AWD T&C, 1999, and even though over all I have been happy with it for the last four months I have found myself more often than what I'd like to. First all brake pads had to be replaced, then the cruise control wasn't working properly, then the A/C was not cooling enough, a chrome wheel had a crack that allowed air to escape. The service I received was excellent, however it is annoying to have so many problems with a car that has only 33K miles on. Last week I took it to the shop again because the service engine soon message was displayed on. They told me that the transmission needed to be replaced!!!! The car is only two years old!! Has anyone had that many problems with their T&C? Is it time to get a Toyota Sienna which apparently has the reliability of Toyota behind it? Please advise.
I TEST DROVE A 2001 TOWN & COUNTRY AWD LIMITED. I WAS THROUGHLY IMPRESSED, QUITE, SMOOTH AND TERRIFIC POWER WITH THE 3.8 AND SMOOTH QUITE INTERIOR, MOTOR NOISE MINIMAL. MICHELIN TIRES AND 16" WHEELS VERY PERFORMANCE. I'M CONSIDERING PURCHASING, I WOULD BE MOVING FROM 8 YRS OF EXPLORER/MOUNTAINEER SUV TO MY FIRST MINIVAN. THE AWD SOLD ME PREVIOUS AND PRESTIGE WOULD PUSH ME TOWARDS THE T & C LIMITED. COULD ANYONE TELL ME IF CHRYSLER FIXED THE SERPENTINE BELT PROBLEM? AND HOW MUCH OFF MSRP CAN THE DEALER GO? ALSO HOW NEW IS THE 3.8 MOTOR, ANY COMPLAINTS?
kkerby, the serpentine belt problem requires replacing the belt tensioner. Easy fix. I priced a 2001 T&C Limited AWD just today in GA for about $350. under invoice. Yes, under. The dealer also called me back and said Chyrsler just sent out a price increase effective 11/2. About $700. Hate that. There might be a rebate coming soon, I'm thinking. Also, you may want to consider waiting for the 3.5 OHC engine available in the Spring. Same basic motor as the 300M.
Whenever my son was a year-old, we purchased a 96 T&C lx. Sold on the idea of the van having much more room, riding and driving like a car, we loved it! Only a few months of driving, did we experience the same problems with the Computer circuit board. Locks would go up and down, the panel would completely shutdown, not knowing how fast you were going, windshield wipers would come on while driving down the road. After taking it in, the service dept. could not find anything wrong and suggested that we bring it back while it was doing it. We drove around for 2 hours and it never started acting up. The next day, it happened again, finally they realized that the body computer had gone bad. 6 months later we had to have our second body computer put in. I love the safety features of the doors automatically locking at 16 mph and other child safety features, but as the years went on we had continuous problems, so we decided to trade it in. We looked at other vans and SUVs but loved the space and features of the T&C, in hopes that we just had a sucker of a van in the 96, we decided to go with a 99 T&C AWD Limited. After 18 months of driving this van, we had the experienece of learning that our van does not require the brake pedal to being applied in order for the van to be put into gear. My 2 year old daughter was sitting in my lap one day while waiting for her father to return to the car and assuming since the 96 model required applicattion of the brake to shift into gear, I was not concerned about her pulling our NEW '99 into gear...SURPRISE! We shifted right into gear! I drove immediately to the dealership and the mechanic said that it should not be doing that, so set up a time for us to service it. It sat for 2 days at the dealership, and whenever we returned to pick it up they informed us that the '99 model doe not have the feature of applying the brake, only that the key must be in the ignition and turned on. Why did the '96 model have the feature and now the '99 limited does not? All of the child safety features on this van and any child can shift it into gear while running! This is only one of the many concerns that we have experienced with this van..after 3 months of driving the 99 a "once in a million" (by the dealership and service dept.) idle control module was causing the van not to crank on the first try. Again, it took several trips to the service dept. for them to find this..after being hooked up to a computer for 24 hours to try and find it, they determined that something in the computer again and failed. Slowly, more and more problems are occuring with this van and we have come to the conclusion that we did not have a "lemon" the first time, but that this expensive van has many problems and are often not fixed, until many trips to the service dept. We now have two children 5 and 3 and I love having the space and being able to travel within the car on trips and not having to pull over, BUT I am sick of dealing with Chrysler dealers and wondering from day to day what is going to happen next in the van. We are currently researching the idea of going to a wagon and forgetting the MINIVAN life FOR GOOD!It is a little comforting to know that these problems are not only happening to us and if anyone has any suggestions on a wagon, please respond soon for we are in the market for one ASAP!
