1996 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

DURING A LIGHT RAIN, I DROVE MY 1996 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY THROUGH 2 INCHES OF STANDING WATER. THE WATER SPLASHED INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND CAUSED THE SERPENTINE BELT TO JUMP OFF THE PULLEYS. INTERNET DISCUSSION GROUPS SHOWS THAT THIS IS COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG 1996 - 2000 CHRYSLER T & C OWNERS. I HAVE PURCHASED AN AFTERMARKET KIT DESIGNED TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED TWICE, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK THE HORN AIRBAG AND CRUISE CONTROL HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD BRAKE PROBLEMS. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WERE AT 45% BUT THE REAR BRAKES WERE AT 70%. THE DEALER CLEANED AND ADJUSTED THE BRAKES. THE A/C FAILED, THE DEALER REPLACED THE FAN MODULE. THE POWER DOOR LOCKS FAILED. THE CD PLAYER DOESN'T WORK. THE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS DO NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH LIGHT THEREFORE THE CONSUMER HAS TO LEAVE THE HIGH BEAMS ON TO SEE. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN CHECKED THREE TIMES BUT THE DEALER SAID THEY SEEM CORRECT. THE PASSENGER SEAT BROKE. THE STARTER FAILED AND AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE STEERING PUMP FAILED AND AS A RESULT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME TIGHT WHEN MAKING TURNS. THE REAR HEATER...

1996 TOWN & COUNTRY MINIVAN 3.8 L ENGINE, CRACKED ROCKER ARM PEDESTAL. AFTER A LITTLE INVESTIGATION ON MY PART THIS APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. CHRYSLER MODIFIED THE ENGINE IN 98 TO IMPROVE PART PERFORMANCE AND MY REPLACEMENT HEAD HAS THIS MODIFICATION. THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *LA

WHILE DRIVING, PRIMARILY AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AT HIGHER SPEEDS THERE WAS A CLUNKING SENSATION. . *AK *CB *NLM

THE ENGINE SENSOR FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. *JB

THE CRANK SHAFT FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT TO MOVE. *JB

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE CRANK SHAFT BROKE AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM

CYLINDER HEAD TOWERS SUPPORTING ROCKER ARM ASSEMBLIES ON BOTH CYLINDER HEADS CRACKED AND CYLINDER HEADS HAD TO BE REPLACED. MECHANIC STATED HE HAD SEEN THIS ON AT LEAST TWO OTHER CHRYSLER 3.8L V-6 ENGINES. REPLACEMENT CYLINDER HEADS HAD BEEFED UP TOWERS. CHRYSLER REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENTS AS WARRANTY WAS FOR 60,000 MILES AND PROBLEM WAS NOT DIAGNOSED UNTIL 64,000 MILES. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF, AND WILL BE HARD TO START BACK UP. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

DIFFERENTIAL BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING AND PUTTING A WHOLE THROUGH TRANSMISSION CASE, DESTROYING FLYWHEEL/ BLEW OUT TRANSMISSION, AND KILLED ENGINE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

THE CONSUMER LOST THE POWER STEERING WHILE STARTING TO DRIVE DUE TO SLIPPING OFF OF THE VEHICLE'S MAIN BELT FROM THE PULLEY. THE VEHICLE HAD A COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING DUE TO BELT AND TENSIONER FAILURES. *YH

TOOK VEHICLE INTO REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION, AND WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW HEAD GASKET. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

IDLER PULLY BROKE,LOST POWER STEERING, COOLING, ALSO BROKE PULLEY ON POWER STEERING PUMP. $500.00. *AK

ENGINE SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER BROKE IS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE IT IS DIFFICULT TO STEERING THE CAR DUE TO THE LOST OF POWER ASSISTANCE.

