Chrysler Town & Country Dodge owners beware

[Toystoryfan32]

I just purchased a 2010 Chrysler Town & Country in December. I love the van but last night for the second time my car just stopped. It stopped while driving down the highway! No lights, no power, nothing. I was able to pull it over to the side of the road but it scared me to death. We took it to the dealership this morning and after the dealership dropped my husband off at work he found this on the internet. We are driving to Florida in two weeks and now I'm scared to drive my van. UGH. Waiting to here from the dealership on what they are going to do.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/f...ivans-crossovers-to-fix-engine-stal/19866558/

 

[jvorhis]

That is why we got rid of our 2005, it died on me twice. They thought they fixed it, said the battery connection was dirty but after that I wanted it gone. We did end up getting a 2010 though since they gave us such a good deal on it. Now I'm worried again.

 

[Toystoryfan32]

Oh no. Well please be careful while driving. I have never owned a Chrysler before and now I am wondering if I made the wrong decision. I really like love it but this is a huge safety concern. The dealership didnt even know about the upcoming recall. Another report listed that the recall was going into effect in April. We leave in two weeks. Hope they can fix it before then.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Eh all cars seem to have recalls these days. We had our brand new Volvo die on the highway in the fast lane.

 

[Toystoryfan32]

Eh all cars seem to have recalls these days. We had our brand new Volvo die on the highway in the fast lane.

OMG thats scary. Hope everything was ok. I was on the highway as well, fortunately I wasnt going very fast and we were in an area that had good lighting. No lights and no power suddenly at night is not fun.

 

[csharpwv]

I hate - Despise - and LOATHE all Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep Products.

I have to rent vehicles for work all the time and the local rental car branches just have these inferior vehicles.

The variable transmissions are awful, the engines are unreliable, the interior fit and finish are absolutely horrendous! They feel like driving a giant chuck of plastic.

They may look really sporty from the outside - but that's as deep as any attraction should go.

We owned a 1991 Dodge Caravan for about 8 years growing up and it had constant repair problems. Problems from day one - and the dealership refused to fix the problems as they were 'out of warranty' on a BRAND NEW vehicle.

My dad always jokes that he bought two Dodge Caravans on the same day - the first one - and the last one.

If I were you I would have the vehicle repaired and contact a lemon lawyer. You WILL continue to have issues with the van. Your transmission WILL fail before you reach 100,000 miles. The chances are very high that your head gasket will disintegrate if you live in a cold climate, and you will go through breaks like most cars go through gas. The rotors are notorious for warping, and the belts will squeal very loudly every time the weather changes.

RUN - don't walk away from your Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep product!

There one main reason why the company almost went out of business last year is very simple to understand - the vehicles are absolutely the worst on the market. They are not made well, they do not last, and they do not hold their resale value at all.

So sorry to hear about your car - but if you aren't confident the safety of driving it - follow your instinct! It's not a safe vehicle!

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

OMG thats scary. Hope everything was ok. I was on the highway as well, fortunately I wasnt going very fast and we were in an area that had good lighting. No lights and no power suddenly at night is not fun.

I'm sure it wasn't fun for you at all but I can say our Chrysler/Dodge vans have always been reliable for the most part & most of them have had well over 100K mi before we got rid of them. Out of 10 vans none have ever left me stranded. That said that was before whoever owns them now. We are current Chysler/Doge owners and plan to remain that way indefinetly. It seems that all cars are destined to be crap these days.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

my saturn ion had that habit and it scared me to death. it never did it for the dealership, and they couldn't find anything wrong.

after about 10 times of that happening... i went and got an equinox.

 

[delmar411]

I hate - Despise - and LOATHE all Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep Products.

I have to rent vehicles for work all the time and the local rental car branches just have these inferior vehicles.

The variable transmissions are awful, the engines are unreliable, the interior fit and finish are absolutely horrendous! They feel like driving a giant chuck of plastic.

They may look really sporty from the outside - but that's as deep as any attraction should go.

We owned a 1991 Dodge Caravan for about 8 years growing up and it had constant repair problems. Problems from day one - and the dealership refused to fix the problems as they were 'out of warranty' on a BRAND NEW vehicle.

My dad always jokes that he bought two Dodge Caravans on the same day - the first one - and the last one.