You won't find any current station wagons that are as feature-rich and flexible as your minivan, but there are other choices in vans on the market, whose manufacturers don't cut corners with safety features and crashworthiness in order to pile on more features, which, as you've seen, DaimlerChrysler does.
I am in the market for a new van and was out looking today hoping to get a good deal on a year end closeout. I have read through much of the comments posted ref T&C as Ody and must agree both sides have their points. I currently own a 95 4Runner w/99K miles and my wife would like to get out of it before it hits 100K. We are still paying on this vehicle so whatever we purchase our goal is to not be in the red (that is not much). Today we were offered a deal on a 2000 T&C LX(AWD) fully loaded with leather seat etc. The MSRP is $30,405 and they offered to take $3857 off the MSRP and an additional $3000 rebate (Sale price 23,548). In addition they were willing to give me $10K for my 4Runner which is more than others have offered(I owe 12K). My first thoughts were this vehicle is about to be 1 year old and the 2001 model has a few nice upgrades in the LXi version. However, I don't think I can get the same deal on a 2001 despite Chrysler's money problems. I looked at the Ody, but I'm not sure I can wait until Feb 2001 for a van, and if I could, I'm not sure the deal would be as sweet. Looking for some honest feedback. Thanks in advance.
Just wanted to know if anyone else has had this problem. It happened the first time when the van was 1yo with 23,000 miles. The dealer fixed this under the warranty. The second time was 1 year 3 weeks later and at 45,000 miles and was not covered under the extended warranty. Just want to know if we should anticipate this every 12 months or 23,000 miles. This seems to be a design flaw. Our only recourse was to call Chrysler to see what they would do. They finally agreed to pay the labor charge which was the biggest portion of the bill. I still however don't feel that I should be paying for this $70 part that is failing every year.
Armrests on the front doors that are not soft and padded, poor stereo quaility, power sliding doors that work erratically, transmissions that clunk, trim pieces that fly off, and the list in Odyssey Problems Forums is longer than for any other make. I would like to see some solid evidence that Chrysler cuts corners on safety. USAA gives me an insurance discount on my 99 GC SE because of the smaller amount of injury claims resulting in accidents of Grand Caravans. When CR was listing the injury claim rate, the DC vans had a lower injury claim rate than the much touted Ford Windstar with its 5 Star ratings. Crash tests prove one thing: How a vehicle will do under a controlled test into a stationary object. Injury claim rate shows how vehicles protect in real world accidents. If you plan to deliberately crash test your van, be sure to get 5 stars. Concerning reliability: My 99 GC SE has had zero problems. I have never seen a Honda Odyssey with zero problems. Read all about the MANY problems of the Honda Odyssey (and Toyota Sienna) in the Edmunds Town Hall and be happy you have a Town & Country that has so few problems by comparison.
This response it probably to late, but $23k for a new 2k AWD sounds like a great deal. We have a '99 DC LE AWD 3.8L and absolutely love it and hope to hold onto to it for a long time.
After 15k miles it has not had any problems whatsoever and it is great in the snow. Drove out to the Berkshires a few weeks ago during a snow storm and had no problem getting up very steep slippery country roads. Don't expect great gas mileage though, we average 19 mpg.
I recently purchased a new t&c. This is our 5th van. The others were Dodge caravans driven by my wife. This will be used by me in my business.(appx. 30,000 mi/yr). i love the car except for one problem. Between 2000 and 2250 rpm ther is an irritating humming vibration that occurs in all the gears. the biggest problem is that between 65-70 mph teh engine rpm is in this range and the noise is awful. The dealer says this is normal (typical for when they don't have a clue). we had nothing like this with our other vans. Any thoughts out there on this? Or thoughts for a course of action? Thanks
You would be interested in looking at the posts on Vans:MY2001+ Chrysler T&C/Voyager/Dodge Caravan.
There are a reasonably large number of recent owners with a similar problem. The worst (in terms of volume and resonance) are AWD owners however some of the FWD versions exhibit the characteristic to a lesser degree.
Chrysler is allegedly working on it - no solution known yet and no committment to fix it - yet. As you will find among the other posts, the recommendation is to report this ASAP to the Customer support center 1-800-992-1997. The more insistent owners complaining, the better.
My 2001 T&C limited makes an irritating humming noise at 60MPH. It seems to come from the front right side. I thought it was from a tire; I didn't consider the transmission as a possible source of the noise.
Another noise source is the roof rack, at speeds above 40 MPH the humming is very loud. The only solution the dealer had to offer was to remove the transverse bars. I have been advised that Chrysler has re designed the bars and they will be replaced when available.
