Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 0803006 | 08/25/2006 | 0803006A | 10021239 | Powertrain control module initialization. *kb | 03/23/2007 |
| 2100503A | 08/01/2003 | 2100503 | 10003550 | Delayed or temporary loss of transmission engagement after initial start up on various models including the 2004 pacifica, sebring convertible, sebring sedan, intrepid and 2003 sx2.0. *tt | 10/23/2003 |
| 2100603A | 08/01/2003 | 2100603 | 10003522 | Transmission harsh 4-3 downshift. *tt | 10/22/2003 |
| 2100903 | 10/02/2005 | 2101805 | 10003524 | Automatic transmission diagnostic teardown procedure. various models including the 2004 ram truck, durango, sebring convertible, cherokee, vision, neon, and voyager. *tt *sc | 10/22/2003 |
| 2100403 | 05/16/2003 | 10002401 | Transmission transfer gear whine sound. *tt | 08/27/2003 | |
| 2100503 | 05/11/2004 | 2100704 | 10002045 | Delayed or temporary loss of transmission engagement after initial start up on various models including the 2004 pacifica, sebring convertible, sebring sedan, intrepid and 2003 sx2.0. *tt *mj | 08/12/2003 |
| 2100603 | 06/20/2003 | 10002046 | Transmission harsh 4-3 downshift on various models including the 2004 pacifica, sebring, intrepid and 2003 sx2.0. *tt | 08/12/2003 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||||
| 0801505 | 03/02/2005 | 10013731 | Powertrain control module initialization. *sc | 04/26/2005 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 02020 | 10/23/2002 | 10000329 | Delayed transaxle engagement after initial start up. *tt | 02/24/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 11/11/2006 | 15 | ||
| Intermittent loss of power on acceleration from stop and on shift from 1st to 2nd gear. *nm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 07/04/2008 | 1 | ||
| --headlights have gone out over 12 times in the last 2 weeks. you have to turn the switch on and off for lights to come back on, and sometimes a second failure happens a moment later. today i noticed the parking lights were one, even with the switch in the off position. turning the switch on and off corrected that incident for now. --also have experienced transmission failing to engage after coming to a stop. happened a few times in the last month. it will engage after moving it to park, then back to drive. *tr | |||
| 03/03/2008 | 90000 | 1 | |
| I bought a 2003 town and country and have only had this van for 4 yrs and i am having to replace the transmission b/c according to the mechanic the magnet that was suppose to be put in the transmission pan was not there to pull the metals out of transmission therefore it messed up my transmission how was i suppose to know that. *tr | |||
| 11/30/2007 | 58651 | 2 | 09/04/2006 |
| Both the rack and pinion steering and transmission went out at 58,000 miles on my 2003 town & country made by chrysler. this is unacceptable for a van with so few miles on it. *tr | |||
| 04/21/2007 | 89955 | 4 | 10/04/2003 |
| I own a 2003 chrysler town & country that i purchased new in oct. of 2003 from mortiz in fort worth, texas. since purchasing this van it has been used for mostly long distance trips and has been serviced regularly. at the end of january 2007 my transmission solenoid pack started leaking. on feb. 15, 2007 i bought a new solenoid pack from madison square chrysler in huntsville, alabama. i installed this item myself being that all that was involved was unbolting the old one and installing the new one. on feb. 20, 2007 with mileage of 87918 i had the transmission fluid flushed by the above mentioned dealer as well as oil change and maintenance checks. on feb. 28, 2007 the check engine light came on. i returned to the dealer on march 1, 2007 with mileage of 87990 for another round of service costing $1033.42. on april 21, 2007 with mileage of 89955 i had complete transmission failure with my two children in the van. i have not taken any action at this time to get this resolved because i cannot afford to pay for a new or rebuilt transmission. *jb | |||
| 02/28/2007 | 56250 | 2 | 02/28/2007 |
| Events leading up to failures on 2.28.07, i purchased a 2003 chrysler town & country lxi with 56,000 miles from arlington acura in palatine, il after a carchex inspection & test drive. upon driving home to minnesota that day on interstate expressways, i encountered two major mechanical problems: failure, consequences & repairs 1. shuddering & leaking rack & pinion - dealer advised these are common failures for this model and recommended replacement for $800 asap because a dry cylinder will lock the steering column. chrysler will not replace under it's 7/70 powertrain warranty, so i will have to pay this when i get the money. 2. jerking transmission shifting from 1st to 2nd gear - during four visits, dealer attempted to find cause, spending $3,000 in warranty repairs. they said chrysler's star tech service told them this was a known problem for which there is no current fix. a subsequent e-mail from me (the owner) to chrysler resulted in a boilerplate letter saying the problem was a dealer issue. my wife has cancer and a heart condition and cannot bear the strain of a malfunctioning transmission on her new car. *jb | |||
| 01/29/2007 | 58200 | 10 | 10/14/2006 |
| Tl* - the contact owns a 2003 chrysler town and country. the contact stated that the transmission shifted when engaging the second gear, and it slipped back into first. the vehicle jerked harshly each time trying to shift gears, it eventually shifted gears. the contact was told by the customer care center on more than one occasion that they will notify him when they have diagnosed the problem. the contact stated that it has been four years that he has been trying to have this same problem repaired. the contact was told by the dealers engineer that the problem was in the computer system. the contact stated that the transmission has been unsuccessfully repaired on three different occasions.*ak updated 02/22/07 | |||
| 01/25/2007 | 115000 | 8 | |
| Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet town and country. while driving at 65 mph the vehicle stalled. the dealer diagnosed the vehicle and installed a transmission carrier, but indicated that the fuel injection pump could also be the cause of the failure. this incident occurred for three weeks and continued to occur after being repaired. the failure occurred when the vehicle was hot or cold. the contact stated that there were no warning indicator lights when the stalling occurred. however, when the vehicle lost power the oil light indicator was lit. the contact felt unsafe driving the vehicle due to the frequent stalling incidents, including one that occurred at 1 am. updated 2/22/2007 -now the vehicle exhibits a rough start condition. the steering had become very tight and makes noise. the radio will not play and the vehicle cuts off when it is on. transmission problems. the horn will not sound. rear wipers stopped working. *nm | |||
| 11/09/2006 | 84000 | 20 | 02/15/2004 |
| Car was in drive but went into reverse on numerous occasions. engine light came on took the car in transmission, engine , and other parts was found out to be ok or was replaced or fixed. took car back out and it is still gearshifting from drive to neutral to reverse when the console states the car is in drive. *nm | |||
| 12/07/2005 | 25000 | 10 | 04/04/2003 |
| We have a 2003 chrysler town and country lxi. for over a year now, we have had problems with the transmission slipping and jerking. we have taken the van in on numerous occasions but have not had the problem fixed. we supposedly have two files open with chrysler and have been promised for a month now to be contacted by a chrysler representative. the dealer has no idea of what is wrong or even how to solve the problem. my concern is that i will be trying to merge into traffic or start a turn or something and the transmission not work properly causing an accident. *jb | |||
| 08/27/2005 | 25000 | 1 | 09/27/2003 |
| Dt: consumer purchased a new vehicle in 2003 and since then there have been numerous problems. over the weekend, while driving 45 mph the consumer applied brake pressure because she was approaching a red light and discovered there were no brakes. the brakes were mushy/loose and went to the floor. they were not responding to pressure. the consumer pumped brakes in up and down motion and they activated, but were weak in their response. the consumer was able to stop just barely missing another vehicle. consumer drove vehicle about a mile to the dealership, who stated that master cylinder failed and would have to be replaced. a new master cylinder was ordered. however, the parts have not yet arrived. consumer wished to file a complaint at this time even though she did not know the outcome of this repairs. this was the first time this happened with the brakes. *ak the consumer experienced transmission problems since the vehicle was purchased and the alternator was replaced. *jb | |||
| 04/08/2005 | 22000 | 08/21/2003 | |
| I purchased my van in august of 2003. i noticed the brakes were squeaking and took it to the dealer to have them checked out. i was told that my front brackes had 15-20% of the pad left and that they should be replaced and the rotars turned .tthe vehicle has only 22,000 miles on it. it seems to me that brakes should last longer than 22,000 miles.i was told i must do allot of city driving i am now experiencing rough,delayed shifting at about 15 mph. hesitation, clunk. the transmission has slipped out of gear while driving and also rough downshifting. i certainly expected a better quality manufactured vehiicle than what i have experienced so far. i doubt i will ever purchase another vehicle from chrysler!!. | |||
| 10/11/2004 | 4 | ||
| Problems with a/c and heating system, power steering and transmission on 2003 chrysler town and country minivan. *bf the consumer stated there was a recall regarding the power steering system which was not corrected when the consumer first took the vehicle to the dealer. after the vehicle was returned to the dealership for a third time for the power steering, the consumer was told by the dealer they were unable to make the repairs and that chrysler technical group had been contacted to aid in diagnosing the problem. the consumer was told a special part for the a/c was needed and it would take a couple of days. when the consumer went to pick up t he vehicle on the fourth occasion, the a/c power steering and transmission still was not repaired. *jb | |||
| 08/09/2004 | 22000 | 1 | 01/14/2003 |
| Over 20 miles per hour, car pauses for more than a normal minivan period of time, prior to accelarating. also noise is heard coming from below minivan, when accling., that was not present up till a couple of months ago. dealer service station claims that minivan was tested and pause in accl. is normal. noise still be checked out. if slow gaps in accl. are normal, than why did this not happen for first year we owned the minivan? we've had recalled power steering hose changed as per recall instructions, power steering had, prior to recall, made extreme noises at times that were not normal, hose replacement seems to have solved that particular problem. also, in past year and a half, had problem was a/c, and also defective fuel pump. finally, when purchasing the 2003 limited own & country, was told by ref. material, the write-up sales lit., & the dealer, that the memory unit could have the power adjustable pedals programmed into it for my wife & i's different settings, after 3 attempts and a module replacement by service shop, to link adj. pedals with memory switch, now they state that our 2003 model was not equipped to control the pedals with mem. settings?? we really thought when purchasing the town & country limited, that we were getting a top-notch, quality minivan for the near $40,000 we saved up to buy it!*ak | |||
