2016 Chrysler Town & Country Complaint Log

Without warning Ignition Turned off WHILE driving and in motion. Was slowing to get ready to make a turn onto another adjacent road loss of power steering and the stall nearly resulting in Auto accident Luckily my 3 children were not present in the van at the time no warning lights no check engine lamp just sudden failure and shutoff of the vehicle

The driver side rear sliding door started making a loud buzzing noise when the doors lock. Then the door stopped locking at all. This is a safety hazard because my kids could open the door while the vehicle was moving. I read about this happening with other 2016 T&C vans also. There were no warning lights or anything to indicate what was happening. Just the loud noise.

Engine completely shut off while in drive on the road, lost all power, brakes everything. managed to coast into to a parking lot, where the vehicle kept turning on and off. The key didn't seem to connect to the van. the van died as soon as i coasted it off the road. everything is electronic in the van. even taking inserting the key fob into the van did not work. Van has around 93000 miles on it. Had problems where the van would not start at all before then got it to start eventually. It was like the ignition was not reading the key. First time it happened driving on the road. newer vehicle battery and batteries in the key fob. Help. is there a recall on this van?

The driver side sliding door stopped unlocking, manually or automatically, it also stopped opening manually or automatically by button. I contacted my dealer who referred me to TSB 23-036-21 REV. A. They said the repair would be 100% covered by the manufacturer, however, after repair, they tell me that certain parts required for repair we not covered by the extended warranty. They replaced the actuator as the repair required, as well as the latch. The actuators are specified in the TSB, the latches are not. But the dealer insisted that to repair this they followed manufacturer instructions and the latch was necessary to fix the door. They gave me the FCA Chrysler hotline, which I called and they tell me that the latches ARE required to be replaced for repair, but that the customer is required to pay for this part which is nearly $800. If latch repair is necessary to make the van doors operate safely, it should be included in the TSB. I need help with getting resolution here.

The sliding doors, both driver and passenger side, locks broke. They make a loud honking noise when unlocking vehicle. After doing some research, it looks like this is a very common problem in the 2016 minivan.

The vehicle was listed on the Facebook marketplace for 96,000 miles, while near purchasing for $8,900, cash asked the seller to run a carfax and he took very long, and never gave it to us. I took it upon myself to contact someone to run the VIN number on the vehicle ... the carfax shows the vehicle has 450,487 miles registered in Maryland at 450,487 miles on 11-16-2022. Said vehicle with the same vin was registered in New York State on 12-12-2022 and listed with an odometer reading of 99,451 miles. The receipt was given with the wrong price than originally charged (included in uploads). Odometer was turned back from this dealership registered in New York State I believe it's very unfair for law-abiding citizens like myself to go through such a disastrous experience as well as almost losing $8,900, I'm kindly asking you to please investigate this matter because I believe most of the vehicles sold by this seller has fake odometer reading (mileage). Please run the VIN for this vehicle registered to different states with different odometer reading upon reaching New York State to scam law-abiding citizens. I want this to be investigated ASAP. I enclosed for your convenience my messenger chats with the seller.

On 1/02/2023, I was getting in the van and the driver side active headrest popped open. The vehicle was parked and was turned off when this happened. I searched online to see how to fix it and many customers have the same complaint and forums recommended that I report this to NHTSA. Please let me know if you need pictures or any other information.

The drivers side window sudden fell off the track and into the door while driving No accident, nothing unusual, just the door suddenly coming off and crashing inside the door

The transmission pump failed suddenly, resulting in severe slippage in the transmission and loss of motive power for the vehicle. The vehicle struggled to stay up to road speeds on the highway until I could get it parked in a safe place to get my family out of the vehicle. Later on that day, I tried to take the vehicle around the block, to which it barely would make it back to it's starting point it was slipping so badly. A local Chrysler dealer has diagnosed the transmission is bad specifically citing a bad pump in the transmission. There were no warning lamps or indicators alerting us to this problem, just the sudden failure of the transmission putting me and my family in an unsafe situation. This vehicle meets all the criteria of a Chrysler Town and Country listed on Recall 16v-461 (S44 within FCA's nomenclature). The build date of our van falls squarely within the build date window listed in the recall. Recall states 7/31/15 through 4/18/2016 build dates are affected--our van states Build date of 11/15 on the door jamb. However, after contacting multiple dealerships and Chrysler themselves, they claim our van is not a part of this recall as the VIN number is not associated with the recall. I don't understand. The recall calls out the failure of the transmission oil pump, and that is the exact part that has failed on our van causing an unsafe sudden failure of the transmission in our van. I think it is a failure on FCA's part to not associate all the vehicles with this recall that in reality should be associated with this recall. This is wrong.

