2001 Chrysler Town & Country Steering Problems

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING, WITH ENGINE RUNNING, CAR WENT OFF ROAD, ALMOST HIT TREE. AFTER STOPPED , WITH ENGINE STILL RUNNING ( IT NEVER STOPPED) I HAD TO PULL BACK AND FORTH ON THE STEERING WHEEL, SUDDENLY THE WHEEL WAS FREE TO TURN AND HAS ACTED NORMAL SINCE. DROVE HOME FINE , BUT SCARED IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN ! KIDS WERE IN VAN !

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE STEERING TIGHTENED WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE CONTACT ADDED POWER STEERING FLUID TO THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED FLUID LEAKING UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN PROVIDED WAS INVALID. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 270,000.

HAD SEVERAL REPAIRS DONE AND IT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM BROKE DOWN IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT SPOTS WHILE DRIVING AND DURING MORNING START UP IT COULD HAVE CAUSED CUSTOMERS TO HAVE ACCIDENTS IT'S A FAMILY VAN SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE I DON'T KNOW WHAT PROCEDURE CHRYSLER IS MAKING TO FIX THESE ISSUES A CONTACT FROM COMPANY OR COMPENSATION WOULD GREATLY BE APPRECIATED ITS CAUSING BUSINESS TO LOSE CUSTOMERS. *TR

THE OWNER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN A SUDDEN NOISE AND JERK RENDERED THE POWER STEERING USELESS AND THE VEHICLE BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. A ACCIDENT WAS PREVENTED BY STEERING THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FOR REPAIR THAT IS STILL PENDING... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WHILE THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE POWER TRAIN POSITION LIGHT FLASHED. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A ROCK UNDER THE HOOD THAT WAS INTERFERING WITH THE DRIVING. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT HAD NOT ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT BULBS BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE REGAINED POWER STEERING INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

2001 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LIMITED 3.8L V6. I HAVE HAD SUSPENSION PROBLEMS FROM THE START. KNOCKING NOISES, ETC. REPLACED TIE RODS, SWAY BARS, LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND BUSHINGS, BUT DONE IT PIECEMEAL. MANY OF THESE ITEMS HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY REPLACED. NOW IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE--FROM STRICTLY ANNOYING TO DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. THE VAN JERKS APPROX 6-8 FEET LEFT AND RIGHT INTO ANOTHER LANE OR SHOULDER IN A SECOND. REPLACED THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND REDUCED THE JERKS TO ONLY 6-8 INCHES BUT STILL DRIFTS. I AM AGAIN REPLACING RACK & PINION, INNER AND OUTTER TIE RODS ALONG WITH THE NEW CONTROL ARMS. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM--BUT THIS REPEATED REPAIRS HAS COST MORE THAN THE VAN IS WORTH. NOT TO MENTION THE RAPID WEAR OF TIRES (SEEM TO REPLACE EVERY 10K MILES). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STICKING AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION. IN DECEMBER 2010, THE CONTACT HAD THE POWER STEERING LINE REPLACED HOWEVER, SHORTLY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL HAD BECOME DIFFICULT TO MOVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,633.

WHEN IT IS RAINING WE LOSING POWER STEERING. WE ARE NOT ABLE TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. ALSO SUSPENSION IS BANGING. HAD CLIPS ON SWAY BAR REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES AND STILL SAME BANGING. *TT

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. AFTER SHIFTING INTO DRIVE FROM REVERSE, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTER TRYING FOR APPROXIMATELY THIRTY SECONDS, THE WHEEL WAS ABLE TO BE TURNED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY DURING COLD WEATHER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 72,000.

I FEEL GOOD NOW THAT COMPANIES ARE REPAIRING THEIR DEFECTIVE AUTOMOBILES, A PROCESS THAT SAVES CONSUMER LIVES AND MONEY. ONE WOULD ASSUME THAT REGULATORS ARE CONTROLLING THE AUTOMOBILE COMPANIES AND PROTECTING THE PUBLIC, BUT THIS ASSUMPTION IS NOT TRUE. THE PUBLIC SPENDS BILLIONS ON DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS THAT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DOES LITTLE ABOUT DEFECTIVE AMERICAN CARS. MY POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKED OUT OF MY CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. I ENTERED CHRYSLER POWER STEERING PROBLEMS AND RECEIVED 6,480,000 RESPONSES. THEN I REALIZED THAT CHRYSLER IS UNABLE TO PRODUCE A WORKABLE POWER STEERING SYSTEM, OR THEY PLAN FOR IT TO FAIL. I BELIEVE THEIR POWER STEERING SYSTEM HAS BEEN A COMPONENT OF THEIR PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE FOR THE LAST QUARTER OF A CENTURY. I OWNED A 1987 CHRYSLER FIFTH AVENUE AND THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILED IN THAT CAR. WHY MUST CONSUMERS PAY FOR AUTO MAKERS' INCOMPETENCE OR PLANNED BREAKDOWNS? WE LOSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR WHILE REGULATORS DRAW PAY FOR IGNORING LARCENY AND KEEPING SEATS WARM. *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCKS WHEN ENGINE IS FIRST TURNED ON IN MORNING. SLOWLY, WITH A BUMP OR WHIRRING NOISE, IT FINALLY (ABOUT 15 SECONDS) LOOSENS UP. HOWEVER, AND THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES, AS WE DROVE ABOUT A MILE AND STOPPED AT A LIGHT, IT FROZE AGAIN AND WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN UNTIL CAR MOVED ABOUT 20 FT WITH GAS PEDAL ENGAGED. IF WE SAT THERE IT WOULD CONTINUE. SEEMS IT NEEDS THE ENGINE TO DO MORE THAN IDLE. *TR

