What 679 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Chrysler Town And Country

THE ENGINE, WITHOUT WARNING, WILL SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 5 TIMES SINCE OCTOBER 13, 2014. THERE IS NO WARNING THE ENGINE IS GETTING READY TO STALL, AND THE ONLY LIGHT ON THE DASH THAT COMES ON AFTER THE STALL IS THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT. AS CAR IS COASTING UNDER INERTIA, I AM ABLE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE ENGINE WITH NO TROUBLE. THERE ARE NO ERROR CODES STORED IN THE VAN'S COMPUTER, PER MY LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND CANNOT FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AS POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES ARE LOST ONCE THE ENGINE STALLS/SHUTS OFF. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10664383

I WAS TRAVELING AT 20 MPH AND TURNED RIGHT ONTO ANOTHER STREET. IN MID-TURN, THE ENGINE CUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND ALL POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAILED. I NEARLY MISSED A CAR ON THE CORNER AS THE CAR TURNED. BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO BRAKE, I AM NOT SURE HOW THE VAN STOPPED WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE FROM THE BRAKES. ONCE I CAME TO A STOP, I PUT THE CAR BACK INTO PARK AND RESTARTED THE CAR. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW ON 2/13/2013 AND HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. WE DO SEE REPORTS OF MANY CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY VANS AND DODGE CARAVANS REPORTING THIS PROBLEM GOING BACK TO 1996, WITH SOME RECALLS ALONG THE WAY. IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS AN OLD ISSUE THAT HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY ADDRESSED BY CHRYSLER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10660753

MULTIPLE TIMES WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGAN GOING AND WARNING LIGHTS FLASHED INSIDE THE CAR AND WINDOWS WENT DOWN WITH OUT BEING POWERED AND DOORS OPEN AND SHUT BY THEMSELVES. THREE TIMES THE CAR ENGINE SPONTANEOUSLY SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING LOSING POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. HAD IT TO MULTIPLE DEALERS - NO CODE ON THE COMPUTER SYSTEM SO NO ONE WOULD DO ANYTHING TO FIX IT. FREQUENT CONVERSATIONS WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR CHRYSLER... NOTHING THEY CAN DO. WE'VE BEEN INSTRUCTED BY CHRYSLER TO KEEL A JOURNAL EVERY TIME OUR CAR SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING... THAT'S THEIR SOLUTION. EVEN WITH THIS JOURNAL (ASSUMING MY FAMILY CONTINUES TO SURVIVE THE SHUT DOWNS WHERE WE LOSE CONTROL OF THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHILE MOVING DOWN THE ROAD) IF THERE IS NO CODE CHRYSLER WILL HAVE NO SOLUTION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10636968

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,177.

NHTSA ODI 10617707

MAY 27 I FLOORED THE ACCELERATOR TO PASS A SLOW TRUCK AT 57 MPH LET UP ON THE PEDAL BUT THE VAN CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE (THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD A TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE UPDATE SO I CHANGED THE ECON O BUTTON AND ALSO KICKED THE FOOT PEDAL) AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE WAS SHOWING A MILE OR TWO FROM 80 MPH. AT WITCH TIME I HELD THE BRAKE AND PULLED OFF THE ROAD.THERE WAS A LARGE RED THROTTLE BODY LIGHT ON. WHEN I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. I DECIDED TO WAIT AS THE BRAKES SMELLED VERY HOT. ON RESTARTING ALL NORMAL WARNING LIGHTS PLUS THIS LARGE RED T/B LIGHT WHILE CRANKING THE DEALER CHANGED THE FOOT PEDAL. ON JUNE 11 I FOLLOWED SEVERAL CARS LEAVING A PARKING LOT AT 35 MPH I LET UP ON THE GAS THE VAN CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE RED LIGHT ONCE MORE. I BRAKED AND PULLED OFF THE ROAD. ON RESTARTING THE ENGINE WENT TO 1800 RPM .. SHUT IT OFF FOR 4 TO 5 MIN RESTARTED LIGHT ON WHILE CRANKING THEN WENT OUT LIKE THE FIRST TIME AND DROVE NORMAL. THE THROTTLE BODY LIGHT COMES ON WHILE CRANKING (NOT NORMAL). THE DEALER SAID THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND WILL CALL CHRYSLER THEY HAVE HAD THE VAN FOR A WEEK NOW, AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. THE FAULT DID REMAIN ON THE COMPUTER FOR THEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10605179

I WAS DRIVING DOWN MY STREET, GOING AROUND 25 MPH, AND THE 1ST THING I NOTICED WAS THAT I HAD LOST THE POWER STEERING. THE KIDS WERE WATCHING A DVD, THAT STAYED ON ALONG WITH THE NORMAL INTERIOR LIGHTS HOWEVER WHEN I APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE GAS PEDAL TO ATTEMPT TO PULL OVER THE CAR WOULDN'T RESPOND TO THAT. I REALIZED THEN THAT THE ENGINE HAD SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING! THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I PARKED, TURNED OFF THE VAN AND THEN RESTARTED IT. EVERYTHING CAME BACK ON AND WAS WORKING AGAIN. THE MECHANIC CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND CHRYSLER IS CLAIMING NO ONE HAS EVER REPORTED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH PROVES THEM WRONG. *TT

