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

The Battery died and would not recharge. I checked the van. No lights were left on; no warning notifications. I replaced the battery. I had the seat behind the driver seat stowed because I had surgery on my left foot and needed to haul my knee cart with me. I no longer needed it so I raised the seat and found it had melted/burnt in several spots on the seat back. I was mortified! My van is a 2013 but is in great shape and only has 46,937 miles on it. It was parked in my garage and could have caused a house fire killing all occupants. I contacted Chrysler. They won't assist in the repair or replacement stating it hadn't been recalled and was no longer in warranty. Insurance denied the claim due to it being a part malfunction. Please let others know that the seat heater & wiring harness are defective!! I feel Chrysler should accept the responsibility pay for the repairs due to defective parts. Had this fire continued, they would be facing a much larger lawsuit such as wrongful death, etc.

NHTSA ODI 11696582

What started as an intermittent crank / no start issue quickly progressed to complete failure of fuel pump relay that is part of TIPM. During the first crank no start issue on the day in question I was able to use remote start and the vehicle started normally. (Probably do to slightly higher system voltage as some accessories are turned off during remote start vs pushbutton start). Later the same day is when the complete failure occurred. This could be a major inconvenience for many, but in the harsh Minnesota winters it's more than just inconvenient when you have a wife and young kids in a vehicle away from home that will not start when air temps are in the single digits and wind chill is far below zero. Fortunately / sadly, this is such a common problem that I was able to diagnose it rather quickly with Google, but not before getting a frostbitten finger. I was able to bypass this fuel pump relay by forcing a paper clip into fuse holder M37 and getting keyed power from an alternative source, fuse M25. I don't, however, recommend this fix. What I do recommend is that Chrysler Corporation expand the recall of affected vehicles with this TIPM to include ALL vehicles that this was installed in. In hindsight, a totally unexplained, drained battery overnight while hundreds of miles from home was probably my first sign of this failing relay as it most likely stuck on forcing fuel pump to stay running with ignition off. This occurred 26 days prior to my crank / no start issue. After jump starting and fully charging, battery was tested and passed. Battery resting voltage tested day after crank / no start issue is 12.8V. If I remove relay jumper, crank no start persists.

NHTSA ODI 11495948

I'M NOT SURE WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED, THE VEHICLE IS PENDING INVESTIGATION. I ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, PRESSING THE BRAKES DOWN AS HARD AS POSSIBLE, AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T STOP. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AT A LIGHT I WAS PROBABLY GOING AROUND 40 MPH. ALSO, WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IT HAD A HABIT OF TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING. FINALLY GOT THAT FIXED. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE MASTER POWER CYLINDER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

NHTSA ODI 11240642

ON 6/3/2018 @ 2:40 PM, WHILE DRIVING THE VAN, ROLLING WINDOW DOWN, SPARKS FLEW FROM DRIVER DOOR PANEL, SMOKE FILLED CAR AND FIRE IN DOOR PANEL. I PULLED OVER, USED A RAG TO OPEN DOOR AND JUMPED OUT AND CALLED PG COUNTY FIRE AND EMS. FIRE AND EMS ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED FIRE. CAR TAKEN AND PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. MADE PHONE CALL TO CHRYSLER ON 6/4/2018 @ 12:40 PM. CASE NUMBER ASSIGNED #34468100. TOLD BY CHRYSLER REP SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT US BY MONDAY, 6/11/2018. * (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS

NHTSA ODI 11099549

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REMEDY FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V234000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) WAS COMPLETED IN 2015. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE ODOR OF BURNING SMOKE WAS PRESENT BEFORE SMOKE WAS SEEN INSIDE THE VEHICLE COMING FROM UNDER THE REAR DRIVER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

NHTSA ODI 10864718

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND A CRASH OCCURRED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN THE CONTACT AND PASSENGER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND SPINE. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LEFT SHOULDER, NECK, AND IMPLANTS. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000. ...UPDATED 06/22/16 * BF THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AT GETTING THE RECALL REGARDING THE REAR WINDOW SWITCH RECTIFIED. HE WAS INFORMED THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 06/28/16.*JB

NHTSA ODI 10818865

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH DOWNHILL, THE VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING AND SLID ON A PATCH OF BLACK ICE. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A PHONE POLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGERS EXITED THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE VEHICLE EXPLODED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE DRIVER AND THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WERE INJURED AND REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V234000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

NHTSA ODI 10704403

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE AIR VENTS. EVEN WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS OFF, THE BURNING ODOR WAS STILL PRESENT. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,224.

NHTSA ODI 10633160

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE CONTROL FOR THE REAR POWER WINDOWS MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

NHTSA ODI 10605423

MY 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS CLIMBING OUT OF THE DRIVER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR WHEN SHE MUST HAVE BUMPED THE BUTTON TO CLOSE THE DOOR. IT CLOSED ON HER HEAD JUST BEHIND HER EAR AND KEPT PRESSURE ON IT WITHOUT RELEASING. MY WIFE HAD TO JUMP OUT AND FIRMLY PUSH THE DOOR OPEN TO DISLODGE HER HEAD. SHE HAD AN INDENTATION ON HER HEAD AND A GOOD SIZED BRUISE...NOT TO MENTION SHE WAS TERRIFIED AND SCREAMING! WE ARE SO BLESSED THAT IT WASN'T HER NECK THAT GOT STUCK IN THERE. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND VIDEOS WHERE PEOPLE PUT THINGS LIKE PENCILS AND BLOCKS OF WOOD IN BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE PILLAR AND THE DOOR SNAPS THEM LIKE THEY ARE TWIGS. THIS IS TERRIBLY UNSAFE! CHRYSLER NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. VERY DISAPPOINTED!!!! WHAT KIND OF FAMILY VEHICLE IS THIS??? *TR

NHTSA ODI 10587729

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING SMELL FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED TO THE SCENE AND NOTICED THAT THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET THAT WAS LOCATED ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WAS MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 242. *TR*DT *TR*DT*TP

NHTSA ODI 10523895