2005 Chrysler Town and Country: ball joint or control arm failure

Filed Jun 21, 2010 · Suspension · 82,000 miles · WI · crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chrysler town & country. The contact was driving at speeds of 25 MPH when the vehicle began to veer to the right without warning. The contact was unable to control the vehicle and proceeded to crash into three mailboxes. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the mechanic advised that the lower control arm had fractured. There was also other unknown body and suspension failure as a result of the crash. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure and current mileages were 82,000.

Filed Nov 11, 2009 · Steering, Suspension · 67,544 miles · CA

Upon hearing a noise while driving, I checked under the car and noticed a lubrication seal was no longer performing its function. My local mechanic inspected the control arm and related ball joints and informed me the control system was good at this time, but the steering rack was leaking and would require replacement soon. Since I only had about 64,000 miles on my 2005 town & country, I was surprised especially since I had not had this type of failure in the 40 plus years of car ownership, exceeding 100,000 miles on each car. Rich in chrysler customer assistance informed me the town & country does not have an historical problem with the power steering rack & pinion; thus a recall to fix the problem is not necessary. All that is required to show the stance chrysler is taking is false is a simple internet search and a search on the federal safety agency website. There are numerous complaints regarding this very serious problem. Chrysler should have recalled all town & country's for the problems with the power steering. They should not be waiting for the 'toyota rug under the accelerator' issues.

Filed Dec 14, 2008 · Suspension · 32,463 miles · TN

In november 2006, I began hearing a clunking noise from the front end. The mechanic told me that the tie rod end was broken. This failure was at 32,463 miles and cost me $170. In march 2007, I heard the same clunking noise from the front end. The mechanic told me that the sway bar links, sway bar bushings, and stabilizer control links were broken. This failure occurred at 38,347 miles and cost me $350. I heard the same clunking noise again in march 2008. The mechanic said that the sway bar bushings were broken again. Fortunately, this was under warranty. This failure occurred at 55,214 miles. I heard the same clunking noise again in december 2008. The mechanic said that the sway bar links and stabilizer bar control links were broken again. This failure occurred at 67,579 miles and cost me $200. After this repair was made, I continued to hear the noise. The mechanic said that the sway bar bushings are broken again. My mechanic says that this is a common problem with 2005 town & country vehicles, and he does not understand why chrysler does not recall these parts. This is a continuous problem that is costing me a lot of money. The vehicle only has 68,000 miles on it, and my mechanic says that I can expect these front end problems to continue. He also says it is a safety issue as these failures can cause loss of control of the vehicle. I have a young child with me most of the time, and I am worried about our safety.

Filed Apr 10, 2008 · Steering, Transmission · 51,000 miles · MI

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chrysler town and country. The contact stated that she has had to replace the rack and pinion, tie rods, water pump, rear windshield wiper motor, passenger side window motor, and the egr valve. Currently, the axle is failing. The dealer could not determine the cause of the failures; however, they were all covered due to an extended warranty. The VIN, engine size, and number of cylinders were unknown. The failure mileage was 51,000 and current mileage was 55,450.

Filed Jul 17, 2007 · Engine, Steering · 37,000 miles · ID

Started hearing bumping noises from front end. Took to repair shop. They replaced tie rod ends and swing arm bushings. Noise reduced, but stil bumping on acceleration. Returned, had to replace front top engine mount.

Filed Oct 31, 2006 · Steering, Suspension · 16,000 miles · NY

We own a 2005 chrysler town & country touring van. At approximately 16000 we had a problem with the rack & pinion and ball joints. It was taken to a dealer that was suppose to have fixed the problem -- we have had problems with items in that area since then. We have enjoyed our vehicle except for this problem -- the latest incident is the tie rod end needs to be replaced and we were told that it would not be covered under the warranty. The vehicle has approximately 51,000 miles on it at this time.

Filed Jun 8, 2006 · Suspension · 45,000 miles · VA

1.) events: noticed a loud noise when turning sharply at slow speeds, and a different but locally the same noise, when braking hard. 2.) failure: hasn't failed yet because I am having the problem repaired at a cost of $800.00. Vehicle has less then 50,000 miles. 3.)replace both upper and lower control arms,(they are one part so regardless of which fails, both have to be replaced doubling the cost to me). Parts are available. After reviewing many entries on line from other owners of this vehicle, this seems to be a problem that is endemic to the model. Chrysler refuses to assist with the service, stating that the vehicle is out of warranty. According to my repair tech, this is not a problem that should be left un-attended and could cause a serious accident at any speed.