The vehicle caught on fire with my [XXX] and me inside. Its currently located at a tow yard and Chrysler has not inspected the vehicle yet. I have a report from the fire department stating the fire was hotter on the left drive side which directly lines up with the current recall of the drivers side door switch. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Chrysler Town and Country fire or smoke problems
253 of the 13,494 owner complaints about the Chrysler Town and Country describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 1996 model year.
- owner complaints
- 253
- worst model year
- 1996
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,200
- typical mileage
- 72,000
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Door locks 10Stalling 7Grinding brakes 7Overheating 5Wipers 4Fuel pump 4Fuel leak 4Check engine light 4
Trouble codes mentioned
P1389 1P1388 1
What owners say
I was driving from getting my daughter from school and felt heat and saw smoke coming from under the dashboard. I immediately pulled over and pulled my daughter out of the car the dashboard became engulfed in flames. I was told by the fire department that it looked like and electrical and fuel issue under the dash. There are known problems with this vehicle catching fire but my cin number when I looked up recalls did not have any on it. My insurance company also stated they had many claims against the make model of vehicle regarding fire issues do to manufacturers issues.
The contact owns a 2014 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the charging port located between the 2nd and 3rd row seating on the driver’s side caught on fire. No warning light was illuminated before the failure. The contact pulled off a busy roadway and pulled into a parking lot, all while her 3-year-old son was seated in the 2nd row rear driver's side seat and was being surrounded by smoke. The contact stated that it took approximately 10 minutes to pull over and safely exit the vehicle to remove her son from the vehicle. The contact's son received medical attention for smoke inhalation. The Police and local Fire Department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A Fire report was filed however, the Fire report number was not provided. The origin of the fire was the 110-Volt charging port due to an electrical failure. The contact stated that the child seat was also damaged and needed to be replaced due to the plastic being burned. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where it remained for several weeks. However, the vehicle was later towed back to the local independent dealer where the vehicle was purchased and remained at the dealer for further investigation. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
The contact's partner owns a 2014 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while his partner was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver noticed smoke coming from the rear driver's side sliding door interior and a strong burning electrical wiring odor. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. The contact met the driver and noticed that there was a significant amount of smoke coming from the sliding door with but there was no visible flames. The contact used a fire extinguisher and extinguished the burning and smoke; however, the failure recurred after driving and parking the vehicle at the residence. The contact used a fire extinguisher to extinguish the burning and smoke. The contact the contacted the fire department who completely extinguished the burning. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V234000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included. The local dealer and other unknown dealers were contacted and informed the contact that the earliest availability to inspect the vehicle was in two weeks and half. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a field investigator would be sent to inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 187,000.
The seals in the oil cooler adapter failed. Began leaking oil from the top of the motor down onto the exhaust. This could easily cause a fire when the oil drips onto a hot exhaust. Confirmed by several mechanics and replicated in nearly ALL vehicles with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine. There was no warning lamps. The smell of burning oil was the first symptom. Followed shortly by seeing oil puddling under the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2010 Chrysler Town And Country. The contact stated that while driving on a highway at 45 MPH, the driver's side door caught on fire from the vent window switch. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that she proceeded to drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact was able to reach her residence in time to exit the vehicle, and to call her husband who quickly rushed over to extinguish the fire. A fire department report was not filed. The contact stated that the door latch was melted and the door was no longer lockable. The contact mentioned during the failure she inhaled smoke and was coughing but no physical injuries were sustained. The contact received medical attention for her smoke inhalation. The local dealer was contacted and the contact was advised that the soonest appointment available for a diagnostic was early next year. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 114,633.
The contact owns a 2011 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the window glass fell into the door abruptly. A mechanic inspected the vehicle and determined that the failure occurred due to an internal door fracture. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated while driving and turning the steering wheel, the steering wheel made an abnormally loud squealing sound. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had difficulty starting, and there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light and the electronic throttle control warning light were illuminated. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 174,098.
My rear passenger sliding door doesn't lock. My rear driver sliding door won't open. This is a safety problem if I was ever in a wreck and couldn't get my Grandaughter out the door due to her being in a car seat. This is a serious safety issue. If the car caught fire you would put someone in grave danger if they were in the back seats and the door wouldn't open. This is a huge problem with these vehicles and I don't think we should have to pay for it, Chrysler should.
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended, he detected smoke from the vehicle, which caught fire in the rear electrical compartment. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment or police report filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Van was sitting in driveaway in front of my house. We noticed smoke coming from rear of the vehicle and then saw flames. Contacted 911. Fire department arrived to put out the fire. They said something appeared to have shorted or exploded inside the driver side rear wall panel. Just below the rear window vent in the area of the 3 row speakers and cup holders. It burned down the exterior of the van near the gas cap.
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 fire or smoke
Which Chrysler Town and Country years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1996 (34 complaints), 2008 (29 complaints) and 2010 (19 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix fire, smoke or burning smell on the Chrysler Town and Country?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,200 (median of 15 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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