Engine Shut Off Without Warning problems of the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country

The vehicle shuts off while driving very unsafe. You loose all control of the vehicle when it shuts off steering and brakes.

All of a sudden the whole vehicle completely shuts down. No lights, power steering goes out, brakes lock up and engine shuts down. This was in the middle of the road as I was driving.

Motor shuts off with no warning at low speeds up to 40 mph. With engine shut off very hard to steer or apply brakes. Put car in neutral or park and it will start back up. When motor shuts off with no warning making for a very dangerous situation. Car shuts down on city streets and also on the highway. Seems to happen as the weather cools down. Only light that appears on dash is the traction control when the motor shuts down. Have now quit using the vehicle because of dangerous condition it creates.

My 2009 Chrysler town and country engine has started to turn off randomly. It is happening once or twice weekly. So far, it has happened at speeds 45 mph and under. The engine shuts down as if in ignition mode. I can put it in neutral or park and restart without trouble. The 2014 recall was completed for the key fob and ignition switch. I only have one key and plastic cards on the fob. The mechanics can find no cause of the problem.

The vehicle was in park and running in a parking lot. The van had been running and in motion for approximately 10 minutes prior to arriving at the parking lot where it was then placed into park and left running while waiting for my kids to get out of school. Radio on, heat on then with no warning at all the vehicle shut off, lost all power. I was unable to remove the key from the ignition. It would not go into the off position allowing me to remove the key. I tried to turn the key to the various positions to start the car and nothing happened. Auto locks would not unlock, the car was completely dead. I sat for about 5 minutes in a panic trying to figure out how cars I was blocking were going to get out of their parking spots. Then the van suddenly started up on its own. My hands were not on the keys, nowhere near the ignition and it just started up. What would have happened if this occurred while I was driving and in motion and even worse traveling at a high speed???? there should be a recall on this issue as it is a major safety concern. The vehicle did receive the recall fix for the issue with ignition a couple years back and now I wonder if that was even the real issue since my van randomly shut off on me for no reason at all whatsoever. I don't know if there are any other official reports but a google search pulls up many others having the same issue this year with various years of the town and country and the reports are recent.

While driving usually at low speeds (20 mph or less) the car shuts off, the steering and brakes lock when this happens. It seems to happen the most when I am coasting around a curve or coming up to a stop. This has happened recently while driving over 35 mph. I have had both of the recall repairs done but this is still happening at an increasing rate. It began in June and would occur once every couple of weeks now it happens every day.

My engine has shut down on me four times in the last two months. I took it to the dealer twice. First time, replaced abs. Paid over $2200, still same problem. Second time, no error code but charged me $130 to clean the throttle linkage, still the same problem. My wife and I are scared to drive it. I did a search and found someone with the exact same problem (see below). Can you offer me (or the dealer) any advice on how this can be fixed? engine shuts down during low speed operation. Problem occurs particularly when driving at speeds of 10-20 mph under certain conditions such as controlling speed in speed zones, negotiating moderate gradients--down hill or uphill, turning into lane, and in traffic. We have experienced the problem on city and suburban streets and in parking lots. Problem has occurred when the car is cold or warm. There is no warning prior to the shutdown other than loss of power and associated ensuing problems: difficulty steering and braking due to loss of power; dash warning symbols/lights turn on, beginning with the traction control symbol. When we first experienced this problem last winter (2015), Chrysler changed the ignition switch; however, the problem has reemerged with increased frequency over the last 30-60 days. Our local Chrysler dealer has not identified the cause and cannot detect a code during testing. In January 2016, our dealer performed a tune up (hoping to resolve the problem) but the problem persists and occurs at a frequency of 1 in 2-6 operations. . Read more...

Engine shuts down during low speed operation. Problem occurs particularly when driving at speeds of 10-20 mph under certain conditions such as controlling speed in speed zones, negotiating moderate gradients--down hill or uphill, turning into lane, and in traffic. We have experienced the problem on city and suburban streets and in parking lots. Problem has occurred when the car is cold or warm. There is no warning prior to the shutdown other than loss of power and associated ensuing problems: difficulty steering and braking due to loss of power; dash warning symbols/lights turn on, beginning with the traction control symbol. When we first experienced this problem last winter (2015), Chrysler changed the ignition switch; however, the problem has reemerged with increased frequency over the last 30-60 days. Our local Chrysler dealer has not identified the cause and cannot detect a code during testing. In January 2016, our dealer performed a tune up (hoping to resolve the problem) but the problem persists and occurs at a frequency of 1 in 2-6 operations. Most recent occurrence was 2/5/2016. Our car passed the maryland emissions test in January 2016. Current mileage is 96,342 miles. I reported the problem to Chrysler corp. , which has a case file open #28712527. In addition, I have researched the problem online and have found numerous reports of similar events with the Town & Country with mostly unfavorable outcomes because Chrysler cannot detect a malfunction code during test. . Read more...

