Would you buy a Chrysler Town & Country?

[geishagirl81]

We bought an 08 T&C in January. LOVE IT! We looked at the Sedona, but had a bad experiance with the sales people. I will never bad mouth minvans again (I once said I'd never be caught dead driving one).

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

Another happy owner here....bought a 2005 at the end of 2004 before our last ds was born because we needed the room! We also love the stow n go! We've never had any problems with the van. We have treated it like a truck so many times..lol..buying large items and being able to bring them home because of how the seats fold up! We have hauled bedroom suites and even a tanning bed once!
It's also great for our active soccer kids and all their friends!

 

[Melrosgirl]

The Chrysler has been around a long time and is considered best in its class.

Who said that? Honda and Toyota beat out Chrysler in pretty much everything when it comes to the vans.

I drove 3 Chryslers and always had problems. As much as I liked the look of the T&C (2004 version), Chrysler's unreliability made me avoid it. Toyota and Honda have a much better minivan.

 

[Lisa_M]

I would say No I would not buy another. We have a 2006 Touring edition with stow and go seats that we purchased Certified Used in at the end of June 2008 with about 21k miles. In August we had to put new brakes on a van with 23k miles. Our remaining bumper to bumper didn't cover that. I need new tires (have needed since about 26k) on the back, but just can't afford it quite yet. They put the cheapest windshield wiper blades on, so they just recently broke, $50 for new ones.

The van was hit in February, so it was in the dealer body shop for a month to get repaired. 2 days ago, I got a call in that the floorboard piece they ordered finally came in. I went to have it installed and they ordered the wrong piece. Instead of the side, they ordered the front.

At 34k, I think my brakes are already bad again, they squeak and make a whoosh sound when turning. My dad is going to check them out when I go to visit in a month because the dealership wants $80 to diagnose any problem and they only have weekday hours.

The cooling circuit fan seized up and blew the fuse and relay. You can only get a new one of those from the dealer. So my dad cleared out the fan for me and replaced the fuse and relay and it's working, but he doesn't know for how long. I can't even get a quote on how much it will cost to replace from the dealership, because they will only quote if I can drop off the car for the whole day and pay $80 for them to look at it.

I also hate driving the van, just too big for me and I don't feel comfortable in it. I wish we didn't buy it, but it's ours now because after a big accident although fixed, there are a couple of scratches from me scraping the drive thru at the bank and a co-worker hitting my car so I don't think we can sell it for what we owe.

DH would tell you differently that he loves the van, but he doesn't have to drive it every day. He gets to drive the love of my car life. My little Vibe.

ETA: my post sounds really negative. Let me give you the good points. the stow and go seats are very handy and useful, especially for hauling Emme's bazillion birthday gifts home. Front seats are very comfortable, back ones, not so much for me and especially the bench. The ride is smooth, just noisy on the turns. Our radio/CD and AC work well.

 

[TnTWalter]

Yes, I am on my third one. I had an 02, 05 and now drive an 08.
Kim

We drive our vehicles until their death so that's my fear with buying one....that lots of people only have them for 2-3 years...

They look cool.

I'm still leaning towards buying used because they DEPRECIATE like crazy so usually incentives still don't cover the loss.

Still leaning towards Honda but find this discussion great. Thanks.

Tempting for sure....I love the swivel and go seats....neat idea. We'd barely ever stow and go as we have 3 kids and DH has a truck for hauling.

Trish

 

[TnTWalter]

OK i just bought a Kia sedona 2 weeks ago and there was no incentive on the 09 T&C. I got a 08 sedona fully loaded. I would recommend the T&C as it is the highest rated US made minivan. That is not saying much as it came in 5th of all mini vans. The highest of course being Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Kia.

I would only get the T&C if you get the sirrius TV package included as that was the the only mini van with that available and i have to sa it was awsome. If your going budget though i would get the KIA. i got an 08 fully loaded (leather dvd power everything) for 20,000 including TT&L. oh and a 5000 trade in. The 09 kias had no incentives which is why i got an 08. The problem with KIA (and chrysler for that matter) is resale value sucks. if you think your going to sell the van after 5 or less years i would get a toyota/honda. If your going to go the whole 10 a kia with a 10 year warranty is pretty sweet. I had a 02 kia sedona that had some problems in year 10 and it was taken care of no charge

That sounds like a great deal. I think the Kias are smaller is that true? We need the room.

Thanks.

