2003 Chrysler Town And Country

This defect petition evaluates July 7, 2014 allegations from an owner of a model year (MY) 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan minivan that engine stall occurs in these vehicles without warning after refueling.The petitioner's vehicle is a Chrysler RS platform minivan.The RS platform includes MY 2003 through 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country and Chrysler Voyager minivans.NHTSA evaluated the petition by analyzing consumer complaints submitted to the Agency, analyzing field data, reviewing technical information provided in Chrysler's response to an Agency information request and testing an RS minivan identified by its owner as experiencing post-refuel engine stalls.After completing this evaluation, NHTSA has concluded that further investigation is unlikely to result in a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists.The stalls occurring in these vehicles only occur immediately after filling up the fuel tank and happen at low engine speeds. The failure rate is low, even after 8 to 13 years of the vehicles being in service, and there are no reports of crashes or injuries resulting from the stall condition.In the Agency's view, additional investigation is unlikely to result in finding the existence of a safety-related defect in the subject vehicles.Given the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to best accomplish the Agency's safety mission, the petition is denied.This action does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency will take further action if warranted by future circumstances. More details concerning our review can be found in the Federal Register Notice for this action.The following 161 VOQs are included in the petition evaluation: 10209242, 10229468, 10240708, 10260923, 10275939, 10276532, 10296487, 10298175, 10328669, 10330144, 10346517, 10349789, 10354758, 10363689, 10372112, 10372368, 10372514, 10378031, 10379764, 10382938, 10387448, 10394063, 10398877, 10413918, 10418652, 10420924, 10427063, 10437525, 10445392, 10446902, 10470028, 10471249, 10473733, 10502231, 10503114, 10504260, 10509862, 10511988, 10512120, 10512385, 10512650, 10513147, 10538154, 10549841, 10551763, 10555188, 10555418, 10556754, 10565367, 10574012, 10574398, 10586555, 10587212, 10587559, 10593433, 10607841, 10607913, 10608922, 10615810, 10622468, 10628141, 10632112, 10632128, 10632172, 10632175, 10632231, 10632262, 10632266, 10632270, 10632305, 10632316, 10632326, 10632370, 10632385, 10632399, 10632492, 10632542, 10632765, 10632833, 10632928, 10633197, 10633281, 10633409, 10633421, 10633483, 10633507, 10637752, 10637804, 10637950, 10637975, 10638032, 10638289, 10638290, 10638401, 10638968, 10639218, 10639623, 10641157, 10641603, 10641614, 10641836, 10644339, 10644705, 10649713, 10649895, 10649932, 10650313, 10652590, 10653147, 10653783, 10654533, 10655226, 10658900, 10659679, 10660320, 10662588, 10662645, 10662662, 10663473, 10667056, 10667437, 10668081, 10668094, 10668131, 10668612, 10668969, 10668970, 10669584, 10669678, 10669729, 10669775, 10669866, 10669895, 10669992, 10670422, 10670506, 10676348, 10676732, 10677120, 10679795, 10679934, 10680057, 10680290, 10680342, 10680714, 10681512, 10682584, 10682906, 10683022, 10683114, 10683549, 10683620, 10683697, 10683743, 10689898, 10690761, 10691284, 10691556, 10691751, 10693061, 10694300

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AS PE04-054 REGARDING REPORTS OF ALLEGED POWER LIFTGATE (PLG) OPENING WHILE DRIVING.THE INVESTIGATION WAS UPGRADED ON NOVEMBER 22, 2004 BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION (DCC) IN ITS SEPTEMBER 17, 2004 RESPONSE TO PE04-054. BY LETTER OF APRIL 5, 2005, DCC HAS NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF 70,235 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY AND DODGE GRAND CARAVAN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PLG OPTION.DCC HAS IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM IN EARLY PRODUCTION MY 2003 PLG CONTROL MODULES THAT CAN PREVENT THE PLG DOOR FROM LATCHING CLOSED IN A POWER OPEN/CLOSE CYCLE.IN THIS CONDITION THE PLG CAN RISE (NOT POWER OPEN) DURING VEHICLE OPERATION.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REVISED PLG CONTROL MODULE TO REMEDY THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.SEE SAFETY RECALL 05V134 FOR DETAILS.

