Would you buy a Chrysler Town & Country?

[MAH4546]

Buy a Volkswagen Routan, instead. The Volkswagen Routan is built by Chrysler in the same factory. It uses higher-quality interior trims, Volkswagen dealers are far better in terms of customer service and Volkswagen has free scheduled maintenance, so you don't have to pay for even oil changes.

 

[Halbleib1]

I would not recommend that you buy the Volkswagen van over the Chrysler. Even though we own a VW and love it. We have had no major problems and it has almost 150,000 miles on it. Our last car was also a VW that had almost 190,000 miles on it when we traded it. Like the previous poster said the VW van is made by Chrysler so the mechanical items are going to be Chrysler anyway. The free maintenance is nice but it does not outweight the extra cost of the VW. And VW can not beat the Lifetime Powertrain warranty that Chrysler has as well as the incentives they are offering right now. The only thing you have to do to keep the Lifetime Powertrain warranty is to take it in once every 5 years to be checked over and it is only valid to the first owner of the car. Also because Volkswagen has different seats in it the back seats do not fold down into the floor.

BTW: My husband has owned nothing but Volkswagens. But recently we were looking at buying a mini van and my husband said he would not buy the VW because of the price and warranty esp. being that it is made by Chrysler anyhow. This coming from a huge VW enthuseist . So we went looking at the Dodge Caravans. The dealer did show us the Chrysler but for us the extra cost is not worth it over the Dodge. I also would not reccomend the swivel and go. Going in I was very excited about this feature. This was one of the main selling points to me initially until we looked at it. When you turn the seats you do not have room for your feet if someone is sitting across from you. Your knees are almost right up against the back seat. Even a child would have a hard time sitting there. So be sure to check this out if you are interested in this feature. We went to two different dealers and both told us that these are not selling. Most people are getting the regular stow and go. With this feature they were supposed to be offering child booster seats built in but the dealers said they have not received any with this feature. The swivel and go is the only way to get the child booster seats built in. Perhaps they have scratched this since the swivel and go did not sell like they hoped.

My inlaws are Chrysler people. My father in law bought his Dodge truck in 1995 and has had no problems and he hauls a travel trailer with it. He has over a 100,000 miles on it. In 2005 or 06 he bought a brand new Dodge caravan. He has not had any problems with it either. He does not have stow and go because at that time it was new and was still an option. He did not want to pay the extra money for it and regrets it now.

There is a chance for a lemon with anything you buy. You can buy any brand vehicle and while many people will love that brand others will not. Also service varies depending on the area and or dealer you go to. There are a couple of VW dealers we would never go back to for service or anything else. The one we bought our current car from has been great and we have had no problems getting things replaced while it was under warranty or other wise. Do your research of the dealership/service ahead of time.

 

[Lisa_M]

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.

The OP "asked any current owners out there that can comment on whether you'd repurchase your Town & Country?" So I answered the question. No I wouldn't and explained why. I shouldn't be going through brakes every 10k miles for one. Secondly, they sold me the "certified" van with the bare minimum left on those previous brakes knowing fair well they would need to be replaced quickly, but conveniently didn't tell me that when I bought it. Upon repair, I was told I should have expected it, same as your story, brakes normal wear and tear. I just didn't expect to shell out over $200 after owning the car for 1 month! So it's a dealership honesty issue in my mind. Regarding the accident, yes I know it is not the van's fault, but again a customer service issue and if I have had so many customer service problems with a supposed 5 star dealership and I am not interested in repurchasing the van again.

 

[pixiewings71]

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..

I don't understand this at all. What are they talking about? Whey would getting a LEAF on your windshield matter in anyway? I get leaves on my windshield all the time but never have water in my stow areas.....

