2003 Chrysler Town & Country Visibility & Wipers Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE LIFTGATE WINDOW EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WINDOW NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 290,000.

FIRST INCIDENT 12/02/2011, APPROX 10:00AM, TEMPERATURE APPROX 40 DEGREES F, LOCATED NEW RICHMOND, OH 45157 - WHILE SITTING AT STOP SIGN REAR WINDOW/GLASS EXPLODED LEAVING A (APPROX) 1 FOOT HIGH BY 4 FOOT WIDE HOLE IN CENTER OF GLASS. REAR GLASS WAS COMPLETELY CRACKED/SPIDERED ALL THROUGHOUT WINDOW. REAR DEFROST NOT ON. POLICE CALLED TO SCENE, LOOKED IN AND AROUND VEHICLE BUT NOT OBJECTS FOUND THAT MIGHT HAVE HIT THE WINDOW. JUST EXPLODED ON ITS OWN. NO PRIOR REPLACEMENT AS FAR AS WE KNOW. WINDOW REPLACED AND PAID FOR BY INSURANCE COMPANY UNDER COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE.SECOND INCIDENT 12/11/2011, 8:00PM, TEMPERATURE 34 DEGREES F, LOCATED NEW RICHMOND, OH 45157 - VAN PARKED IN FRONT OF HOME. HEARD A SMALL EXPLOSION WITH GLASS SHATTERING. FOUND REAR WINDOW/GLASS EXPLODED AGAIN ALMOST EXACTLY AS IT DID BEFORE. TEMPERATURE 34 DEGREES F. SIZE OF HOLE IS ABOUT THE SAME (APPROX) 1 FOOT HIGH BY 4 FOOT WIDE HOLE IN CENTER OF WINDOW. NO OBJECTS FOUND AROUND OR INSIDE THE VAN THAT MAY HAVE STRUCK THE REAR WINDOW/GLASS. WILL CONTACT INSURANCE COMPANY IN THE MORNING. *TR

ON 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY LXI I HAD TO REPLACE THE BLOWER MOTOR RELAY LAST YEAR. NOW THE MODE DOOR ACTUATOR SEEMS TO HAVE FAILED! I CAN NOT CHANGE THE AIR BLOWING THROUGH THE DASH VENTS TO DEFROST. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS CHRYSLER MODEL HAS HAD DEFROSTER PROBLEMS! TWO SEPARATE PARTS FAILED, ONE THIS YEAR AND ONE (BLOWER MOTOR) LAST YEAR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER VANS AND NO RECALL? FOR NOT HAVING DEFROSTERS? *TR

REAR DOWN CLOSE ON ITS OWN, WINDOW SHATTERED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING APPROX. 40 MILES AN HOUR, THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR VENT WINDOW IN MY 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY EXPLODED ALL BY ITSELF INTO THE VAN LEAVING BROKEN PIECES OF GLASS ALL OVER THREE SMALL CHILDREN BUCKLED INTO CAR SEATS. NONE OF THE WINDOWS WERE OPEN AT THE TIME AND THERE WAS NOT A MAJOR TEMP. CHANGE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING HITTING THE WINDOW FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS CRACKS IN THE WINDOW. LUCKILY, ALL OF MY CHILDREN WERE OK. I REPORTED THIS TO MY LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AND TO THE DAIMLER CHRYSLER CORP. I SEE THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM REPORTED HERE WITH NHTSA. SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE A CHILD OR A PERSON IS CRITICALLY INJURED. *JB

THE DRIVERS SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS IN MY 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY HAVE FALLEN INTO THE DOOR MULTIPLE TIMES WITHOUT WARNING OR DURING USE. THE FIRST TIME WAS THE DRIVER'S SIDE AS I WAS LEAVING WORK AND IT WAS 15 DEGREES OUT. THE WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR. THE SECOND TIME WAS THE PASSENGER WINDOW AND IT FELL OUT WHILE NO ONE WAS IN THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS PARKED IN A VERY URBAN DOWNTOWN AREA. AS I WAS LEAVING WORK I APPROACHED MY VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE WINDOW WAS GONE. I OPENED THE VAN AND COULD TELL IT HAD FALLEN INTO THE DOOR WHILE I WAS WORKING THAT DAY. THE LAST TIME I WAS IN THE VAN AND I HEARD A LOUD SNAP AND MY HUSBAND WHO WAS OUTSIDE THE VAN OPENED THE DOOR TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND COULD TELL THE WINDOW WAS GOING TO FALL. THE FAILURE IS APPARENTLY IN THE WINDOW ACTUATOR OR SOMETHING. THE DEALER HAS HAD TO REPLACE THESE PARTS. IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR THE 3 OCCURRENCE AND WE HAVE ASKED TO KEEP THE OLD PART. *NM

DT: 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY EX. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THE CONSUMER TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR WINDOW DID NOT SEAL CORRECTLY. WHEN PASSENGER'S RODE IN THE BACK SEAT THE COULD HEAR WHISTLING NOISE. THE SALESMAN PUSHED IN ON THE WINDOW AND THOUGHT THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM. THERE IS 60000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE NOW. ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND THAT REAR WINDOW BLEW OUT WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 75 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WILL ONLY REPAIR IT AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE, $200.00. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS SPOKEN WITH WARRANTY THROUGH CHRYSLER, AND THEY DENIED THIS CLAIM BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. *NM

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED REAR WINDOW SHATTERED. THE CAUSE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT THE DEALER IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *AK

SHORT/MALFUNCTION IN WINDSHIELD WASHER MOTOR RESULTING IN WASHER FLUID SPRAYING UNTIL RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. WASHER COULD NOT BE SHUT OFF AND INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WHICH CAUSED INABILITY TO SEE THE ROAD OR OTHER VEHICLES.*JB

MY 2003 TOWN AND COUNTRY LIMITED MINIVAN RECENTLY HAD A WINDOW BLOW OUT ON THE PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND RESEMBLED A TEAR ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY UP THE WINDOW. IT DID NOT RESEMBLE AN EXTERNAL DAMAGE SIGHT AND SEEMED TO LOOK AS IF THE WINDOW RIPPED OPEN FOR SOME REASON. THE INITIAL 'TEAR' WAS ABOUT A FOOT LONG AND EXPANDED THROUGH OUT THE ENTIRE WINDOW FROM THERE. I WAS QUICKLY REFERRED TO MY INSURANCE CARRIER BY THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS ON MY WAY THERE AND WAS LESS THEN A MILE FROM THEM WHEN THIS OCCURRED.*JB

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE VISIBILITY SUN SCREEN, FROM THE WINDSHIELD DO NOT PROTECT HIS EYE VISION, AND HIS AFRAID TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED NOTHING THEY CAN DO. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS