NHTSA Complaint #11352081 — 2016 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY

THE LOCK ACTUATOR FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR STOPPED FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE DOOR LOCK STUCK IN THE LOCKED POSITION AND THE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED. A BODY SHOP GOT THE ACTUATOR UNSTUCK, BUT WITHIN A FEW DAYS IT WAS STUCK AGAIN, THIS TIME IN THE UNLOCKED POSITION. I STARTED RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND FOUND A WAY TO GET THE LOCK UNSTUCK AND I USED THAT TRICK WHEN IT STUCK IN THE LOCKED POSITION, BUT OVER TIME THE ACTUATOR HAS ALSO STARTED BUZZING. NOW WHEN THE POWER DOOR LOCKS ARE ACTIVATED, INSTEAD OF LOCKING OR UNLOCKING THE ACTUATOR ON THIS DOOR JUST BUZZES LOUDLY AND THE LOCK MECHANISM DOESN'T MOVE. IT'S BEEN BUZZING FOR MONTHS NOW, SO I DECIDED TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH AND SEE IF IT WAS AN ISSUE I FELT COMFORTABLE FIXING MYSELF. ONCE I STARTED LOOKING, I FOUND SEVERAL FORUMS WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE, AND IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT EVERYONE REPORT THIS ISSUE TO POSSIBLY CREATE A RECALL IF THE FAILURE RATE OF THE ACTUATOR IS HIGH ENOUGH. I ALSO FOUND THAT THE PART THAT NEEDS REPLACED IS INEXPENSIVE, IT'S LESS THAN $50. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY IN ACCESSING THE PART, THE ENTIRE DOOR PANEL HAS TO BE TAKEN APART TO ACCESS IT, THE AVERAGE REPAIR QUOTE FOR THIS REPAIR IS IN THE $700-$800 RANGE. THIS SEEMS LIKE A REALLY POOR DESIGN CHOICE FOR A PART THAT SEEMS TO HAVE SUCH A HIGH FAILURE RATE. IF YOU NEED ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR A SHORT VIDEO OF THE BUZZ, SINCE A PICTURE WILL NOT REALLY SHOW THE ISSUE PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU!*DT *AS