If I were you I would have the vehicle repaired and contact a lemon lawyer. You WILL continue to have issues with the van. Your transmission WILL fail before you reach 100,000 miles. The chances are very high that your head gasket will disintegrate if you live in a cold climate, and you will go through breaks like most cars go through gas. The rotors are notorious for warping, and the belts will squeal very loudly every time the weather changes.

RUN - don't walk away from your Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep product!

There one main reason why the company almost went out of business last year is very simple to understand - the vehicles are absolutely the worst on the market. They are not made well, they do not last, and they do not hold their resale value at all.

So sorry to hear about your car - but if you aren't confident the safety of driving it - follow your instinct! It's not a safe vehicle!

Sorry but you are extremely incorrect. I treat our TWO vans (dodge/chrysler) like crap and they haven't ever given us any issues. One is a 1997 Dodge Caravan and it runs perfectly. The other is a 2003 Town & Country and it also runs perfectly. Both are over 100k and not a transmission issue to be found.

And our vans are perfectly safe too.

 

[Green Tea]

I had a Chrysler moni van. Sadly, NEVER again will I own a vehicle from that company. I loved the van, on the rare days it actually ran. Thank God for the extended warranty. Truly. Anything that could break, broke. And then it broke again. The seats were great, it looked better than other vans on the road at the time, it was comfortable. But it was a POS.

I understand your fear about a road trip. I lived that fear for a couple of years. Luckily the only thing that completely died in Florida was the airconditioning.....when we'd had it for less than a month.

 

[Toystoryfan32]

I had a Chrysler moni van. Sadly, NEVER again will I own a vehicle from that company. I loved the van, on the rare days it actually ran. Thank God for the extended warranty. Truly. Anything that could break, broke. And then it broke again. The seats were great, it looked better than other vans on the road at the time, it was comfortable. But it was a POS.

I understand your fear about a road trip. I lived that fear for a couple of years. Luckily the only thing that completely died in Florida was the airconditioning.....when we'd had it for less than a month.

Yikes. No air conditioning in the Florida heat! I have to say the heat and air in the van works great. I am always cold and the heater in that thing, even on low, usually makes it feel like a sauna.

 

[CC12005]

Okay, call me dense but I don't get why they are going to recall the cars next month when they know about the problem now?

 

[patsal]

My 1996 carvan did that to me once, and my 2004 did it as well. The 2004 was only 3 days old when it did that. The dealer kept it for 3 days but insisted that they couldn't find anything wrong with it. My guess is they fixed it but didn't tell me what they did since they kept it for so long. Plus I never had another issue with it.
The 1996 had only 70,000 on it when the tranny died. The 2004 has 87,000, I plan on driving it until the repairs outweigh the savings of driving it. Then, I too, am done with Chrysler products.

Only thing is I haven't driven anything other than a Caravan or Grand Caravan since 1992--with only one child left at home I need to get out of the minivan comfort zone and find mama a rockin new vehicle!

 

[csharpwv]

Sorry but you are extremely incorrect. I treat our TWO vans (dodge/chrysler) like crap and they haven't ever given us any issues. One is a 1997 Dodge Caravan and it runs perfectly. The other is a 2003 Town & Country and it also runs perfectly. Both are over 100k and not a transmission issue to be found.

And our vans are perfectly safe too.

I would count my blessings if I were you.

I have NEVER - and mean EVER driven a Dodge, Chrysler, or Jeep product that felt safe.

I have never met anyone that given the choice, would by their Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep vehicle again.

One of my best friends had a Jeep SUV with 45,000 miles on it - still under partial warranty - and the transmission went out.

The Caravan that my family owned had transmission failure at 75,000 miles and again to the family that owned it after us at 25,000 miles after the installation of a factory transmission.

A Cousin's RAM head gasket failed after less than a year.

All of the Caravan's in my Alma Mater's motor pool failed at under 70,000 miles - my office has a Ford Windstar with right under 100,000 miles on it and it drives like new.

The case may be perhaps where the owner lives. WV is full of hills, mountains, and rough terrain.

But the where you live may be totally different.

But I even have a co-worker that had to have is Jeep Compass rental vehicle TOWED with under 25,000 miles on it.

We reserved a Ford Taurus with our local rental car branch last Spring - and they didn't have it when we needed to leave and we had to take a Chrysler 300. The 300 is supposed to be the luxury line and frankly it didn't drive as well as my 5 year old Ford Focus. The steering was sloppy, the seats were very uncomfortable, the radio had a short in it, my seat belt buckle was broken, the trunk wouldn't close right - and the drivers side vents would not open fully or direct the air. The vehicle had 26,000 miles on it when we picked it up.

