2001 Chrysler Town and Country EX from North America - Comments

I am in the same boat as the above commenter. Toyota here we come. Post warranty - A/C compressor out which fortunately Chrysler finally acknowledged was their fault and we didn't have to pay, 58K transmission out and a $2700 replacement just because we got a deal from a mechanic friend. New problem today which we suspect is the power steering pump. Have been trying to sell this van at a loss for several months with no choice, but to trade it in since apparently everyone else has heard what a lemon this car is. I didn't bother to list all of the things we had repaired under warranty.

Same idea here - air conditioner compressor went out at 30K miles. I had received the "extended coverage" notice from Chrysler stating that the compressor would be covered if it failed up to 70K miles. The "free" repair started out at about $400, then after calling corporate offices, the free repair turned into about $250. Next on the list is a loud whining noise coming from the power steering pump when initially starting the van. This only lasts about 3 - 4 minutes until it quiets down. I'm not talking about a "do you hear that" kind of noise, but when I start the van in a parking lot, people are looking around to see where the noise is coming from. The front end has a clunking sound anytime you are driving over anything other than smooth pavement. The dealer wants to install new struts. ($1200 repair) I have had a couple of independant mechanics look at this problem and one of them advised me to "get rid of the van as fast as you can"!! The fan control switch for the front only works on high speed. The rotors were warped causing shaking while braking. Rattles are growing more and more. The transmission is starting to act like it is slipping. Please do yourself a favor and STEER CLEAR OF CHRYSLER/DODGE/PLYMOUTH PRODUCTS!!!!!!!! I can honestly say that this van is the most UNreliable car I have owned!

I received my 2001 T&C from my mother after my father died. To be honest, I wish I'd never taken it from her. First off, even before I'd taken possession of it, at roughly 15,000 miles, the front driver's side window stopped working. Had to get that repaired. Somewhere around 20,000 miles, I had to have the ignition switch replaced. Couldn't turn the key at all. The A/C quit cooling at around 27,000, a leaking condenser - using a recharging fluid with a stop leak additive seemed to have taken care of that problem, for now. (Took almost an entire year for the stop leak to do its thing.) Then, the rear hatch motor quit working. Have yet to get that repaired because it will cost around $800. Now, the transmission has died. Something to do with the solenoid, but dealer required the transmission being rebuilt at the cost of $3100. Unfortunately, although the dealership seems to think so, I'm not made out of money. Meanwhile, my former mechanic said it would be okay to drive while waiting for a replacement part. (Hah. Notice I said FORMER!) The former mechanics did get the service engine light turned off. When the vehicle died on me in a parking lot, my husband called the former mechanics only to have them say the dealership couldn't provide the part and we needed to take it to the mechanic where we have it now. (This is the mechanic where they normally send transmission problems. Why they couldn't tell us this to begin with... argh!)

I had to have it towed 45 miles, at the cost of $122.00. (Insurance paid the hook-up and first 12 miles.) Now, I'm waiting on a new transmission to be installed by a private mechanic. NEW transmission, at the cost of $2100, not a rebuilt one, at $3100. Still, it's not money I have to spare. It seems a part sheered off inside the transmission. If I'd known to take it to this mechanic to begin with, I might have saved a lot of cash. Moral of this story, don't always trust the mechanic you've been using for 14 years.

After looking around the web I see there are others who have experienced the same problems. I also noticed there are other years where the same problems surfaced.

Local Chrysler service department person told me the transmission problem was common, then, when I questioned that, she backpedaled saying it can be normal for any car to have this kind of problem.

Wow, Chrysler Co, do you suppose you just MIGHT have some kind of faulty parts in your vehicles?

I'd like to see States Attorneys General come down on Chrysler for these problems, or any other government entity who can force them to fix their mess. Not much we, as consumers, can do.

Meanwhile, we're refinancing our house in order to purchase a replacement for our Chevrolet Astro - which has almost 300,000 miles on it, and had to have very few repairs over the years, but the cost of gas is insane. I'll miss that van! We're also going to replace the Town and Country which has around 83,500. What a piece of junk. First Chrysler I've owned. Last Chrysler I'll ever own. I'm looking at Honda, Toyota, or Subaru. Because of gas costs, hybrids are very tempting.

My parents had 10 Subarus - 9 wagons - beginning with a 1972 hatchback. Great cars. Very few repairs. The only reason they got the T&C was because my father had a stroke and my mother needed a van with lift mechanisms. Although he couldn't speak, my father used to stare longingly at Subarus whenever they'd pass one.

Read the reviews on the Honda Odessy before jumping at that.

Apparently that is another wallet bleeder. I looked at the reviews as we are thinking of a minivan. They all start out good for the first year, then go down quickly. Leasing is probably the best thing to do with any of these garbage trucks, if you can keep the wear and tear down. The cost of that at the end of the lease will make turning it in prohibitive.

The 2001 Chrysler T & C... never again. Up until 75k, my favorite car. Since then, I haven't seen it in over 5 months!!! First $2k for the engine and 3 weeks to fix. Had it back less than 1 week and the transmission went out. Got it back 2 weeks later, and in 3 days the transmission went out again. 5 weeks later I get the van back, and within one week it start sputtering and stalling... the ECM goes out. Get it towed to a Chrysler dealership who takes one week to tell me they can't get the part. They tow it to another Chrysler dealership and leave me a phone message saying the ECM is hard to find and the time frame to fix it was "going to be a long time". Two more weeks for someone to not answer my phone calls. So, I called Chrysler's 800#. First phone representative was polite and empathetic, but couldn't help. The next phone rep was down right condescending and rude saying it was my fault and they wouldn't fix it. Funny thing, I wasn't asking them to fix it. I just wanted them to be aware of the problems occurring to the product they sell. Thought they might want to know. He was so rude, I had him put his supervisor on the phone (someone who could actually make a decision) only to have her parrot off the previous reps information re-stating they wouldn't pay for it. Again, not what I was asking. If there are this many problems occuring and we as consumers don't call in, then recalls don't happen and nothing changes. Sure, I've had the ignition like everyone else has fail and be replaced...twice. The electronic back door works part-time just the same as I read in the other reviews. The transmission, same thing. What mystifies me is the ECM. Why is the part untraceable and can only be given a date to be fixed of "a long time". I wanted an answer from Chrysler as to why the part is unavailable (are all the cars having this problem and that's why it is unobtainable). Chrysler says no. However, they did stop making it after 2001. Then, why? Because it's a problem, obviously, so they quit putting that particular model in the vans after that year. So, would any kind of re-course be taken. NO. My problem, apparently. I told Chrysler their customer service is so terrible and their lack of accountabilty non-existent, I will spend the rest of my life encouraging the entire world never to buy Chrysler. The Chrysler rep not their problem and to go ahead because what I choose do when I get off the phone is my perrogatrive and like the car, not their problem. 5 months, $7,000 dollars in repairs, not including 5 months for renting a car...phooey...could of used that money for a new anything but a Chrysler . I still don't have my car to this day. If and when I do get it back, I still owe $8,000 left on it. Had I known this avalanche was coming, I would have gave the car away, taken the $8k and put it down on a real car. Shouldn't I say these things after I get rid of this money pit...probably. Then again, I'm not a dishonest, pass the problem on to somebody else and sucker them into something so it's no longer my problem kind of person. Rating - not even worth a rating. Not enough room on this planet for the negative amount of stars I'd use. Recommendation - Don't EVER buy a Chrysler. PERIOD. Unless you enjoy 5 month headaches that can maybe be fixed, the told by a snot nosed rep it's going to take a long time consisting of exactly no clue when. They should change the name from Chrysler to Clueless.