What 632 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Chrysler Town And Country

THE VAN WILL JUST SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE BEEN KEEPING TRACK IN THE LAST 4 MONTHS IT HAS SHUT OFF COMPLETELY 32 TIMES WHILE IN MOTIONS SOMETIMES STARTING RIGHT BACK UP OTHER TIMES TAKES SO CRANKING TO GET IT TO TURN OVER. LAST WEDNESDAY 10/14 THE CAR SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY KIDS TO SCHOOL IN A 45 MPH ZONE AND THE VAN WENT RIGHT OFF THE ROAD LUCKILY NO DAMAGE AND NO ONE BEING INJURES. IF THAT WAS ON THE HIGHWAY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE DANGEROUS. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT MANY OF THIS YEAR HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO THE SLIDING POWER DOORS WILL NOT SHUT AND STAY SHUT WITHOUT HOLDING THEM WITH PRESSURE TO CLOSE THEY ALSO WILL CLOSE RANDOMLY AND ALMOST CLOSED ON MY 4 YEAR OLD IN IT LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PUT MY BODY IN THE DOOR SO SHE DID NOT GET SQUISHED. I CAN GIVE ME DETAIL ON EITHER IF YOU NEED ANY.

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VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND THE POWER LIFTGATE MALFUNCTIONED, SLAMMED SHUT AND LOCKED ON POINTER FINGER CRUSHING MY DIGITAL NERVE. THE LIFTGATE MALFUNCTIONED TWO YEARS PREVIOUS TO THIS INCIDENT AND WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT IT BEING REPLACED WHEN THIS HAPPENED, I WAS TOLD THE WARRANTY RAN OUT. THERE IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS PART OF THE VEHICLE. IM VERY LUCKY THE ONLY THING THAT WAS INJURED WAS MY FINGER. THIS COULD EASILY KILL SOMEONE

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HAND PINCHED IN DRIVER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND NOT STARTED.

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THE AUTOMATIC LIFTGATE OPENED NORMALLY AND MOMENTS LATER FELL SUDDENLY AS THE OPERATOR WAS PLACING ITEMS IN THE VEHICLE. THE LIFTGATE STRUCK THE OPERATOR ON THE HEAD CAUSING INJURY NOT REQUIRING TREATMENT. THE LIFTGATE WAS CLOSED AND LATCH ENGAGED BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. WITHOUT WARNING THE LIFTGATE MOTOR ENGAGED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND THE OPERATOR SUFFERED PROPERTY LOSS. THE OPERATOR PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND ATTEMPTED TO SECURE THE LIFTGATE BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET THE LATCH TO ENGAGE. THE OPERATOR CONTINUED TO DESTINATION CAUTIOUS WITH THE LIFTGATE OPENED. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, THE OPERATOR WAS ABLE TO CLOSE THE LIFTGATE AND ENGAGE THE LATCH. THE LIFTGATE WAS SECURE WHEN THE OPERATOR PROCEEDED TO ENTER THE BUILDING. SOME TIME LATER, THE OPERATOR WAS NOTIFIED BY A CO-WORKER THAT THE VEHICLE LIFTGATE WAS OPENED. THE RECENTLY REPLACED STRUTS ARE NOT SUPPORTING THE LIFTGATE AND IT FALLS SUDDENLY ON THE OPERATOR. THE LIFTGATE OD ALSO ENGAGING WITHOUT OPERATOR INITIATING THE ACTION, EVEN WITH THE VEHICLE IN MOTION.

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RESPONDED TO A VEHICLE FIRE AND FOUND THIS VEHICLE WIT FIRE AND HEAT DAMAGE TO THE DRIVER'S DOOR AREA. THE DRIVER HAD BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN SHE STATED THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM THE DOOR OF HER VEHICLE. THE HEAT DAMAGE WAS MOSTLY IN THE AREA OF THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE. OWNER AND DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE STATED THE WINDOW BUTTONS HAD BEEN WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. FIRE MARSHAL WARMINSTER TOWNSHIP *TT *TR

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2012 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY. ATTORNEY REPRESENTING CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CONSUMER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURY WHEN VEHICLE OPEN POWER LIFT GATE FELL AND STRUCK CONSUMER. *SMD

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. AFTER THE LIFTGATE WAS OPENED, IT INDEPENDENTLY CLOSED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A PINCHED ARM THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V191000 (EQUIPMENT). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