The OP "asked any current owners out there that can comment on whether you'd repurchase your Town & Country?" So I answered the question. No I wouldn't and explained why. I shouldn't be going through brakes every 10k miles for one. Secondly, they sold me the "certified" van with the bare minimum left on those previous brakes knowing fair well they would need to be replaced quickly, but conveniently didn't tell me that when I bought it. Upon repair, I was told I should have expected it, same as your story, brakes normal wear and tear. I just didn't expect to shell out over $200 after owning the car for 1 month! So it's a dealership honesty issue in my mind. Regarding the accident, yes I know it is not the van's fault, but again a customer service issue and if I have had so many customer service problems with a supposed 5 star dealership and I am not interested in repurchasing the van again.

Oh, I see, you took your van to the dealer for repairs after your accident. I would NEVER do that, I don't even like to take my van to the dealer for maintenance, in fact the ONLY time we take the van to the dealer is for oil changes and that's only because we have free oil changes for the next 6 years or something. And yes, they should have made sure the van had good brakes before selling it to you, brakes are normal wear and tear but you're right, dealer honesty comes into play right there. Our van was certified used as well and everything was in good working order, new brakes and even new tires. I guess in your case it's as much a dealer issue and it is issues with the van.

 

[runwad]

Well guess what the T&C is out. My DH drives me nuts, he's out looking at a Buick Rendezvous or Ranier(sp?)....we've only ever had Buicks and Chevey's and thats all he will ever consider. He doesn't want new because he can get used cheaper. I was just really impressed with the T&C, but he doesn't like Chrysler. Geez I thought it was cool because it was an American company. Oh well hopefully this thread helped some others.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Well guess what the T&C is out. My DH drives me nuts, he's out looking at a Buick Rendezvous or Ranier(sp?)....we've only ever had Buicks and Chevey's and thats all he will ever consider. He doesn't want new because he can get used cheaper. I was just really impressed with the T&C, but he doesn't like Chrysler. Geez I thought it was cool because it was an American company. Oh well hopefully this thread helped some others.

The buick rendezvous and rainier are COOL! And buick is legendary for quality (at least, it was, hope it still is.) They look a little bit like the chrysler pacificas. They had a rendezvous at Test Track in April, it was 50 k new

 

[C.Ann]

I don't understand this at all. What are they talking about? Whey would getting a LEAF on your windshield matter in anyway? I get leaves on my windshield all the time but never have water in my stow areas.....
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Well according to "them" - it blocks a very small screened area - where rain and such is "supposed" to drain out - as opposed to backing up inside the van.. If that is true, then the problems were caused by design defects.. But after what I went through - and being told that I shouldn't have even purchased the van if I didn't have a "garage" to keep it in (and in order to avoid this happening again) - I don't put much stock in anything they have to say..

It was a very, very long drawn out process (and very time consuming) to get them to do the right thing and repair all of the damage.. We even took it to the "top" - Chrysler headquarters (although they go by a different name) - and were given the same runaround..

So - all I can tell you is what they told me - and therefore I would not suggest purchasing one unless you are going to keep it garaged at all times or they have corrected this so-called "design" defect.. (We call it a "defect" - they just call it the "design" of the vehicle..) And I would never, ever leave the van with the seats in the stow 'n go position for more than a few minutes - especially if it's raining, snowing, etc., - unless you do what I do now.. Park it on a slight downward position - with the front nose of the van pointing down.. (And even then I don't leave the seats in the stow 'n go position.. You can't even begin to imagine how soaked the inside of that van was.. I'm not talking "damp" - I'm talking soaking, dripping wet..

It's absolutely ridiculous to pay $16,000+ for a vehicle only to be told after the fact that it needs to be kept in a garage at all times - or in order to prevent a repeat of the original problem, I need to go to the expense of building a garage now..

 

[pixiewings71]

I don't understand this at all. What are they talking about? Whey would getting a LEAF on your windshield matter in anyway? I get leaves on my windshield all the time but never have water in my stow areas.....
--------------

Well according to "them" - it blocks a very small screened area - where rain and such is "supposed" to drain out - as opposed to backing up inside the van.. If that is true, then the problems were caused by design defects.. But after what I went through - and being told that I shouldn't have even purchased the van if I didn't have a "garage" to keep it in (and in order to avoid this happening again) - I don't put much stock in anything they have to say..

