2002 Chrysler Town & Country Fuel System Problems

DEFECT # 1951- ENGINE FAMILIES-2CRXT0382D0. EMISSION PROBLEM- DUE TO AN OVER- TEMPERATURE WELD CONDITION THE CONTROL SYSTEM MAY SEPARATE FROM THE TANK ASSEMBLY. THIS COULD RESULT IN A POSSIBLE FUEL LEAK. CURRENTLY, ENGINE LIGHT IS ON.

SEVERE GASOLINE ODOR FROM UNDER THE WHOLE CAR. NOTICED THE GASOLINE LEAK FROM THE SIDE OF THE GASOLINE TANK WHERE THE WHITE PLASTIC CONNECTOR WAS WELDED TO A BLACK PLASTIC GAS TANK.. WE NOTICED THE GASOLINE ODOR WHILE WE ARE IN A HOUSE. GASOLINE WAS LEAKING FROM THE GASKET BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND WHITE PLASTIC ATTACHMENT ASSEMBLY.

STRONG SMELL OF GAS FILLING UP VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. STRONG SMELL OF GAS ALSO OCCURS OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE FILLING UP PARKED ENCLOSURE WHEN VEHICLE WAS RUNNING. INSPECTION DETERMINED FUEL RAIL LEAK. REPAIRS INCLUDED REPLACEMENT RAIL AND FUEL INJECTOR O-RINGS. SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON FILE.

REAR FUEL TANK RETENTION STRAP BROKE AND NOTICED FRONT STRAP HAS IMMINENT FAILURE DUE TO RUSTING. IF THE FRONT STRAP BROKE THE PLASTIC TANK WOULD DRAG ON THE GROUND CAUSING A HOLE IN THE FUEL TANK AND IGNITION OF FUEL TANK AND VEHICLE AND LOSS OF LIFE. ALL VEHICLES LIKE THIS NEED INSPECTION AND REPAIR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

VAN STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND SMOKING HEAVY BLUE/WHITE SMOKE OUT THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE SMOKE WAS FROM RAW UNBURNED FUEL THAT WAS POURING INTO THE ENGINE AND UNABLE TO BE BURNED OFF AT ANY RPM BELOW 3000. THE VAN WAS FINE WHEN LAST PARKED AT OUR RESIDENCE. NEXT DAY WIFE WAS GOING TO THE STORE AND VAN IMMEDIATELY HAD THE PROBLEM. COOL ENGINE, HAD BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT. SHE DROVE ABOUT HALF A MILE THINKING THE VAN WOULD RUN SMOOTHER BEFORE SEEING AND SMELLING THE GAS AND SMOKE. SHE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED THE VAN TO THE HOUSE. I CHECKED THE DIAGNOSTIC CODE WHICH INDICATED P0201: #1 FUEL INJECTOR OPEN CIRCUIT. I AM FAIRLY HANDY WITH VEHICLE REPAIRS AND DECIDED TO TAKE THE TOP HALF OF THE INTAKE OFF TO CHECK THE #1 INJECTOR AND INSPECT THE OTHER 5 AS WELL WHILE THERE. ALL INJECTORS COIL RESISTANCE CHECKED FINE AT 12.5 OHMS, NO OPEN CIRCUIT AS INDICATED. DECIDED TO CHECK THE FUEL RAIL WIRING HARNESS FOR A SHORT CIRCUIT AND SURE ENOUGH THE #1 CYLINDER WIRING INDICATED A SHORT CIRCUIT. WITH THE METER ON THE INJECTED PLUG, WIGGLED THE HARNESS AND THE SHORT WENT AWAY. SO I REMOVED THE ENTIRE INJECTED WIRING HARNESS FOR INSPECTION, THIS INVOLVED REMOVING ALL THE FACTORY WIRE WRAP AND PROTECTIVE SLEEVE. DISCOVERED THAT ALL THE WIRES INSIDE THE HARNESS HAD ALL THE INSULATION MISSING AT ONE SECTION NEXT TO THE MAIN HARNESS CONNECTOR. THE HARNESS WAS PROTECTED AND NOT TOUCHING ANY PART OF THE ENGINE YET FAILED. I CONTACTED LOCAL CHRYSLER PARTS DEPT. AND INQUIRED ABOUT A REPLACEMENT HARNESS, RESPONSE WAS NEW HARNESS OVER $200 AND HAD TO BE ORDERED. WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS PARTICULAR HARNESS WHICH FITS 2001 - 2003 CHRYSLER VANS, IS ORDERED BY CHRYSLER GARAGES AT 53 UNITS A WEEK. THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES. THIS IS A FACTORY FLAW AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BEFORE A FIRE STARTS OR TOXIC FUMES FROM THE EXHAUST INJURES A PASSENGER. THERE IS NO HEAT SHIELD AT THIS CONNECTORS LOCATION WHICH I BELIEVE CAUSED THE HARNESS FAILURE. I REPAIRED THE HARNESS AND ENGINE RUNS. *TR

