What 521 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Chrysler Town And Country

The actuators on both sliding doors were replaced by a Chrysler dealership under a recent recall. Both doors had been having problems locking and unlocking. The actuator on the passenger sliding door had to be replaced twice, but the door continued having issues with getting stuck in the locked position. We could not unlock or open it manually or electronically. Chrysler and the dealership continued to claim that they had replaced the parts according to the recall and they would not figure out why the door was continuing to get stuck locked. Then, while my teenager was driving 55 mph, the door spontaneously opened, even though all doors were locked while driving. Alarm bells sounded. Fortunately, I was with her and helped her to navigate to the shoulder of the road and put on the hazard lights so that I could try to shut the door. It did shut. This is a serious safety concern because my children usually are sitting in the back, right next to the sliding door. I am worried the door will randomly open while we are driving, or that the door will randomly lock them inside. It has not functioned properly since the dealership tried to replace the recalled actuator.

NHTSA ODI 11469302

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally lost motive power without warning. The contact stated that the failure occurred occasionally while driving or while idling. The contact stated that the vehicle would restart after waiting for several minutes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where no failure was diagnosed however, the dealer advised the contact to replace the battery. The contact stated that the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but no assistance was offered as the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11469007

Sliding door suddenly and without warning fails to unlock or open. Whether attempts are made electronically nor manually, the door cannot be unlatched and therfore cannot be opened from the inside or outside creating a serious safety risk in the event of an accident or any reason for a speedy exit

NHTSA ODI 11467829

The rear drivers side door suddenly stopped opening. Happened at 56k miles.

NHTSA ODI 11466321

Hood latch assembly detached from the hood of the van while driving on freeway causing the hood to crash into windshield, obstructing all visibility and causing extensive damage to vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11465815

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving approximately 15-20 MPH, the vehicle revved high several times, started jerking and stalled. The contact veered to the side of the roadway. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer also informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V461000 (Power Train) because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included. The manufacturer also informed the contact that she did not qualify for Good Will assistance due to the mileage on the vehicle and because she was not the original owner. The failure mileage was approximately 67,479.

NHTSA ODI 11465171

Left rear passenger door of my Chrysler Town & Country minivan (behind driver's seat) suddenly became locked in place and would not unlock. I was told by local garage that the locking mechanism (door lock actuator) needs to be replaced and would cost 695.00 for parts and labor. I've read several online complaints about this same issue. This is a SAFETY issue; Chrysler needs to recall and repair. If someone was trapped inside (for ex, if the vehicle exited the road and landed in water) they could be trapped inside the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11464112

The contact owns a 2015 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that the driver's side sliding door was making an abnormal sound and failed to open and close as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11463878

WELL THE PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR HASN'T LOCKED SINCE I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT THAT ISN'T MY MAIN COMPLAINT, M Y TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ALONG WITH POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP ISSUES ETC. THIS HAPPENED WHILE ENROUTE TO MEET MY DAD AND BROTHERS FOR LUNCH ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON, I HAD MY 3 CHILDREN WITH ME ASWELL..... IT WAS A LITTLE SCARY AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THEBUSY HIGHWAY AND INTO A CHURCH PARKING LOT. WHERE THE VAN SAT UNTIL MONDAY AND WA TAKEN TO MY DADS VIA TOWE. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON APRIL 9TH 2022. I HD IT CHECKED OUT PRIOR BY A PLACE CALLED DEMARC AUTO IN CALDWELL IDAHO,( WHERE IT SAT FOR A WEEK) DUE TO AN ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON FOR A WHILE, MY DAD CHECKED PREVIOUSLY WITH A FUSE READER DEVISE AND IT SHOWED A THERMOSTAT ISSUE WHICH IS WHY THE ENGINE LIGHTWAS ON. BUT I HADMY DAD TAKE IT IN TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT, THERE THEY NOTICED THAT THE THERMOSTAT DID NEED REPLACED AND STATED THAT IT DID SEEM LIKE THERE MIGHT BE AN ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION BUT SAID IT DROVE OK AFTER THEY FIXED THE THERMOSTAT AND SAID THEY DON'T DO TRANMISSIONS, MY DAD DROVE IT FINE HOME AND THEN THE NEXT DAY I DROVE IT TO LUNCH AND THAT IS WHEN IT GOT SCARY AND WE HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE CHURCH.

NHTSA ODI 11461889

My son was seated in the front passenger seat on his phone. The car was parked and not on. He was waiti for for me to get in. In his words the "head rest shot out" at him. Sure enough when I entered the van the head rest was deployed. I asked him if he sat down roo hard, was jumping around, anything that the van could have confused as a Collison. He said no, he was sitting like normal waiting for me playing on his phone. And then pow!