NHTSA ODI 10583382

RENTED A MINIVAN FROM AVIS AT SLC AIRPORT LATE JULY 2013. ON THE HIGHWAY IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEAVING THE AIRPORT MY KNEE BUMPED THE MASS OF KEYRING OBJECTS AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AS I WAS JUST GETTING UP TO 60MPH. I NOTICED THE VEHICLE SLOWING DOWN AND DETERMINED I HAD ACCIDENTALLY SHUT IT DOWN. IT WOULD NOT START. I SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE, SHIFTED BACK TO DRIVE. ONLY ONE OF THE 5 PASSENGERS EVEN NOTICED THE SLOWDOWN. UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. IF IT IS THE PRACTICE OF RENTAL COMPANIES TO BIND KEYS LIKE THIS THE PROBLEM COULD BE WIDESPREAD AND MAY HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT ALREADY, THUS THIS REPORT. GIVEN MY EXPERIENCE I BELIEVE THE PRACTICE OF BINDING ALL THE KEYS AND OTHER PLASTIC DOO-DAHS WITH A STIFF WIRE CABLE TO BE AN ACCIDENT IN THE WAITING. IN MY CASE THE SEAT WAS A LITTLE FORWARD AND I MOVED IT BACK A COUPLE OF INCHES TO AVOID HAVING THE KEYS DANCE ON MY KNEE AS WE DROVE. AT A STOP I CUT THE WIRE RING AND PUT ALL THE EXTRAS IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT AND CONTINUED THE TRIP WITH A SINGLE FOB-KEY. THE KEYS: I WAS GIVEN SET OF KEYS BOUND BY A WIRE CABLE. TWO FOBS, TWO SPARE KEYS (NORMALLY INSERTED IN THE FOBS) , THREE PLASTIC ADD-ONS (ONE HELD A PAPER SLIP IDENTIFYING THE VEHICLE, ONE AVIS CALL NUMBER AND ONE MACYS LOYALTY CARD) I HAVE NO ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE AS IT WORKED FINE, NOR WITH THE RENTAL COMPANY AS THEIR SERVICE WAS ALSO FINE. I DO TAKE ISSUE WITH THE PRACTICE OF BINDING THE KEYS WITH A WIRE CABLE THAT MUST BE CUT (LEATHER-MAN TOOL IN MY CASE) TO DRIVE SAFELY. I SUSPECT MOST RENTERS WILL NOT HAVE A TOOL HANDY NOR RISK THE WRATH OF THE RENTER IN CUTTING THE WIRE CABLE. NOTE I TOOK A FEW PICTURES OF THE KEY RING AND OBJECTS SHOULD IT BE USEFUL. TO AVIS CREDIT THEY WERE HAPPY TO HAVE ALL THE KEYS RETURNED AND WERE NOT CONCERNED I'D CUT THE CABLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10534671

TOOK DELIVERY OF A BRAND NEW 2013 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY TOURING VAN WITH 4 MILES ON IT ON THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2013. DROVE IT HOME APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES. TOOK IT OUT FOR THE FIRST RIDE ON SATURDAY JUNE 22, 2013 AND WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AND I LOST ALL POWER TO VEHICLE. STARTED IT BACK UP AND VEHICLE DID THIS AGAIN. CONTINUED TO START UP AND SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING ABOUT FOUR TIMES. CALLED ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE AND CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO DEALERSHIP. SERVICE DEPARTMENT CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. CORPORATE OFFICE IS OF NO HELP. WITHOUT FIXING THE PROBLEM, THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT AND CHRYSLER HAS NOT ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM. THEY DID RECALL THEIR PRIOR MODELS FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM - RECALL #72674.THE PROBLEM IS CONTINUING WITH THEIR NEWER MODELS BUT CHRYSLER DOES NOT SEEM INTERESTED. MEANWHILE, I HAVE A BRAND NEW VEHICLE SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP LESS THAN A WEEK OLD THAT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY FAMILY IN. THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 57 REPORTS IN THE CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY FORUM OF THIS EXACT PROBLEM - SOME INVOLVING ACCIDENTS WITH CHILDREN AS PASSENGERS. CHRYSLER IS SELLING UNSAFE VEHICLES PUTTING CHILDREN AT RISK OF SERIOUS HARM. I CAN PROVIDE THE NAMES OF ALL THE PEOPLE I SPOKE WITH AT CHRYSLER - THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE UNIT, AND THEIR TOP CARE UNIT - ALONG WITH ALL THOSE I AM DEALING WITH AT THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE A MEETING WITH THE DEALERSHIP MONDAY, JULY 1ST. HOWEVER, UNLESS THE PROBLEM IS FIXED, THIS VEHICLE REMAINS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE PUT CHRYSLER ON NOTICE, THE DEALERSHIP AND NOW YOU, THAT THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO THE PASSENGERS AND OTHER INNOCENT DRIVERS. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT FOR A FATALITY TO INVESTIGATE THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10522382