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and accelerating, the transmission experienced hard shifting. The vehicle started jerking and made abnormally loud sounds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving at 40 MPH on the highway to prevent the failure from reoccurring. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys and to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with the power train and the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Owner was driving car and noticed high pitch whir at low speed upon entering the highway, had the radio been on then this noise would not have been noticed. Driver was able to exit the highway. Upon reaching a stoplight the vehicle revved up to 60mph then down to zero. When barely compressing the gas this occurred again. Owner quickly turned off and on vehicle hoping to reset whatever was happening. Upon restarting and barely pressing gas the vehicle lurched forward with high rpm. Driver was in high traffic area at height of rush hour, but was able to cross 4 lanes of traffic to a side street. Car was towed to dealership where it was confirmed that the transmission pump had failed and metal shards had gone through the transmission causing full replacement to be needed. No warning lights went off on vehicle and vehicle had been serviced regularly with no warning of failure. Loss of control of vehicle in heavy traffic was unexpected and dangerous. Vehicle had 49,787 miles at time of failure.

During idle, or driving under various conditions, vehicle will randomly "shut down". This can happen driving through a corner or on the interstate at 70mph. Once it shuts down, you lose braking and steering assist. Still have headlight and accessory power. Car will start right back up either putting it in neutral and turning the key, or coming to a stop and putting it in park. Doesn't hesitate to crank, appears to have fuel pressure and spark. There is no correlation to this issue with driving conditions. Sometimes will happen multiple times in a day, sometimes wont happen for a week. Research suggests that this is a very common issue across many years of vehicles that have used the 3.6L Pentastar engine, however no TSB's or recalls have been issue for the 2016 T&C exhibiting this issue.

The driver side rear sliding door is stuck in a closed and locked position. All attempts to open or unlock it using fobs, interior buttons, or manual force have failed. Others with this same issue seem to attribute it to a known lock actuator issue. Inability to exit the vehicle is a safety concern. I have not yet seen a mechanic for it. There were and continue to be no warnings/symptoms/indications that the vehicle computer system recognizes the problem. Prior to this, both sliding doors have occasionally 'glitched' by repeatedly closing automatically, unbidden - also a safety issue if children are caught or injured by the unexpected action.

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, she heard an abnormal noise near the floor of the vehicle. The contact then stated that while the vehicle was idling at a stop, she depressed the accelerator pedal; however, RPM’s increased rapidly but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was able to coast the vehicle off the road. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The contact referenced the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V461000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

On my 2016 Town & Country, the check engine light went on. The repair facility said the code is PO740 (transmission torque converter circuit). Another repair facility says the transmission needs to be replaced. The vehicle has only 61,XXX miles.

My 2016 Chrysler Town and country van, started making horrible noises while I was circling to get my friend at the airport. There was no warning light and no place to stop. I slowly drove 2 miles to a gas station and parked it over night, got it towed to my regular shop in the morning. They told me transmission oil pump had failed. They referenced me to NTHSA SAFETY RECALL 16V461000 ( Chrysler recall number S44 ) for transmission oil pump. Recall was for dates Aug 2015 thru Aug 2016. My vehicle DOM was December 2015, right in the middle of the recall date range. However, for unknown reasons, my VIN is not included in the NTHSA recall and Chrysler / FCA / Stellantis is refusing to pay for the $7500 repair. I would like NTHSA to please add my VIN number to the above referenced recall. Please let me know next steps. Thank you!