I received a safety recall notice on the wireless ignition node module on my vehicle which said I should contact my dealer "right away" to schedule a service appointment. I had asked about this the last time I was there about two months ago and was told that they didn't have the parts in stock yet. Last night, my engine shut off while I was driving down my street, which I assume was a result of this defective part. Thankfully I wasn't going very fast, but it definitely scared me and could have been tragic had I been on the highway, going at a faster speed or had another vehicle close behind me. I just called my dealer to get an appointment ASAP to get this taken care of and was told that they still don't have the part and won't until probably mid-September. I think it's unacceptable to have to wait that long to fix a safety issue, especially when I've experienced a problem.

We have had repeated engine stall/power steering malfunctions with our 2009 Chrysler town and country starting in December 2014. (a very similiar incident which required $2,518 in repairs occured in 2012). Starting in December 2014, the engine repeatedly shut-off during operation. Typically this occurs at speeds between 25-45mph. The engine shuts down, steering capability is lost and the airbags become no-functional. This results in very unsafe driving conditions as control of the vehicle is almost impossible. Multiple calls have been made to Chrysler. They state the vehicle is currently under recall for this issue but a fix is not yet available. The part is being manufactured and must go through qc prior to us being called to schedule a repair. In the meantime, their only suggestion is to be sure no other items are on the key fob during operation and I informed them this was already the case. They will not offer replacement vehicle assistance and we have decided the vehicle is too unsafe to drive. . . We are a family of 5 and I refuse to put my family at risk by continuing to use this vehicle. As a result, we have had to purchase a new familly vehicle while the Chrysler sits idle. We continue to pay for taxes and insurance on the vehicle while taking on the unplanned expense of new car payment. Multiple attempts at contacting chrylser care have gone unanswered. Everytime I contact their organization, I remain on hold for 45 minutes or more. I would be happy to assist in any way possible to help get this complaint heard and an actionable response from chyrsler. I am outraged that an organization can be so irresponsible by ignoring safety issues in its products.

While driving at approximately 45 miles per hour the vehicle engine shut off resulting in loss of power steering and braking. I was able to manuever the van to the side of the road. The car restarted and this issue has occured on 6 more occasion since this incident. There is a safety recall on the vehicle however Chrysler does not have the part available to fix the problem. The Chrysler dealer has seen the car and deteremined that the recall is the issue affecting the engine shut off. There is a significant safety issue with this car and chryler refuses to offer any other alternative than to tell the customer to drive the car even though injury or death via an accident is a significant concer.

I came to a stop sign and the vehicle shut off (as if the key had been turned to the accessory position). After taking it to the dealership, they informed me that it was affected by the l25/NHTSA 14v-373 recall. This can cause then engine to stop at any point in time (including driving while on a highway). This is not a condition where the minvan should be driven. If this were to happen on a highway the results could be deadly (the engine shuts off and the sudden lack of steering and brakes plus the airbags deactivating). I have been told that there are no parts available to fix this and that I should drive it home. This is incredibly unsafe and I can't believe that this is allowed to happen. The recall has been out since June of this year and I'm being told that there is no eta on when the parts will be available.

This is the letter I sent to Chrysler corporation. I am reporting the occurrence of unexpected engine shutoff and loss of power for my 2009 Chrysler Town & Country minivan. This has occurred 3 times over the past four months with the first occurrence on 30 November 2013; the last occurrence on 11 March 2014; and another time between those occurrences. The below description characterizes each of the incidents: - without warning the engine shut off - there was a complete loss of power steering and brakes - it took extreme force to stop the vehicle and turn the vehicle off the road out of the traffic flow due to the loss of power steering and power brakes. - the console remained lit - all the loss of engine cutoff incidents occurred without warning I have contacted the local dealership service shop about the problem. I was told that they have no information about the problem, and would have to try to recreate the problem to address the solution. I contacted the Chrysler corporation customer service (on 28 March 2014) and was told that they have no knowledge of any service bulletin associated with this problem. This of course is a very scary situation given that another loss of power can occur again without warning. This clearly will put the riders in danger. I was fortunate during the last three occurrences, but that may not be the case the next time. I know from internet searches that this problem has occurred with other town and country vans. This is a problem that the Chrysler corporation should investigate. It is potentially a life threatening flaw in the vehicle that can only be addressed by a corporate level investigation, analysis, and solution. Note: this problem is the same issue that was the subject of your recall for 2010 minivans (NHTSA recall: 11v139000).