| 07/03/2003 | 17 | 05/03/2003 | |
| The vehicle would not start. the consumer had to use the battery from another vehicle. *la the consumer started to have problems with a rattle in the door, the brakes squeaked, the air and heating would go up by itself, the back automatic hatch was not working and would come open while the vehicle was in motion, there was a loud grinding when the vehicle was placed in reverse due to a faulty accumulator and the check engine light had come on due to the transmission solenoid pack, there was a roaring sound when the vehicle was in motion, the passenger side seat belt was tangled and the drivers side seat belt retractor was faulty, a component was loose in the drivers seat back, there was noise in the sliding door on the right side, the brakes smelled smokey and were scrubbing, the clip on the cup holder was broken and the battery kept dying and would not hold charge. *sc *jb | |||
| 07/08/2004 | 1 | ||
| While vehicle was parked on small incline on the street and the key was taken out of the ignition switch vehicle roll down the hill and stopped in a ditch at 335 feet from the place where vehicle was parked. dealership and manufacturer was not helpful. *ak | |||
| 04/13/2004 | 13000 | 1 | 08/21/2003 |
| While driving consumer heard a loud winding noise coming for the transmission. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak the day after the vehicle was purchased the transmission emitted a whinning noise. when the consumer check the transmission fluid noticed that it was about one quart low. the dealer refused to provide and assistance. *nm | |||
| 03/07/2004 | 8000 | 2 | |
| When driving over 25 mph transmission made a loud noise. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 04/23/2003 | |||
| While driving about 65 mph vehicle down shifted. it was later determined that the transmission control module failed. *nlm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 09/10/2006 | 30742 | 1 | 03/28/2003 |
| 2003 (30,741 miles) chrysler town & country lost power without warning while traveling 30 mph. *nm | |||
| 07/29/2003 | 500 | 1 | 07/14/2003 |
| I purchased a new 2003 chrysler town and country on 7/14/2003. the intent was to have a very reliable vehicle prior to going on two vacations. i left for the first vacation on cape cod in massachusetts on 7/26/2003 after owning the vehicle for 12 days. on july 29, 2003 the vehicle started but any attempt to idle up the vehicle would cause it to stall. (i owned the vehicle for 15 days!) it was towed to central cape dodge in hyannis where it was diagnosed as having a faulty pcm. (power control module) the vehicle remains at the cape all but ruining one vacation, and the part apparently is on national backorder and remains out of service probably ruining my second vacation. on july 29 *ph | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | |||
| 08/08/2009 | 60000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chrysler town and country. the vehicle was turned on and in the park position on a slight slope when it began to roll backwards. the contact was removing items from the passenger side door when the vehicle started to roll. the insurance investigator stated that the vehicle had a false park defect, which means that the vehicle would slip out of the park position into reverse without warning. the current and failure mileages were 60,000. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 53000 | 3 | 11/05/2003 |
| Dt: the contact stated there was nhtsa recall campaign 05v134000 concerning the latches, locks, and linkages. however, the recall did not correct the problem. the vehicle had the same problems again. the dealer has been contacted, but refused to offer another free remedy. also , the contact had an ongoing problem with the automatic transmission. it shifted in and out of gear while driving. the dealership replaced the transaxle assembly and the torque converter under warranty, but this did not solve the problem. the manufacturer made arrangements for an inspector to see the vehicle in an attempt to determine the source of the transmission problem.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 53000 | 3 | 11/05/2003 |
| Dt: the contact stated there was nhtsa recall campaign 05v134000 concerning the latches, locks, and linkages. however, the recall did not correct the problem. the vehicle had the same problems again. the dealer has been contacted, but refused to offer another free remedy. also , the contact had an ongoing problem with the automatic transmission. it shifted in and out of gear while driving. the dealership replaced the transaxle assembly and the torque converter under warranty, but this did not solve the problem. the manufacturer made arrangements for an inspector to see the vehicle in an attempt to determine the source of the transmission problem.*ak | |||
| 10/27/2004 | 4 | 09/20/2004 | |
| I heard noise from the front axle everytime i turn the wheel. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 05/20/2007 | 76545 | 1 | |
| The bracket the holds the carrying bearing on the drive shaft broke. this caused the drive shaft to hang down and almost touch the ground. as for the correction, i am still looking for a replacement part. there was a quick fix to the drive shaft bracket, but now there is a very loud rattle in the drive shaft. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - UNIVERSAL JOINT | |||
| 10/05/2007 | 64993 | 1 | 11/06/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chrysler town and country. while driving 5 mph, the universal joints made a loud noise and then failed. the contact stated that the o2 sensor failed approximately ten months ago. the vehicle has not yet been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 64,993. | |||