Trish

 

[livie1205]

My first minivan was a 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager, we drove that thing from 2003-2006, we put so many miles on it. (DBF traded vehicles with his Dad so his Dad got the truck and we got the van) It had well over 150,000 miles on it when we traded it in in 2006, at that time we got a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan w/Stow n Go seats. LOVE that thing!!! I drive it EVERY day, we've driven to DL so many times, to Idaho a time or two and to Monterey. DBF's parents borrow it every time his sister and their family come to visit and I just rolled the odometer, it's got 100,900 miles on it give or take a mile or two. It runs GREAT!!! It's comfy, everything works, gets very good gas mileage and we plan to keep it forever. We don't plan on ever buying another minivan, this one is it. DBF has a Dodge Neon, it's an 02 and has electrical issues but it too runs like a champ with 130k miles on it. Would we buy another Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge, yes, in fact the cars we want to get next are 2 Dodge's and 1 Chevy. lol We like our American made cars.

Oh and we traded the old minivan in because we wanted the Stow N Go seats, we didn't need to but we chose to.

that is sooo funny...my first van was a plymoth voyager also and i loved it!I never had one problem out of it NOT ONE I sold it to a friend at 79k because my dh thought with a new baby 3 yrs ago we needed a new van so we got a 2005 dodge grand caravan with 400 miles on it at a great discount...I LOVE LOVE LOVE my van! I love the stow and go and it runs great with 45 k on it...you have to keep up with the oil changes and things like that or your car will not stay running...When I run this one into the ground I will get another one just like it!

 

[NMW]

My neighbors own a T&C (maybe '05 or '06 I'm not sure) and a Dodge Durango. They constantly are getting something fixed on them. Major things too. I just traded in my '05 Toyota sienna that I drove for almost 5 years. The only thing we ever had done were oil changes. They are now looking to trade the T&C in for a Honda or Toyota and she said she feels like she is going to have to PAY someone to take the T&C. Her DH is now calling it the "throw away car" as it just seems to not be worth anything.

I would talk to mechanics about them before buying one. Also try consumer reports, and read owner's reviews on sites like Edmunds.com Good luck!

 

[DisneyDreams4P&B]

I am going to also have to join the "beating a dead horse" club and say that I chose the Hnda Odsy over the T&C. Had a rental T&C for over a month, it was a 2008. I did not like it. Bought a Hnda Odsy and LOVE it. Best car I have ever owned.

Beating complete....

 

[MissyDVC]

We have a 2008 T&C and we LOVE it! We have the Stow & Go, Sirius Satellite Radio and dual TVs. The kids (10 & 9) love it and we think it rides well. We have not had any problems and have not taken it in for any repairs. There were 2 minor recalls that we took it in and had done but we love our T&C. My Brother-in-law, who rides a motorcycle and drives a pickup every day, just rode with us in it and said he would go out and buy one for his family the next day! We love the room and the storage and I really like the outside look of it. Enjoy whatever you choose! Hi Chris

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Given the new incentives they're offering from the msn website:
Chrysler offers up to $6,000 in incentives
New incentives focus on the bottom-line price of a 2009 vehicle

We're in the market to buy a new mini van, any current owners out there that can comment on whether you'd repurchase your Town & Country?

Thanks

I'M GOING TO EDIT THIS TO SAY IF YOU ARE RESPONDING NO BECAUSE YOU HAVE TROUBLES WITH YOURS CAN YOU AT LEAST GIVE ME THE YEAR OF IT. THANKS

Absolutely not. We'll never own another Dodge/Chrysler product ever again.

I bought a brand new Dodge Grand Caravan in 1999, and by 30k miles the steering column had failed (on Tybee Island GA, while we were on vacation, with only 10k miles on the car), the speed limiting sensor failed on the highway throwing us into first gear at 70 mph and nearly causing a terrible pileup on the highway, and the kicker was the master brake cylinder failing at 30k miles (after the brakes had been already replaced twice because of various problems), causing me to lose all braking, including emergency brakes, and roll through an intersection with both my babies in the car with me.

I now own a Mazda and a Toyota. I won't cheap out on safety ever again.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Wow thanks everyone for all your input, we are an american made cars family. FIL worked for GM, my husband is brainwashed so no way he'd go for a toyota or honda, i've tried all the arguments out there, plants in U.S., american workers... all that it's still a no go. And ya we'll keep this next van till it falls apart. We currently have (ready for this?) a 1985 Chevy Conversion Van with 76k original miles. Had body work done and it looks great but it's just getting too old to go on long road trips anymore. I still drive it around town but we're heading out this summer and need another vehicle. So i really don't care about trade in values just want to get the best bang for my buck. Our friends have just purchased a used T & C, not sure on the year, and it just looked so nice w/the leather seats and captain chairs for 2nd row....definetely a must w/3 kids, can't have anyone touching anyone. And then I read the incentives today and it just got me thinking, so thanks for all your replies. I think i'll ask my mechanic too and see what his thoughts are. Thanks again.

Look at the new Ford Flex, it's got the space of a minivan but it's COOL!

