2006 Chrysler Town and Country: steering wheel locks up

Filed Oct 15, 2018 · Steering · 130,000 miles · MD

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chrysler town and country. While driving, the power steering seized and the steering wheel could not be turned. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rack and pinion failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 130,000.

Filed Nov 16, 2015 · Airbags, Steering · 16,416 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chrysler town and country. While making a turn at an unknown speed, the steering wheel locked up without warning. While attempting to regain control, a loud bang noise was heard. The contact was able to regain control of the steering wheel, but a clicking sound was heard constantly. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clock spring and multi-function switch were damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 16,416. Updated 02/12/16*lj

Filed Sep 13, 2015 · Brakes, Steering · 13,000 miles · FL

I have encountered a very serious problem with the steering wheel of my 2006 chrysler town and country. After doing some research, I have found that many others have experienced the same issues. As far as I can tell, no one has been able to solve this problem. This is a link to one of the forums that I encountered while doing research. Http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/dodge-grand-caravan/tc37vjlp6md4pohvj/p2 here is a comment left by one of the many people experiencing difficulties,"this is my second chrysler/dodge mini-van that developed this problem. My first was a 1996 dodge caravan and no one was ever able to fix the problem. Now my 2002 chrysler town & country has the same problem. We have replaced everything....including the belt tensioner which was horribly expensive but the problem just comes back. I will have the mechanic check the drain hole. It's almost criminal that this company could not figure out and warn about this problem which is very dangerous." ([xxx]) it is a very dangerous and possibly deadly problem. When attempting to make a turn, if the conditions are wet, the steering wheel will jam up and will not turn, that it to say it locks up or jams. The wheel freezes without warning and requires substantial force in order to turn. Any turn made without extreme caution could prove to be lethal under these circumstances. The last time this occurred it had been raining on thursday september 10, 2015. Although by the time I got out of work, it was no longer raining, as I backed out of the parking lot, the steering wheel froze yet again. Luckily, it occurred in a parking lot and not on a busy road where a collision might have occurred. This problem is obviously very concerning to me and I would like to hear back from someone as soon as possible and hopefully no one will get hurt until that time. Thank you for your time. - [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Filed Feb 19, 2014 · Steering · 80,000 miles · IL · crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chrysler town and country. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized without warning while driving in rainy weather. The steering wheel became hard to turn and caused the contact to crash into a mail box. The failure was experienced several times when the vehicle was driven in rain. The driver did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 80,000.

Filed Nov 5, 2007 · Steering · 18,200 miles · TX

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chrysler town and country. While turning or merging to the right, the steering freezes. On october 29, 2007, the contact was nearly struck head on by oncoming traffic when the steering wheel froze in place. The failure usually occurs at intersections where water drains off the road or when driving over a pot hole; however, it always occurs when steering to the right. The dealer stated that it was a design flaw. The contact is filing a law suit under the lemon law. The speed was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 18,200.