Is this noise a common problem at 2100 rpm. Any comments on the AWD. Do people out there like it? Does it put power to the wheels with traction well and spontaneously? Does anyone have any info on this 3.5L engine. Any on the lots currently and will there be before the 1.9-3.9% financing deal ends (end of March). Does anyone know if the dealer gets the 3% holdback on top of giving the customer the low % financing? THANKS A BUNCH.
Ok - is there something wrong with me? Why would a child be sitting at the steering wheel of a running car? Seems like that is not a good idea.... I just cannot believe being able to shift gears without applying brake is a big deal. I cannot even tell you if my caravan does this or not. My children would never be allowed at the steering wheel while the car is running, as I am sure most parents would not allow this either. Just not smart.
We are probably going to move up to the T&C within the nezt month. Trying to decide between LXi and Limited...... Hoping I can get a really good deal on either one. Seems like chysler is making some really good deals lately. My brother got a Sebring Ltd Convert for dealer invoice and the Dogde Durango - top line - for $300 under less than a month ago.
Just got my 2001 LXi. Paid below invoice plus $1500 rebate. Not bad. This is my third after two Dodge Caravans (87 & 95). For what I wanted in extras, the LXi was the best choice, or a Caravan ES for the same price. My wife talked me into the heated leather seats. Good choice. So far at 1000 miles, no problems and love it.
No you are absolutely right. What person in right mind would let a child near the front seat of a running automobile. If that's a design weakness, then I can think of 10 others much worse.
I'm going to buy a fully-loaded Chrysler T&W Limited, 3.8 liter V6 w/230 hp in April if they are available. Some people tell me that since I live in the South, I don't need AWD. Does FWD vs. AWD make any difference in steering control or in bad weather? I drive (onroad)in the mountains in the summer, but otherwise only in the city and on the highways. This is our first van and my wife will be driving it a lot. Is FWD or AWD best for women?
All wheel drive should not have any effect on steering, only traction. The Limited comes with traction control, which is all you need in light snow or wet roads.
If you want the safest dynamics in a vehicle, AWD is the way to go, dry or wet. You could probably get by with just traction control in "only" rain. With FWD only, the front tires provide all the steering and acceleration forces.
AWD is great under all sane conditions, except for its added weight and complexity. If you disagree, then I suppose you think Porsche is marketing its 911 turbo as a new type of SUV.
(Owner of Audi A4 Quattro and soon to be GC AWD BTW - the spelling check really nuked my original posting)
Anybody out there who bought a NEW Chysle product via Carmax? I would like to know exactly what fees you paid in conjunction with your purchase (eg Destination, Advertising, Owner Loyalty, Extra Gas, etc) especially through thhe Atlanta outlets. Thanks.
Just purchased a 2001 T & C LXI. Love it. Honda can't hold a candle to it. What a ride and so quiet!
Noticed wind noise at highway speeds that seems to be coming from the roof area. Anyone else having that problem? If so, do you know if Chrysler have a fix for it?
Congrats on the A4 and your (soon to be) new van. Personally, I'd go for the AWD too (I drive a Grand Voyager LE AWD) FYI, you have 30 minutes to make any changes on fixes after you post a message. Let's just say that I have never used the spellchecker ;-)
I am thinking I will order an WAD Town and Country this week. My question is, with the WAD package, is there really much difference between the DX and LXi. I know I will have to upgrade the stereo. I don't think I care about two power sliding doors and I think they both come with 16 tires with Scorpion wheels. Any information and or thoughts would be wonderful.
Not ready to get rid of my van yet. Now, my airbag light is on and the horn and cruise control don't work. I've checked all the fuses as it appears to be a similar cause. Can't find any repair or maintenance manuals online and the dealer can't see me for at least a week. Any ideas? Thanks.
Comments
Any recommendations on conditioning the leather seats? The leather is very, very dry.
Also my wife is wondering if there is somewhere on-line where we can buy gold emblems rather than going through the dealership(it really is my wife who is wondering!!!)?
PKennison
We thought it was just us or perhaps our van, but a friend was recently riding with my wife and when she experienced the shake she said "hey your van does what mine does as well and Kitty's does the same thing."
At this point my wife got really frustrated (we are up to 40,000 miles with a trip to the dealer every 10K miles) and called Chrysler directly. Chrysler gave her the number for Michelin and said it was a known Michelin problem. (The tires are Michelin MX4 215/65 R16 98T M&S). She called Michelin and they said, it is a known Chrysler problem and if you call Chrysler back they will admit it and buy you a new pair of tires. She called Chrysler back and they said Michelin was wrong that in fact Michelin would cover the labor and give us an adjustment on the remaining tread wear on a new set of Michelins. Back to Michelin who claims its Chryslers fault and that it is happening with the Goodyear tires as well.