I had a Volkswagen Beetle as a rental car for three months this fall with 30,000 miles on it when I picked it up - everything worked as it should, the seats were comfortable, the steering was very tight, the transmission was very aggressive, and it performed very well. I REALLY like that vehicle. I had to drive 30 miles to another rental car branch to get away from the Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep branch - but it was WELL worth it!

I will never own a Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep vehicle - and only time will tell if the brand ultimately survives. It goes to show that the company has changed hands so many times and has tried to reinvent itself so many times that it's left with a line up of vehicles that doesn't make sense, and doesn't resonate with the vast majority of Americans. They sold under 1 million vehicles in 2009 - and hasn't sold over 2 million any of the last 4 years.

Their sales where up slightly last year - and that was having been infused with billions of tax payer dollars which still have yet to be paid back. $2 Billion of which will NEVER be recovered by American tax payers!

The buyout by Fiat will prove to be interesting - but not interesting enough to make me go for a test drive any time soon.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion - mine is above and in my previous post.

 

[csharpwv]

My 1996 carvan did that to me once, and my 2004 did it as well. The 2004 was only 3 days old when it did that. The dealer kept it for 3 days but insisted that they couldn't find anything wrong with it. My guess is they fixed it but didn't tell me what they did since they kept it for so long. Plus I never had another issue with it.
The 1996 had only 70,000 on it when the tranny died. The 2004 has 87,000, I plan on driving it until the repairs outweigh the savings of driving it. Then, I too, am done with Chrysler products.

Only thing is I haven't driven anything other than a Caravan or Grand Caravan since 1992--with only one child left at home I need to get out of the minivan comfort zone and find mama a rockin new vehicle!

I would HIGHLY suggest driving the new Ford Taurus. You will be blown away!
It is such an incredibly safe vehicle - very sophisticated technology incorporated into it - such as handsfree bluetooth. GREAT vehicle!

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I would count my blessings if I were you.

I have NEVER - and mean EVER driven a Dodge, Chrysler, or Jeep product that felt safe.

I have never met anyone that given the choice, would by their Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep vehicle again. One of my best friends had a Jeep SUV with 45,000 miles on it - still under partial warranty - and the transmission went out.

The Caravan that my family owned had transmission failure at 75,000 miles and again to the family that owned it after us at 25,000 miles after the installation of a factory transmission.

A Cousin's RAM head gasket failed after less than a year.

All of the Caravan's in my Alma Mater's motor pool failed at under 70,000 miles - my office has a Ford Windstar with right under 100,000 miles on it and it drives like new.

The case may be perhaps where the owner lives. WV is full of hills, mountains, and rough terrain.

But the where you live may be totally different.

But I even have a co-worker that had to have is Jeep Compass rental vehicle TOWED with under 25,000 miles on it.

We reserved a Ford Taurus with our local rental car branch last Spring - and they didn't have it when we needed to leave and we had to take a Chrysler 300. The 300 is supposed to be the luxury line and frankly it didn't drive as well as my 5 year old Ford Focus. The steering was sloppy, the seats were very uncomfortable, the radio had a short in it, my seat belt buckle was broken, the trunk wouldn't close right - and the drivers side vents would not open fully or direct the air. The vehicle had 26,000 miles on it when we picked it up.

I had a Volkswagen Beetle as a rental car for three months this fall with 30,000 miles on it when I picked it up - everything worked as it should, the seats were comfortable, the steering was very tight, the transmission was very aggressive, and it performed very well. I REALLY like that vehicle. I had to drive 30 miles to another rental car branch to get away from the Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep branch - but it was WELL worth it!

I will never own a Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep vehicle - and only time will tell if the brand ultimately survives. It goes to show that the company has changed hands so many times and has tried to reinvent itself so many times that it's left with a line up of vehicles that doesn't make sense, and doesn't resonate with the vast majority of Americans. They sold under 1 million vehicles in 2009 - and hasn't sold over 2 million any of the last 4 years.

Their sales where up slightly last year - and that was having been infused with billions of tax payer dollars which still have yet to be paid back. $2 Billion of which will NEVER be recovered by American tax payers!

The buyout by Fiat will prove to be interesting - but not interesting enough to make me go for a test drive any time soon.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion - mine is above and in my previous post.

