2002 Chrysler Town And Country

VEHICLE HAD JUST ENTERED ATLANTA GEORGIA ON I85 SOUTHBOUND. THERE WAS VERY HEAVY STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. UPON LIGHT ACCELERATION, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE NEVER STALLED. THE IDLE REMAINED SMOOTH. IN NEUTRAL THE ENGINE WOULD ACCELERATE NORMALLY. IN DRIVE (ALL GEARS) AND REVERSE, THE ENGINE WOULD ACCELERATE TO ABOUT 900 RPM AND THEN LOSE POWER. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE ALONG THE SHOULDER AT A SLOW WALKING PACE (A SLIGHT INCLINE) UNTIL WE ENCOUNTERED A DISABLED VEHICLE. THE VAN DID NOT HAVE THE POWER TO PULL INTO THE STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. A TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED AND THE VAN TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED NORMALLY. THE ENGINE NEVER RAN ROUGH AND ALL THE FLUIDS LOOKED GOOD AND WERE AT CORRECT LEVELS. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS THE PROBLEM SINCE THEY MEASURED THE PRESSURE AT 40 PSI AND THE SPECIFICATION WAS 53 PSI. THE FUEL PUMP AND FILTER WAS REPAIRED AT A COST OF $686 PLUS TOWING. THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY APPARENTLY DOES NOT COVER THESE ITEMS. THE REPLACED PARTS WERE NOT MADE AVAILABLE TO US. AFTER PICKUP FROM THE DEALERSHIP THE VAN HAS INTERMITTENTLY EXPERIENCED A PRONOUNCED HESITATION ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE VAN DUPLICATED THE SAME FAILURE AGAIN ON 12/30/06. WE HAD JUST PULLED OUT FROM A PARKING SPACE AT A RESTAURANT. EVERY ASPECT OF THE INCIDENT WAS THE SAME EVEN TO OUR PROCEEDING TO DRIVE DOWN THE SHOULDER. EXCEPT IN THIS CASE THE SHOULDER WAS A SLIGHT DECLINE. WHEN THE VAN MADE IT TO ABOUT 5 MPH THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARED AND THE VAN DROVE FINE FOR THE REMAINING 95 MILES OF OUR TRIP. THE NEXT TIME THAT THE VAN WAS STARTED IT WENT STRAIGHT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VAN BUT CHARGED A ESTIMATE FEE AND SAID TO BRING IT BACK WHEN IT WAS EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. THERE WERE NO TROUBLE CODES SET FOR THEM TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND THE VAN BEHAVED FINE DURING THE TEST DRIVE. *JB

A/C COMPRESSOR FAILURE - WE WERE ON THE ROAD FOR ABOUT 1/2 AN HOUR EN ROUTE FROM TALLAHASSEE TO ORLANDO ON THANKSGIVING DAY, 2006. AS WE EXITED ONTO HWY. 19, WE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE CAR. (LATER, IT WAS APPARENT THAT A BELT ON THE A/C SYSTEM BURNED AS THE COMPRESSOR LOCKED UP.) THIS WAS AT LEAST THE 6TH A/C SYSTEM FAILURE. WE HAD RECURRING LEAKS THAT WERE "FIXED" AND RECHARGED NUMEROUS TIMES, STARTING AT A MACON DEALERSHIP OFF I-75 IN SUMMER 2003 TO A REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR A/C UNIT IN SUMMER 2006. LAST WEEK'S COMPRESSOR FAILURE WAS THE LATEST IN THIS LONG SERIES OF PROBLEMS WITH THE A/C, BUT CLEARLY THE MOST SERIOUS AS IT RESULTED IN CONSIDERABLE SMOKE AND AT LEAST THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL DAMAGE AND DANGER. *NM

10AM, DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, SLOWING TO TURN LEFT, I SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING AND HAD TO MANUAL MAKE THE TURN (VERY DIFFICULT). THE VAN WAS ALSO HESITATING, LIKE IT WOULD STALL. I REGAINED FULL POWER AND POWER STEERING AFTER 10 SECONDS +/-. NOON, SAME DAY, ACCELLERATING <35MPH, UPHILL, SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT AFTER POWER STEERING FAILURE, I COMPLETELY STALLED IN THE ROAD AND HAD TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP WEDNESDAY. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM (NO CODE) OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. (ALSO AN ISSUE WITH AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE POWER SIDE DOOR POPPING OFF BUT NOT POWER OPENING). BOTH ELECTRICAL ISSUES HAVE OCCURED SINCE THE FIVE STAR DEALERSHIP CORRECTED AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH MY POWER GATELIFT POPPING OFF BUT NOT POWER OPENING) I HAVE CALLED CHRYSLER DIRECTLY ABOUT TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED ON BOTH ITEMS AND THE ADVANCE SERVICE INFORMATION 02-018/NHTSA#10000327 RELATING TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE POWER SIDE DOOR AND/OR LIFTGATE. EVEN WITH PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION, THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE FIXED UNTIL THEY GET A "CODE". I HAVE EXHAUSTED MY PROGRESS WITH CHRYSLER IN THEIR ASSISTANCE WITH THE PROPER DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM SO I COULD PAY TO HAVE THE CORRECT COMPONENT REPLACED. MY OPTION IS TO PAY $50 PER DIAGNOSTIC CHECK BY THE DEALER REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE VEHICLE "CODES" THE PROBLEM AND NO ASSURANCES AS TO THE NUMBER OF DIAGNOSTIC CHECKS IT MAY TAKE TO PRODUCE THE "CODE", SO I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH CHRYSLER CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE "WHICH IS HANDLED IN HOUSE". WHEN ASKED WHAT DEPARTMENT HANDLES COMPLAINTS, I WAS TOLD " CHRYSLER CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE". I CLARIFIED THAT IS THE SAME DEPARTMENT TITLE AS TO WHICH I WAS SPEAKING WITH, IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE HAS MANY DEPARTMENTS, WHICH ARE NOT GIVEN TITLES, AND THAT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PROVIDE NAMES OF WHOM WOULD BE HANDLING THE COMPLAINT, NOR WOULD ANYONE FOLLOW UP WITH ME. THE CIRCLES BEGINS! *NM