Arrrggghhh! I don't care who's problem it is we are a Chrysler and a Michelin customer, so somebody please fix it before you both lose a customer!!
At this point my wife was totally frustrated and said "honey can you find out the real story on the net so we can get this fixed"? So here I am a bit frustrated and wondering if it is Michelin or Chrysler and if I should get rid of both the tires and the van.
The vibration is such that if you have a water bottle in the cup holder the water shakes back and forth real noticeably. The steering wheel also vibrates noticeably.
Has anyone else had/heard of this problem? Once we got angry Chrysler and Michelin both seemed to be very aware of the problem and quick to blame the other.
We were thinking of replacing the Michelins as the car also seems to hydroplane excessively and does not handle very well in the rain. But I need to get the problem solved before we introduce a new variable.
As always any help is appreciated!
I traded an 87 Caravan with 159,000 miles that was virtually trouble free. My T&C has 45,000 miles in two years with the only costs being oil changes and (recently), new tires. While I'm sure there are those out there who may have not been as fortunate, I do believe this is an extremely well thought out and engineered vehicle. I anticipate that the new models, which appear to be evolutionary, will be even better.
Bob
The car has been in shops over 50 days and some astute technician finally traced the fault. The symptoms were starting and then stalling out and then having to set anywhere from two hours to three days before it would start and run normally for awhile. The dash suddenly going out and giving no indication of speed, gas reserves, rpm or anything else. The Service Engine light
coming on when the car had just been serviced, The Overhead Console going out and then later coming back on. The function of the car automatically locking all the doors after a few minutes of travel working sometimes and not others.
The driver's seat has a nasty little habit of suddenly and without warning running the driver into the steering wheel..the Seat Module has been unplugger for over a year now. This is not related to the Circuit Board problem.
The mechanic who finally found the problem was surprisingly very helpful when I talked to him. In addition to telling me that the defective board
could be the cause of all the problems he gave me other interesting facts.
He said that there was an abnormal failure rate, especially in 97 and 98. He said in some periods he replaced a couple a week or more. He said it had with the BUS sending 8 volts to the computer instead of 4 volts (I believe he said 4, at least it was a stronger surge than it should have been). He said Chrysler was aware of the problem and that there had been several revisions to the board. He said he had been a Chrysler mechanic for over ten years and he certainly talked as if he knew what he was talking about.
He suggested I call the Chrysler Help Hotline and since they were not too experienced someone may let information slip as to just how extensive the
problem is.
I reported all the symptoms when I took the car in for repairs 4 1/2 months after I bought it new. These are all recorded on the Work Order. They had just told me that the only thing recorded was there was a Body Electrical
problem. My lawyer sent a subpoena for everything they had and lo and behold there recorded on the Work Order were all the symptoms as I had given them at the time I took it in.
The Dealership Shop just said there was nothing wrong with it and therefore nothing to fix. That was the story I got every time I took it in. That it was functioning normally as designed. The problem was that it only did these things intermittently and like going to the Dentist it was fine while it was there. As soon as the Warranty mileage was reached Chrysler refused
to do anything, They said it was out of Warranty. My expenses to date are a couple of thousand dollars plus rental cars and legal expenses. Chrysler is completely stone walling and washing their hands of the whole thing.
We are set to go to trial in January of 2001. I am suing Chrysler for Breach of Contract, under the Va Lemon Law and under the Magnuson Moss Act.
Can anyone give me any tips as to how I might get any information that may be of help in the case?
The fellow at the Help Hotline was unfortunately for me pretty good at his job. He told me the 97 T&Cs had absolutely no trouble with the Circuit Board or the Seat Modules and it was a perfect car in every way except there was a General Recall for the Master Cylinder - something no one had informed me of before.
now that 2000 is almost over, several dealers are willing to sell at invoice less the $3000 rebate.
could I possibly get a better deal than invoice less rebate this time of year?
tx
Sounds like a ringing noise and could lead to loss of A/C and power steering if it freezes up. d/c mechanic said it was a common problem.
They all have their strengths and weaknesses.
I purchase my cars new and keep for them for at least 10 years/200,000 miles and in top condition.
I am an engineer and an accomplished shadetree mechanic.
I have never had an automobile that was "trouble free" for 100,000 miles. Not even my best friends $40,000 BMW has been trouble free for the first 18 months!
