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1996 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

1 injured · 676370 · 2008-07-01

Vehicle

Make
CHRYSLER
Model
TOWN AND COUNTRY
Year
1996
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Miles at failure
80,000
Speed
30 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
1
Fire
No
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

THE SERPENTINE BELT ON OUR 1996 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LXI, MAKES A HORRIBLE SCREECHING SOUND, THAT WE'VE ALMOST COME TO APPRECIATE, WHEN FACED WITH IT'S ALTERNATIVE SILENCE, WHEN THE SERPENTINE BELT GETS WET & SLIPS OFF. THE IMMEDIATE & DANGEROUS RESULT IS LOSS OF POWER STEERING, LEAVING THE DRIVER SURPRISED WITH THEIR INABILITY TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VAN. WITHIN LESS THAN A MINUTE, A FAST HAZARD BELL SOUNDS & THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE SENSOR IS PINNED AT HOT. IF THE DRIVER IS QUICK, STRONG, & LUCKY ENOUGH, TO GET THE FAMILY "SAFELY" OFF THE ROAD, BEFORE THE WATER PUMP FRIES, STALLING THE VAN IN TRAFFIC, THEY ARE NOW LEFT STRANDED. WE'VE HAD THE SERPENTINE BELT & TENSIONER PULLEY REPLACED TWICE, THE LAST TIME AT CHRYSLER, AND STILL THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. WE'VE CHECKED FOR RECALLS BUT CHRYSLER STATES THAT THIS IS NOT A LIFE THREATENING FAILURE, SO NO RECALL HAS BEEN MADE. THIS HAS HAPPENS TO US OFTEN ENOUGH THAT WE KEEP A WRENCH IN OUR VAN, SO MY HUSBAND CAN ATTEMPT TO RETRIEVE & RE-SEAT THE BELT ONTO THE TENSIONER, IN THE POURING RAIN. WE'VE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM & CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY CHRYSLER DOESN'T THINK LOSS OF STEERING & SUDDEN HEAT PUMP FAILURE IS NOT LIFE THREATENING. IF ONE OF THEIR CEOS WERE TO FIND THEMSELVES STRUGGLING THEIR FAMILY VAN QUICKLY OFF THE ROAD, STANDING OVER, OR EVEN LYING UNDER THEIR ENGINE, IN THE POURING RAIN, WHILE THE REST OF THE FAMILY HOPES THAT HE ISN'T INJURED MAKING THE REPAIR, HIT BY LIGHTENING,

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10232952
Machine
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