This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Brakes have been a problem sense purchased new. They sometimes get hot enough to catch fire. We took the car to the dealer and we were told this normal. The service manager said it was the way it was being driven. After several attempts to get the dealership to replace the brakes we took the car to independent shop. The pads, rotors, calipers and brake lines were replaced with after market parts. These also got hot caught fire. We then took the car to a different Chrysler dealership and was told we should have used oem parts. We then had this dealership replace the aftermarket parts with oem parts. The brakes again continued to run hot. 3,000 miles later the steering wheel began to vibrate and smoke came into the vehicle. During the 99,000 miles we have used this minivan the brakes always ran hot and have caught fire three times. Looking on the internet I see thousands have similar problems. The average brake life on this van is about 20,000 miles. Our previous Dodge van ran 120,000 miles before any brake work. The Chrysler minivan has a problem with hydraulic pressure not being completely released when the brakes are released. This creates excessive overheating and sometimes fire.
A accident has not been caused as of yet. We had the back brakes completely overhauled last year because they were ceased causing loss of pressure in the brake system. Brakes had to be pumped before you could come to a complete stop. Caliper, pads, rotors and brake adapter were all replace. We picked up the van 10/1/14 after having this done. Here it is 9/15 and the back calipers have already ceased, causing the rotors to warp again. The whole system will have to be replaced again. This is obviously caused by a design flaw in the braking system!
I purchased a used 2008 Chrysler Town and country touring edition with appx. 30,000 miles on it in late 2011. In may of 2012, I had an accident which only affected myself and the vehicle. While traveling approximately 45 mph the passenger rear wheel came off of the vehicle, causing the van to slam to the ground and me to perform emergency maneuvers to stop. The wheel, having had all five lug bolts sheared off, had bounced off of the vehicle doing considerable body damage. The brakes, axle, tire, et al had to be replaced. I chalked this up to coincidence, paid my deductible, and had over $3,000 worth of work done to repair the damage from the accident. This past Sunday, August 24th, 2014, the exact same thing happened. I was traveling slower this time, about 25 mph, and when I heard the same wheel making noise I pulled off the road into a strip mall parking lot just in time to have the wheel come off again, this time doing damage to the rear quarter panel, the bumper, the axle, brakes, tire, et cetera. It also forced me to make another emergency stop, this time in the lot, where the right side of my vehicle was damaged by the handle of a commercial dumpster that stopped my skid. I reached out to Chrysler because I cannot believe that the exact same thing to the exact same wheel would happen twice, and I now chalk it up to a parts failure on Chrysler's end. I was at first told that they were not responsible and that nothing would be done on their end. The following day, I spoke with the Chrysler dealership where the van was towed and was told by their head mechanic that the failure was due to the (factory) alloy rim. I again contacted Chrysler with this new information and was told that my case was being moved up to a "specialist" and that I would have to wait 3-5 days before I heard from them. I no longer feel safe transporting my family in this vehicle.
I was driving on a NY highway at 60 mph when my car suddenly shut off and the ignition turned to the acc position. I had my child in the back seat and we narrowly escaped an accident. I brought the car to my Chrysler dealership and paid $800 for a clockspring which I was told would prevent this from happening again. It just happened again 3 weeks ago. This time I was in rush hour traffic and almost caused a multiple car collision. I had no control over steering wheel or brakes. The car completely shuts off. I called Chrysler and they said "wow, I never heard that before". really?? because models 2009-present have been recalled for this exact issue yet you have no idea what I'm talking about. My car was at the dealership again for 11 days and I was told they don't know what the problem is either. I spent $900 on a rental for that waste of time. These 2008 cars need to be recalled before someone gets killed. I do believe it will happen soon because this is a scary situation to be in.
- Holbrook, NY, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
Drove car approx 100 feet, 1st thing in the morning. Used brakes at end of driveway, then started driving and all 4 brake related lights came on - ABS light, traction control light, brake light, esp bas light. All 4 lights remained on. They were not on when car intially started, but came on immediately after using the brakes for the 1st time. Always remained on until car was turned off. Took car to shop next day and the diagnostic showed the anti lock module was failing. Not overly safe to drive young kids around, so we went ahead with the repair. Chrysler informed the shop that they sell roughly 15 of these parts a week. Shop questioned why they were not recalled as that # is quite high. New module has been in for about a week and all seems fine. Updated 7/29/2015
Took vehicle in to my shop to service rear brakes, they were grinding. I expected to have to replace pads and rotors. We hadn't done it in the 40K miles we've owned it and didn't have it's service history prior to that. The mechanic found the rear brakes had been frozen closed for "a long time." Due to this, he said temps had gotten so hot back there that the brake hoses were extremely warped and the brake fluid had turned to sludge. I had to replace the hoses, calipers, pads, and rotors and flush the brake system fluid. I'm worried had this continued we would have been in a situation where we couldn't stop or we could have had a fire.
The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Town and country. The contact stated that while driving 15 mph, the brakes made an abnormal noise whenever they were applied in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and an independent mechanic. The mechanic performed diagnostic testing and stated that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000....updated 09-05-14 updated 11/5/15
While driving the van stopped working, instrument panel lit up, ac and radio turned off, steering locked and brakes did not work. Contacted local dealership they were unable to diagnose after 2 days. Took it home and same thing happened on 7/11/14. Brought to non-dealership mechanic who is looking into steering column/electrical problem but still nothing after 3 days. I have an extended warranty on vehicle so plan to submit expenses to Chrysler.