NHTSA ODI 11461027

On 4/12/2022, I attempted to open the drivers side sliding door on our 2106 Chrysler Town & Country. The door did not unlock when using the key fob or when using the unlock button on the drivers side door. I also tried manually unlocking the door but it would not unlock. Now the door is stuck in a locked state and will not open. I was unable to open the door to put my child into their car seat and therefore I would not be able to get them out of the car in an emergency. As this issue just started today (4/12/2022) I have not had a chance to get the vehicle looked at but have found many articles online that confirm that this is a re-occurring issue with this particular vehicle. There were no warning lights or any other indicators that this issue would occur. Vehicle and doors were working completely fine up until this morning (4/12/2022).

NHTSA ODI 11460515

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the warning indicating the passenger side sliding door was unlocked had displayed and the ceiling light would remain illuminated. On several occasions while driving, the sliding door erroneously opened. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the door latch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 76,000.

NHTSA ODI 11460405

Spouse drove to Publix store 1.6 miles from our home. After shopping she started to drive home but van would not shift out of first gear putting her at risk trying to get home. There was no warning before Transmission failed. Contacted a highly respected repair shop, Brandon Transmission, to have it looked at. Upon arrival I was told this particular transmission has a high failure rate, they have rebuilt a lot of these units. I don’t recall the exact date but it would’ve been close to 11/18/2021

NHTSA ODI 11460007

While driving home from shopping, vehicle lost power and started making a high-pitched whining noise. Engine was running fine but automatic transmission would not shift. This happened on road with speed limit of 50mph and I couldn't get the vehicle to go over 20mph. No warning lamps or messages appeared on the dash and there were no symptoms of any problem prior to this event, which happened on 4/4/2022. Vehicle was towed to local licensed repair shop. They have checked vehicle out and confirmed transmission needs to be replaced at only 79,000 miles!

NHTSA ODI 11460069

AT A STOPLIGHT THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY QUITS .. TOTALLY ..PUT IN PARK RESTART OK. THE VEHICLES AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE CONTROL PANEL AT THE END OF THE "P R N D " COMES ON WITH AN ALARM. IT REQUIRES ALL ELECTRONICS IE CLOCK TO BE RESET. HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED AT ANY OTHER SPEED EXCEPT IDLE AT A STOP.

NHTSA ODI 11458497

On March 13th, 2022, we were driving from Cincinnati, Ohio to Florida on vacation in our 2016 Chrysler Town & Country van. We got off the exit in Macon, Georgia to eat dinner and once we got off the exit, the car would barely move. We had the car towed to Five Star Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Macon. They said it was a transmission problem. They took the transmission apart and found that the transmission pump was bad and destroyed the transmission. There is a safety recall #16V461000 for transmission pump failure for Town & Country's manufactured between July 31, 2015 and April 18, 2016. Our car was manufactured in November of 2015 which falls under the recall manufacturing dates. We called Chrysler customer service and they said that our Vin # was not part of the recall. They were unable to tell us why our car was not included and said that there was nothing they could do even though our car only has 62,572 miles and was always serviced at the Chrysler dealership. We were told that the transmission repair will cost up to $8,000 and will take a month to a month and a half to fix it. Even though our last three vehicles and been Chrysler Town & Country vans, we will never consider another Chrysler product again.

NHTSA ODI 11457789

Both driver’s and passenger’s side sliding doors have failed automatic locking mechanisms. Sliding doors on both sides have locked and have been unable to open either manually or by using push-buttons in the vehicle or on the key fob. A technician told me this is caused by a failed actuator. I managed to get the doors open, but now they buzz when opening the doors and the locks don’t seem to work. Two safety concerns: 1) We won’t be able to get the doors open in an emergency. 2) The door lock or latch will fail when the vehicle is in use and someone will fall out.

NHTSA ODI 11457877

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, there was a hissing noise detected. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the oil pump and axle needed to be repaired. The manufacturer was notified, but no additional assistance was provided. The contact called the local dealer where they informed her that the vehicle was not covered under recall. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V461000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11457133

