1997 Chrysler Town And Country Steering Problems

THE SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF WHEN IT RAINS. YOU LOSE STEERING ABILITY IMMEDIATELY. *NM

NHTSA ID

10171163

Incident

Oct 17, 2006

Mileage

88,000 mi

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS SINCE OWNING OUR 1997 TOWN AND COUNTRY CHRYSLER VAN, ANYTIME WE HAVE RUN INTO AN EVEN SLIGHT PUDDLE, TURNING LEFT ONTO OUR STREET, WE HAVE COMPLETELY LOST ALL POWER AND UNABLE TO TURN....RUNNING INTO THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD....WHERE CHILDREN HAVE PLAYED, AT TIMES. WE REPORTED SUCH TO OUR DEALER WITH THEIR SAYING THAT "NO ONE HAS EVER REPORTED THIS." APPARENTLY, THEY HAVE NOW. WE WOULD LIKE IT FIXED PLEASE, AT NO COST TO US. ALSO, OUR TRANSMISSION FOR TWO YEARS WORKS AND THEN DOESN'T WORK, WITH OUR HAVING TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD, TURN OFF THE VAN, AND TURN BACK ON IN ORDER TO HAVE IT SHIFT PROPERLY....ESPECIALLY WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING HAS BEEN ON. WE WOULD LIKE THAT FIXED, TOO, WITH NO COST TO US....FOR IT MUST BE A DEFECT AS IT HASN'T QUIT COMPLETELY. THANK YOU, LARRY WRIGHT 7/08/05

NHTSA ID

10127858

Incident

Jul 8, 2005

COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ASSISTED STEERING WHILE DRIVING ALMOST CAUSED ME TO VEER OFF THE ROAD. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET HOME. STEERING IT TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH.*AK

NHTSA ID

10105905

Incident

Jan 6, 2005

Mileage

127,500 mi

WHILE DRIVING SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF. AS A RESULT, POWER STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTIONED. SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED FIVE TIMES, HOWEVER, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10065103

Incident

Mar 29, 2004

Mileage

52,000 mi

JANUARY 2003 - R & R CROSS OVER PIPES HAD A CRACK. HAD TO REPLACE JANUARY 2003 - 3 LUGNUTS FELL OFF. HAD TO REPLACE JULY 2003 - KEY CYLINDER LOCKED UP. HAD TO REPLACE AND HAD THE CAR TOWED. OCTOBER 2003 - FUEL PUMP WENT BAD. PART BROKE INSIDE THE GAS TANK. HAD TO REMOVE THE TANK AND BUY A NEW PART. I HAVE A TOYOTA WITH 128K MILES AND IT HAS NEVER HAD ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS! I'M THINKING ABOUT TRADING THE VAN IN.

NHTSA ID

10070961

Incident

Jan 15, 2003

Mileage

57,199 mi

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 82,000 & 86,000 MILES, MY ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A TICKING SOUND. SINCE I WAS DUE FOR AN OIL CHANGE, I TOOK THE VAN IN TO A NEARBY SHOP FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THE FIRST THING THE MECHANIC CALLED ME ABOUT WAS AN OIL LEAK...HE THOUGHT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN AND WAS CALLING FOR MY AUTHORIZATION. WHEN HE REMOVED THE VALVE COVER, HE CALLED BACK TO INFORM ME THAT I HAD A BROKEN HEAD. SOMEHOW, ONE OF THE STANCHIONS THAT HOLDS THE ROCKER ARM ASSEMBLY HAD BROKEN OFF AND THE ROCKER ARM NEXT TO THAT STANCHION WAS LOOSE AND CAUSING THE CLICKING SOUND. NEITHER HE NOR I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THAT TYPE OF PART FAILURE AND I WENT TO THE SHOP TO SEE WHAT HE HAD FOUND. THE STANCHION WAS BROKEN THROUGH ABOUT 1/4 INCH BELOW THE ROCKER ARM. IN MY MIND, SINCE A HEAD IS A SOLID BLOCK OF CAST ALUMINUM, THIS WAS NOT A PART THAT SHOULD WEAR OUT OR HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE ENGINE HAD NEVER OVERHEATED, ET CETERA. IN QUOTING THE REPAIR ESTIMATE, THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT SINCE THE HEAD WAS BROKEN, IN ADDITION TO THE COST OF PURCHASING A RECONDITIONED HEAD, I WOULD ALSO HAVE TO PAY A $200.00 CORE CHARGE SINCE MY BROKEN HEAD COULD NOT BE EXCHANGED AND RECONDITIONED. TO MY WAY OF THINKING, SINCE THE HEAD SHOULDN'T HAVE BROKEN IN SUCH A MANNER ANYWAY, THE CORE CHARGE WAS UNFAIR. MY BELIEF WAS THAT THIS IS EITHER A CASTING OR DESIGN FLAW AND REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT I WAS 16,000 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY, THIS TYPE OF BREAKAGE SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I THEN WENT TO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO SEE IF CHRYSLER CORP. WAS HELPING CONSUMERS WITH THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. HE THEN PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. I LEARNED A FEW MORE THINGS FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER. FIRST, SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, HE WAS CERTAIN THAT CHRYSLER WOULD NOT HELP IN ANY WAY WITH THE REPAIRS. WHEN THEY RECONDITION THE HEADS, THEY NOW INSERT A SHAFT THROUGH THE STANCHIONS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL STRENGTH TO PREVENT THESE BREAKS.

NHTSA ID

10070318

Incident

Jun 15, 2003

Mileage

82,000 mi

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP ON WET STREETS AND WHEN MAKING SHARP TURNS. AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR AT LEAST THREE (3) YEARS. DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIND PROBLEM. *TT

NHTSA ID

10021270

Incident

May 12, 2001

Mileage

3 mi

THE CONSUMER WAS PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE LOSS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO AN INOPERATIVE POWER STEERING BELT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10017913

Incident

Apr 30, 2003

CONSUMER STATE WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH WITHOUT ANY INDICATION THE POWER STEERING ENDED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS RUNNING HIGH. CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND LOOK UNDER HOOD AND NOTICE MAJOR BELT HAD BROKEN. VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THREE WEEKS AFTER REPAIR PROBLEM RETURN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

NHTSA ID

8022349

Mileage

25,000 mi

1. STEERING SYSTEM LOCKED UP WHILE MAKING TURNS MAKING CONTROL OF VEHICLE DIFFICULT. VAN ALSO MADE SCREECHING NOISES WHILE TURNING. WAS TOLD RACK AND PINION NEEDED REPLACING PER "SERVICE BULLETIN". IT WAS, BUT DID NOT SOLVE PROBLEM. DEALER RECOMMENDED DRIVE BELT AND TENSIONER BE REPLACED. THIS FINALLY HELPED. 2. AIR BAG LIGHT AND ABS LIGHTS CAME ON, AND TRACTION CONTROL WENT OFF AT HWY SPEEDS. AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ON CONSTANTLY. DEALER SAYS THAT BOTH AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING AND ABS CONTROLER MUST BE REPLACED. DEALER STATED THAT IF THESE CONTROLERS WERE NOT REPLACED, NEITHER THE AIR BAGS, THE HORN, THE CRUISE CONTROL NOR THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM WOULD WORK. PLEASE REOPEN NHTSA ACTION INVESTIGATION #EA01007 FOR THE AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING IN THIS VEHICLE. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT IF THEIR AIR BAG LIGHT WON'T GO OFF IT MEANS THAT THE SYSTEM IS NOT OPERATIONAL!

NHTSA ID

763171

Incident

Jun 8, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

758016

Incident

Feb 7, 2002

THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FUNCTIONS PROPERLY AT START-UP, BUT SOMTIME AFTER DRIVING, THE STEERING SYSTEM LOCKS-UP. IT ACTUALLY REQUIRES MORE FORCE TO TURN THE WHEEL THAN IF THE ENGINE HAD STALLED. SEVERAL TRIPS TO VARIOUS CHRYSLER DEALERS FAILED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM UNTIL TUESDAY, MAY 30 AT WALSER CHRY. IN BURNSVILLE, MN. THIS PROBLEM IS ESPECIALLY TREACHEROUS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE OPERATES NORMALLY AT START-UP. *AK

NHTSA ID

746219

Incident

Mar 19, 2001

BELT AND THE TENSION ROD IN POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY BROKE WITH 30,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. BOTH COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP. ON 04/10/2001, CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH HERE WAS A POPPING NOISE, AND POWER STEERING WAS LOST. DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONSUMER THAT BELT AND TENSIONER ROD WENT OUT AGAIN AT 63,000 MILES. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THIS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED EVERY 30,000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID

885664

Incident

Sep 1, 1999

CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH STEERING COLUMN WHERE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON/LOSS OF CRUISE CONTROL, AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

883517

Incident

Sep 1, 2000

THE COURTESY LIGHT IN THE DOOR BURNED OUT. NLM CONSUMER STATES WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME EXTREMLY DIFFICULT TO TURN, CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED NEW STRUTS AND A NEW RACK AN PINION, ALSO THE WINDSHIELD WOPERS COME ON BY THEMSELVES AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD STAYS ON.*JB

NHTSA ID

560074

POWER STEERING IS LOST WHEN VEHICLE RUNS THROUGH A DEEP PUDDLE OF WATER. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK THE PROBLEM WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED BUT OCCURED AGAIN. *YH

NHTSA ID

881740

THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH ONE BELT SYSTEM AND IT SLIPPED OFF WITH NO REASON. STEERING BECAME HARD AND VEHICLE ALMOST CRASHED INTO OTHER ONCOMING VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

735415

Incident

Oct 29, 2000

FIRE WHILE DRIVING, BRAKES, POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED.

NHTSA ID

735182

Incident

Sep 30, 2000

WHEN GOING THROUGH PUDDLES, THE POWER STEERING FAILS. IT IS A MAJOR CONCERN AS WE WERE NEARLY INVOLVED IN A WRECK DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING.

NHTSA ID

733821

Incident

Aug 2, 2000

WHEN STARTING VEHICLE TO DRIVE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILS, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK AND PINION GEAR ASSEMBLEY. *YH

NHTSA ID

871616

Incident

Sep 19, 2000

THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF DURING A SLOW SPEED TURN IN THE RAIN, CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE TENSIONER PULLEY IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE BELT TRACKING PROBLEM. IT IS MISALIGNED. INFORMATION FROM WEBSITES AND NHTSA DATABASE, AND MY LOCAL DEALER IN WISONCIN CONFIRMED THAT HIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES AND CAN RESULT IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. I BELIEVE THIS REPRESENTS A SERIOUS DESIGN DEFECT AND CHRYSLER SHOULD REDESIGN THE PART AND REPLACE IT FOR FREE.*AK

NHTSA ID

731580

Incident

Sep 11, 2000

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, POSSIBLY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE, CLAIM # 12-0651-368. NLM

NHTSA ID

6900714

Incident

May 27, 2000

EVERY TIME I DRIVE INTO A PUDDLE MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, IT TAKES ABOUT 2 MINUTES FOR THE CAR TO REGAIN ITS STEERING. I HAVE THREE CHILDREN AND THIS HAS HAPPEND DOZENS OF TIMES. I WENT TO CHRYSLER IN VERO BEACH, FLORIDA AND AT FIRST THEY TOLD ME THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING TO ANYONE. THEY THEN TOLD ME THE BELT GOT WET AND REPLACED IT. THE NEXT DAY IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I WAS 1 1/2 HOURS FROM HOME AND THEY SAID BRING IT BACK WHICH I DID THAT DAY. WHEN I RETURNED TO NEW YORK WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THE DEALERSHIP IN LARCHMONT, NEW YORK SAID THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM AND COULD NOT FIX IT. THIS SUMMER I WAS IN VERO BEACH AND THEY SAID THEY HEARD OF THE PROBLEM BUT FIXED MY PROBLEM 2 YEARS AGO AND NOW THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! I CANNOT HIT A PUDDLE FOR IF I DO, I CANNOT CONTROL MY CAR. YOU CAN HEAR THE STEERING STRAINING WHILE I AM TRYING TO CONTROL THE CAR. I HAVE 3 CHILDREN, CHRYSLER SHOULD REPAIR THIS CORRECTLY AND HAVE A RECALL IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE HELP!

NHTSA ID

729298

Incident

Jul 10, 1998

COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN DRIVING THROUGH THE SMALLEST OF WATER PUDDLES. *AK

NHTSA ID

714821

WHEN DRIVING THROUGH PUDDLES AND THE BELTS GET WET, POWER STEERING LOCKS UP, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL.

NHTSA ID

709967