MY 2002 AND 2001 TOWN AND COUNTRY"S THE REAR HEATER STEEL TUBE LINES RUSTED OUT AT THE BRACKET JUST UNDER THE PASSENGER FLOOR IN FRONT OF THE RUBBER TUBE CONNECTION TO THE REAR ALUMINUM TUBE LINES. THERE IS A RECALL ON THE 2005 YEAR BUT CHRYSLER WILL NOT HONOR THIS ON 2001-2004 MODELS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE THE SAME TUBES ON THE TOWN AND COUNTRY AND THE DODGE CARAVAN FOR THESE YEARS. I HAVE A 2001 AND A 2002 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLUS MY SISTER HAS A 2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO LOOKED INTO YOUR OTHER FORMS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND THERE ARE COMPLAINTS IN 2001,2002,2003, AND THE RECALL STATEMENT FOR 2005. THIS IS A COMMON FLAW AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY CHRYSLER AND THIS PART RE-ENGINEERED AND THE NEW STYLE PART FULLY INSTALLED ON MY 2001 AND 2002 TOWN AND COUNTRY'S AT NO COST TO ME. *JB

THE REAR HEATER LINES FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. MY VAN IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD AND IS WELL MAINTAINED. I FOUND OUT TODAY THAT CHRYSLER ISSUED A RECALL ON 2005 AND NEWER MODELS TO REPLACE THE HEATER LINES BECAUSE THEY WILL PREMATURELY CORRODE AND LEAK. HOWEVER, THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME. I HAD TO PAY A DEALERSHIP $540.00 TO REPLACE THE LINES BECAUSE THEY FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. *JB

(1)EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE WE HAVE A 2002 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY WITH APPROXIMATELY 56,000 MILES. ON 26 OCTOBER MY MALFUNCTION/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ALL ROUTINE AND RECOMMEND MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE. DUE TO CONCERNS THAT IT WAS TRANSMISSION RELATED, I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY STATED THE PROBLEM WAS THE UPSTREAM O2 SENSOR. THE UPSTREAM O2 SENSOR WAS REPLACED, THE ENGINE CONTROLLER WAS UPDATED AND THE ENGINE CONTROLLER WAS UPDATED WITH THE LATEST SOFTWARE. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME ON 28 OCTOBER AND THE NEXT DAY THE MALFUNCTION/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER , WHICH WAS REPLACED WITH MY VEHICLE BEING RETURNED TO ME ON 01 NOVEMBER. ON THURSDAY 10 NOVEMBER, THE MALFUNCTION/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FOR A THIRD TIME. (2) FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES, AND THE THIRD TIME THE MALFUNCTION/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER ON 11 NOVEMBER. THIS TIME I WAS TOLD IT WAS A TORQUE CONVERTER/ TRANSMISSION ISSUE. THIS TIME, I WAS TOLD THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REMOVED AND A BROKEN LOW REVERSE ACCUMULATOR SNAP RING WAS DISCOVERED. THIS REQUIRED AN OVERHAUL OF THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACEMENT OF ALL SEALS AND CLUTCHES, AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SNAP RING. (3) WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; I.E, PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED (AND IF OLD PART IS AVAILABLE) OVERALL IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, ON MY A 2002 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY, THE FOLLOWING HAS BEEN DONE: 1-THE UPSTREAM O2 SENSOR WAS REPLACED, THE ENGINE CONTROLLER WAS UPDATED AND THE ENGINE CONTROLLER WAS UPDATED WITH THE LATEST SOFTWARE. 2- THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. 3- THE TRANSMISSION WAS OVERHAULED AND ALL SEALS AND CLUTCHES WERE REPLACED AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SNAP RING. *NM

THICK WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE BACK OF THE VAN - IT HAD A BURNING SMELL. PEOPLE ON THE HIGHWAY WERE MOVING AWAY FROM US BECAUSE OF IT. WE BROUGHT IT TO OUR MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT THE TUBES THAT FEED ANTIFREEZE TO THE BACK OF THE VAN (TO HEAT THE BACK) WERE ALL ROTTED, AND LEAKED ANTIFREEZE ALL OVER THE EXHAUST. HE SAID IT WAS A RESULT OF "POOR MANUFACTURING." THE CAR IS A 2002 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY AND ONLY HAS 30,000 MILES ON IT. THE WARRANTY JUST RAN OUT 2 MONTHS AGO.*AK