Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ||||||
| EA11010 | Chrysler Group LLC | 09/06/2011 | 11/29/2012 | Loss of headlight illumination | ||
| The subject vehicle (sv) population includes my 2005-2006 vehicles built between march 2004 and december 2005 manufactured with a trw supplied headlight switch assembly (hsa).the hsa was the primary focus of the investigation; earlier and later vehicles utilized different hsas.consumers complain that the headlights in the subject vehicles do not illuminate when the hsa is turned on, or that the headlights extinguish while on (subject failure).no other driving lights are affected.the front marker, tail, and instrument lamps operate.also, the high beams can be illuminated by holding the turn signal stalk in the up position.as reported by consumers, turning the hsa off and on typically corrects the failure.initially the failures occur infrequently but they become progressively more frequent with age.chrysler has indicated its intention to offer of an extended lifetime warranty on the hsa, so that consumers with this problem can have their hsa replaced at no charge when they begin experiencing the subject failure.commencing sometime in early 2013, chrysler will send letters to sv owners notifying them of the lifetime warranty.the sv headlight system design is essentially the same as that described in ea 05-009, which involved headlight anomalies in earlier model chrysler minivans; refer to it to for additional information.the subject failure is caused by friction between the plastic cam and metal surfaces of the electrical contacts in the hsa, which results in the production of plastic particles (debris).analysis shows that debris can collect on the electrical contact that controls the headlights, resulting in an open circuit and preventing the headlights from turning on.subsequent operation of the hsa may temporarily displace the debris, at which time the headlights operate correctly.lubricant was applied to the plastic cam beginning in december 2005, reducing debris production.consequently, subsequent failure levels were lower.the report counts shown above include only those that involve the subject failure.reports involving other failure modes which were identified have not been included either because they were not safety related, or if they were safety related, because there was no defect trend.the single crash event listed in the failure report summary table above involved a deer strike allegedly due to loss of headlights in february 2006.no injuries were reported in this crash.an april 2004 non-crash incident ( | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 11/01/2012 | 79000 | ||
| We have had problems with our town & country since we bought it a few months ago. there is a problem with the electric. all of the gauges, radio, dash lights flash on and off erratically. the worst part is that the car completely shut off one time. it went completely dead! i put it in park and tried to restart it but it did nothing. some people came over and were offering to push me to a safe spot. i was very grateful because i had my two small children in the car with me. i tried to put the car in neutral but it wouldn't even let me shift gears. i just kept trying and trying and trying to start it. it finally started again and i hurried home. another scary incident happened just two days ago when we had a lot of slushy rain and snow coming down. the flashing started again and then the windshield wipers stopped working. i could not see anything! luckily i made it to a side street before running into anything or anyone! we have spent about $2k trying to get the problem fixed to no avail. i called and emailed chrysler but since it was just over the 80k mile warranty, they weren't interested. they said i could buy a new warranty but it wouldn't cover pre-existing conditions. i have read many other online posts about others having this same problem with their town and country. i hope there is something you can do! thanks for your time! | |||
| 10/04/2012 | 97000 | ||
| The turn indicator intermittently activates in the wrong direction while attempting to change lanes. occassionaly, the blinker flashes in the opposite direction from where the blinker was moved. after several attempts of moving the turn indicator to the desired direction, the problem resolves. the driver has to pay close attention to where the blinker is flashing despite placing the lever up for a right turn and down for a left, in order to safely change lanes. this has occurred with several different drivers of this vehicle. | |||
| 01/12/2011 | 123000 | 1 | |
| Turn on right blinker and the left one activates. at times the blinkers do work correctly yet it is getting more persistent this issue is occurring. this is a severe safety issue as people cannot tell you are making a turn due to blinker failure. *tr | |||
| 01/12/2011 | 123000 | ||
| Turn on right blinker and the left one activates. at times the blinkers do work correctly yet it is getting more persistent this issue is occurring. this is a severe safety issue as people cannot tell you are making a turn due to blinker failure. | |||
| 12/01/2011 | 107568 | ||
| Headlights fail to come on, or turn off while driving. it may take several attemps to get the headlights on by turning the switch on and off serveral times. the lights have gone off several times while driving creating a great safety hazard. if you pull the high beam switch the high beams do come on and stay on as long as the switch is held back. | |||
| 03/01/2010 | 40000 | ||