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MY 2 YEAR OLD SON EXITED THE VAN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, THROUGH POWER SLIDING DOOR. THE DOOR CLOSED ON HIS HAND AND DID NOT RETRACT AUTOMATICALLY. WE REACHED OUT TO CHRYSLER WHO SENT AN INSPECTOR. THE INSPECTOR TESTED THE DOOR WITH A FOLDED TERRY CLOTH. I PROVIDED HIM WITH A DOLL, WHICH HAS A HAND THE SAME SIZE AND SHAPE OF A CHILD'S. THE PASSENGER DOOR CLOSED COMPLETELY ON THE DOLL HAND. THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR OPENED AUTOMATICALLY. SO THERE EXISTED A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO DOORS. CHRYSLER STATED THEY BELIEVE THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VAN. WE TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY ALSO STATED THE DOOR CLOSES NORMALLY. WE REACHED OUT TO THE LOCAL NEWS STATION WFTV WHO AGREED TO ASSIST BECAUSE THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR STILL CLOSED ON THE DOLL HAND, WHILE THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR DID NOT. THE VAN WAS TAKEN TO ZEMBOWER'S AUTO CENTER WHERE IMMEDIATE TESTING REVEALED THE CAR NEEDED A NEW BATTERY. THE COMMENT WAS MADE, HOW IS CHRYSLER ABLE TO DIAGNOSE A POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITHOUT FIRST CHECKING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO BE SURE ITS OPERATING NORMALLY. I TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO THEN AGREED, THE VAN DOES NEED A NEW BATTERY. WE TOOK THE VAN BACK TO ZEMBOWERS FOR A BATTERY REPLACEMENT. UPON REPLACEMENT THE PASSENGER DOOR NOW SEEMS TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY. SO THE ISSUE STILL REMAINS, WHY IS IT THAT WHEN THE BATTERY IS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT IN THE VAN, THAT THE PASSENGER POWER DOOR IS LESS SENSITIVE THAN THE DRIVERS SIDE, ALLOWING IT TO CLOSE ON HANDS OF CHILDREN? AND IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT NO SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED, SO NO INDICATION WAS GIVEN AS TO THE VAN NEEDING A NEW BATTERY. SO, BASED ON THIS EXPERIENCE, ARE WE TO ASSUME THAT ANYTIME THE VAN BATTERY IS DEPLETED, EVEN BEFORE GIVING ANY INDICATION THROUGH THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS, THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER DOOR WILL BECOME INSENSITIVE? THIS ISSUE REMAINS UNRESOLVED. *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE SOMETHING FROM THE BACK SEAT, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR CLOSED ON THE CONTACT'S ARM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

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2012 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY (RENTAL). CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RENTAL VEHICLE SLIDING DOOR & PASSENGER SEATS MALFUNCTION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE SLIDING DOORS JUST BEHIND THE FRONT DOORS WERE ELECTRONICALLY OPERATED. THERE WERE 2 OCCASIONS WHERE THE CONSUMER'S HUSBAND AND A TEEN-AGED DRIVER INADVERTENTLY HAD THEIR HAND ON THE CAR FRAME, AND WHEN THE BUTTON WAS PUSHED TO CLOSE THE DOOR, IT DID NOT STOP, WHEN IT HIT THEIR HANDS. IT KEPT MOVING AND MASHED THEIR HANDS BETWEEN THE MOVING DOOR AND DOOR FRAME. THE INJURIES WERE NOT SEVERE. HOWEVER, A SAFETY SWITCH IS NEEDED TO STOP THE DOOR. A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM, HOWEVER, WAS FOUND IN THE SECOND ROW OF THE SEAT, JUST BEHIND THE FRONT SEAT. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE AND HER HUSBAND WERE SITTING IN THE SEATS, AND DECIDED TO TAKE A NAP. WHEN SHE WENT TO RE-POSITION THE SEAT, TO ITS UPRIGHT POSITION, SHE TURNED SIDEWAYS TO PULL THE LEVER ON THE SIDE, BUT WHEN SHE PULLED IT, THE ENTIRE BACK REST ASSEMBLY SLAMMED HER FORWARD WITH CONSIDERABLE IMPACT. AT THE SAME TIME, THE HEAD REST ATOP THE BACK REST SLAMMED FORWARD WITH MUCH MORE IMPACT AND IT HIT HER IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. *JB

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER ACCESSING THE POWER LIFTGATE WITH THE KEY FOB, THE DOOR WOULD CLOSE ABRUPTLY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BRUISE TO THE RIGHT LEG BECAUSE OF THE DOOR FAILURE. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V191000 (EQUIPMENT) HOWEVER, THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

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OUR VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH POWER OPENING AND CLOSING SIDE DOORS. MY FIVE-YEAR-OLD SON WAS OUTSIDE THE CAR, LEANING AGAINST THE CAR WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR OPEN AND HIS HAND AGAINST THE B PILLAR. MY WIFE, NOT KNOWING WHERE HIS HAND WAS, STARTED THE DOOR CLOSING USING THE POWER FEATURE. THE DOOR CLOSED AND LATCHED COMPLETELY, CRUSHING TWO FINGERS OF MY SON'S HAND IN THE PROCESS. THANKFULLY, THERE WERE NO BROKEN BONES AND ONLY MINOR INJURY, BUT THE DOOR DID NOT HESITATE TO CLOSE WHATSOEVER DESPITE THE OBSTRUCTION. UPON RETURNING HOME FROM THE EMERGENCY ROOM, I TESTED THE ANTI-PINCH SENSOR ON THE DOOR AS IT CLOSED USING A BLOCK OF WOOD. THE FORCE EXERTED ON THE BLOCK WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT I HAD TROUBLE HOLDING ON TO THE BLOCK AND WAS SURPRISED AT THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE EXERTED. THE DOOR DID EVENTUALLY REVERSE, BUT ONLY AFTER CRUSHING THE BLOCK OF WOOD TO A DEPTH OF APPROXIMATELY 1/8 INCH. THE OBSTRUCTION SENSORS ARE COMPLETELY INSUFFICIENT TO AVOID INJURY. *TR

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