2008 Braun Town & Country

I FOUND THE RIGHT-REAR VALVE STEM BROKEN, WHILE TRYING TO ADD AIR. IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN WEAKENED BY CORROSION. THE SURROUNDING AREA OF THE WHEEL SHOWED NO SIGNS OF CORROSION. THE VALVE STEMS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE ALSO THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SENSOR (TPMS) SENSORS. UPON INSPECTION, I FOUND THE OTHER VALVE STEMS/SENSORS IN POOR CONDITION. AFTER THE SPARE TIRE WAS INSTALLED, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR, UNDER WARRANTY. I ASKED THAT THEY REPLACE THE OTHER THREE SENSORS, SINCE FAILURE APPEARS IMMINENT. THE SERVICE WRITER EXPLAINED THAT, WHILE THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE, THEY CANNOT REPLACE THE PART, UNTIL IT IS ACTUALLY LEAKING AIR; BECAUSE THE SENSORS ARE EXPENSIVE. I FEEL THIS IS SIGNIFICANT, POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE WHEN THE STEM/SENSORS BREAK, THERE IS AN ALMOST IMMEDIATE, TOTAL LOSS OF PRESSURE IN THE AFFECTED TIRE. IF THE STEM/SENSOR BROKE WHILE DRIVING, LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL COULD OCCUR. THERE APPEARS TO BE QUITE A BIT OF DISCUSSION RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM ON CHRYSLER-RELATED INTERNET BLOGS AND FORUMS. ALSO, IT APPEARS CHRYSLER KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM, SINCE NEWER VEHICLES HAVE STEMS/SENSORS CONSTRUCTED OF A MORE ROBUST MATERIAL.

WE PURCHASED A USED 2008 TOWN AND COUNTRY 13000 MILES IN DECEMBER 2008. IN APRIL 2009 AT 16000 MILES IT NEEDED ALL FOUR BRAKE PADS REPLACED. DEALER SAID BRAKES WERE NOT COVERED WITH WARRANTY AND THIS WAS JUST NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. IN JUNE 2010 AT 32,000 MILES WHEN WE TOOK IT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE, THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED ALL FOUR BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ON MARCH 14 2009 WE REPORTED THE CD PLAYER WOULD NOT EJECT CD'S, BUT NO WORK WAS PERFORMED. ON APRIL 8 2009 WE AGAIN REPORTED RADIO/CD PLAYER WOULD NOT EJECT CDS. DEALER REPLACED THE RADIO. ON JULY 6 2009 WE REPORTED SOUND QUALITY PROBLEMS WITH THE RADIO. IT WAS REPLACED AND ON JULY 30TH WE EXPERIENCED SAME PROBLEMS ONLY NOW THE RADIO WOULD JUST SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. THE RADIO WAS AGAIN REPLACED. ON DECEMBER 26 WE REPORTED THE AUX. POWER OUTLET WAS INOPERABLE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE ALSO REPORTED THE ENGINE WAS EXHIBITING A LOUD HUMMING NOISE WHEN WE APPROACHED SPEEDS OF 40 MPH. TECHNICIAN TOLD US IT WAS A COMPUTER PROBLEM AND THAT WAS RESET. WITHIN ONE DAY THE SOUND WAS BACK. IN JULY 2010 WE WERE TRAVELING TO DENVER COLORADO AND THE AC WOULD CUT OUT WHEN WE APPROACHED 65 MPH. IN ADDITION THE RPM'S WOULD GO AS HIGH AS 4000-5000 AT 60 MPH. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED INTO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP IN WHICH THE SAID THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THE VALVE BODY AND HUB BEARINGS WERE CAUSING THE NOISE AND PROBLEMS. *TR

I DID NOT DRIVE MY 2008 TOWN & COUNTRY VAN FOR 2 MONTHS AS A RESULT OF MY FOOT SURGERY, 2/17/10 TO 4/19/10. ON THE MORNING OF 4/19/10, AS I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE MY VEHICLE OUT OF MY GARAGE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. I FURTHER DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO "BREAK FREE" AND MOVE. IT SEEMED AS IF THE WHEELS WERE FROZEN. AS I DROVE TO WORK, I NOTICED THAT WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE BRAKING WAS UNEVEN AND THE BRAKES WERE "CHATTERING." THE VAN ALSO TOOK LONGER TO STOP. WHEN I GOT TO WORK, I CALLED MY LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER AND ADVISED THEM OF THE PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE VAN HAS 22,500 MILES ON IT. I THEN TOOK THE VAN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THEY SHOWED ME THAT THE FREEZING OF MY WHEELS THAT MORNING WAS ACTUALLY THE REAR PADS RUSTING TO THE ROTORS. I SAW THE MARK ON THE ROTORS WHERE THEY HAD RUSTED. IT THEN MADE THE REAR ROTORS UNEVEN CAUSING THE CHATTER. THEY THEN SHOWED ME THAT THE FRONT PADS WERE VERY LOW. THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE REAR ROTORS AND PADS BE CHANGED ALONG WITH THE FRONT PADS. THE ENTIRE JOB CAME TO $650. TO ME THIS IS UNSAFE AND NO FAIR. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A CAR WITH LESS THAN 23,000 MILES ON IT. IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THIS PROBLEM HAD TO BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. I WAS NOT GOING TO PAY THE DEALERSHIP TO DO IT BECAUSE I FEARED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE BRAKES WITH THE SAME MAKE THAT HAD FAILED. *TR