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while shifting into reverse, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she continuously moved the gear shifter from park to reverse(R) and drive(D) until the vehicle responded after shifting into drive(D). The contact was able to drive the vehicle however, the vehicle would not exceed 20 MPH. The contact engaged the hazards lights and continued driving. The contact stated that upon pulling into her driveway, the check engine warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the dealer needed to diagnose the vehicle before they could cover the repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V461000 (Power Train). The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact followed up with the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer informed the contact that they could not assist and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 102,283.

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country Van. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal noise under the hood of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact then stated that when shifted into reverse or drive, the transmission intermittently failed to shift to the intended gear. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Oil filter housing assembly has oil leaking from it

The contact owns a 2015 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while his wife was attempting to reverse the vehicle, the vehicle failed to perform as needed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to drive the vehicle to her destination even though the reverse was inoperable. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the transmission solenoid needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the independent mechanic eight months later and was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

Cylinder 3 missfire Loss of hydraulic pump prime. Line pressure low. LC pressure switch rationality. Yes it's available for inspection. Unknown if reproduced by dealer or other Unknown if inspected by manufacturer or other. The check engine light came on a little after 90k miles, at which time it was out of warranty, the mechanic said it had a weak cylinder and the motor needed to be replaced or rebuilt, but it was still drivable. The van would start shaking and loses power under moderate acceleration (like getting on interstate) and begin dinging but eventually gain power back. Around 119k miles, the van made a loud Squealing sound and started loosing speed very quickly in the middle of traffic. I put the car in park and back in drive to see if I could get it out of the road. It then started to roll backwards I barely pushed the gas and it revved up to 6000 RPM and then jerked and quickly accelerated forward. If a car would have been close enough I would have hit them while rolling backwards and when it accelerated forward. Upon inspection, the faults listed above came up. The van is no longer drivable but still starts.

WE WERE GETTING BACK INTO THE VEHICLE AND THE PASSENGER HEAD REST ACTIVATED AND POPPED OUT

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while attempting to strap the car seat into the 3rd row seat belt, the buckle failed to attach. The contact stated that an internal piece was missing. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there was no recall on the VIN and there was no warranty on the vehicle. The contact was advised to purchase the parts for the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000

Engine needed to be replaced 1 year ago. Transmission began skipping and losing pressure and now needs to be rebuilt

Defective door-latching system; in particular: the driver side, (left side), passengers sliding door; which resulted in occupant being trapped in vehicle until we were able to extricate through other door. There is a pending class action lawsuit regarding this defect: UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN Case 2:21-cv-11696-JEL-DRG; failure occurred with no warning and does not allow for manual operation of the door system. This defect poses an extreme safety hazard, as it is possible that both passenger doors could be affected, essentially trapping the occupants in the mid and rear seating compartments.

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that the passenger side sliding door emits a buzzing noise. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate while in first gear before jumping into the next gear without warning. In addition, the contact also stated that an abnormal grinding sound would emit from the vehicle without warning. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed him that the transaxle oil pump was defective and needed to be replaced. The contact was then notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V461000 (Power Train) which the mechanic linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

I have had this vehicle for 2 years. I have replaced the fly wheel 3 time. It has caused many issues under he hood.

Rear side passenger doors. At times they do not work remotely or manually. They go into a lock position and there are no means of opening them. If there are passengers in the vehicle, they are locked inside without any means to get out those doors. At the present time on my vehicle, one is working and the other is in a lock position. I am calling the dealer today to set up an appointment to resolve. This is a very serious problem if someone was to have passengers and have to exit the vehicle through those doors quickly, or are not able to climb out the front or back doors, I feel could lead to a liability or lawsuit against the manufacturer.

Driver's side sliding door lock remains locked in the locked position. It will not unlock and will not unlock, when using the unlock button. Will not unlock manually. Unable to open using interior or exterior door handles. All other door locks operate when using unlock button. Unsafe and difficult, when handicap individuals try to exit vehicle. Unable to open in case of emergency.

The rear passenger door no longer operates. Have been told it is a door actuator problem. How can a car manufacturer in 2016 not make a functioning part that would kill my children if the vehicle were to become submerged in water/catch on fire/ or need immediate evacuation. Chrysler should be ashamed they have not recalled and fixed this defective part that they have known since 2008 was a problem. Other than non functioning brakes and seat belts..... what could be more important than evacuation during an emwrgency??emergency???