It was a very, very long drawn out process (and very time consuming) to get them to do the right thing and repair all of the damage.. We even took it to the "top" - Chrysler headquarters (although they go by a different name) - and were given the same runaround..

So - all I can tell you is what they told me - and therefore I would not suggest purchasing one unless you are going to keep it garaged at all times or they have corrected this so-called "design" defect.. (We call it a "defect" - they just call it the "design" of the vehicle..) And I would never, ever leave the van with the seats in the stow 'n go position for more than a few minutes - especially if it's raining, snowing, etc., - unless you do what I do now.. Park it on a slight downward position - with the front nose of the van pointing down.. (And even then I don't leave the seats in the stow 'n go position.. You can't even begin to imagine how soaked the inside of that van was.. I'm not talking "damp" - I'm talking soaking, dripping wet..

It's absolutely ridiculous to pay $16,000+ for a vehicle only to be told after the fact that it needs to be kept in a garage at all times - or in order to prevent a repeat of the original problem, I need to go to the expense of building a garage now..

Seriously, that makes no sense. What a load of crapola they seem to have fed you! YUK! I never park in my garage, I always park in my driveway and it's on a upslope so the nose of the van is pointing up and not down. I don't leave my seats stowed but still....we do go into the stow area regularly and it's not wet down there. Oh and I live in CA and it RAINS a lot and it's a heavy heavy rain. I'm so sorry, I can't stand dealers that lie like that!! Don't they understand they lose more business that way then if they would just fix the problem for you.

 

[RN4Babies]

We rented a minivan from Dollar Rent A Car in Florida this past February. It turned out it was a 2008 Towne and Country with 35,000 miles on it.

On our first full day, leaving Hollywood Studios, it died on the freeway. I had purchased the road hazard coverage (thank god). It took forever, but finally received a replacement (another T&C) with 23,000 miles on it while the first van was towed away.

Two days later, we were going out for dinner, and THAT van had all of its warning lights come on when we were at a stop light. Went to accelerate through the light to clear the intersection and pull over, and the thing died right there in the middle of the street. Are you kidding me?

My ex and I always owned Toyotas/Hondas/Acuras, and over the course of 30 years we replaced a clutch and a heater core (we keep our vehicles for well over 150,000 miles). Other than routine maintenance, brakes, tires, etc. that was it. No electrical issues, no transmission or engine repairs. Ever. Last year I bought a Hyundai SUV; it has a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty, and I felt that I got a lot more for my money than I would have with Toyota. So far, so good, and I love my SUV! My family members (including brothers in law who are a union mason, union electrician, and my dad who was a union carpenter) have all had issues with GM/Chrysler/Ford products over the years, and they all now drive Toyota products.

Even with great incentives, I wouldn't give a Chrysler product a moment of consideration.

 

[C.Ann]

Even with great incentives, I wouldn't give a Chrysler product a moment of consideration.

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I agree.. If one were to google damsler/chrysler (or it may be daimsler/chrysler - can't remember which since I try not to even think about them anymore) and read all of the reported problems and their refusal to honor their "wonderful" warranties (because no matter what the problem is, it's something that the owner "caused"), I think many, many more people would be reluctant to do business with them..

I really, really regret purchasing that vehicle - but I'm "stuck" with it now..

 

[pixiewings71]

Just to make it easy, it's actually Daimler Chrysler and they manufacture Dodge, Chrysler & Plymouth.

I really am shocked to hear all the horror stories, I guess I should be happy my 2 vans have been so great.

 

[C.Ann]

Just to make it easy, it's actually Daimler Chrysler and they manufacture Dodge, Chrysler & Plymouth.

