Two problems related to side/window air bag have been reported for the 2003 Chrysler Town & Country. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
On Monday, may 3, 2010, I was driving my 2003 Chrysler town and country Mini-van and made a right turn into a parking space as the passenger side airbag abruptly exploded out of my dashboard. No impact prompted the malfunction of the airbag. Whatever caused the passenger side bag to explode did not activate the driver's side air bag. The incident was investigated by our insurance company and the authorized dealership for Chrysler to confirm that no impact had occurred. The seatbelts were not affected in anyway. According to service center at the dealership the following is what caused the malfunction: detailed repair quote dated 5/13/2010. Air bag control module, r&r 01/03 side performed diag test -- found dtcs in the system for active passenger squib 2 circuit open-checked wiring -- no visible wiring problem seen -- also found passenger squib 1 circuit shorted together - - needs wiring harness-module-instrument pad and airbag pn the passenger side. We have not had an independent expert investigate the above finding to confirm its accuracy. We have been diligent in our request for assistance from the Chrysler case representative. The representative from the Chrysler investigations department informed us on may 13 that Chrysler did not feel the malfunction was due to a manufacturing defect and therefore we would not receive any compensation. We have not been offered compensation from the authorized dealer either. The owner's manual does not have any instructions for the vehicle owner to have the air bag, air bag sensor module, squib wiring, clock spring wiring, or any other related items checked and maintained on a regular basis. We feel the authorized dealer had the opportunity for firsthand knowledge of the condition of these items from our regular maintenance visits, and should have been diligent in assessing them given previous manufacturer recalls for the same issues on other model years.
We were hit broadside by a vehicle that ran a stop sign on the passenger side. We are equipped with side airbags that failed to deploy. Chrysler investigated and stated the airbags operated correctly and gave us no contact information to discuss this with them. My wife received hip and back injuries.