There are just too many massproduced, moving parts for that to hold true in the majority of cases. We'll just have to credit your good luck for your reported trouble free ownership experiences or perhaps you have a lot of deferred repairs that don't result in drivability problems.
In any case, most of the auto "makers" are really just parts "assemblers" nowadays - buying parts from many of the same suppliers. The parts on a Ford, Toyota, and Nissan can be produced in the same third party manufacturing facility (I know, I've been there and watched them doing it).
All one has to do is read the problems posted on the Honda and Toyota boards to see the fallacy in your argument.
All automobiles have their strengths and weaknesses, just like the people who make them.
best of luck
I WAS THROUGHLY IMPRESSED, QUITE, SMOOTH AND
TERRIFIC POWER WITH THE 3.8 AND SMOOTH QUITE INTERIOR, MOTOR NOISE MINIMAL. MICHELIN TIRES AND
16" WHEELS VERY PERFORMANCE. I'M CONSIDERING PURCHASING, I WOULD BE MOVING FROM 8 YRS OF EXPLORER/MOUNTAINEER SUV TO MY FIRST MINIVAN.
THE AWD SOLD ME PREVIOUS AND PRESTIGE WOULD PUSH ME TOWARDS THE T & C LIMITED. COULD ANYONE TELL
ME IF CHRYSLER FIXED THE SERPENTINE BELT PROBLEM?
AND HOW MUCH OFF MSRP CAN THE DEALER GO? ALSO HOW NEW IS THE 3.8 MOTOR, ANY COMPLAINTS?
I priced a 2001 T&C Limited AWD just today in GA for about $350. under invoice. Yes, under. The dealer also called me back and said Chyrsler just sent out a price increase effective 11/2. About $700. Hate that. There might be a rebate coming soon, I'm thinking.
Also, you may want to consider waiting for the 3.5 OHC engine available in the Spring. Same basic motor as the 300M.
Steve
Edmunds.com Town Hall co-host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories conferences
I would like to see some solid evidence that Chrysler cuts corners on safety. USAA gives me an insurance discount on my 99 GC SE because of the smaller amount of injury claims resulting in accidents of Grand Caravans. When CR was listing the injury claim rate, the DC vans had a lower injury claim rate than the much touted Ford Windstar with its 5 Star ratings.
Crash tests prove one thing: How a vehicle will do under a controlled test into a stationary object. Injury claim rate shows how vehicles protect in real world accidents. If you plan to deliberately crash test your van, be sure to get 5 stars.
Concerning reliability: My 99 GC SE has had zero problems. I have never seen a Honda Odyssey with zero problems. Read all about the MANY problems of the Honda Odyssey (and Toyota Sienna) in the Edmunds Town Hall and be happy you have a Town & Country that has so few problems by comparison.
After 15k miles it has not had any problems whatsoever and it is great in the snow. Drove out to the Berkshires a few weeks ago during a snow storm and had no problem getting up very steep slippery country roads. Don't expect great gas mileage though, we average 19 mpg.
Thanks
There are a reasonably large number of recent owners with a similar problem. The worst (in terms of volume and resonance) are AWD owners however some of the FWD versions exhibit the characteristic to a lesser degree.
Chrysler is allegedly working on it - no solution known yet and no committment to fix it - yet. As you will find among the other posts, the recommendation is to report this ASAP to the Customer support center 1-800-992-1997. The more insistent owners complaining, the better.
Another noise source is the roof rack, at speeds above 40 MPH the humming is very loud. The only solution the dealer had to offer was to remove the transverse bars. I have been advised that Chrysler has re designed the bars and they will be replaced when available.
Chrysler minivans with AWD (only)
We are probably going to move up to the T&C within the nezt month. Trying to decide between LXi and Limited...... Hoping I can get a really good deal on either one. Seems like chysler is making some really good deals lately. My brother got a Sebring Ltd Convert for dealer invoice and the Dogde Durango - top line - for $300 under less than a month ago.
Thanks,
Pete
I am currently looking at LTD AWD with heated seats and CD changer.
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
AWD is the way to go, dry or wet. You could
probably get by with just traction control
in "only" rain. With FWD only, the front tires
provide all the steering and acceleration forces.
AWD is great under all sane conditions, except
for its added weight and complexity. If you disagree,
then I suppose you think Porsche is
marketing its 911 turbo as a new type of SUV.
(Owner of Audi A4 Quattro and soon to be GC AWD
BTW - the spelling check really nuked my original
posting)
Noticed wind noise at highway speeds that seems to be coming from the roof area. Anyone else having that problem? If so, do you know if Chrysler have a fix for it?