2005 Chrysler Town and Country 3.3L V6

Summary:

Our Town and Country van is a pleasure to own and drive

Faults:

Very little has gone wrong with this car. I'm actually pretty surprised, after hearing the horror stories about Chrysler. The amazing thing is that nothing has broken since it went out of the extended warranty. The repairs are as follows.

O2 sensor at 40,000 miles.

EGR valve and water pump at 65,000 miles.

In addition to those repair items, I've noticed that the van EATS brakes. The front brakes only last 30,000 miles. Other than those minor issues, all I've done is basic maintenance.

General Comments:

My wife and I have been extremely happy with this car. We bought it new after our daughter was born. My wife decided the 2-door Focus was too small for all the baby gear, so we bought the van. I was a bit concerned buying a Chrysler after hearing so many bad things regarding reliability. We decided on the Town & Country; because it was so inexpensive, we figured we could afford to fix it if it broke.

I guess we won on that bet... The thing has been a real pleasure to own, and we haven't had many repairs.

The primitive V6 is easy to maintain. No coil on plug ignition, easy to reach oil filter, etc... I generally do all my own maintenance, so those are big bonuses. Additionally, after 5 years and 110,000 miles, our Town & Country doesn't have any interior rattles, squeaks, or creeks. It is definitely a solid vehicle.

As for the owning experience, we are very pleased. The engine provides ample power off the line and for passing. This isn't a sports car, but the handling is precise and predictable. After taking three vacations that required lots of two lane mountain road driving, I can say that it is much more car-like than I ever expected.

I also like the fact that the Town & Country is easy to maneuver in high traffic down-town areas. My wife dries it to work every day, and it sees lots of tight traffic and parking. She never complains about visibility or having trouble finding space to park.

In conclusion, I am totally satisfied with my wife's van and I plan to keep it as long as I can. When we do replace it, I'm sure a Town & Country will be at the top of our list for replacement options.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd August, 2010

2005 Chrysler Town and Country 3.3L V6

Summary:

Good van!

Faults:

The O2 sensors need replacing.

The EGR valve has failed at 88,000 miles.

1 set of tires put on at 80,000 miles.

General Comments:

When I first bought the van, I was quite happy with the feel and drive of it over the previous truck I had. I missed my truck, but the van felt like a luxury car; very smooth and quiet.

The DVD player helped to please the kids, and the V6 had some power enough to get going. It tows just as good as my old 3.5L I5 Chevy truck, so I was pleased.

After all this time, 3 years and 58,000 miles later, it's needed 2 O2 sensors and 1 EGR valve to get the MPG back to normal. Currently it averages 14.5 mpg; when I first had it, the average was 20 mpg. The van has given me very few issues since ownership, so it's good in my eyes.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th July, 2010

2005 Chrysler Town and Country LX

Summary:

Don't go there!!

Faults:

A bizarre problem occasionally occurs when starting the car, the engine will turn over, then all the gauge dials go all the way to the right, then all the way to the left and the car dies. Also if going short distances in the cold/rain, the car WILL NOT start again. The engine won't turn over, eventually starting after a dozen or so tries and many pleas.

Last week had to have the water pump replaced.

Also asked dealer to look at power door lacks as they haven't worked for over six months. First visit, I was told the computer needed to be reset. They said the technician tried the locks several times after that and they worked. I was leery as I had used the old, "pull the fuse and put it back in trick" several time with success for a week, sometimes a day and sometime one use of the locks. When I picked up the car, the locks worked, only to be inoperable again the next morning. Called the dealer and then was told I needed a new BCM. Just had that replaced for about $440 and now when I open the slider doors (not power) the emergency flasher go on!!! The dealer says it's a new "safety feature" and can't be disabled. I am aware of when I am opening a door and don't need flashing lights. My last three cars have been Plymouth/Chrysler minivans, but this is the last. Brakes also need to be replaced frequently and multiple other expenses make these cars not a value.

General Comments:

Like the looks of the car, but do not like the new model, so saying goodbye to Chrysler won't be too hard.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 4th February, 2009

6th Feb 2009, 17:01

Before trying any more electrical fixes, I would recommend putting in a new battery. I had kind of a similar problem with a Volvo - just lots of weird unrelated electrical problems. Since it was under warranty, the dealership replaced just about everything electrical, computer, ignition, tons of stuff. Each time I brought the car in, I asked if they had checked the battery. They always said they had. But they obviously had not, since when they finally did replace the battery after a month of bringing it in every week, they did change the battery, and everything has worked fine ever since. Then they admitted they just checked the battery voltage with nothing turned on in the car, they had not done a load test.

The other thing that can cause just lots of weird unrelated electrical problems is a bad or corroded connection of the ground cable from battery to chassis.