THE CAR IS 3 YEARS OLD AND WE HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS. THE AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER FAILED AT 56,000 MILES. THIS YEAR WE REPEATEDLY HAD TO TAKE THE VAN IN FOR THE ENGINE LIGHT. THE LIGHT WILL COME ON FOR A FEW DAYS AND GO OFF WITHOUT INTERVENTION. AT FIRST WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NO ISSUE. WE BROUGHT IT IN AGAIN AND WERE TOLD THE FUEL PUMP WAS LEAKING AND THE #5 CYLINDER WAS MISFIRING. NOT A WEEK LATER AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THIS TIME, WE WERE TOLD THAT ONE OF THE FUEL INJECTORS WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THIS IS THE WORST SERVICE RECORD I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. *JB

CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY 2002. AT 20000 MILES RECALLED FOR REPLACEMENT OF GAS TANK CONTROL VALVE SEAL (B25). NOW LEAKING @ GAS TANK ROLLOVER VALVE CAUSING VAN TO FILL WITH GAS FUMES. DEALERSHIP CONSIDERS OUR PROBLEM THOUGH CLEARLY IN A 2002 VEHICLE WITH 57,119 MILES WITH PREVIOUS GAS TANK ISSUES - ONE WOULD CONSIDER PERHAPS A MUCH GREATER PROBLEM WITH GAS TANK - CERTAINLY A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. *NM

DEALER TOLD ME NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, SOLD ME THE CAR AND LET US DRIVE IT OFF THE LOT WITHOUT PERFORMING A STOP SALE RECALL WORK. I DON'T WANT THE VEHICLE. I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT IT IF I HAD BEEN INFORMED THE RECALL WORK HAD NOT BEEN DONE. THE RECALL WAS ISSUED IN OCTOBER 2002, ALMOST A YEAR AGO. THE RECALL WORK HAS NOT BEEN DONE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THE VEHICLE AND DO NOT WANT TO ENDANGER ME, MY WIFE, OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD BY DRIVING IT ANYWHERE, INCLUDING THE DEALER WHOM I DO NOT TRUST DUE TO THIS AND INCIDENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED SINCE PURCHASE. I CANNOT FIT A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS DUE TO LIMITED CHARACTER SPACE IN THE ON-LINE SUBMITTAL. SUBJECT: ILLEGAL TRANSACTION AND MISREPRESENTATION BY ARCHER MOTORS; VEHICLE VIN [XXX] REF. DAIMLERCHRYSLER SAFETY RECALL NO. B25 - FUEL TANK CONTROL VALVE CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE FILE #11696229, CHRYSLER FINANCIAL FILE # [XXX] THE TRANSACTION SHOULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN PLACE BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT HAVE SIGNED THE CONTRACT NOR DRIVEN IT OFF THE LOT HAD WE KNOWN IT WAS A STOP SALE RECALL, AND THE WORK HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED. WE DO NOT FEEL THE DEALERSHIP IS PERFORMING DILIGENTLY TO PROTECT ITS CUSTOMERS. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER 2002 TOWN AND COUNTRY VANS ON THAT SAME LOT. I WONDER IF ANY OF THEM HAVE NOT HAD THE SAME GAS TANK RECALL WORK PERFORMED? WE ASK THAT ARCHER MOTOR SALES CORPORATION RESCIND OR UNDO THIS CONTRACT AND MAKE US WHOLE AGAIN. *LA INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER REGARDING APPOINTMENT FOR RECALL REMEDY 02V274000. WHILE ON THE PHONE, DEALER ADVISED CONSUMER THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND PERSONAL VEHICLE FILE, AND THEN ASKED IF VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM DEALERSHIP. WHEN CONSUMER ADVISED NO, THE DEALER REPLIED THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE ANY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE UNTIL 07/24/03. *AK

WHILE FILLING UP GAS TANK CONSUMER NOTICED GAS LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT ROLLING VALVE SEPARATED FROM FUEL TANK. FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WOULD REMAIN ON WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER, AND THEY INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN FUEL SYSTEM, AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THERE IS A GAS SMELL IN THE CAB. GAS LEAKING OUT AS FAST AS ONE PUMPS IT IN. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED ABOUT A FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

ENGINE SURGES AND CUTS OUT BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH. ON OCCASION IT STOPS RUNNING. TS