| When purchased in 2009 the vehicle had a just under 36000 miles on it and needed the electronic lock/unlock mechanism replaced on the passenger rear door. at ~40000 we had to replace the rotors and brake pads. we bought ceramic brakes with life time warranty. vehicle returned to the service station 4 times in the next 6 months for squealing/grinding brakes. each time they had to shave the rotors because they were warped. we were told this was a default with t&cs. we again need new rotors. the awful grinding noise when braking is horrific. late 2010 the air bag light started randomly going off and on when turning the wheel. though i am registered at chrysler.com i never received recall information but have recently found there was a recall for this exact thing. now, at just turned 64000 miles we need a new engine because of a rod. yet again we were told by two different service stations that this was an issue with these vehicles. frustrating does not even begin to describe what we are going through now. 1 parent out of work for a year and 4 children to support which requires a vehicle to drive to work since the area does not believe in mass public transit outside of riding a minimum of 4 buses to go 20 miles. | |||
| 12/06/2011 | 53000 | ||
| The switch that operates the turn signals, the wiper/washer, and the high/low beams fails as such: when signaling left at times the right indicator comes on, and visa versa. when operating the wiper on switch, nothing happens until you signal or use the high/low beam part of the switch. when trying to lower my headlight beams the switch will at times fail to lower them until a separate action happens with the switch. all of these failures are sporadic, and will appear apparently when there is moisture in the air through rain or fog. (when you would not want them to happen at all). these are safety recalls i am asking for because the dealership, even though we have an extended warantee says they cannot do anything unless they see it happen. most of this happens after hours or when the dealership is not open. i have had the vehicle to the dealership on three separate times. a recall would cause them to be obligated to do the repair. after researching this problem on the web have found many 2006 town and country minivan owners have experienced the same issue. please issue a recall on these. i am sure other years are affected because that switch is widely used. | |||
| 09/05/2007 | 25000 | ||
| Vehcile head lights do not turn on; after starting vehicle we switched on the headlights and nothing happened. sometimes we turned the vehicle off and started it again and they would magically come on. sometimes we flipped the headlight switch a dozen times and they magically come on. the condition would not happen when we would take it in for service. the high beams would work if we pulled the lever towards the drivers seat. there were many times we would be out after dark, go to leave and have no headlights and the lights would work when we took it in for service. we were finally able to get it in this past summer when the lights were not working; the headlights began shutting off while we were driving the vehicle so were able to get in when the condition existed. the mechanic said the bottom of the fuse box was corroded (a common problem with this model he told us) and a lot of the wires running into the fuse box were corroded and the box needed to be replaced along with some wiring harness's. after replacing the fuxe box and some of the harness's. the headlights still did not work for the mechanic. he then replaced the switch and headlights began working. the headlight problem is a common problem we are told. we have paid almost $800.00 for this 'fix' that has plagued this vehicle for years and were able to finally diagnose 'after' the warranty has expired, while risking our lives. the frustration of trying to get somewhere with the lights shutting off, while driving; or going somewhere not to have heaqd lights turn on; having to drive with high beams was/is unsafe to our family and other drivers. | |||
| 05/25/2011 | 45000 | ||
| We own a 2006 chrysler town and country. on wednesday may 25, 2011, my wife was driving the vehicle when it started shuddering and the engine light came on and smoke started coming from under the hood. she immediately pulled over and got out of the vehicle. a passerby told her that he called the fire department. when they showed up they popped the hood and extnguished the fire. we contacted our insurance company to have the vehicle towed to advantage chrysler, dodge in mount dora, fl. we had also purchased an extended warranty on the vehicle. we have since been informed that the vehicle is a total loss. i have also filed a complaint with chrysler concerning the incident. | |||
| 03/28/2011 | 83044 | ||
| Headlights on 2006 chrysler town and country failed while driving. | |||
| 12/14/2009 | 35000 | ||
| Starting when my 2006 chrysler town & country van had 29,0245 miles on the odometer, the passenger side window began to behave erratically. some days the window would go up and down when the driver's console switch was pushed other times it would respond to the switch on the door. other days it did nothing when the switch was pushed. after approximately 6,000 miles, but while mileage was still less than 36,000, the window refused to work at all no matter what switch was used. i have asked various dealer service departments if they have successfully repaired similar situations. the answer is always no. i ask if there is a recall out on this problem. they say no. since this is similar to my problem with my 1997 dodge caravan where the windshield wiper switch refused to turn on the wipers, even after another, certified correctly operating stalk switch was installed and all wiring checked. the wipers still worked mechanically when the wash position was pushed. finally i had to have a new body control module computer installed and all this took three trips to the dealer and cost $741.19, i did not want to leave my van to be experimented upon (with me paying the bill). i believe all this is the result of the installation of a defective computer module (which they call body control module) during the manufacture of the vehicle. i also think i should not have to pay to have it fixed as the vehicle was basically programmed to fail due to the use of defective parts. i authorize the national highway traffic safety administration to utilize my description(s) to discuss this matter with chrysler corporation. | |||
| 11/02/2010 | 64000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 chrylser town and country. while driving 35 mph and either both turn signal was turned on sometimes both would come on or neither one at all. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the dealer or the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 64,000....mw | |||
| 12/14/2009 | 35000 | ||
| Starting when my 2006 chrysler town & country van had 29,0245 miles on the odometer, the passenger side window began to behave erratically. some days the window would go up and down when the driver's console switch was pushed other times it would respond to the switch on the door. other days it did nothing when the switch was pushed. after approximately 6,000 miles, but while mileage was still less than 36,000, the window refused to work at all no matter what switch was used. i have asked various dealer service departments if they have successfully repaired similar situations. the answer is always no. i ask if there is a recall out on this problem. they say no. since this is similar to my problem with my 1997 dodge caravan where the windshield wiper switch refused to turn on the wipers, even after another, certified correctly operating stalk switch was installed and all wiring checked. the wipers still worked mechanically when the wash position was pushed. finally i had to have a new body control module computer installed and all this took three trips to the dealer and cost $741.19, i did not want to leave my van to be experimented upon (with me paying the bill). i believe all this is the result of the installation of a defective computer module (which they call body control module) during the manufacture of the vehicle. i also think i should not have to pay to have it fixed as the vehicle was basically programmed to fail due to the use of defective parts. i authorize the national highway traffic safety administration to utilize my description(s) to discuss this matter with chrysler corporation. | |||
| 11/02/2010 | 64000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 chrylser town and country. while driving 35 mph and either both turn signal was turned on sometimes both would come on or neither one at all. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the dealer or the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 64,000....mw | |||
| 12/14/2009 | 35000 | ||
| Starting when my 2006 chrysler town & country van had 29,0245 miles on the odometer, the passenger side window began to behave erratically. some days the window would go up and down when the driver's console switch was pushed other times it would respond to the switch on the door. other days it did nothing when the switch was pushed. after approximately 6,000 miles, but while mileage was still less than 36,000, the window refused to work at all no matter what switch was used. i have asked various dealer service departments if they have successfully repaired similar situations. the answer is always no. i ask if there is a recall out on this problem. they say no. since this is similar to my problem with my 1997 dodge caravan where the windshield wiper switch refused to turn on the wipers, even after another, certified correctly operating stalk switch was installed and all wiring checked. the wipers still worked mechanically when the wash position was pushed. finally i had to have a new body control module computer installed and all this took three trips to the dealer and cost $741.19, i did not want to leave my van to be experimented upon (with me paying the bill). i believe all this is the result of the installation of a defective computer module (which they call body control module) during the manufacture of the vehicle. i also think i should not have to pay to have it fixed as the vehicle was basically programmed to fail due to the use of defective parts. i authorize the national highway traffic safety administration to utilize my description(s) to discuss this matter with chrysler corporation. | |||
| 11/02/2010 | 64000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 chrylser town and country. while driving 35 mph and either both turn signal was turned on sometimes both would come on or neither one at all. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the dealer or the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 64,000....mw | |||
| 12/14/2009 | 35000 | ||
| Starting when my 2006 chrysler town & country van had 29,0245 miles on the odometer, the passenger side window began to behave erratically. some days the window would go up and down when the driver's console switch was pushed other times it would respond to the switch on the door. other days it did nothing when the switch was pushed. after approximately 6,000 miles, but while mileage was still less than 36,000, the window refused to work at all no matter what switch was used. i have asked various dealer service departments if they have successfully repaired similar situations. the answer is always no. i ask if there is a recall out on this problem. they say no. since this is similar to my problem with my 1997 dodge caravan where the windshield wiper switch refused to turn on the wipers, even after another, certified correctly operating stalk switch was installed and all wiring checked. the wipers still worked mechanically when the wash position was pushed. finally i had to have a new body control module computer installed and all this took three trips to the dealer and cost $741.19, i did not want to leave my van to be experimented upon (with me paying the bill). i believe all this is the result of the installation of a defective computer module (which they call body control module) during the manufacture of the vehicle. i also think i should not have to pay to have it fixed as the vehicle was basically programmed to fail due to the use of defective parts. i authorize the national highway traffic safety administration to utilize my description(s) to discuss this matter with chrysler corporation. | |||
| 11/02/2010 | 64000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 chrylser town and country. while driving 35 mph and either both turn signal was turned on sometimes both would come on or neither one at all. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the dealer or the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 64,000....mw | |||
| 10/14/2010 | 100000 | ||
| Passenger door locks just stopped working then door all together stopped working and know will not close even manually. | |||
| 10/11/2009 | 40000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 chrysler town & country. the contact stated that the air condition, rear right door baby latch and the climate control have stopped working. the contact stated that the vehicle is burning oil and the climate control has failed. the vehicle feels these problems are related to an electrical issue, but the dealer has repeatedly stated the vehicle does not have any problems. the dealer has also told the contact that the oil that is burning is normal. the failure mileage was 40000 and the current mileage was 61000.rl | |||
| 09/05/2010 | 38000 | ||
| Normal city driving, 35 mph, all dash function lights came on including, check engine, airbags, oil etc. all mechanical gauges (mph etc.) stopped working. gear selection lights (prd12) all lit. trip computer stopped receivng information. interior fan stopped working. headlights came on. total electronic disruption but engine continued to run. stopped, restarted, all dash lights again came back on - climate control fan, radio, interior lights, door locks worked, healights came back on (switch turned off). cold start next morning - same problems. replaced battery, same problems. can't determine operating status without gauge readouts, speed, temp etc. not working properly. door locks not working at times. electronic rear hatch and side sliding door not working at times. afraid to drive the van | |||
| 07/16/2010 | 88000 | ||
| Electrical problems. driving on vacation in heavy traffic (dc area) signals quick workingk. the left signal quit and then when i turned on right the left came on. eventually all signals failed. (july 16, 2010) it continues to happen occasionally. aug 8 the sliding door lock on driver side will not work except manually. nothing repaired yet. can't find the problem. noted others having same issues. | |||
| 07/28/2010 | 94000 | ||
| Vehicle is driving fine on highway, check engine light comes on, then airbag light, then seatbelt light. within a few minutes all dashboard lights are on and all dials (speedometer, oil guage, temp guage, rpm guage) are all at zero while vehicle is driving at about 65 mph on highway. also, periodically the car will start and immediately turn off multiple times. after waiting a day, it will start up fine and then the next time, will start then stop. vehicle has been taken to the dealership 3 times and most recently they have had it for 2 weeks with no luck finding any issues. we just keep getting charged for them to look at it without finding anything. | |||
| 07/16/2010 | 88000 | ||
| Electrical problems. driving on vacation in heavy traffic (dc area) signals quick workingk. the left signal quit and then when i turned on right the left came on. eventually all signals failed. (july 16, 2010) it continues to happen occasionally. aug 8 the sliding door lock on driver side will not work except manually. nothing repaired yet. can't find the problem. noted others having same issues. | |||
| 07/28/2010 | 94000 | ||
| Vehicle is driving fine on highway, check engine light comes on, then airbag light, then seatbelt light. within a few minutes all dashboard lights are on and all dials (speedometer, oil guage, temp guage, rpm guage) are all at zero while vehicle is driving at about 65 mph on highway. also, periodically the car will start and immediately turn off multiple times. after waiting a day, it will start up fine and then the next time, will start then stop. vehicle has been taken to the dealership 3 times and most recently they have had it for 2 weeks with no luck finding any issues. we just keep getting charged for them to look at it without finding anything. | |||
| 06/12/2009 | 40000 | ||
| At times, my electrical system goes nuts. all the dash lights flash on and off repeatedly, the rear windshield wiper goes on and off. i'm unable to unlock the doors using the electrical buttons. | |||
| 03/06/2010 | 140000 | ||
| Signal light would flash right, when indicator was switched to flash left. fortunately this only angered several motorists, and accidents were avoided. checked for bad grounds in accessible places, all wiring appears intact. replaced signal switch arm and module to successfully correct issue. | |||
| 08/07/2009 | 22045 | 1 | |
