2003 Chrysler Town & Country Engine Problems

I PURCHASED THE VAN FROM A PRIVATE OWNER 2 HOURS PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING. HE TOLD ME IT OVERHEATS SOME. I CALLED MY CHRYSLER MECHANIC IN MT. VICTORY, OH AND ASKED HIM IF HE COULD LOOK AT HIM. HE TOLD ME TO BRING IT DOWN. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON ST RT 31 S AND IT STARTED OVERHEATING. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED IT OFF. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I WAS CALLING FOR A TOW AND I HEARD THE SOUND OF FIRE CRACKLING AND SMOKE WAS COMING THROUGH THE VENTS. I IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT OF THE VAN AND TOLD THE PERSON I WAS TALKING TO I NEEDED TO CALL 911 BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE THE VAN WAS ON FIRE. FLAMES AND HEAVY SMOKE STARTED SHOOTING OUT FROM UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE HOOD. I HAD CALLED 911. THE HARDIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT, OHIO STATE HIGHWAY PATROL, KENTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND BKP AMBULANCE SERVICE ARRIVED. I SMELLED SO BAD OF SMOKE AND WAS SHAKEN UP BUT THANK GOD I GOT OUT OF IT BEFORE IT BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES!!! IT GOR SO HOT THAT ANYTHING PLASTIC AND RUBBER UNDER THE HOOD MELTED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR EVEN MELTED!!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN AND CHRYSLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE IGNITION WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT BURNING FUMES WERE EMITTED IN AND AROUND THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

I WAS DRIVING AND MY ENGINE STARTED TO KNOCK SO I THOUGHT THAT IT MAY NEED A OIL CHANGE UT IT WAS TIME YET I STILL HAVE ANOTHER 1467 MILE TO GO BEFORE IT WAS DUE. SO I TOOK IT IN TO HAVE IT DONE ANYWAY. THEY MECHANIC STATED THAT MY ROD AND BEARING WENT OUT. THEN HE ALSO STATED IF HE WASN'T CORRECT THAT IN 2003 END AND THE BEGINNING OF 04 THEY DID A RECALL ON THE BEARINGS. WHICH NOONE WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF IT. SO NOW MY CARS JUST SITTING THERE. *TR

11/2/11 WHILE PARKED & RUNNING IDLE, VAN SHUTS OFF AND ALL POWER IS LOST. AFTER 15 MIN THE VAN FINALLY STARTS. HOWEVER, AFTER DRIVING 200 FEET IT LOSES POWER AGAIN. ROAD SIDE SERVICE JUMPS THE BATTERY, ALL SEEMS TO OPERATE NORMALLY. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS THE SAME THING HAPPENS MANY TIMES. 11/8/11 A NEW BATTERY IS INSTALLED. (STARTER & ALTERNATOR PASS TESTS) NEW BATTERY VAN STILL LOSSES POWER WHEN RUNNING IDLE PARKED/IN OPERATION(AT TRAFFIC LIGHT). FREQUENCY INCREASES AND EVENTUALLY VAN LOSES POWER/ STALLS WHILE DRIVING. AT TIMES VAN IS ABLE TO START UP RIGHT AWAY, OTHER TIMES IT HAS TO SIT FOR A FEW MIN. SOME WARNING OR INDICATION THAT SYSTEM MAY FAIL, VAN MAY SHUTTER A BIT/RPM GAGE NEEDLE FLUCTUATES WILDLY. ANOTHER NEW GLITCH, THE DOOR POWER LOCKS AND POWER DOOR LOCKS ALARM. POWER DOOR LOCKS STOP WORKING 2/12. FUSE IS REPLACED. PROBLEM IS FIXED TEMP, LOCKS STOP WORKING DAYS LATER. FUSE IS REMOVED AND RESEATED. POWER LOCKS WORK BUT ONLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS PROCESS IS REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES. BATTERY CABLE IS TAKEN OFF IN HOPES OF RESETTING POWER MODULE BUT UPON RECONNECTING CABLE, BATTERY HAS NO LIFE. END RESULT, BATTERY IS REPLACED, TESTS ARE RUN AGAIN ON STARTER/ALTERNATOR, THEY PASS. VAN RUNS OKAY FOR ABOUT A DAY, LOCKS STOP WORKING AGAIN. NEXT DOOR OPEN ALARM AND INTERIOR LIGHTS ARE SET OFF REPEATEDLY. AS OF TODAY ALL ISSUES ARE STILL PRESENT BUT SEEM TO COME AND GO. SERVICE/REPAIRS SINCE APRIL 2011, BRAKE SYSTEM FLUSH 2-11, COOLANT SYSTEM 2-11, TUNE UP 2-11, OIL/FILTER 2/11, RECONDITIONED TRANS/ REBUILT TORQUE CONVERTER 4/11, MUFFLER 5/11, SOLENOID AND EVAP HARNESS 6/11, OIL/FILTER 7/11, GASKETS/LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD 9/11, RADIATOR 9/11, REAR COOLING HOSE 9/11, BATTERY 11/11, THERMOSTAT 11/11, INTAKE MANIFOLD AND VALVE COVER 11/11, CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR 11/11, OIL/FILTER 11/11, FUEL FILTER 2/12, TUNE UP 2/12, OIL/FILTER 2/12, BATTERY 3/12. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DECELERATING AT 25 MPH. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE CONTACT'S PERSONAL MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSIS, BUT NO FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND AGAIN THERE WAS NO FAILURE DISCOVERED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR AND PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE, SO THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE ACCELERATING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ACCELERATING FROM A TRAFFIC STOP THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER UNPLUGGING THE BATTERY FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECM WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 154,511.

DASH BOARD INSTRUMENTATION FAILURE AND ADDITIONAL ENGINE ISSUES. FUEL GAUGE PEGGED. TACHOMETER AND OTHER GAUGES FLUCTUATING, ENGINE FALTERS AND STALLS, ALL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATE, RADIO BECOMES INTERMITTENT. CAR ALARM ACTIVATES AND WILL NOT SHUT OFF. LOW VOLTAGE TO DASHBOARD CLUSTER CIRCUIT BOARD. INSTRUMENT ERROR CODES E400.1, E100.1, E100.3, E100.4, E100.5 DEALERSHIP CAN NOT DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR ISSUES, WHICH HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING, OFTEN THE CAR STALLS AND WILL NOT RESTART IN TRAFFIC. NUMEROUS INTERNET REPORTS OF SAME PROBLEM BY MANY PEOPLE. (SEE EDMUNDS.COM, UNDER TOWN & COUNTRY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS) SUGGESTED REPAIRS ARE RE-SOLDERING OF CIRCUIT BOARD COLD SOLDER JOINTS IN CLUSTER BOARD, AND REPLACEMENT OF THE CLUSTER BOARD. RECOMMEND A SAFETY RECALL OF TOWN & COUNTRY'S AND VOYAGERS FROM 2000-PRESENT TO INSPECT FOR THIS ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. HE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALER. THE DEALER FOUND THE CAM SHAFT SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND WAS REPLACED ACCORDINGLY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 80,340.

WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2003 CHRYSLER T & C. IN AUGUST, 2009, MY WIFE BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDOW MOTOR SUDDENLY BECOMING INOPERABLE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THEN SUDDENLY WORKING AGAIN. ONE DAY, AS I WAS DRIVING THE VAN, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY PARKED THE VEHICLE. AFTER A FEW DAYS, THE CAR RESTARTED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF. HOWEVER, ON AUGUST 20, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS LEAVING A CONFERENCE. AFTER LESS THAN MILE, THEN VAN BEGAN SHUDDERING, THE LIGHTS BEGAN BLINKING THEN THE VEHICLE DIED. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE VAN WOULD NOT RESTART, IN FACT THE ONLY THING I RECEIVED WAS A CLICK. I HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME AND AGAIN LEFT ALONE. THIS TIME, THE WHEN I TURNED THE KEY, THE RESPONSE WAS JUST A CLICK. ALSO, THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL DRAIN THAT CAUSED ME TO REPLACE TWO BATTERIES. IN ORDER TO KEEP THIS FROM RECURRING, I DISCONNECTED THE NEGATIVE POST. AFTER CHECKING AND REPLACING THE STARTER AS WELL, I HAD IT TOWED TO A FACILITY WHO CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM WAS A BAD PCM. THE COST TO REMEDY THIS WAS $750. *TR