The actuators on both sliding doors were replaced by a Chrysler dealership under a recent recall. Both doors had been having problems locking and unlocking. The actuator on the passenger sliding door had to be replaced twice, but the door continued having issues with getting stuck in the locked position. We could not unlock or open it manually or electronically. Chrysler and the dealership continued to claim that they had replaced the parts according to the recall and they would not figure out why the door was continuing to get stuck locked. Then, while my teenager was driving 55 mph, the door spontaneously opened, even though all doors were locked while driving. Alarm bells sounded. Fortunately, I was with her and helped her to navigate to the shoulder of the road and put on the hazard lights so that I could try to shut the door. It did shut. This is a serious safety concern because my children usually are sitting in the back, right next to the sliding door. I am worried the door will randomly open while we are driving, or that the door will randomly lock them inside. It has not functioned properly since the dealership tried to replace the recalled actuator.

Sliding door suddenly and without warning fails to unlock or open. Whether attempts are made electronically nor manually, the door cannot be unlatched and therfore cannot be opened from the inside or outside creating a serious safety risk in the event of an accident or any reason for a speedy exit

I have a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country and just about every time the doors lock the drivers side sliding door makes this loud buzzing noise. Research shows that the door lock actuator is probably failing. My fear is that the door lock itself may fail. I expect the doors on the vehicle to lock when they are supposed to. This is a safety issue that needs to be addressed by Chrysler.

The passenger side sliding door will not open. The lock became stuck in the locked position and it will not unlock. It cannot be unlocked by hand, the unlock button inside the van, or with the key fob. This is dangerous because nobody can get out through that door in the case of an emergency.

Hood latch assembly detached from the hood of the van while driving on freeway causing the hood to crash into windshield, obstructing all visibility and causing extensive damage to vehicle.

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently down shifted to first gear. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift 3rd or 4th gear. The contact stated that after the vehicle down shifted, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he quickly pulled the vehicle off the roadway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the passenger’s side sliding door failed to open as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the actuator failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that the driver's side sliding door was making an abnormal sound and failed to open and close as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

Left rear passenger door of my Chrysler Town & Country minivan (behind driver's seat) suddenly became locked in place and would not unlock. I was told by local garage that the locking mechanism (door lock actuator) needs to be replaced and would cost 695.00 for parts and labor. I've read several online complaints about this same issue. This is a SAFETY issue; Chrysler needs to recall and repair. If someone was trapped inside (for ex, if the vehicle exited the road and landed in water) they could be trapped inside the vehicle.

1) Check engine light appears and engine loses power when going up inclines on highway (bridge, hill, etc.) Cruise control shuts off involuntarily and even if you push the gas pedal to the floor, the vehicle decelerates. This causes a safety issue every time as cars in other lanes are swerving around me as I haven't enough power to adequately climb the hill. Dealer service dept says it's most likely a camshaft issue, based on their diagnostic code P0369. This started happening @ 65,000 miles - ridiculously early for such a major engine repair. My own mechanic says this is a known issue with Chrysler Town & Country, yet FCA refuses to stand behind their product. 2) Blind spot sensor failed @ 30,000 miles - also a known issue. Dealer tech said it's not worth the $800 repair because it will go out in another 30,000 due to poor design (sensor gets caked with mud/grime over time due to nonsensical placement), making this safety option useless. Vehicle is available for inspection of both items upon request.

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving approximately 15-20 MPH, the vehicle revved high several times, started jerking and stalled. The contact veered to the side of the roadway. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer also informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V461000 (Power Train) because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included. The manufacturer also informed the contact that she did not qualify for Good Will assistance due to the mileage on the vehicle and because she was not the original owner. The failure mileage was approximately 67,479.

The transmission fails. When this happens the call stalls or jerks while driving. This was seen by my local mechanic for the pump and the transmission is now being serviced by another independent repair shop. When the issue originally happens there were many lights that went off. once the pump was replaced a few months later we got the check engine light where we found major damage to the transmission (torque converter, solenoid block, and Drum).

The rear drivers side door suddenly stopped opening. Happened at 56k miles.

My son was seated in the front passenger seat on his phone. The car was parked and not on. He was waiti for for me to get in. In his words the "head rest shot out" at him. Sure enough when I entered the van the head rest was deployed. I asked him if he sat down roo hard, was jumping around, anything that the van could have confused as a Collison. He said no, he was sitting like normal waiting for me playing on his phone. And then pow!

On 4/12/2022, I attempted to open the drivers side sliding door on our 2106 Chrysler Town & Country. The door did not unlock when using the key fob or when using the unlock button on the drivers side door. I also tried manually unlocking the door but it would not unlock. Now the door is stuck in a locked state and will not open. I was unable to open the door to put my child into their car seat and therefore I would not be able to get them out of the car in an emergency. As this issue just started today (4/12/2022) I have not had a chance to get the vehicle looked at but have found many articles online that confirm that this is a re-occurring issue with this particular vehicle. There were no warning lights or any other indicators that this issue would occur. Vehicle and doors were working completely fine up until this morning (4/12/2022).

WELL THE PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR HASN'T LOCKED SINCE I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT THAT ISN'T MY MAIN COMPLAINT, M Y TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ALONG WITH POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP ISSUES ETC. THIS HAPPENED WHILE ENROUTE TO MEET MY DAD AND BROTHERS FOR LUNCH ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON, I HAD MY 3 CHILDREN WITH ME ASWELL..... IT WAS A LITTLE SCARY AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THEBUSY HIGHWAY AND INTO A CHURCH PARKING LOT. WHERE THE VAN SAT UNTIL MONDAY AND WA TAKEN TO MY DADS VIA TOWE. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON APRIL 9TH 2022. I HD IT CHECKED OUT PRIOR BY A PLACE CALLED DEMARC AUTO IN CALDWELL IDAHO,( WHERE IT SAT FOR A WEEK) DUE TO AN ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON FOR A WHILE, MY DAD CHECKED PREVIOUSLY WITH A FUSE READER DEVISE AND IT SHOWED A THERMOSTAT ISSUE WHICH IS WHY THE ENGINE LIGHTWAS ON. BUT I HADMY DAD TAKE IT IN TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT, THERE THEY NOTICED THAT THE THERMOSTAT DID NEED REPLACED AND STATED THAT IT DID SEEM LIKE THERE MIGHT BE AN ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION BUT SAID IT DROVE OK AFTER THEY FIXED THE THERMOSTAT AND SAID THEY DON'T DO TRANMISSIONS, MY DAD DROVE IT FINE HOME AND THEN THE NEXT DAY I DROVE IT TO LUNCH AND THAT IS WHEN IT GOT SCARY AND WE HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE CHURCH.

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the warning indicating the passenger side sliding door was unlocked had displayed and the ceiling light would remain illuminated. On several occasions while driving, the sliding door erroneously opened. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the door latch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 76,000.

While driving home from shopping, vehicle lost power and started making a high-pitched whining noise. Engine was running fine but automatic transmission would not shift. This happened on road with speed limit of 50mph and I couldn't get the vehicle to go over 20mph. No warning lamps or messages appeared on the dash and there were no symptoms of any problem prior to this event, which happened on 4/4/2022. Vehicle was towed to local licensed repair shop. They have checked vehicle out and confirmed transmission needs to be replaced at only 79,000 miles!

AT A STOPLIGHT THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY QUITS .. TOTALLY ..PUT IN PARK RESTART OK. THE VEHICLES AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE CONTROL PANEL AT THE END OF THE "P R N D " COMES ON WITH AN ALARM. IT REQUIRES ALL ELECTRONICS IE CLOCK TO BE RESET. HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED AT ANY OTHER SPEED EXCEPT IDLE AT A STOP.

Both driver’s and passenger’s side sliding doors have failed automatic locking mechanisms. Sliding doors on both sides have locked and have been unable to open either manually or by using push-buttons in the vehicle or on the key fob. A technician told me this is caused by a failed actuator. I managed to get the doors open, but now they buzz when opening the doors and the locks don’t seem to work. Two safety concerns: 1) We won’t be able to get the doors open in an emergency. 2) The door lock or latch will fail when the vehicle is in use and someone will fall out.