Rear axle spit in two while driving at 50 MPH on back road, lucky not on highway. Tires slammed into wheel wells, caught on fire almost, lots of smoke. Could not control vehicle well, and went off the road at approx 25 MPH and hit a bunch of small trees, injured both knees, refused ambulance transport. Car was towed to my garage and axle replaced with junkyard part and vehicle is back on the road. Scary incident ,could have been worse or fatal if this happened on a highway instead of a local road. Axle tube is just thick sheet metal, not really an iron pipe like you would think, very flimsy. Have nice pictures ifyou are interested. Should recall this flimsy axle.
1996 Chrysler Town and Country: fire, smoke or burning smell
34 of the 925 complaints about the 1996 Chrysler Town and Country describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 34
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 10 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
While driving the rear brakes caught on fire which also caused the floor of the vehicle to catch on fire. The consumer was able to exit the roadway and the fire was extinguished. The insurance company recommended a shop to make repairs. The shop only replaced the brakes and fuel tank. The vehicle two rear tires were also burned in the fire. *ak *cb
1996 chrysler town & country lxi mini-van parked at an off-airport parking lot was totalled due to a fire originating in the engine compartment. The vehicle was parked at approx 8:00 am. At approx. 1:00 am the following morning, parking attendants noticed vehicle on fire. Fire department called, responded and extinguished the fire by approx 3:00 am. Fire department foreman responding says fire originated in the engine compartment and suspected that it started from a engine compartment fuse box near the battery. Vehicle deemed a complete loss due to the extent of the fire.
Consumer states vehicle caught fire while driving. Dlr determined that fuel leakage from o-ring seals ignited. Ts
Consumer states while driving vehicle began to smoke from engine compartment. Within 90 seconds vehicle was totally engulfed in flames. Ts
Engine compartment caught fire driving at normal speed. First sign was a brake failure then white smoke started coming out from under engine hood. Mr
While traveling about 65mph on the highway. And without prior warning smoke was coming in though out the vents. The vehicle caught on fire the dealership is aware of the problem. Nlm
While driving, vehicle caught on fire and was destroyed, consumer later received recall 00v268, the day prior to the fire, the consumer complained of high rpms while driving 40 MPH.
Front windshield was cracked due to windshield heater molding having many burn spots. *ak the service technician stated that the vehicle could have caught on fire.
While driving 25 MPH vehicle caught on fire. Fireman indicated fire started with an electrical wire. Dealer contacted. *ak vehicle is a total loss.
While driving the insured smelled an odd smell, he pulled over and discovered smoke was coming out from under the hood and the vehicle was on fire. Claim number 04-1312-385.
While the consumer was traveling, the vehicle became overheated and the gears locked up, consumer pulled over and saw the vehicle was on fire. Claim number 05-4538-992
Service bulletins that may apply
- Return: Wiring Assy
- Inspect and Return: Solenoid Module
- 1NT30XDVAC
- P/n CBSZR068AA
- Subject regarding airbag / clock spring service for various models including 2002 model year jeep liberty
- Subject regarding wire splice repairs
- This bulletin provides a revised wire splice procedure and related parts
- Information regarding the ignition switch housing service
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1996 Chrysler Town and Country fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 1996 Chrysler Town and Country?
34 of 925 owner complaints about the 1996 Chrysler Town and Country (4%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 1996.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1996 Chrysler Town and Country?
There are 0 recalls and 10 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1996 Chrysler Town and Country
Airbag light 77Wipers 68Fuel leak 60Adaptive cruise 55Stalling 55Transmission failure 39Loss of power 32Door locks 29Power steering loss 25Headlights 18Fuel pump 17Fuel smell 15ABS 14Brake failure 13Overheating 11Fuel gauge 9No deployment 7Slipping 7Grinding brakes 6Jerking 6Won't start 6Engine failure 5Seat belt 5Steering lock-up 5Won't shift 5
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