THE AIR CONDITIONING ON OUR 2003 TOWN AND COUNTRY DOES NOT SHUT OFF. I TURN OFF THE RADIO AND MY HEAT OR AIR CONDITIONING BEFORE EXITING MY VEHICLE. AS OF TODAY, MY AIR CONDITIONING DOES NOT SHUT OFF ON OUR VAN UNLESS I TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. I TRIED TO SHUT IT OFF WHILE PARKED AND ALL IT DID WAS SWITCH TO COOLING OFF OUR FEET IN THE OFF POSITION. THE AIR IS BLOWING SO HARD AND COOL THAT WE ALL HAD GOOSEBUMPS ON BEFORE WE EVEN REACHED OUR DESTINATION. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SHUT OFF THE REAR CONTROLS FOR A WHILE SO WE JUST OPTED NOT TO USE IT, WE SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS ONE COMING. SO NOT ONLY DO I HAVE MY REAR AIR CONDITIONING RUNNING, NOW WE HAVE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM RUNNING ALL THE TIME, EVEN WHILE IT IS TURNED OFF. ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW, DID WE BUY A LEMON OR IS THIS JUST A POORLY MADE CAR. ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, DOORS DON'T CLOSE,RADIO DOESN'T WORK IN THE RAIN, AND THE GAS GAUGE DOESN'T EVEN WORK. *TR

AT 60,000 MILES, ENGINE IS LOSING COOLANT. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF LEAKS. TEMPERATURE GAUGE READ HOT. PULLED OVER, LET ENGINE COOL DOWN, AND NOTICED THERE WAS NO COOLANT. VEHICLE ENGINE OIL WAS RECENTLY CHANGED BY WALMART. AND TO MY SURPRISE, WALMART'S BEST OIL CHANGE DOES NOT REQUIRE CHECKING COOLANT. ENGINE OIL WAS CLEAN AND FULL. *NM

NOISE STARTED COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WATER INDICATOR WENT TO HOT. PULLED OVER AND CAR WAS STEAMING. AFTER ALLOWING CAR TO COOL, CHECKED ANTI-FREEZE WHICH WAS LOW. REFILLED AND STARTED CAR. ANTI-FREEZE WAS POURING OUT OF COOLANT TUBING AT BOTTOM AND TOWARDS REAR OF ENGINE. SHUT CAR OFF. INSPECTED TUBING. TUBING WAS RUSTED OUT. CALLED DEALER AND HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED TUBING UNDER WARRANTY ( 40 MILES REMAINING). DEALER ALSO MENTIONED THAT 10 CARS WERE BROUGHT IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM THIS WEEK. *JB