POWER STEERING BOOST HAS FAILED ON THREE OCCASIONS. ALL WERE LOW SPEED, LESS THAN 10 MPH. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS OR OTHER CONSEQUENCES OTHER THAN EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN STEERING. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO MY CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP, AND THEY REPORT THAT THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE EVENTS I'VE REPORTED. THEY FURTHER STATE THAT THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. NEVERTHELESS, THESE EVENTS ARE EXACTLY AS I HAVE REPORTED TO THE DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND VEHICLE OWNER. MY CONCERN NOW IS WHEN AND WHERE WILL IT HAPPEN AGAIN, AND WILL THERE BE AN ACCIDENT! I FREQUENTLY DRIVE ON SNOW AND ICE (VEHICLE IS ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE), AND ANY STEERING FAILURE COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN QUESTION, AND NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. THE THREE LOSS OF POWER STEERING EVENTS OCCURRED OVER THE LAST 10 OR 12 DAYS. PRIOR TO THIS TIME THERE HAVE BEEN NO ISSUES AT ALL WITH THE POWER STEERING. WHAT CAN I DO NOW WITH A VEHICLE AND SITUATION THAT I NO LONGER REGARD AS SAFE? *TR

POWER STEERING PROBLEMS, AND POWER WINDOW AND DOOR PROBLEMS. *TR

AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THE 2001 TOWN AND COUNTRY I DECIDED TO REPORT MY OWN AS WELL. ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO I REPLACED MY WHOLE POWER STEERING UNIT. IT BEGAN BECOMING STIFF AND IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN MOSTLY IN THE MORNING WHEN IS WAS A LITTLE COLD...THEN IT BEGAN AT ANY START UP AND SOMETIMES ONLY WHEN I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE FLUID AND IT WAS FINE FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME AND THEN BEGAN DOING THE SAME THING. I TOOK IT BACK TO MY MECHANIC WHO THEN REPLACED THE WHOLE POWER STEERING UNIT. IT WORKED MUCH BETTER. THEN ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO IT STARTED WHINING I THOUGHT IT MAY HAVE BEEN A BELT BUT NOW I AM SURE IT IS THE POWER STEERING AGAIN. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED MORE WRECKS THEN WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADMIT AND I AM SHOCKED THAT CHRYSLER IS NOT RECALLING THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE MY AIR CONDITIONING UNIT AT 48,000. I TOO HAVE HAD TO REPLACED RUSTY BRAKES LINES AND MY CAR REPAIR GUY TELLS ME HE HAS REPLACED NUMEROUS LINES FROM CHRYSLER AND WE EVEN HAD TO WAIT BECAUSE THEY WERE ON BACK ORDER.( THAT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING) MY TAIL GATE WILL NOT ALWAYS OPEN EITHER. SOMETIMES IT DOES AND SOMETIMES I HAVE TO FORCE IT TO. NOT TO MENTION MY PASSENGER WINDOW HASN'T OPENED FOR YEARS...DUE TO A MOTOR NEEDING REPLACED. MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT IS DEFINITELY THE STEERING...THAT IS EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS. *TR

I MADE A RIGHT TURN ONTO THE FREEWAY AND MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED CAUSING THE ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT CONTINUED TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. AFTER I STOPPED THE CAR, THE STEERING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. CAR IS GOING TO BE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION/REPAIR? *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MADE A RIGHT TURN AND AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON THEN WENT OFF. TRIED TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSIS BUT IS NOT LISTED IN COMPUTER. AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF ALL THE TIME DID A SEARCH ON COMPUTER AND ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM SAYS IT IS A SPRING OR SOMETHING IN STEERING COLUMN THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE OF ALL THE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO CORRODED COOLANT LINES TO REAR AC/HEATER LOST ALL ANTIFREEZE AND VAN OVERHEATED BECAUSE OF THIS. *TR

UPPER POWER STEERING COOLER HOSE FAILURE ON A 2001 TOWN AND COUNTRY - WHICH IS EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE AS RECALL AFFECTING 2002-2004 (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V386000) MODELS. ANOTHER 2001 MODEL WAS IN THE SAME SHOP WITH THE SAME SPLIT HOSE ISSUE. RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO ALL MODEL YEARS WITH SAME PART OR DESIGN. *JB

POWER-STEERING RETURN HOSE MAY BURST AND CAUSE LOSS OF POWER-ASSIST STEERING AND/OR FIRE. THERE IS A RECALL ON 2002 AND LATER MODELS OF TOWN & COUNTRY MINIVANS. THE PROBLEM ALSO EXISTS ON 2001 MODELS, WHICH ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *NM

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT OFTEN HEARS A LOT OF RATTLING NOISES UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE WAS HEARD WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, BUT OCCURS AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND THEY REPLACED THE BOLTS. WITHIN SIX MONTHS, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 03/13/08. *LJ THE SWAY BAR LINKS AND BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE MADE A TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME STIFF. THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK AS WELL AS THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED.