2003 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. HE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALER. THE DEALER FOUND THE CAM SHAFT SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND WAS REPLACED ACCORDINGLY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 80,340.

PURCHASED 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY IN JUNE OF 2004 AND HAVE NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. A/C HAS WENT OUT TWICE, BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE, NOW VAN HAS LOST POWER AND THEY ARE REPLACING VALVE SPRINGS AND OTHER INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS. I HAVE HAD NOW RECALL NOTICES OR NOTIFICATIONS FROM DEALER. *JB

ON 6/14/2006, WE WERE DRIVING OUR 2003 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY WHEN WE EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE KNOCK AND LOSS OF POWER. LUCKILY, WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY. UPON CHECKING THE OIL, IT WAS FOUND TO BE "FULL" AND TRANSPARENT ON THE DIPSTICK. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A CHRYSLER 5 STAR DEALER WHERE DIAGNOSTICS WERE PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES ON THE ORIGINAL ENGINE AND IS COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURERS 7 YEAR, 70000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED "DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE", WITH A BUILDUP OF SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. WE WERE BEWILDERED BY THIS PRONOUNCEMENT, AS WE HAD ALWAYS DONE ALL SCHEDULED PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON THIS VEHICLE. WE ASKED THAT THE OIL PAN NOT BE DUMPED AND THAT A SAMPLE OF OIL BE TESTED, AS THE LAST OIL...

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE COMPUTER WAS DIRTY. AFTER THE COMPUTER WAS CLEANED, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO AWAIT FURTHER INSPECTION.

VEHICLE WOULDN'T START, BATTERY DRAWN DOWN TO 8.6 VOLTS WITH IGNITION ENGAGED. TOWED TO DEALER, DEALER FOUND ENGINE SEIZED. DEALER FOUND BEARING SPINNING ON #2 CYLINDER WHEN THE ENGINE FINALLY DID TURN OVER. METAL SHARDS THROUGHOUT ENGINE WARRANTED A NEW ENGINE. DEALER REPLACED SINCE IT OCCURRED AT 14000 MILES.*AK

DROVE FOR TWO HOURS IN RAIN, PARKED CAR. SEVEN HOURS LATER, STARTED CAR AND IT STALLED...DID THAT TWICE. STARTED THIRD TIME BUT I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, SHUT MOTOR OFF. TURNS OUT A/C COMPRESSOR FROZE UP, SNAPPING THE SERPENTINE BELT. CAR TOWED, DEALERSHIP FIXED FOR NO CHARGE..."SPECIAL" WARRANTY IS WHAT I WAS TOLD. *JB

2003 TOWN & COUNTRY WITH LESS THAN 15000 MILES HAS LOST IT'S COMPRESSION, OR PEPPY PASSING. WENT TO DEALER AND TEST DROVE SIMILAR CAR WITH OVER 30,000 MILES AND TEST CAR INCREASES SPEED DRAMATICALLY LIKE OURS USE TO. GOING UP BRIDGES ON HIGHWAY CAR LOSES SPEED AND NEEDS FULL ACCLERATION TO MAINTAIN 50-60 MPH. CAR AT PURCHASE WITH LARGE ENGINE HANDLED COMPETELY DIFFERENT. COMPUTER TESTS AT DEALERSHIP DOES NOT SHOW PROBLEM, SO THEY CANNOT FIX PROBLEM.*JB

ENGINE NOICE FROM ROCKER ARM EXCESSIVE . DEALER WOULD NOT FIX . STILL UNDER NEW CAR UNDER WARRANTY.*AK