While driving back from work my vehicle turned off completely. It was rolling and I was unable to brake or turn the steering wheel. There was no power steering, no brakes, all the controls and lights were off. I was in the middle of the busy 4 lane street. I put my hazard lights on and moved over to the outside lane and ultimately was able to turn into the parking lot. I sat there for a while stunned by what happened. After a few minutes I tried to start the van. It did start and I was able to continue on my way home. Exactly the same situation occurred today, July 14, 2014. We also have been having issues with starting the van. After turning the key the van starts up and a few seconds later goes dead.
I was driving about 30 miles an hour when my van shut off by itself. I had to pull over to the side with no power steering or power breaks, shift into park and restart my van. After the restart it again shutdown on its own at the next stop sign. I restarted and have not his this particular problem happen again. I have also had random problems with the air conditioning / heater fans randomly shutting off. To remedy the problem the with fans I have to shut off the van completely and restart and then the fans start working again.
The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Town and country. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated and the entire instrument panel warning lights illuminated. The contact mentioned that the power steering failed and was unable to apply the brakes. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the win module and ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,029 and the current mileage was 86,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Town and country. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the brake pedal had to be applied with extreme pressure to bring the vehicle to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that the brakes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,303.
I used my remote key button to start my vehicle, when I opened the door to enter the vehicle I noticed that the windshield wipers came on by them selves, they operated as if they were on delay until I placed the ignition key into the slot and place it in the start position, I then backed up and headed to work, all the way into town my dash lights flickered off and on, the wipers operated all by themselves even though they were turned off, the key chime continually chimed, both of the front window and the side view mirror control buttons on the driver side control panel did not work, but the side door window buttons and the rear louver window buttons and the passenger door window control panel buttons worked, the headlights flashed off and on and the turn signal lights were intermittent when switched on, as I said before the driver side window buttons would not work, therefore I could not use hand signals and I almost got rear ended. Also when applying the brake pedal the brakes would chatter and the front end of the vehicle shook so much it felt like the front end was going to come off. So I shut off the vehicle and started it normally with the key in the ignition, it still went crazy, the same thing was happening as described earlier, I later looked online and one forum answer said to disconnect the battery to try and do a reset, I disconnected the battery completely and then after 5 minutes I hooked the battery back up and started the vehicle, no change it was still doing the same thing and continues to do it every time I start the vehicle.I cannot afford another vehicle payment, so I continue to drive it this way! I have seen this problem mentioned all over the internet posted on many Chrysler and Dodge product forums! it seems to be that there are not any recalls or tsr's relating to this problem but there certainly should be!!!!
While driving down a main road, the car suddenly shut down. Nothing worked. I could not brake or steer as power steering went. The only thing that stayed on was the radio. Car slowly coasted and eventually stopped. My 2 young children were in the car, I have already told dealer about this and they said they could find nothing wrong but that it sounds like a key roll back issue. They told me if it happens while driving again I should turn key as it may have moved from on position to acc position due to a bump in the road. Turning the key did nothing. After the car stopped I attempted to restart car and everything worked except the malfunction indicator light stayed on. This is a serious issue and Chrysler service department did not seem to care when I called! then I begin researching and find that they recalled 2009 vehicles of the same make for the same problem!
Our van makes a grinding or rubbing noise coming from the front end/axles. It is especially noticeable when we are turning. It sounds like a fluttering/grinding of metal or some part that is revolving with the wheels as we drive. We had the brake rotors replaced and pads replaced. That helped with the shimmy we felt while braking, but the rubbing/grinding sounds persist. We are being told it might be wheel bearings. Others have reported similar problem to NHTSA for this model/year T&C mini van. There is a service notification K19 for this exact problem on some 2008 models. I think our van VIN# should be added to that list of "some 2008 models."
I noticed at approximately 48,000 miles that my 2008 Town & Country was burning oil during use with no visible oil leaks after taking the vehicle in for an oil change. The mechanic stated that the vehicle was 3 quarts of oil low when checked before draining the oil. I have been checking the oil once per month since. The vehicle now has about 73,000 miles on it and is burning approximately 1 quart of oil each 1500 miles driven. I have never owned a vehicle with this problem and have read other complaints on this site of this same issue. I am lucky that I caught the issue before serious engine damage and repairs were required like some of the other respondents. This issue should be considered for recall or extended coverage in the event that serious issues occur. Other issues I have experienced during my ownership of this vehicle I purchased new are the premature failure of the front hubs and premature wear of the brake components. The front hubs have failed on each side 3 times already in the 73,000 miles and now the drivers side hub is making a loud noise again signaling that it will need to be replaced soon. I have never had this issue with any vehicle that I have owned. To have it happen for the 4th time prior to 100,000 miles would seem to be a defect. The brake components seem to wear out every 15,000 miles and the rotors require replacement each time the pads wear out. This seems to be a quality issue with the parts both new and replacement.
While driving in residential area, van would completely shut off (stall) without notice. Radio/dvd would continue. Major problem with the shut off is that there is no power steering and the brakes ould not work! it's happened multiple times. The next day the engine light came on. Took to the dealership and the only code was egr valve code. Technician did not connect it to the engine failure. After discussing with chryler, they felt that the egr valve does contribute to the engine failure at low speed.
The automatic brake system takes over while driving (not braking) in one tire? this has happened at least three times causing me to go into on-coming traffic once and onto a lawn of a business. There is no ice on the road, I'm not braking, no snow. This is going to kill somebody; if it already hasn't. my personal mechanic says to remove all brakes & brake parts, replace the ABS system and other items will be over $5000 im still paying on the bloody vehicle, I cant afford to drive it ( kill myself, family and somebody else ) and I cant afford to fix it. 2008 T & C
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Bolton, NC, USA