Well I have never in the last 16 years felt unsafe in my Chrysler/ Dodge product. As a matter of fact I have been in 2 accidents both bad, other drivers fault & both times my vans drove away & the other car(one a Ford Taurus) had to be towed from the scene.
Not only would I buy another Chrysler/Dodge product we are in the process right now. We have owned over 10 between the 2 of us and love them.

 

[delmar411]

Well I have never in the last 16 years felt unsafe in my Chrysler/ Dodge product. As a matter of fact I have been in 2 accidents both bad, other drivers fault & both times my vans drove away & the other car(one a Ford Taurus) had to be towed from the scene.
Not only would I buy another Chrysler/Dodge product we are in the process right now. We have owned over 10 between the 2 of us and love them.

Same here.

We obviously like the products since we bought 2 of them! LOL I'd buy a new one in a heartbeat if I could.

I don't like Toyotas because all of the ones I've owned have been lemons. That doesn't mean I have a vendetta against the brand or think that everyone else has the same problems I have. That would be silly.

And no I didn't have the minivans when we lived in mountains of WV. We had a giant 4x4 truck and the Toyotas that were nothing but trouble! But my neighbors both did have caravans and had no issues. I guess it's all in the magic of the vehicle selection.

But just waving your hand and saying ALL of their products WILL do xyz isn't correct. It's just your opinion and should be stated in that manner.

 

[csharpwv]

Same here.

We obviously like the products since we bought 2 of them! LOL I'd buy a new one in a heartbeat if I could.

I don't like Toyotas because all of the ones I've owned have been lemons. That doesn't mean I have a vendetta against the brand or think that everyone else has the same problems I have. That would be silly.

And no I didn't have the minivans when we lived in mountains of WV. We had a giant 4x4 truck and the Toyotas that were nothing but trouble! But my neighbors both did have caravans and had no issues. I guess it's all in the magic of the vehicle selection.

But just waving your hand and saying ALL of their products WILL do xyz isn't correct. It's just your opinion and should be stated in that manner.

Hence my disclosure at the bottom of my post to the thread. It's my opinion - and it was stated as such - even to the point of including a disclosure!

 

[ChisJo]

Eh all cars seem to have recalls these days. We had our brand new Volvo die on the highway in the fast lane.

Yikes....scary!!!

Our Volvo (brand new C30) did the whole no lights/no dash lights thing so many times, the service guys at the dealership ended up knowing my voice over the phone. It ended up being a faulty connection between the automatic starter and the computer in the car. Apparently, our car cannot have one of those in the car as it conflicts the computer. It was incredibly frustrating, however, I'm happy that all it did was cause me some minor problems. When I brought it to the dealership to remove the automatic starter, there was another C30 there where the entire computer system got fried because of the connection. So many things can go wrong with cars nowadays...a huge investment, with so little return!

 

[delmar411]

I hate - Despise - and LOATHE all Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep Products.

I have to rent vehicles for work all the time and the local rental car branches just have these inferior vehicles.

The variable transmissions are awful, the engines are unreliable, the interior fit and finish are absolutely horrendous! They feel like driving a giant chuck of plastic.

They may look really sporty from the outside - but that's as deep as any attraction should go.

We owned a 1991 Dodge Caravan for about 8 years growing up and it had constant repair problems. Problems from day one - and the dealership refused to fix the problems as they were 'out of warranty' on a BRAND NEW vehicle.

My dad always jokes that he bought two Dodge Caravans on the same day - the first one - and the last one.

If I were you I would have the vehicle repaired and contact a lemon lawyer. You WILL continue to have issues with the van. Your transmission WILL fail before you reach 100,000 miles. The chances are very high that your head gasket will disintegrate if you live in a cold climate, and you will go through breaks like most cars go through gas. The rotors are notorious for warping, and the belts will squeal very loudly every time the weather changes.

RUN - don't walk away from your Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep product!

There one main reason why the company almost went out of business last year is very simple to understand - the vehicles are absolutely the worst on the market. They are not made well, they do not last, and they do not hold their resale value at all.

So sorry to hear about your car - but if you aren't confident the safety of driving it - follow your instinct! It's not a safe vehicle!

sorry but where is the disclaimer that this is your opinion?

I've bolded the parts where you really are missing the 'in my opinion' portion of the statement and are declaring as fact.

Not that I'm in love with a car(although I do love my T&C), if I was I'd treat mine a lot better. But for whatever reason, the way you are 'defending' what you claim to be an opinion, is just rubbing me the wrong way. I should probably let it go...and I will after this! LOL