1998 town and country will stop right after starts. After 3 times it will longer start. Have replaced the engine module for $250.00. This has fixed the problem for atleast 2 years. When it started again I replaced the module again. It is still working after 14 months. Cheaper than taking to dealer and easy to replace.
1998 Chrysler Town and Country engine complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 70, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I have a 1998 chrysler town & country van. The fan belt slipped off during a rain storm, stranding me and my two small children. I was told by the auto mechanic that it is a common problem with the chrysler town & country models 1996-2000. I had to buy a "gates" fan belt kit to fix the problem. Two years later and six kits later the fan belt is still giving me problems. Chrysler should fix this known defect.
Tl*the contacts owns a 1998 chrysler town and country. The contact stated that she has replaced the serpentine belt three times. She further stated that the idler pulley was defective and had to be replaced with a kit. When the pulley malfunctions, it allows the serpentine belt to detach. As a result, the power steering fails and all the other components overheat. While driving at various speeds, the contact cannot pull off the road. The vehicle may explode or catch fire. The failure was initially noticed while driving 35 MPH in the rain. The vehicle was towed to her mechanic for repair. There were no warning indicators prior to the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
When going through average size puddle, serpentine belt came off. This disables all steering control and alternator/coolant system, etc. This is definitely a safety issue. Have replaced belt myself numerous times. Failure of tensioner and 2 other pulleys eventually needed at cost of $300+. Waiting for it to happen again... I see this is an ongoing problem.
Driving on highway, temperature warning light illuminated. Temperature gauge indicated h (hot) position. Stopped vehicle on side of highway and inspected coolant. No coolant in system. Added coolant, drove 3 miles, repeated. Had towed to private garage. Mechanic replaced coolant lines to rear heat at a cost of $321. Mechanic stated that lines were rotted throughout. Stated that every t&c he sees with rear heat has coolant line failure such as this. States they are of inferior quality, cheap aluminum with no protection. Cannot guarantee they will not fail again.
Serpentine belt/pulley defective belt is guaranteed to slip off van) during wet weather conditions, resulting in a loss of power steering. Belt and pulley have both been replaced ,but still could nnot drive in rain due to belt coming off. This problem will cause you loss of steering, possible engine overheating and leaves you and your passengers stranded on the road. I wouldn't attemp to drive in snow or sleet, especially with loss of power sterring.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chrysler town and country. The contact stated that the vehicle fails to start sometimes and has been towed twice. While the engine is running, the gauges will go to zero and the instrument panel lights dim. When idling, the vehicle will shut off and several warning indicator lights will illuminate. The mechanic and the dealer were unable to determine the cause of failure. The current mileage is 121,000 and failure mileage was 119,900.
While driving in wet conditions the serpentine belt fell off, causing an inability to steer. Vehicle was towed , and belt was replaced again, the 4th time this year!. Vehicle is a 1998 chrysler town & country with a 3.8l engine.
Tl* - the contact owns a 1993 chrysler town and country. While driving 10 miles or more and accelerating the vehicle shook. The contact stated it was not related to the steering. The front axle was replaced 3 times, new tires were installed, the wheels were rotated to ensure they weren't bent, and new motor mounts were installed and the failure continued to occur. This failure had occurred for over 2 years. The dealer and the transmission mechanic were unable to diagnose the vehicle. The ABS and brake warning lights illuminated each time the engine was turned on and stayed on for a 1/4 of a mile. This failure occurred for more than one year. The dealer stated that the failure was due to the ABS pump. The current and failure mileage was 130,000.
Serpentine belt throws in even slightly wet weather, often at hazardous places and conditions. Belts and pulleys have been replaced repeatedly. Power steering and water pump, among other systems fail instantly. My wife drives the car and can no longer drive it in wet weather. Been fighting this problem for years.
I own a 1998 chrysler town and country minivan and I was getting real sleepy every time I drove it . Upon inspection by an auto repair shop. I was informed the expansion joint on the exhaust pipe crossover pipe was cracked and letting fumes enter the passenger compartment. This is a very dangerous situation. The repair part is over $500 which the mechanic said was very much overpriced. This expansion joint is made of stainless steel which gets very brittle with heat and will crack over time with extended use. The part was used on chrysler town & country and voyager minivans. I feel due to the seriousness of this defect, these vans should be recalled and repaired without cost to the vehicle owners.
1998 chrysler town and country transmission failed while driving on the highway. *ts there was no warning prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the service dealer who indicated that the vehicle needed a new transmission. The consumer contacted the manufacturer for financial assistance but since the vehicle was out of warranty they refused any assistance. The belt and tensioner were replaced because they were noisy. The handbrake did not hold. The dealer replaced the lever and cable assembly. The front struts were replaced. The sway bar link was replaced because it was noisy. The rear hatch lock was inoperative.
