Two problems related to electrical failure have been reported for the 2001 Chrysler Town & Country. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Beginning 12/04. . . Head light brightness intermittently varies according to rpm's regardless of speed. Dimness increased by low battery charge after the following have occurred: battery low/dead after leaving doors open for 2-3 hours. Battery low/dead if vehicle not used for several days. Passenger window failure intermittent then complete. Rear vent windows failure intermittent. Driver window failure intermittent. Gear change with significant increase of rpm's at high speeds for no apparent reason. Speed surge at highway speeds for no apparent reason. Overhead control of sliding doors unreliable. Engine light continuously on for over 2 months. Only noticeable problem; increased battery/starting problems. New battery purchased. 10/6/05 eng line code p0601 diagnosed by dealership as need for new pcm board. When code p0601 was entered into the parts database at the dealership, it took several minutes for the search to be completed due to the exceedingly high number of codes processed before the $750. 00 pcm board was determined to be the correct part to repair the problems. (turn ignition on and off three times leaving it in on position on the third time to find engine codes! this technical trick has not changed since the mid 80's) all this before 70,000 miles. Logic leads one to believe that the pcm boards are defective, or that their location under the hood, next to the engine and exposure to extreme changes in temperature leads to early failures. Rear view and side view mirrors inadequate for size of vehicle. Many blind spots make this vehicle unsafe to back up anywhere. Chrysler, as usual, needs the federal gov't to issue edicts before recalls will be issued or replacements/repairs made at no cost to the consumer. Electrical failures are this vans greatest downfall. Otherwise, it's a really comfortable ride.
We have 2 - 2001 Chrysler Town & Country vans. They both have less than 55000 and have had several mechanical malfunctions, some of which are very serious. They share many of the same problems which include, steering components, electrical failure of internal gauges, and radio replacements. One van also had a brake line separate while traveling on the highway about a month ago.