My wife had just gotten on the interstate and had accelerated to ~75 mph. Then without warning, the steering system locked up making it hard to navigate. Both the gas pedal and breaking system went off line as well. Luckily, there wasn't any vehicles in the immediate vicinity. She was able to allow the vehicle to coast to a stop as she wrestled with the steering wheel to try and get the vehicle to the side of the road. As the vehicle was slowing down (to around 25 mph), the speedometer indicated that she was at 100+ mph. This could have been devastating in most situation. Just prior to getting on the interstate, she was on a one lane road with 18-wheelers passing by her head-on. What if this was to occur if she was approach a cross walk with pedestrians crossing, or other vehicles (to include motorcycles), she would not have been able to stop. When she finally made it over to the side and the vehicle had stopped. She turned the vehicle off and everything was fine again, like nothing ever happened. This is our first and hopefully last occurrence. But looking online, this is nowhere near being close to the first occurrence of this type. Please see the following website which shows 413 reports for this make and model (but various years): https://www.carproblemzoo.com/chrysler/town_country/steering-problems.php There is also this website as well: https://www.quora.com/Why-does-the-steering-wheel-lock-up-while-driving The problem with that site is there are too many geniuses on there stating that this is not possible and follow on by showing their knowledge, etc. Others addressed solely the steering wheel issue stating it's a pump or fluid, etc. It also mentions of make/model this had occurred on (i.e. Mazda, Chevy Corvette - recall, etc.). Regardless, this is a major life threatening issue that is constantly occurring out there. Sadly, there are probably several instances where as the driver did not survive the incident, hence unable to report it.

NHTSA ODI 11456733

2016 Chrysler Town& Country 49,809 miles . Car made funny sound & engine light came on. It would not drive properly. Had towed to Dealership. Advised Transmission Pump Seized & needed complete transmission. Only 25,000 put on vehicle in 6 years since I purchased in 2016. Extended Warranty began a full year previous to purchase due to in service date. 5 yrs/60,000 power train warranty won’t cover . This is ridiculous. 2016 Chrysler Town & Country had a recall in effect on same year & vehicle, my vehicle being the lowest mileage & 22 pages on NHTSA.gov complaint website ALL SAY SAME THING : transmission pump failure & our VIN WASN’T in RECALL…! This is so ludicrous. I am not even due for transmission service yet (due at 60,000miles). I still have 49,819 on vehicle & dealership claims I need new Transmission. Chrysler said my vehicle they will not provide assistance. They said contact nhtsa.gov- I owe $10,000 on vehicle have low miles & Chrysler ducking out on me & 22 pages of people with same complaint. HELP PLEASE Chrysler Case [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).”

NHTSA ODI 11456814

Driver side front seatbelt will not latch 8 out of 10 attempts. Once it does latch it will unlatch on its own while driving the vehicle. Driver safety is at risk if the seatbelt does not perform properly during an accident. The vehicle is being scheduled for service at the Chrysler dealer within the week.

NHTSA ODI 11455365

This complaint is in reference to faulty sliding doors. Specifically, on this vehicle, the driver's side sliding passenger door has become completely stuck. It is closed and will not open despite automatic and manual attempts to move the sliding door. This is HIGHLY problematic as failure to open the door at all (manually or automatically) could result in passengers becoming trapped in the van in the event of an emergency. There was no accident, situation, noise, warning sign, or otherwise that would indicate the door would stop working or that it would become completely stuck in the closed position.

NHTSA ODI 11451928

My rear sliding doors are stuck in locked position. I cannot unlock the doors manually or via the lock/unlock buttons. Thus, the doors will not open at all. The only way to exit from the back seats is to go through the front doors, the rear hatch, or an open window. I feel this is a safety hazard. I see online that Chrysler has been aware of this issue since at least 2016 and the NHTSA opened an investigation regarding this last July, but I can't find any status online regarding this investigation.

NHTSA ODI 11451072

We noticed a oil smell coming in through our vents, in our 2016 chrysler town and country my husband whom has worked in the automotive industry for several years opened the hood to check and sure enough there was oil all over the top of our engine leaking onto our driveway the part is sold as one unit so we had to buy the whole housing/oil cooling line and since we just moved into a new house my husband didnt want to perform the repair in our home garage or driveway, so $1017.31 later the van is fixed but my husband and many other technicians we know have said this is a common (expensive) issue for the housing and cooler lines Assembly on the 2014-present Chrysler town and country 3.6l dodge caravan 3.6l dodge avenger 3.6l and any of the mopar vehicles equipped with the top mounted catridge style oil filter mainly on the 3.6L engines. With this being such a common issue, why are consumers having to foot such an expensive repair on a seemingly faulty part. The part involved, the oil filter housing/oil cooler line assembly should be considered for recall.

NHTSA ODI 11450666

left sliding door will not open or close. yes, it will be available for inspection. our safety is put at risk while in the car if the vehicle catches on fire and there are passengers in the back seat who will not be able to get out the side door because it will not open. no, the problem has not been reduced or confirmed by the dealer. no one has has inspected the vehicle. there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to failure. it first appeared about 4 months ago. have attempted to see what could be done, but it was beyond my abilities.

NHTSA ODI 11450130