Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 1800504 | 02/03/2004 | 1802203 | 10005982 | No-start, start & stall malfunction indicator lamp illumination, diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0508/p0509. *tt | 04/05/2004 |
| 1802603A | 09/12/2003 | 1802603 | 10003985 | Engine no start (engine will start immediately after cycling the ignition key), malfunction indicator lamp illumination with false diagnostic trouble codes (dtc) p0016, p0116, p0335, p0339, p0340, p0462, p0498, p0499, p0522, p0622, p1604, p | 11/10/2003 |
| 1802203 | 05/23/2003 | 10002400 | Rough/fluctuating idle, no-start, start and stall, malfunction indicator lamp illumination, diagnostic troublle codes (dtcs) p0508/p0509. *tt | 08/27/2003 | |
| 1802603 | 06/27/2003 | 1802902 | 10002044 | Engine no start (engine will start immediately after cycling the ignition key), malfunction indicator lamp illumination with false diagnostic trouble codes (dtc) p0016, p0335, p0339, p0340, p0462, p0498, p0499. *tt | 08/12/2003 |
| 0900702 | 10/21/2002 | 0900801 | 10000309 | Camshaft / bearing service. *tt | 02/21/2003 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 1802803 | 07/25/2003 | 1801002 | 10003419 | Vehicle with properly functioning evaporative emissions system repeatedly sets diagnostic trouble code p0456 when customer regularly commutes on a steep grade. *tt | 10/20/2003 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 75000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 chrysler town & country. the contact stated that accelerating from a traffic stop the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact mentioned that he was able to restart the vehicle after unplugging the battery for several hours. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the ecm was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 154,511. kmj | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 75000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 chrysler town & country. the contact stated that while pulling off from a traffic stop the vehicle stalled without any warnings. the contact mentioned that he was able to restart the vehicle after unplugging the battery for several hours. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the ecm was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 154,511. pm | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 80000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chrysler town & country. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while decelerating at 25 mph. there was no warning light illumination. the vehicle was taken to the contact | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 11/02/2011 | 190688 | ||
| 11/2/11 while parked & running idle, van shuts off and all power is lost. after 15 min the van finally starts. however, after driving 200 feet it loses power again. road side service jumps the battery, all seems to operate normally. over the next couple of days the same thing happens many times. 11/8/11 a new battery is installed. (starter & alternator pass tests) new battery van still losses power when running idle parked/in operation(at traffic light). frequency increases and eventually van loses power/ stalls while driving. at times van is able to start up right away, other times it has to sit for a few min. some warning or indication that system may fail, van may shutter a bit/rpm gage needle fluctuates wildly. another new glitch, the door power locks and power door locks alarm. power door locks stop working 2/12. fuse is replaced. problem is fixed temp, locks stop working days later. fuse is removed and reseated. power locks work but only for a short period of time. this process is repeated several times. battery cable is taken off in hopes of resetting power module but upon reconnecting cable, battery has no life. end result, battery is replaced, tests are run again on starter/alternator, they pass. van runs okay for about a day, locks stop working again. next door open alarm and interior lights are set off repeatedly. as of today all issues are still present but seem to come and go. service/repairs since april 2011, brake system flush 2-11, coolant system 2-11, tune up 2-11, oil/filter 2/11, reconditioned trans/ rebuilt torque converter 4/11, muffler 5/11, solonid and evap harness 6/11, oil/filter 7/11, gaskets/lower intake manifold 9/11, raditor 9/11, rear cooling hose 9/11, battery 11/11, thermostat 11/11, intake manifold and valve cover 11/11, crank shaft position sensor 11/11, oil/filter 11/11, fuel filter 2/12, tune up 2/12, oil/filter 2/12, battery 3/12 | |||
| 04/01/2010 | 75000 | ||
| Dash board instrumentation failure and additional engine issues. fuel gauge pegged. tachometer and other gauges fluctuating, engine falters and stalls, all warning lights illuminate, radio becomes intermittent. car alarm activates and will not shut off. low voltage to dashboard cluster circuit board. instrument error codes e400.1, e100.1, e100.3, e100.4, e100.5 dealership can not diagnose or repair issues, which happen while driving, often the car stalls and will not restart in traffic. numerous internet reports of same problem by many people. (see edmunds.com, under town & country electrical problems) suggested repairs are re-soldering of circuit board cold solder joints in cluster board, and replacement of the cluster board. recommend a safety recall of town & country's and voyagers from 2000-present to inspect for this issue. | |||
| 08/21/2009 | 92151 | 1 | |
| We are the original owner of a 2003 chrysler t & c. in august, 2009, my wife began experiencing problems with the window motor suddenly becoming inoperable for a short period of time, then suddenly working again. one day, as i was driving the van, the check engine light came on. i immediately parked the vehicle. after a few days, the car restarted and the check engine light went off. however, on august 20, the check engine light came on while i was leaving a conference. after less than | |||
| 02/11/2008 | 80000 | 7 | 06/19/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chrysler town and country. the contact stated that the brakes squeaked and pulsated when depressed. all of the brakes and rotors were replaced. the air conditioner compressor made a grating and scraping sound and was replaced, along with the alternator. the contact was afraid to remove the key from the ignition because it would take ten minutes of jiggling to get it back in and start the vehicle. the vehicle would make a clunking noise when shifting into gear. the cylinoid was replaced. the gasket and seal on the water pump and the accessory belt were replaced. the contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced within six months. the liftgate was replaced as well. the following recalls were referenced: nhtsa campaign id numbers 03e053000 (fuel system, gasoline), 04v386000 (steering: hydraulic power assist hose, piping and connections), 05v134000 (latches:locks:linkages:hatchback/liftgate lock), and 06e022000 (service brakes, hydraulic). the current and failure mileages were 80,000. updated 04-02-08 *bf the water pump needed to be replaed after 1 year and 8 months. the transmission solenoid and seperpentin belt were replaced. | |||
| 01/08/2007 | 45000 | 1 | 08/31/2003 |
| The weather has turned cold again and the moaning noise from the p.s. pump is back. i had a brand-new p.s. pump, water pump, serpentine belt, and tensioner installed a week ago. i don't know what else to do. some people have had belts, hoses, pumps, and even steering racks replaced and the moaning noise will not go away. i'm not spending any more money on this vehicle. i suppose i can just ignore the noise along with all the other ones coming from my vehicle. i think its time for another mini-van. *jb | |||
| 09/17/2003 | 147000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle would hesitate when accelerating over 25 mph, causing a distraction to the consumer. had taken vehicle to dealership mechanic, but the problem has not been resolved.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 100000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 chrysler town and country. the contact stated that there was an abnormally offensive bad odor from the interior carpet of the vehicle. the dealer diagnosed that the a/c condensor had a leak from the drip pipe at the firewall. the leak was flowing into the vent opening and causing mold to grow on the interior carpet. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied any assistance with repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unavailable and the current mileage was 100,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 100000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 chrysler town and country. the contact stated that there was a bad smell coming from the interior carpet of the vehicle. the dealer diagnosed that the a/c condensor drip pipe at the firewall had a leak flowing into the vent opening, causing mold in the interiors carpet. the manufacturer was notified, but denied any assistance with repair to the failure. the failure was not repaired. the failure mileage was unavailable and the current mileage was 100,000. the vin was unavailable. nw | |||
| 05/24/2009 | |||
| The air conditioning on our 2003 town and country does not shut off. i turn off the radio and my heat or air conditioning before exiting my vehicle. as of today, my air conditioning does not shut off on our van unless i turn the vehicle off. i tried to shut it off while parked and all it did was switch to cooling off our feet in the off position. the air is blowing so hard and cool that we all had goosebumps on before we even reached our destination. we have not been able to shut off the rear controls for a while so we just opted not to use it, we shoudl have seen this one coming. so not only do i have my rear air conditioning running, now we have the entire system running all the time, even while it is turned off. all i can say is wow, did we buy a lemon or is this just a poorly made car. electrical problems, doors don't close,radio doesn't work in the rain, and the gas gauge doesn't even work. | |||
| 12/19/2006 | 61000 | 1 | 06/08/2004 |
| At 60,000 miles, engine is losing coolant. there are no visible signs of leaks. temperature gauge read hot. pulled over, let engine cool down, and noticed there was no coolant. vehicle engine oil was recently changed by walmart. and to my surprise, walmart's best oil change does not require checking coolant. engine oil was clean and full. *nm | |||
| 07/06/2006 | 35959 | 1 | 08/09/2003 |
| Noise started coming from engine compartment. water indicator went to hot. pulled over and car was steaming. after allowing car to cool, checked anti-freeze which was low. refilled and started car. anti-freeze was pouring out of coolant tubing at bottom and towards rear of engine. shut car off. inspected tubing. tubing was rusted out. called dealer and had car towed to dealer. the dealer replaced tubing under warranty ( 40 miles remaining). dealer also mentioned that 10 cars were brought in for the same problem this week. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 03/09/2010 | 80340 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chrysler town and country. while driving 40 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. he was able to coast to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to the closest dealer. the dealer found the cam shaft sensor was defective and was replaced accordingly. the failure and current mileages were under 80,340. | |||
| 11/15/2006 | 85200 | 1 | |
| Purchased 2003 chrysler town and country in june of 2004 and have numerous problems. a/c has went out twice, brakes have been replaced twice, now van has lost power and they are replacing valve springs and other internal engine parts. i have had now recall notices or notifications from dealer. *jb | |||
| 06/14/2006 | 50000 | 1 | 05/12/2003 |
| On 6/14/2006, we were driving our 2003 chrysler town & country on a 4 lane highway when we experienced an engine knock and loss of power. luckily, we were able to safely get the vehicle off the roadway. upon checking the oil, it was found to be full and transparent on the dipstick. subsequently, the vehicle was towed to a chrysler 5 star dealer where diagnostics were performed. the vehicle has approximately 50,000 miles on the original engine and is covered by the manufacturers 7 year, 70000 mile power train warranty. the dealership determined that the engine failed due to lack of maintenance, with a buildup of sludge in the engine. we were bewildered by this pronouncement, as we had always done all scheduled preventative maintenance on this vehicle. we asked that the oil pan not be dumped and that a sample of oil be tested, as the last oil change was within the last 250 miles and they were claiming that the oil was filthy. we were told that we would need to provide the dealer with 5 documented oil changes, and we told them that wouldn't be a problem. we were able to fax to them within 28 hours, the 5 documented oil changes they requested, and also let them know that more would be forthcoming. before the additional documentation was provided to the dealer, our warranty claim was denied on 6/16/2006. we again explained that more documentation of further oil changes was forthcoming and we were very concerned that this claim was being denied. additional documentation was faxed to the dealer verifying oil changes roughly every 3000 miles. we have proof of 17 documented oil changes in 50,000 miles - more than required. again, our warranty claim has been denied. chrysler has a history of engines failing at roughly the same mileage, blaming the consumer for lack of maintenance and then denying the warranty claims despite proof of maintenance. something catastrophic happened to this engine, and it has nothing to do with maintenance. *nm | |||
| 06/09/2006 | 40000 | 1 | 09/01/2000 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, the engine stalled without warning. the engine would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. the dealer determined the computer was dirty. after the computer was cleaned, the engine continued to stall. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to await further inspection. | |||
| 07/15/2004 | 14000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle wouldn't start, battery drawn down to 8.6 volts with ignition engaged. towed to dealer, dealer found engine seized. dealer found bearing spinning on #2 cylinder when the engine finally did turn over. metal shards throughout engine warranted a new engine. dealer replaced since it occurred at 14000 miles.*ak | |||
| 08/20/2004 | 49725 | 1 | 11/22/2002 |
| Drove for two hours in rain, parked car. seven hours later, started car and it stalled...did that twice. started third time but i smelled a burning smell coming from engine compartment, shut motor off. turns out a/c compressor froze up, snapping the serpentine belt. car towed, dealership fixed for no charge...special warranty is what i was told. *jb | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 25 | 99 | 04/30/2003 |
| 2003 town & country with less than 15000 miles has lost it's compression, or peppy passing. went to dealer and test drove similar car with over 30,000 miles and test car increases speed dramatically like ours use to. going up bridges on highway car loses speed and needs full accleration to maintain 50-60 mph. car at purchase with large engine handled competely different. computer tests at dealership does not show problem, so they cannot fix problem.*jb | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 27188 | 1 | 07/03/2003 |
| Engine noice from rocker arm excessive . dealer would not fix . still under new car under warranty.*ak | |||