2003 Chrysler Town & Country Tires & Wheels Problems

REAR TIRE BLEW OUT, WHEN STOPPED TO ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE TIRE, I WAS UNABLE TO GET SPARE TIRE TO RELEASE FROM ITS HOLDER UNDER THE CAR. TALKED W/ THE MECHANIC AND HE EXPLAINED THAT ALL OF THE MINIVANS SUFFER FROM THE RELEASE MECHANISM RUSTING IN PLACE AFTER A FEW YEARS CAUSING THE SPARE TO REMAIN LOCKED. ONLY REMEDY IS TO CUTOUT AND REPLACE THE ENTIRE SPARE TIRE ASSEMBLY.

I HAD A SPARE TIRE CARRIER NOT LOWER THE SPARE TIRE DOWN ON MY 2003 CHRYSLER TOWNE AND COUNTRY, WHEN I WAS STUCK ON A COUNTRY ROAD WHERE THERE WAS NO HOUSES FOR MILES AND THERE WAS NO CELL SERVICE AVAILABLE. I WAS STUCK WITH MY 2 VERY YOUNG AND SEVERELY AUTISTIC CHILDREN AND UNABLE TO GET ASSISTANCE. AFTER PULLING AND TUGGING ON THE SPARE TIRE FOR AN HOUR AS TO TRY AND GET IT TO RELEASE IN THE DANGEROUS SITUATION I WAS IN, THE SPARE TIRE DROPPED WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND JUST MISSED HITTING ME IN THE HEAD. I WAS THEN ABLE TO CHANGE THE FLAT TIRE AND TRAVEL BACK HOME. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET A REPLACEMENT SPARE TIRE CARRIER FROM CHRYSLER SINCE IT WAS ORDERED ON 10/19/09. EACH MONTH THEY KEEP TELLING ME IT IS SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE IN ANOTHER MONTH. THE LAST DATE THEY TOLD ME FOR A RELEASE DATE WAS 12/14/09. WHEN I CALLED FOR A STATUS TODAY, 12/15/09, I WAS TOLD IT WAS PUSHED BACK FOR RELEASE ON 1/27/10. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CHRYSLER DIRECTLY, REFERENCE NUMBER: 19075470 EMAIL CASE NUMBER: 2373440 REPLY LINK: HTTP://WWW.CHRYSLER.COM/WCCS/BRAND_FORMS/US/REPLY.JSP?TRK_ID=KMM6735841I25261L0KM& AND THEY HAVE BEEN OF NO HELP. MY WIFE IS FORCED TO DRIVE OUR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN BACK AND FORTH TO THERAPY IN A VERY RURAL AREA WITH NO CELL SERVICE WITH NO SPARE TIRE. CHRYSLER IS CREATING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR MY FAMILY BY FAILING TO SUPPLY A REPLACEMENT PART. LIKEWISE I WAS ALMOST SEVERELY INJURED FROM THE ORIGINAL FAILURE OF THE PART AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. *TR

FALKEN TIRES ZE512 WORN PREMATURE OUTER WEAR DUE TO SIDEWALLS NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. SOMEONE SHOULD OF BEEN ABLE TO KNOW THIS AND SAVE ME (AND OTHERS) SOME MAJOR $$$ ON NEW TIRES. *TR

TOYO SPECTRUM TIRES' SIDEWALL NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR CHRYSLER TOWN&COUNTRY. HAD TO REPLACE. NOT A GOOD TIRE FOR THAT TYPE OF VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE VEHICLE HAS GOODYEAR VIVA TIRES, SIZE P215/65R16. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE SUDDENLY BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THE TIRE WAS IMMEDIATELY REPLACED WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL TIRE. THREE MONTHS LATER, THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE HAD MULTIPLE CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALL THAT CAUSED THE TIRE TO LOSE ALL OF ITS AIR AND FLATTEN. HE PLACED A SPARE TIRE ON THE VEHICLE AND BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT IN ORDER FOR THE FAILURE TO OCCUR IN THAT SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

ON JULY 1, 2003 NOTICED A LARGE BULGE, APPROXIMATELY FOUR INCHES IN DIAMETER, ON THE SIDE WALL OF DRIVERSIDE REAR TIRE OF MY NEW CHRYSLER TOWN&COUNTRY MINIVAN. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND GOT AN APPOINTMENT FOR JULY 2, 2003 TO GET TIRE CHECKED. WENT OUT ON MORNING OF JULY 2 TO TAKE CAR TO DEALERSHIP THE BULGE HAD RUPTURED AND TIRE WAS FLAT WITHOUT CAR BEING DRIVEN SINCE BULDGE WAS NOTICED. TIRE IS A BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL 42 215/65R16 987M+S EL42B2 WITH APPROXIMATLY 3800 MILES OF USE.*AK