The Battery died and would not recharge. I checked the van. No lights were left on; no warning notifications. I replaced the battery. I had the seat behind the driver seat stowed because I had surgery on my left foot and needed to haul my knee cart with me. I no longer needed it so I raised the seat and found it had melted/burnt in several spots on the seat back. I was mortified! My van is a 2013 but is in great shape and only has 46,937 miles on it. It was parked in my garage and could have caused a house fire killing all occupants. I contacted Chrysler. They won't assist in the repair or replacement stating it hadn't been recalled and was no longer in warranty. Insurance denied the claim due to it being a part malfunction. Please let others know that the seat heater & wiring harness are defective!! I feel Chrysler should accept the responsibility pay for the repairs due to defective parts. Had this fire continued, they would be facing a much larger lawsuit such as wrongful death, etc.
Chrysler Town and Country battery drain problems
51 of the 13,494 owner complaints about the Chrysler Town and Country describe battery drain or dead battery, most of them for the 2008 model year.
- owner complaints
- 51
- worst model year
- 2008
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,000
- typical mileage
- 80,200
By model year
Often reported together
Won't start 12Fuel pump 12Stalling 11Wipers 5Door locks 5Check engine light 4Won't shift 3Warning lights 2
What owners say
Driver captain seat head rest deployed on it’s own without an accident. Fortunately, I was sitting in the parked when it deployed….no injury just scared me. Electrical: I’ve been dealing with a parasitic drain no my battery. I have these amber lights around my light switch, around my overhead console, around my inverter power outlets in the rear and around other dash controls. You can only see it at night. Dodge said it was because of a failing radio. I disconnected the radio, waited until it got dark, and the lights were still on. Pulling the M12 fuse (30 amp) the power drain stopped and the amber lights go out. I’m unclear what’s causing the additional drain. On the internet I keep running a cross bad TIPM’s for sporadic electrical issues and power drains that happen. May trade it.
The passenger side sliding door has issues locking and unlocking. The actuator buzzes whenever the car locks or unlocks, even after a replacement part installed. When automatically closing the door, it often gets “stuck” trying to close and you can hear the door/lock motor repeatedly trying to pull the door closed and lock it even though the door is in the closed position. It will do this until the battery drains if not dealt with. To stop it, I have to manually open the door and slam it closed. Oftentimes the door is just stuck and will not open when in this stuck mode, which is the major safety concern. This has been happening for over a year now. It is especially worse in the heat, but happens all year. These doors are also frozen shut in the winter and the family has to enter the vehicle through the front driver or passenger doors.
The External Fuel Pump Relay has failed causing stalling conditions while driving and starting problems. Along with that, it has drained the battery due to not turning the fuel pump off after the car is turn off. The part was recalled on the Jeep and Durango models with the same 3.6L engine. There have been many reports of this online with Town and Country and Dodge Caravan models with the 3.6L and 5.7L engines.
Bad relay module: 1. Battery drained while parked in garage overnight, multiple occasions. 2. Fuel pump continued to run and make noise when the vehicle is shut off. 3. Chrysler dealer performed diagnosis and confirmed that the TIPM require replacement, replacement part will take additional two months to arrive. 4. Engine stalled while making low speed right turn at high traffic intersection and nearly caused accident with children onboard. Likely caused by shut off fuel pump. 5. The vehicle is absolutely unsafe to drive and require immediate repair.
The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that she had experienced multiple electrical failures with her vehicle. The contact stated that the air bag and gas cap warning lights would intermittently illuminate without incident. Additionally, the horn would independently blare both while in use and while stationary. She also mentioned that the internal lights would active overnight which would drain the battery. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with a defective TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module). The contact was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Vehicle would lose power. First problem was while at the gas station with my children (age 4 and 1) and with the key in the cup holder, the doors locked on their own. I had to call my husband to bring spare key. The next issue was the vehicle battery drained and had to get jumped. The last issue was the vehicle would not turn on. All of the lights turned on but would not crank over.Took it to my local dealership and was advised that the TIPM failed.
I've replaced the battery 3 times in the past 8 months. This last time the battery almost exploded because of the draw on it. My mechanic says there's nothing wrong with the van and the parts store says there's nothing wrong with any of the 3 batteries they sold me. Ive gone on line and other people complain of a parasitic battery drain.. My vehicle was in my driveway each time when the battery was found dead.
Vehicle is experiencing intermittent dead batteries and no start issues. Had vehicle shut down while driving as well to fuel pump shutting down. After diagnostic found the fuel pump was staying on after key was removed killing the battery. This is an issue with a bad tipm module that had been under a recall on the previous years town and country. Called the dealer today ans was told on there were no open recalls on my specific VIN.
Fuel pump relay is stuck resulting in continuous pump running causing dead battery overnight and vehicle not starting.
Related recalls
Electrical system: wiring: front underhood
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
- Risk
- A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Recall number 18V524000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Chrysler Group, LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, through October 31, 2013. The affected vehicles may experience overheating of the vent window switch in the driver's door armrest.
- Risk
- An overheated switch may result in a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vent window switch with a newer version, free of charge. The owner notification letter was issued and the remedy campaign launched on on December 31, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P25.
Recall number 14V234000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2010 dodge journey, grand caravan, and chrysler town & country vehicles manufacturer from august 3, 2009, through june 17, 2010. Some vehicles may experience inadvertent ignition key displacement from the run to accessory position while driving causing the engine to shut off.
- Risk
- Engine shut off while driving could increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the win modules free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during july 2011. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 11V139000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling 6,138 my 2009 town and country and dodge grand caravan vehicles. Unused electrical connectors for the blind spot detection system may become corroded and could short circuit, which can cause a variety of conditions.
- Risk
- If the fuse for this circuit does not blow, the connectors could overheat and potentially catch fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will seal the power circuit at the subject connector and replace the fuse for this circuit if necessary free of charge. The recall began on march 9, 2009. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 09V046000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chrysler Town and Country battery drain
Which Chrysler Town and Country years have battery drain or dead battery problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2008 (9 complaints), 2011 (9 complaints) and 2012 (6 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix battery drain or dead battery on the Chrysler Town and Country?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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