1997 Chrysler Town And Country Transmission Problems

MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING A 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY MINI-VAN WHEN SHE STOPPED TO PICK UP YARD SALE SIGNS. WHEN SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND PLACED IT PARK, SHE EXITED THE VAN AND STARTED WALKING TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE VAN WHEN IT SELF-SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, KNOWN AS THE PARK-TO-REVERSE DEFECT. THE VAN KNOCKED MY MOTHER DOWN AND PINNED HER UNDER THE VAN WHERE SHE DIED FROM BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO THE HEAD. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT BUT HAS NEVER BEEN RECALLED IN CHRYSLER VEHICLES. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND YOU HAVE EVEN INVESTIGATED THIS VERY DEFECT 3 OR 4 TIMES PREVIOUS TO MY MOTHERS DEATH AND HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT, NOW I DON'T HAVE A MOTHER. *TR THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN ENGINEER AND HE CONCLUDED THAT THE VEHICLE DID HAVE THE PARK-TO REVERSE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO FALSE PARK AND SECONDS LATER, IT WOULD GO INTO REVERSE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TESTED, IT HAPPENED FOUR OUT OF TEN TIMES. UPDATED IVOQ 11/17/10 THE CONSUMER STATED NONE OF THE RECALLS THAT WERE ISSUED, REALLY FIXED THE ACTUAL DEFECT IN THE SHIFT SELECTOR OF THE TRANSMISSION. UPDATED IVOQ 12/10/10.*JB UPDATED 12/21/10.*JB

NHTSA ID

10274625

Incident

Aug 3, 2008

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

THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THE TRANSMISSION CONTAINED CHUNKS OF METAL. THE PLANETARY HAD DISINTEGRATED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10119617

Incident

Apr 30, 2005

Mileage

90,000 mi

WHILE IN TRAFFIC THE CAR JUMPED TO NEUTRAL. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND TRIED TO PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE, BUT IT ALTHOUGH I COULD MOVE THE LEVER TO DRIVE, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF SECOND GEAR. WHEN STOPPED IT WOULD START IN SECOND GEAR AND NOT SHIFT INTO THIRD. I CREPT IN TRAFFIC WITH EMERGENCY BLINKERS ON TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHERE I LEFT IT. BEING NEW YEARS DAY IT WAS CLOSED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10104902

Incident

Jan 1, 2005

Mileage

4 mi

VEHICLE STALLED, AND CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK ARRIVING A TSCHOOL THE TRANSMISSION FAILED IN TRAFFIC. HAD TO PUSH IT INTO THE PARKING LOT, THEN CALLED TOW TRUCK. CONTACTED NANUFACTURER AFTER DISCOVERING THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON FAILURE, BUT NOT RECALL ITEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10095387

Incident

Sep 15, 2004

Mileage

97,000 mi

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. HAD TO BE PUT IN NEUTRAL TO RESTART. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO FOUR MECHANICS AND NO ONE COULD FIND ANYTHING. THEN, CONSUMER TOOK IT BACK TO WHERE IT WAS BOUGHT AND THE MECHANIC SAID THEY HAD PROBLEMS BEFORE ON TOWN AND COUNTRY VEHICLES WITH STALLING.*AK

NHTSA ID

10089857

Incident

Aug 2, 2004

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH TRANSMISSION FAILED . *AK

NHTSA ID

10089159

Incident

Jul 28, 2004

Mileage

100,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, AND THE ENGINE REVVED VERY HIGH. CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE, AND KILLED THE ENGINE. AFTER A MINUTE CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OUT. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO OUT OF SECOND GEAR. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10057471

Incident

Feb 22, 2004

Mileage

73,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION FAILED PREMATURELY WITHOUT WARNING. THE PART WAS REPAIRED THREE TIMES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10042258

Incident

Oct 2, 2003

WHEN VEHICLE IS IN PARK AND THE KEY IS NOT IN THE IGNITION, THE CONSUMER CAN STILL SHIFT THE GEARS TO REVERSE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK THE REARVIEW MIRROR HAD FALLEN. (ASSUMED DUE TO THE HEAT) THE CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER MOVED THE GEAR SHIFT DOWN AND IN REVERSE AND THE SECOND VEHICLE WAS ADJACENT BUT SEVERAL FEET BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS SEVERELY PUSHED FORWARD AND THE FRONT END OF THE SECOND VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10037640

Incident

Aug 24, 2003

Mileage

86,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED TO SECOND GEAR AND THEN SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. *NLM *CB *NLM

NHTSA ID

10020024

DURING SERVICE HAD TRANSMITION OIL & FILTER CHANGED AT 69,000 MILES. NO SILVER SPARKLES IN OLD OIL NOTED. AT 86,000 COMPLEAT TRANS FAILURE. WHEN PAN REMOVED FROM TRANS. "CHUNKS" OF METAL NOTICED IN OIL!!!!! WARRANTY DID NOT COVER $3,700 TO REPLACE TRANS. REGARDLESS OF TEMP, TRANS SHIFTS WHEN IT WANTS TO AND WILL STALL ENGINE IN A MINUTE FOR NO REASON.