| I bought a 2006 town and country lx in may 17, 2006. shortly after a year i had to replace my brakes, not only my pads were gone but the rotor was damaged and i never even got a warning, than april 2008 i had to replace my power steering bracket. in may 2009 again my brakes and rotors were gone. june 1st 2009 my van died. i had to buy a new battery. july 29 my driver side mirror fell down. and now august 7 my front a/c wont work but the back does. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2008 | 38004 | 1 | |
| When i attempt a left turn,,,left turn signal doesn't work,,when i attempt a right turn, left signal flashes, when i try to activate my windshield wipers,i have to blink my high beams for the wipers to work. and on occasion, when i turn right, both signals flash. *tr | |||
| 09/10/2008 | 29000 | 1 | |
| Prior to this incident, there were no issues with the vehicle. no service lights were on and the vehicle seemed to be operating normally. at 11:00 pm on the night of the incident, i looked out our window and saw our van on fire. the fire was located in the front of the vehicle, primarily on the passenger side dashboard. the windshield and the passenger side window had been blown out as a result of the fire. the fire department responded and put out the fire. the vehicle was damaged beyond repair and is a complete loss. the fire fighters on the scene looked for signs of arson and indicated that there was no evidence of arson and no accelerate was noted or smelled. the report we received from the fire department indicated that the cause of ignition was failure of equipment or heat source, the heat source was electrical arcing, the item first ignited was electrical wire, cable insulation and the type of material first ignited was plastic. it also indicated that the factors contributing to ignition were mechanical failure, malfunction. the car was towed to the nearest dealership, which happened to be where we purchased the car five months earlier. the dealership refused to provide a loaner car even though our vehicle in under warranty through 36,000 miles. it currently has approximately 29,000 miles. the event remains under investigation and the dealership has indicated they believe we should file a claim with our insurance company. we have refused to do this as it is our belief that this issue occurred due to a defect within the vehicle and it should be covered by the factory warranty. *tr | |||
| 02/23/2008 | 28367 | 3 | 03/20/2006 |
| 1) low tire pressure light illuminated. filled tires, which were within 1-2 psi of recommendation, to full psi. light remained on. filled tires again. light went off. one week later, same occurrence. took to dealer, tires were filled again. light is off. 2) one week after 23 point inspection, and for two weeks brake and air bag lights flickered momentarily when turning the car on and when turning the steering wheel, which was accompanied by a cessation of radio/cd transmission/sound. within the last four days, all warning lights flicker in both of the above mentioned situations with resultant radio/cd sound cut-off. yesterday, 2/23/08, i left the door and lights on for 3 minutes (took keys out of ignition) to help a friend into her house. upon returning to vehicle, and turning the keys to start the vehicle, nothing worked, no sounds emitted. it is completely dead. i am now checking the battery and the electrical box and getting the van ready to be towed to dealer. the contract with this lease car will end may 30, 2008. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 06/01/2007 | 150 | ||
| Automatic sliding doors will not close. they make a clicking noise when i push the door close button. after repeated attempts it finally will close. this happens numerous times everyday for the past five months. chrysler says that a new latch will be available in aug. 2007. it is now oct. 2007 and they still have not received the part. also, battery died after 25,000 miles. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 05/05/2009 | 40600 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chrysler town and country. the contact learned that her turn signal failed when she was informed by another driver who almost rear ended her vehicle. she stated that the signals were flashing normally in the passenger compartment. she took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the inside turn signals should have also failed; therefore, it is a manufacturer defect. the dealer replaced several parts before discovering that a wire located between the front seats caused the failure. the total cost for repair was $1,200. the manufacturer filed report number 18623701, but would not assist with the repair because there was no recall and the vehicle was out of warranty. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 40,600. | |||
| 08/03/2007 | 15000 | 1 | 06/24/2006 |
| I authorize hnsta to write a letter on my behalf to: daimler chrysler customer center p.o. box 218004 auburn hill michigan 48321-8004 on friday august 3, 2007 was parked on troy ave between eastern parkway and union st in brooklyn ny while parked on the west bound side of toy ave. i was talking to some associates when the right passenger side tail light of my 2006 chevrolet grand caravan burst into flames. the vehicle is currently at the dealer: bayside chrysler jeep dodge 212-19 northern blvd bayside, ny 11361-3193 i would like chrysler to exchange this vehicle for a safer one. there mechanics has determined there was an electrical defect in this one. i believe this type of circumstance should not fall under the lemon law as a common defect. i am really glad i did no take the trip to north carolina with my family and this occurred on the highway or my wife was driving alone with my two kids. *tr there was a wiring short in the tail lamp.updated 09/10/07. *jb | |||