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED ON JULY 30, 2004, BASED ON ODI CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING UNWANTED OPENING OF THE VEHICLE'S POWER LIFTGATE (PLG) WHILE DRIVING.IN DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION (DCC)'S SEPTEMBER 17, 2004 RESPONSE TO ODI' S INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER, IT PROVIDED ADDITIONAL CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUITS.DCC STATES IN PART, ...THE PLG LATCH BECOMES STUCK IN A SEMI-CLOSED STATE NOT ALLOWING THE PLG LATCH TO ENGAGE THE STRIKER, THUS NOT CLOSING THE LIFTGATE COMPLETELY.IN THIS CONDITION THE PLG AJAR WARNING LIGHT WILL NOT BE ILLUMINATED AND THE PLG CAN RISE (NOT A POWERED OPEN) WHILE DRIVING. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO EA04-031 FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.

While driving the van in town it completely shut off. I was driving straight at 35 mph. It would not restart and had to be towed to service garage. When it shut off the first time all of the dash warning lights came on for a second then shut off. The garage said the ignition switch had to be replaced and the main computer. Then the Chrysler dealership had to flash the computer. They said they did and I drove the van 20 miles at 55 mph and it shut off again. No codes were shown when tested. I was able to get it started again after 20 minutes of sitting and tried to drive it again and it kept shutting off while driving 65 mph on the interstate. After several shut offs and finally getting it restarted I was able to get the van to a safe place to have it towed. Now it sits in my driveway because I am afraid to try and drive it again and get into a wreck when it shuts off because there is no warning at all. It just shuts off like someone turns off the key. This is a big safety issue and I am amazed it has not been addressed. I have seen a lot of people posting about their exact same issue with this van.

NHTSA ID

11694890

Incident

Oct 9, 2025

eLECTRICAL ISSUSES ILLINOIS AND INDIANNA POLICE RPORTS VEHICLE SHUT DOWN ON THE ROAD

NHTSA ID

11675921

Incident

Feb 1, 2024

Quit starting

NHTSA ID

11613583

Incident

Sep 9, 2024

Power steering failure and water pump failure smoking under hood and power steering fluid all on the exhaust system almost caught fire.

NHTSA ID

11539482

Incident

Aug 6, 2023

VEHICLE POOR DESIGN ON THE ALTERNATOR BRACKET. CAN'T FIND A BRAND NEW PART AND EVERY USED PART I FIND IT HAS THE EXACT SAME BREAK IN THE SAME SPOT.

NHTSA ID

11405424

Incident

Mar 25, 2021

THE AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BLEW UP. ON ROBIN HOOD RD WHEN CAR WAS ALMOST STOPPED FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON BUENA VISTA RD. WHEN THE AIRBAG BLEW UP WITH MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW IN THAT SEAT. CALLING CHRYSLER THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON IT AND THEY WOULD DO NOTHING BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE CAR. A MONTH EARLIER I SPENT $2000 ON REPAIRS ON THIS CAR AND NOW IT IS USELESS. STARTING THE CAR IT SMELLS LIKE IT'S GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AND ALMOST AT A COMPLETE STOP FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN THE AIRBAG EXPLODED WHICH WAS VERY SCARY. WHEN I FIRST CALLED CHRYSLER THEY ASK THE LOCATION OF THE CAR AND LED ME TO BELIEVE SOMEONE FROM CHRYSLER WOULD EXAMINE THE THE VAN AND THEN A WEEK LATER CALLING I FOUND OUT THEY WERE DENYING ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE CAR. I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN AND THIS ISN'T FAIR AS I HAVE KEPT UP REPAIRS ON THE CAR AND IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THERE ARE NO DENTS OR THAT HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.

NHTSA ID

11242148

Incident

Jul 21, 2019

Mileage

134,553 mi

SOMETIMES THE TAILGATE AFTER OPENING WILL IMMEDIATELY CLOSE AND THERE IS NO WAY TO STOP IT. THEN IT WON'T STAY OPEN. THE LEFT SIDE SLIDING DOOR DOESN'T OPEN WITH REMOTE AND THE REMOTE LOCK/UNLOCK DOESN'T WORK. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLE (SAME YEAR). SOMEONE COULD GET CRUSHED BY THIS.

NHTSA ID

11164902

Incident

Jan 1, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL RUMBLING NOISE WHILE SHIFTING GEARS. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, AN UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND REFERRED HER TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

NHTSA ID

11083417

Incident

Dec 1, 2017

Mileage

200,000 mi

KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not program to the vehicle, use the "AC" NIC level part and submit a part warranty.

KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not program to the vehicle, use the "AC" NIC level part and submit a part warranty.

Disinfectant Solution Recommended for COVID-19

Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the correct test equipment for testing batteries and charging systems, and also warranty reimbursement when battery replacements are necessary.

Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.

Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.