I really am shocked to hear all the horror stories, I guess I should be happy my 2 vans have been so great.

---------------

Yes - you are lucky - and I'm very happy for you..

At the time I was going through this nightmare someone else on either the BB or the CB posted that they had the same problem that I did - except it was with the Chrysler Pacifica (their version of a station wagon).. And guess what? They were told the exact same thing - right down to the "leaves" causing the problem.. LOL They were located in an entirely different part of the country, so it wasn't just a local "dealership" issue of someone trying to pull someones leg..

Unbelievable!!

 

[Halbleib1]

Just to make it easy, it's actually Daimler Chrysler and they manufacture Dodge, Chrysler & Plymouth.

I really am shocked to hear all the horror stories, I guess I should be happy my 2 vans have been so great.

Actually Chrysler is no longer owned by Daimler. They were sold a year or two ago to a privately held company. Thus one of the reasons people complained about the govt. bailing them out. The parent company that owns them now is a hedge fund.

 

[MAH4546]

Actually Chrysler is no longer owned by Daimler. They were sold a year or two ago to a privately held company. Thus one of the reasons people complained about the govt. bailing them out. The parent company that owns them now is a hedge fund.

Well, now that they are in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, they will soon be owned by a combination of the UAW, the U.S. government, and Italy's Fiat. Thankfully Fiat should be able to turn Chrysler around. Europeans know how to run car companies and build cars that the public wants.

The buick rendezvous and rainier are COOL! And buick is legendary for quality (at least, it was, hope it still is.) They look a little bit like the chrysler pacificas. They had a rendezvous at Test Track in April, it was 50 k new

The Rendezvous is long out of production, and when it was in production, it never cost anything near $50,000.

What you saw at Test Track was a Buick Enclave.

 

[Halbleib1]

Buy a Volkswagen Routan, instead. The Volkswagen Routan is built by Chrysler in the same factory. It uses higher-quality interior trims, Volkswagen dealers are far better in terms of customer service and Volkswagen has free scheduled maintenance, so you don't have to pay for even oil changes.

BTW that free scheduled maintenance is only good for three years.

 

[loonytoony]

The OP "asked any current owners out there that can comment on whether you'd repurchase your Town & Country?" So I answered the question. No I wouldn't and explained why. I shouldn't be going through brakes every 10k miles for one. Secondly, they sold me the "certified" van with the bare minimum left on those previous brakes knowing fair well they would need to be replaced quickly, but conveniently didn't tell me that when I bought it. Upon repair, I was told I should have expected it, same as your story, brakes normal wear and tear. I just didn't expect to shell out over $200 after owning the car for 1 month! So it's a dealership honesty issue in my mind. Regarding the accident, yes I know it is not the van's fault, but again a customer service issue and if I have had so many customer service problems with a supposed 5 star dealership and I am not interested in repurchasing the van again.

Just remember "Certified" does not preclude you from taking the car to your independent mechanic for an inspection which would have captured your brake issue. You then could have negotiated new brakes before purchasing.

 

[loonytoony]

Chrysler closing dealerships

 

[Donna]

Even before Chrysler announced alot of dealership closings (18 in our area), we would never EVER buy another one (2002). If/when you have problems, there'll be no one to fix them; they put out a shoddy vehicle and they know it. they look good, but thats about it. of course there are incentives now, they're trying to sell what they can and get out of business.

ours always needed something. every inspection except ONE, it needed something replaced. thank goodness i thought ahead and got an extended warranty which we've used twice since original one ran out. now we noticed it's rusting out. garbage.

 

[61292cna]

If I had the money, yes I would. Our last Chrysler was bought used(8 years old) & it has been running almost 11 years for us.

 

[runwad]

Well we are back to considering the T&C because one of the dealers in our town is on the list to close. They will have to liqudate their inventory so we're going to see what kind of good deal we can get. And I'm talking we are looking for a good deal or its a no go. Thanks for all the replies!!