ON 6/14/2006, WE WERE DRIVING OUR 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY WHEN WE EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE KNOCK AND LOSS OF POWER. LUCKILY, WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY. UPON CHECKING THE OIL, IT WAS FOUND TO BE "FULL" AND TRANSPARENT ON THE DIPSTICK. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A CHRYSLER 5 STAR DEALER WHERE DIAGNOSTICS WERE PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES ON THE ORIGINAL ENGINE AND IS COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURERS 7 YEAR, 70000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED "DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE", WITH A BUILDUP OF SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. WE WERE BEWILDERED BY THIS PRONOUNCEMENT, AS WE HAD ALWAYS DONE ALL SCHEDULED PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON THIS VEHICLE. WE ASKED THAT THE OIL PAN NOT BE DUMPED AND THAT A SAMPLE OF OIL BE TESTED, AS THE LAST OIL CHANGE WAS WITHIN THE LAST 250 MILES AND THEY WERE CLAIMING THAT THE "OIL WAS FILTHY". WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE THE DEALER WITH 5 DOCUMENTED OIL CHANGES, AND WE TOLD THEM THAT WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM. WE WERE ABLE TO FAX TO THEM WITHIN 28 HOURS, THE 5 DOCUMENTED OIL CHANGES THEY REQUESTED, AND ALSO LET THEM KNOW THAT MORE WOULD BE FORTHCOMING. BEFORE THE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION WAS PROVIDED TO THE DEALER, OUR WARRANTY CLAIM WAS DENIED ON 6/16/2006. WE AGAIN EXPLAINED THAT MORE DOCUMENTATION OF FURTHER OIL CHANGES WAS FORTHCOMING AND WE WERE VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS CLAIM WAS BEING DENIED. ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION WAS FAXED TO THE DEALER VERIFYING OIL CHANGES ROUGHLY EVERY 3000 MILES. WE HAVE PROOF OF 17 DOCUMENTED OIL CHANGES IN 50,000 MILES - MORE THAN REQUIRED. AGAIN, OUR WARRANTY CLAIM HAS BEEN DENIED. CHRYSLER HAS A HISTORY OF ENGINES FAILING AT ROUGHLY THE SAME MILEAGE, BLAMING THE CONSUMER FOR "LACK OF MAINTENANCE" AND THEN DENYING THE WARRANTY CLAIMS DESPITE PROOF OF MAINTENANCE. SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC HAPPENED TO THIS ENGINE, AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MAINTENANCE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE COMPUTER WAS DIRTY. AFTER THE COMPUTER WAS CLEANED, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO AWAIT FURTHER INSPECTION.

DROVE FOR TWO HOURS IN RAIN, PARKED CAR. SEVEN HOURS LATER, STARTED CAR AND IT STALLED...DID THAT TWICE. STARTED THIRD TIME BUT I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, SHUT MOTOR OFF. TURNS OUT A/C COMPRESSOR FROZE UP, SNAPPING THE SERPENTINE BELT. CAR TOWED, DEALERSHIP FIXED FOR NO CHARGE..."SPECIAL" WARRANTY IS WHAT I WAS TOLD. *JB

VEHICLE WOULDN'T START, BATTERY DRAWN DOWN TO 8.6 VOLTS WITH IGNITION ENGAGED. TOWED TO DEALER, DEALER FOUND ENGINE SEIZED. DEALER FOUND BEARING SPINNING ON #2 CYLINDER WHEN THE ENGINE FINALLY DID TURN OVER. METAL SHARDS THROUGHOUT ENGINE WARRANTED A NEW ENGINE. DEALER REPLACED SINCE IT OCCURRED AT 14000 MILES.*AK

2003 TOWN & COUNTRY WITH LESS THAN 15000 MILES HAS LOST IT'S COMPRESSION, OR PEPPY PASSING. WENT TO DEALER AND TEST DROVE SIMILAR CAR WITH OVER 30,000 MILES AND TEST CAR INCREASES SPEED DRAMATICALLY LIKE OURS USE TO. GOING UP BRIDGES ON HIGHWAY CAR LOSES SPEED AND NEEDS FULL ACCLERATION TO MAINTAIN 50-60 MPH. CAR AT PURCHASE WITH LARGE ENGINE HANDLED COMPETELY DIFFERENT. COMPUTER TESTS AT DEALERSHIP DOES NOT SHOW PROBLEM, SO THEY CANNOT FIX PROBLEM.*JB

ENGINE NOICE FROM ROCKER ARM EXCESSIVE . DEALER WOULD NOT FIX . STILL UNDER NEW CAR UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE WHEN ACCELERATING OVER 25 MPH, CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP MECHANIC, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED.*AK