Dt: the contact complained about a serpentine belt problem. She replaced the belt three times. This has been an ongoing problem for the past three years. The first problem emerged when the belt broke while driving. The power steering was lost when the breakage occurred. The next two times the belt itself did not break, it came off the pulley. The vehicle has been taken back to the dealer for repairs all three times.
Dt: consumer owned chrysler town and country 1998 van. Consumer has a document that she received from a chrysler dealer that described the problem she was having. It was customer satisfaction notification 771. Stating the problem was radiator fan relay, and the need to reprogram the power train control module. Vehicle overheats due to the radiator relay fan not working. Engine light came on. Consumer replaced the radiator relay fan twice and it kept failing. Consumer talked to manufacturer, and was told that they would not include this vehicle in the customer satisfaction program described in the document that consumer received at dealer because vehicle was manufactured two weeks after the vehicles included in this program. Consumer wanted to have vehicle fixed by chrysler, and if they will pay for what was described in document 771. This was not the problem consumer was willing to pay for service. Consumer did not have a dealer because the dealership closed.
Dt: the consumer stated when it rained, the drive belt fell off the vehicle. Took vehicle to a dealership, who fixed the problem, but they could not tell her why this occurred. The drive belt was replaced approximately a month ago. The tensioner was changed, and this did not help the belt. The vehicle is in the shop at this time , and the consumer doesn't have any information with the VIN on it.
While driving in rain or snow or over any type of puddle the serpentine belt slipped off. Dealer stated there was nothing they could do. *ak *bf
Failure of the flex joint in the rear exhaust manifold on the 3.8 liter v6 engine. Causing exhaust noise under the hood and exhaust entering the cabin area when the heater is in use.
Vehicle experienced a problem with the driving belt. Owner was driving and came to a stop sign, applied the brakes, and the vehicle shut down. Driving belt broke , causing complete loss of control of the vehicle. Owner contacted the dealer and the manufacturer, and received no assistance from either.
While driving 30-35 MPH the vehicle caught fire under the hood. The consumer was able to pull over until the local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. How the fire got started was not determined.
My chrysler town and country had a belt alignment problem. If the belt gets wet, it slips off the pulleys or breaks/shreads. I had to have it repaired by placing a spacer plate between a pully and the motor and a new belt tensioner.*ak when the problem occurs, the van is very hard to stear due to loss of power steering. I researched the www, and this has been a problem for many people.
Serpentine belt pops off every time it rains.
In june 2004 while driving in a rainstorm on the highway serpentine belt on my 1998 chrysler town and country broke. It was replaced. In july of 2004, while driving on a wet street, the serpentine belt came off. It was put back on. On oct 8,2004, while driving in the rain, the serpentine belt came off, it was put back on along with the tsb shield recommended in 1999 by chrylser to prevent the belt from coming off in the rain. On nov 1, 2004 while driving in the rain, the belt came off. Chrysler put it back on and charged me $43. Chysler has known about this defect since 1999. No effort has been made to come up with a permanent solution. Allen samuels dealership in webster, tx sees 3-4 minivans come in with this problem each time it rains.
While driving 35 MPH vehicle stalled. Consumer tried to restart vehicle but was unable to do so. Consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic replaced the serpentine belt, and placed a shield around it to prevent it from falling off.
Three times in one year and twice in one week the serpentine belt came off. Seems to be worse in wet weather. The last time it happened my daughter was driving with her 4 children in the car at 65 MPH on the interstate in rush-hour traffic. When the belt comes off you lose, among other items, the power steering. This is a dangerous situation. My dealer found the service bulletin addressing the problem (only after I told him the tsb number) but would not show it to me. A call to chrysler customer service only got me an offer to sell me the service bulletin. I have since found out the service bulletin calls for replacement an incorrectly designed idler pulley bracket. I believe this is a critical safety issue, made worse by the manufacturers unwillingness to share its knowledge of the problem with the customer.
First problem occurred three days after we purchased this used. Transmission locked into neutral and would not disengage. This happened while driving. Vehicle had to be towed. Rebuilt transmission cost $1500. Got it back and 4 days later the fan to cool the engine went out. In the shop another 2 days costing an additional $180.00. Feel like I am hemmorhaging money on this car. Left drivers window switch doesn't work at times and window gets stuck in the open position.
When driving through standing water serpentine belt fell off, causing vehicle to lose power steering and overheat.
While driving, the serpentine belt had come off the pulleys, the power steering, air condition (compressor), defroster and alternator had gone out. *ak it was difficult to steer and the windows fogged. The dealer replaced the tensioner and serpentine drive belt. (the serpentine belt had come off during a rain storm and the tensioner was worn out) *scc
Camshaft broke at 55000 miles while operating vehicle under normal operating conditions; engine failed at critical moment while climbing 25 degree hill endangering occupants.8ak
The driver is smelling gas inside vehicle after vehicle has been started. The cause of the smell is unknown.
At 25-30 MPH engine began to sputter. Dealer determined that camshaft had broken. Part is on national backorder.
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