2000 Chrysler Town And Country

DURING RAIN OR SNOWMELT EVENTS, SPLASHING WATER CAUSES THE SERPENTINE BELT ON THE ENGINE SLIP FROM THE ENGINE IDLER PULLEYS. THEY ARE SMOOTH AND ROUNDED IN DESIGN, ALLOWING WATER TO SLIP BENEATH DURING OPERATION RESULTING IN THE BELT SLIPPING FROM THE PULLEYS. THE STEERING ON THESE VANS IS EXTREMELY INADEQUATE WITHOUT POWER ASSIST, EVEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. OUR BELT HAS SLIPPED OFF IN THE PAST, REQUIRING BELT REPLACEMENT, BUT THIS RECENT EVENT CAUSED A LOSS OF STEERING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, RESULTING IN A CRASH. NO ONE IN MY FAMILY WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, BUT THE VALENCE AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. AFTER CALLING MY LOCAL DMV TO FIND OUT WHERE TO REPORT THIS, AND SEARCHING THE INTERNET ABOUT THE PROBLEM, I FIND IT UNCONSCIONABLE THAT CHRYSLER AND THE NHTSA HAVE NOT ACTED ON A SOLUTION SOONER. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING IN THE RAIN ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN ALL OF SUDDEN LIGHTS COME ON..MY HUSBAND SAYS THAT THE POWER STEERING HAS GONE AND THE ENGINE LIGHTS COME ON AND THE ENGINE STARTS TO OVERHEAT. IT WAS TERRIFYING. WE FIND AS WE ARE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT HAS COME OFF. IT WAS A BRAND NEW BELT. I HAD IT REPLACED PRIOR TO GOING ON THIS TRIP. MY HUSBAND AND SON GET IT BACK ON AND IT COMES OFF AGAIN. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE OVERHEATING DID SOME DAMAGE. HAD TO REPLACE RADIATOR AND HOSES. THEN DRIVING DOWN BROAD STREET A WEEK LATER, THE HOSE COMES OFF AGAIN. I DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE. TENSIONER HAS BEEN REPLACED ALONG WITH OTHER DAMAGED PARTS. *TR

MY CHRYSLER TOWN&COUNTRY WITH 3.8 ENG.BELT HAS COME OFF WHEN DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN 4 TIMES. LOSING POWERSTEERING AND CAUSING ENGINE TO QUICKLY TO OVERHEAT. DEALERS HAVE NO FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO DAMAGE MY CAR AND POSSIBLY OTHERS SINCE IT CAME WITHOUT ANY WARNING. I CHECKED THE INTERNET TO SEE IF ANY ONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND MANY. IT SEEMS THAT SO MAY THAT GATES BELT COMPANY DESIGNED A BELT PACKAGE TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. I PURCHASE THIS REPAIR PACKAGE AND SEEMS TO BE WORKING IN THE RAIN. SHOULDN'T THIS REPAIR BEEN A RECALL BY CHRYSLER BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

MY SERPENTINE BELT HAS COME OFF 4 TIMES. I HAVE INFORMED THE DEALER OF THIS PROBLEM DURING WARRANTY TIME PERIOD AND NONWARRANTLY TIME PERIOD. THE DEALER AND OTHER MECHANICS KEEP CHARGING ME TO TEMPORARILY FIX A MANUFACTURER "RECALL" PROBLEM. MY WIFE DRIVES THE VAN, NORMALLY WITH CHILDREN WITH HER. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE UNDERHOOD STRUT TOWER IS RUSTED. THE DEALER ADVISED HER NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THAT CONDITION BECAUSE A CRASH COULD OCCUR. THE MANUFACTURER HAS A KIT TO CORRECT THE DEFECT; HOWEVER, THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITH THE LABOR COSTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000.

IT IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER MINIVANS - WHENEVER THERE IS A HEAVY RAIN AND THE WATER PUDDLES IN THE STREET, THE SERPENTINE BELT SLIPS OFF AND ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE IS LOST. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME MULTIPLE TIMES. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HE STATED THAT THIS HAPPENS TO ALL CHRYSLER MINIVANS (DODGE AND PONTIAC MINIVANS AS WELL) AND HAS OCCURRED SINCE THEY STARTED MAKING MINIVANS. EVERY TIME THERE IS A HEAVY DOWNPOUR HE HAS A LOT FULL OF CHRSLER VANS THAT NEED THEIR BELT PUT BACK ON. I CALLED MY LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER IN URBANA, IL AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE. SHE TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE TWO OF THEIR OWN SERVICE VANS ARE OUT OF COMMISSION DUE TO THE RECENT RAIN. SHE AGREED THAT EVERY TIME IT RAINS HEAVILY, THE BELTS COME OFF THESE VANS. I CALLED CHRYSLER AUTOMOTIVE AND SPOKE TO A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. ABOUT THE PROBLEM. SHE CHECKED AND TOLD ME THAT CHRYSLER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND BECAUSE THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. SINCE CHRYSLER WILL NOT ADDRESS THIS KNOWN PROBLEM UNTIL NHTSA ISSUES A RECALL, PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL. WHAT COULD BE MORE DANGEROUS THAN FOR PEOPLE TO LOSE POWER WHILE DRIVING ON CROWDED ROADWAYS AND INTERSTATE? *TR

OUR 2000 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY MINIVAN HAS HAD MAJOR MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. THE MOST RECENT WAS THE REPEATED FAILURE OF THE SERPENTINE BELT. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING IN COLD WEATHER (FEBRUARY 2007). THE BELT SLIPPED OFF THE PULLEYS LEAVING ME TO TRY TO CAREEN IT OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE RODE WITH NO POWER STEERING AND AN OVERHEATING ENGINE. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AT OUR LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP. THE SECOND TIME OCCURRED WHILE IT WAS RAINING OUTSIDE. THE BELT POPPED OFF AS I WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH AND I NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT. IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO GET THE CAR OFF THE BUSY STREET - AGAIN WITH THE ENGINE OVERHEATING. THE CAR WAS THEN REPAIRED AT A NEW ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC SHOP. THE TENSIONER PULLEY AND IDLER PULLEY WERE REPLACED. WE THOUGHT THEY WERE FIXED WHEN I WAS TRAVELING AT 55 MPH AND THE BELT POPPED OFF AGAIN. I SLIGHTLY RAN OFF THE ROAD AND WAS LEFT STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF A COUNTRY ROAD WITH NO ONE IN SIGHT. A LOCAL MECHANIC SAID THE NEW TENSIONER PULLEY WAS DEFECTIVE AND I DROVE (IN ANOTHER VEHICLE) TO A DEALERSHIP 30 MILES AWAY TO PURCHASE A NEW TENSIONER. TWO DAYS LATER IN THE MIDDLE OF A VISIT TO A NATIONAL PARK, THE BELT SLIPPED OFF AGAIN AND LEFT ME STRANDED WITH MY CHILDREN IN A HOT CAR. WE THEN REALIZED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT BEING RESOLVED, GOT THE BELT PUT ON ONE MORE TIME BY A AAA MECHANIC AND MADE IT HOME ON A WING AND A PRAYER. *TR