NHTSA ID

10005591

Incident

Jun 24, 2001

Mileage

86,000 mi

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING THE TRANSMISSION WILL START TO MAKE A WINDING NOISE CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS *DT

NHTSA ID

10001794

Incident

Dec 22, 2002

MY VEHICLE HAD BROKEN DOWN IN COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE THEN IT WAS TOWED TO HARPETH CHRYSLER JEEP DEALERSHIP FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION, BUT DEALERSHIP DID NOT DO A COMPLETE TEARDOWN REQUIRED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD NOT PAY FULL CLAIM BECAUSE DEALERSHIP DID NOT FOLLOW EXTENDED WARRANTY GUIDELINES. HARPETH, FLASH TCM BUT DID NOT INDICATED ON MY INVOICE. 10 DAYS LATER VAN BROKE DOWN AGAIN IN STERLING HEIGHTS, AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO GOLLING CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP FOR REPLACEMENT OF PCM. PART WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. HARPETH NEVER CHECKED THIS PROBLEM AND SOLD ME A NEW TRANSMISSION, AND DID NOT OFFERED ME A USED ONE EITHER. I BELIEVE NOW THAT I DIDN'T NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT ALL. I AM NOT DISPUTING THE BILL AT HARPETH AND THEY DID NOT STICK A LABEL ON THE ENGINE FOR THE FLASH TCM. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAWS AS I WAS INFORMED BY MY HOME DEALERSHIP AT FERMAN. CAN YOU PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS CLAIM? HARPETH REFUSES TO REFUND MY MONEY, MY INTENTION WILL BE TO SUE THEM IF I DO NOT RECEIVED MY MONEY BACK FOR THE FALSE SALE OF THE TRANSMISSION.*AK

NHTSA ID

765919

Incident

Jul 27, 2002

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND WITHOUT WARNING GEAR POPPED OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE. VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A MINOR ACCIDENT.*AK

NHTSA ID

8015062

THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND IN PARK. MY 18 MONTH OLD HIT THE AUTOMATIC SHIFT LEVER WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKES. THE CAR WAS ON AN INCLINE AND ROLLED OUT INTO 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC. THE CAR WAS NOT ON NOR DID SHE PUT HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE LEVER MOVED FROM OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. I CHASED THE CAR DOWN THE INCLINE INTO TRAFFIC AND WE WERE ONLY HIT BY ONE LANE OF TRAFFIC. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS MOM'S WITH LITTLE CHILDREN THAT DRIVE MINI-VANS. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, MY VAN HAS A DEFECT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!*JB

NHTSA ID

764740

Incident

Jul 25, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

763579

Incident

Jun 15, 2002

WHILE STOPPING AT A LIGHT NOTICED VEHICLE JERKING. SOON AFTERWARD VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, TECHNICIAN REPLACED TORQUE CONVERTER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

8006280

PURCHASED VEHICLE WITH 52,037 MILES. AT 65,000 MILES TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR ROUTINE TRANSMISSION SERVICE AT LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER FOR FLUID AND FILTER CHANGE. SERVICE TECHNICIAN ADVISED METAL DEBRIS NOTED IN TRANSMISSION FLUID PAN, KEEP AN EYE ON IT. AT 78,350 MILES WITH NO PRIOR DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS, TRANS BECAME DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE ANY DRIVE GEAR, ACCOMPANIED BY LOUD GEAR NOISE- NO MALFUNCTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. AT REPAIR FACILITY, WAS TOLD FLUID PAN FULL OF METAL; FINAL DRIVE MECHANISM DESTROYED. ROUTINE LOCALLY DRIVEN ONLY, NO ABUSE. SHOP CHANGED TRANS WITH FACTORY REMAN. UNIT AT COST OF $2,780.00; 3/36 WARRANTY. LOCAL DEALER SUGGESTED CONTACTING CHRYSLER HQ., NO WARRANTEE OR COMPENSATION APPLICABLE. FELT THIS WARRENTED SOME COMPENSATION, MANY SIMILAR CASES ARE OUT THERE FOR THESE MINIVANS. CONTACTED WA. ST. ATTY. GENERAL'S CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICE, RECEPTIONIST ANSWERING CALL HAD SAME EXPERIENCE! NO ACTION RESULTED, VEHICLE OUT OF WARRANTEE. NOW CHRYSLER HAS 7/70 COVERAGE. OLDER TRANSMISSIONS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR EARLY FAILURE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND MAINTENANCE. REQUEST INQUIRY, POSSIBLE RECALL ACTION. FAILURE ON THE HIGHWAY MAY RESULT IN DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION AND POSSIBLE INJURY. THANK YOU. *AK

NHTSA ID

757232

Incident

Sep 23, 2000

AT TIMES THE TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP.DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME, THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH VEHICLES WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE TO RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

746478

FROM 27,928 MILE UP TO THE PRESENT HAD FOUR SERPENTINE BELTS REPLACED & REPAIRED BY VARIOUS INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS, BUT, PROBLEM STILL APPEARS TO BE REOCCURRING, DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK DISCHARGE LINE LEAKING FROM COMPRESSOR TO CONDENSOR CAUSING AC NOT TO WORK. WATER PUMP FAILED. WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH SHORTED AND WAS REPLACED. EXTERIOR POWER MIRRORS SHOOK WHILE DRIVING, DEALER REPLACED SWITCH. TRANSMISSION HARD TO DOWNSHIFT TO FIRST GEAR ON SLIGHT DOWNGRADES, DEALER MADE NO REPAIRS. *SLC

NHTSA ID

888911

Incident

Oct 5, 1998

CONSUMER ABLE TO SHIFT GEARS WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKES. *AK

NHTSA ID

887502

Incident

May 3, 2001

TRANSMISSION FAILED ON HIGH SPEED ROAD IN TRAFFIC. LOST POWER & DEALER REPORTED GEAR FAILURE. CHRYSLER SHOULD PAY BUT WON'T

NHTSA ID

742908

Incident

Mar 21, 2001

WHILE DRIVING, TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. PLEASE FILL ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

883730

Incident

Dec 10, 2000

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AROUND 55MPH ON HIGHWAY AND SHAFT BROKE TO TRANSMISSION. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING. VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT INTO THIRD GEAR. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

874660

Incident

Oct 26, 2000