 

[dizct]

We had a 2005 T&C with the stow and go. It was a GREAT van for the first 40,000 miles and then it fell apart. Transmission went, electric door stopped working on passenger side, windshield leak, backup sensor only worked half the time (that problem was from the get go), passenger side tail light blew out continuously. We replaced it with a Honda Oyssey and would not recommend a Chrysler even though they come with so much more stuff than the Japanese vans and cost less. Also, the service department at our Chrysler dealership was not satisfactory. It wasn't even open on weekends, whereas the Honda service dept is open Saturdays and extended hours a couple nights during the week.

 

[pixiewings71]

I would say No I would not buy another. We have a 2006 Touring edition with stow and go seats that we purchased Certified Used in at the end of June 2008 with about 21k miles. In August we had to put new brakes on a van with 23k miles. Our remaining bumper to bumper didn't cover that. I need new tires (have needed since about 26k) on the back, but just can't afford it quite yet. They put the cheapest windshield wiper blades on, so they just recently broke, $50 for new ones.

The van was hit in February, so it was in the dealer body shop for a month to get repaired. 2 days ago, I got a call in that the floorboard piece they ordered finally came in. I went to have it installed and they ordered the wrong piece. Instead of the side, they ordered the front.

At 34k, I think my brakes are already bad again, they squeak and make a whoosh sound when turning. My dad is going to check them out when I go to visit in a month because the dealership wants $80 to diagnose any problem and they only have weekday hours.

The cooling circuit fan seized up and blew the fuse and relay. You can only get a new one of those from the dealer. So my dad cleared out the fan for me and replaced the fuse and relay and it's working, but he doesn't know for how long. I can't even get a quote on how much it will cost to replace from the dealership, because they will only quote if I can drop off the car for the whole day and pay $80 for them to look at it.

I also hate driving the van, just too big for me and I don't feel comfortable in it. I wish we didn't buy it, but it's ours now because after a big accident although fixed, there are a couple of scratches from me scraping the drive thru at the bank and a co-worker hitting my car so I don't think we can sell it for what we owe.

DH would tell you differently that he loves the van, but he doesn't have to drive it every day. He gets to drive the love of my car life. My little Vibe.

ETA: my post sounds really negative. Let me give you the good points. the stow and go seats are very handy and useful, especially for hauling Emme's bazillion birthday gifts home. Front seats are very comfortable, back ones, not so much for me and especially the bench. The ride is smooth, just noisy on the turns. Our radio/CD and AC work well.

Brakes and tires are normal wear and tear, brakes are not normally covered under any warranty. I get my brakes checked regularly, whenever we have our tires rotated we have the brakes checked at Big O, we get them fixed when necessary and not before. The squeak could suggest you need new brakes but it could simply be dirt stuck between the pads and plates, that will cause squeaking. Also, your accident is not the fault of the van so I'm not sure why you brought that up. I was in an accident in my van, I slammed into someone when traffic in front of me stopped with no warning, messed up the van, I needed a whole new front end. I had a rental car for about 10 days and had my van back within that time. The body shop did an amazing job on the van and I would go back to them with any body work I needed. It sounds like your body shop messed on the part ordering. You should may talk to your DH about switching cars back, let him drive the van and you take back your car.

We drive our vehicles until their death so that's my fear with buying one....that lots of people only have them for 2-3 years...

They look cool.

I'm still leaning towards buying used because they DEPRECIATE like crazy so usually incentives still don't cover the loss.

Still leaning towards Honda but find this discussion great. Thanks.

Tempting for sure....I love the swivel and go seats....neat idea. We'd barely ever stow and go as we have 3 kids and DH has a truck for hauling.

Trish

Depreciation doesn't really matter when you keep your cars forever right? That's how we look at it. And we too drive them until they die, usually. Like I said, the other van didn't start out as ours and we really hated taking the seats in and out every time we needed the room so we bit the bullet and bought a new one, with every intention of having it forever. Being an 05 and having 100,900 miles on it speaks for itself IMO. We do regular scheduled maintenance and get new brakes/tires regularly and that's it. I do need to take it in for the 100k work up, I just haven't had the time yet.

Absolutely not. We'll never own another Dodge/Chrysler product ever again.

I bought a brand new Dodge Grand Caravan in 1999, and by 30k miles the steering column had failed (on Tybee Island GA, while we were on vacation, with only 10k miles on the car), the speed limiting sensor failed on the highway throwing us into first gear at 70 mph and nearly causing a terrible pileup on the highway, and the kicker was the master brake cylinder failing at 30k miles (after the brakes had been already replaced twice because of various problems), causing me to lose all braking, including emergency brakes, and roll through an intersection with both my babies in the car with me.

I now own a Mazda and a Toyota. I won't cheap out on safety ever again.

I don't feel in ANY way that we are cheaping out on safety, I truly feel our van is one of the safest vehicles I've ever driven. The one accident that I was in (no kids thank goodness) I was absolutely fine, there was significant damage to the front end but the frame was not compromised. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with your van and I am very happy that no one was hurt when your brakes failed. I can't even imagine, I'm sure I'd feel just like you if that had happened to me! Yikes!