REPORTING THE BOLT ON THE ENGINE PULLEY BROKE OFF AND CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE; VEHICLE TAKEN TO INDEPENDENCE REPAIRS SHOP AND INFORMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A DEFECTED PART. DEALER/MFR'S WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS:

ENGINE MOUNTS CRACKED WITHIN SIX MONTHS, AND CAR STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS. ALSO, BEARINGS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE MOTOR BROKE, AND VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW MOTOR. WHILE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. VEHICLE IS STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION LEAKING. DEALER REFUSED TO FIX VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH TURNED AT A CURB, AND BOLT THAT HOLDS IDLER PULLEY SHEARD OFF WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. MANUFACTURER CLAIMED IT WAS A WORN PART. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE ENGINE PULLEYTENSIONER BROKE OFF, CAUSING ALL POWER TO BE LOST. THE VAN HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. OWNER EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM 18 MONTHS AGO AT 30,000 MILES. REPAIRS WERE MADE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

HAD ENGINE CYLINDERS REGROUNDED, NOW #6 BAD AGAIN, WARRANTY OUT, DEALER CLOSED. *AK

ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD BLEW, CAUSING THE OIL TO LEAK ON THE ENGINE, AND SMOKE APPEARED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

THE ENGINE USES A SINGLE SERPENTINE BELT FOR ALL ENGINE-DRIVEN ACCESSORIES. THE IDLER PULLEY HAS FAILED TWICE, EACH TIME BREAKING ITS SHAFT OFF AND FALLING INTO THE ENGINE CRADLE AND CAUSING A HORRIBLE RACKET AS THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY CONTINUES TO SPIN AGAINST THE FALLEN IDLER PULLEY. THE BELT, OF COURSE, IS THROWN OFF AND ALL ACCESSORIES CEASE TO OPERATE. THE ITEMS THAT WILL NO LONGER OPERATE ARE: AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR, ENGINE COOLANT PUMP, ALTERNATOR, AND POWER STEERING PUMP. BOTH TIMES, THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED AT RELATIVELY LOW VEHICLE SPEEDS, BUT IT IS VERY UPSETTING WITH THE NOISE AND SUDDEN HEAVY STEERING EFFORT. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME OF THE SECOND FAILURE AND WAS HAPPY TO ESCAPE HAVING AN ACCIDENT. A SIMILAR PROBLEM APPARENTLY OCCURRED IN RANGE ROVER VEHICLES SINCE A RECALL OF VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL CIRCUMSTANCE WAS ISSUED ON THEIR 1995 4.0SE VEHICLE. *MJS

TENSION PULLEY SNAPPED CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING.

WHEN DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND EXITING OFF HIGHWAY ON DRY PAVEMENT, ENGINE SHUT OFF. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A SAFE PLACE. NO INDICATION FROM ENGINE CHECK LIGHT. OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE FOR 1/2 HOUR. DEALER CONTACTED, AND STATED THEY ARE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

DEALER INFORMED OWNER NOT TO USE FRAM TRANS OIL PAN GASKET AS IT WILL CAUSE A LOSS OF PRIME AND RAPID CLUTCH WEAR AN ONLY TO USE CHRYSLER SPECIAL SILICONE GASKET SEALANT OR THE WARRANTY WILL BE VOIDED.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE STALLS. WHEN VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ROCKER ARM LOCATED IN THE ENGINE. *AK

BOLT THAT SECURES BELT TENSIONER SHEARED WHICH RESULTED IN SERPENTINE BELT OPERATION TO BECOME DISFUNCTIONAL FROM STEERING TO BRAKING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

FAULTY FUEL FILLER TUBE, CAUSING FUEL LEAK PRIOR TO RECALL. IN ADDITION REPLACED WINDSHIELD WIPERS/ EMERGENCY BRAKE ACTUATOR AND CABLE /STARTER MOTOR/RADIATOR FAN RELAY/LEAKING VALVE COVER GASKET AND AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSOR. (96V-002). *AK

PISTON RINGS FAILED.

ENGINE GASKETS FAILED.

ENGINE HEADS FAILED.

TRANSMISSION FLUID GASKET LEAK .

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE STALLS IN TRAFFIC, CANNOT BE RESTARTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES, NO WARNING, CAUSES LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER. DEALER DOES NOT KNOW CAUSE, REPLACED CAMSHAFT, CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. *AK

PURCHASED TRUCK NEW AT 2,200 MILES THE CAMSHAFT BROKE . *AK

TIMING BELT/ENGINE SENSOR CRANK MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE. *AK