I don't like those little boxy cars that are out now, they just don't look good. I don't really like the newer T&C/GC body style either tho, I like mine, it's all smooth and pretty. lol

 

[CyndiLooWho]

LOVE the look of the Ford Flex, but it's out of my price range now that I'm a SAHM.

A word on the Toyota Sienna, since many people are recommending it. I drove one when we came back to the US for Christmas for 2 wks, and I hated it. Granted, it was a rental car, and we were probably the last renters before they trashed, um, sold it, but I was extremely disappointed. The fit and finish were bad, parts were falling off the interior (it was 2 yrs old with 30k miles), it was uncomfortable, and the handling was mushy. That may have been b/c it was an older, rental car, but it kept me from even looking at minivans when we moved back to the US last summer.

Check out the Honda.

(and re: my earlier post on this thread, the Chryslers we owned were a 1995 Stratus and a 1995 Cirrus - the stratus was in the shop as much as in my driveway and the cirrus got traded in at 80k miles with no real issues - the stratus had enough for both of them and more.)

 

[christinou]

we have a 1999 T&C and love it, we have not had many problems with aside from regular wear and tear, we did have to put in about $1,500 in repair last year, but for a van with 120,000 we expected it, and it is still going strong and looking good, we do keep our vehicles a long time.

 

[mtquinn]

Just my two cents: I recently bought a Honda Odyssey '09. I can honestly say that I am truly impressed with it, and I am NOT a van person. In fact, I vigorously fought getting a van for years but succumbed due to having two young girls who are high maintenance in the car. We've owned a cool Chevy tahoe, Blazer before that, then bought a CR-V and really fell in love with Honda. The Odyssey rides amazingly well...I liken it to a heavier CR-V which is a huge compliment to the van. Very tight, and not at all mushy and bouncy. It's also the very safest van out there, and there are deals to be had on it. My EX listed for about $34,500 and I bought it for $25,000...or very close to it. And I got 3.9% financing to boot.

Instead of paying $2500 for a drop-down DVD and remote starter I went after-market and got both for under $1000. I find that if you have a good DVD player with wireless headphones you don't need the Sirius tv. Kids fight over the remote and channels.

Yes, Chrysler has some great deals and you will never be able to buy a T&C cheaper, but make no mistake: there is a reason why they are the cheapest. And you get so screwed on the resale that it's not worth it. I also think you can get an Odyssey for as cheap as ever. I never expected to get mine for the price I paid. Great van...great price. And I never in my life expected to like a minivan.

Hope that helps!

 

[lbgraves]

We bought a used 2000 in 2003. The AC has been out for a couple years but I just drive the Explorer in the Summer. I have told DH that we will get it fixed this year, along with the passenger window that doesn't always work lately. The quote we got was around $600. The freon is leaking so I think it is the distributor that needs to be replaced???? I haven't looked at the report for over a year so I am not for sure about that. Other than that it runs great, very smooth on the road and we have put a lot of miles on it. I do not regret that we bought this car at all, especially at the great price we paid.

 

[reservations4five]

I have a 02 T and C! I LOVEEEEEE my van. this is my second one. I would buy another in an instant!

 

[C.Ann]

I have a 2005 T&C with the stow 'n go seats.. When I purchased it Certified Used it had something like 20,000 miles on it (that was in March of '06)..

That first summer I ran into an absolute nightmare with it!! Seats were in the "stow" position - go in the van one day and thought I could smell something "musty".. Pulled the seats up and they were totally drenched - dripping wet - the compartments filled with water!! Upon further inspection I found the entire inside of the van was soaking wet..

I won't go into the whole story because it still upsets me so much, but the bottom line is they "claimed" it was the design of the van and it should never be parked "near trees", anywhere that "leaves" could get on the windshield, outside in the rain or snow - blah - blah - blah - and pretty much came right out and said that I had no business purchasing it if I didn't have a garage to keep it in..

I still have it (after them taking almost 2 months to clean it; replace the roof liner; etc.), but rarely drive it.. (I think I have a little over 27,000 miles on it now - 900+ being from a trip over to the coast in 2007..) I don't trust the vehicle anymore (have read some very scary reports); have to park it a certain way here at the lake (7 months out of the year) and at DD's the other 5 months of the year (at a "pitch" - front end facing down- to avoid another "flood"); and I have to make sure I never, EVER, leave the seats in the "stow" position - just in case a stray leaf should end up on my windshield..

Chrysler warranties aren't worth the paper they are written on - and they will fight you tooth and nail to make whatever problem occurs the fault of the owner so they don't have to pay for it..

Never, ever again.. I could KICK myself for buying that mini van..