I was driving at approximately 45 mph when my t&c Chrysler minivan just shut off. I had to "arm-strong" steer it to the side of the road and restart it. Luckily I was not on the highway. Now the key fob randomly gets stuck at 'accessories' and I am not able to turn the car off. Apparently the ignition does not know the car is in park as well. When I get to my destination, I am faced with having to either leave the key in the ignition with power being drained from the battery (since thing are still on). . Or continually driving around and park, drive around and park, until the key will come out. This is an on going problem. I have taken it to my mechanic he googled and found other town and country Mini vans have been reported with the same problem, including shutting off while being driven going back as far as 15 years! there is clearly a manufacture defect with the ignition. On a separate occasion, my passenger side air bag opened while I was driving. I pushed it back in place. . . But since I hit noting, I don't know why it opened up to begin with. Except for after reading about the faulty gm ignition and how it affected the air bags. Now I have no idea if the air bags will work or not when needed. I have complained to Chrysler openly and repeatedly on their twitter account and their facebook page, they messaged me once through facebook and said they closed my complaint (but without ever having spoken to me). And they are continuing to ignore me. The problems I am having with my ignition are the very same problems owners of the recently recall defective gm ignitions are having. I have no doubt the ignitions are one in the same. I want this dealt with while it is fresh in the minds of people who demanded the gm recall! I want something done today! I'm afraid of my own car! ps the engine lags as well. . The rpm's drop below the mph randomly.

I am reporting the occurrence of unexpected engine shutoff and loss of power for my 2009 Chrysler Town & Country minivan. This has occurred 3 times over the past six months with the first occurrence on 30 November 2013; the last occurrence on 11 March 2014; and another time between those occurrences. The below description characterizes each of the incidents: - without warning the engine shut off - there was a complete loss of power - the console remained lit - there was a complete loss of power steering - it took extreme force to turn the vehicle off the road out of the traffic flow due to the loss of power steering. - one loss of power occurrence happened at highway speed. The other two occurred at around 40 mph. - all the loss of power incidents occurred without warning. I have contacted the local dealership service shop about the problem. I was told that they have no information about the problem, and would have to try to recreate the problem to address the solution. I asked about whether there were any service bulletins about this problem, and they told me they had no knowledge of any. This of course is a very scary situation given that another loss of power can occur again without warning. The clearly will put the riders in danger. I was fortunate during the last three occurrences, but that may not be the case the next time. I know from internet searches that this problem has occurred with other town and country vans. This is a problem that your office should investigate. It is potentially a life threatening flaw in the vehicle that can only be addressed by a corporate level investigation, analysis, and solution.

The first incident occurred when the vehicle was in motion going about 40 miles an hour when the engine shut off with power steering and brake pressure loss. The abs and traction control light came on. The vehicle was able to be moved over to the side of the road without incident. Restarted the vehicle and it operated as normal. The second incident occurred while moving the vehicle around 5 miles an hour when the engine shut off again. Power steering and brakes failed to work. The third incident occurred traveling about 30 miles an hour with the same issues as above. The vehicle has been at the dealer twice with no solution at this time. There is a recall after the timeframe of this vehicle manufacture for the ignition module 11v139000. It would seem the recall needs to be extended as there are more issues related to the engine stopping for more than just the 2010 model.

To an odi investigator: there is a clear and present danger present with this vehicle randomly shutting down while driving. I have experienced this shutting down on approximately 15+ occasions. When the vehicle shuts down, I lose power steering, braking and I'm sure airbags. In reviewing the first 30 complaints associated with this vehicle - I observed 6 out of 30 complaints related to the same problem, all described this event (I didn't want to weed through all 200+ complaints when the first 30 exhibited this serious issue) - the vehicle shutting down while driving. These are the numbers associated with this problem - I'm sure there are others: 10669606 / 10669083 / 10660772 / 10661814 / 10658525 / 10658922 all these state that the vehicle shuts down while driving randomly with no explanation - this is a serious issue and there seems to be a common defect somewhere - this needs to be addressed - find out what Chrysler knows about this issue because it is a safety issue for everyone on the road.

Purchased a 2009 t&c 3 weeks ago, 47607miles. First incidence occurred after 1 week. While driving the vehicle lost power steering, (electronics, lights, radio, etc remained active), I realized the engine had stalled/cutoff. I was only going about 20mph, I had to put the car in park and restart the ignition. Car drove fine. Took the car back to dealership where they machined the rear rotors. Week 2, took the car back to the dealership again, they machined the front rotors. Week 3, while driving the same incident occurred, engine cutoff during operation without warning. Luckily I was in a neighborhood and speed was approx 15-25 mph. Electronics remained active. (there were no warnings or error codes when the engine shut down. ) had to put the vehicle in park and restart the engine. Took the car back to the dealership for the third time in 3 weeks of ownership where it currently remains as they try to chase this ghost. I am convinced this vehicle is dangerous and not safe to drive since the engine cuts off randomly. I asked first team Honda of chesapeake to take this vehicle back and I would buy a different vehicle. The used car sales manager offered me 75% of what I paid for the car 3 weeks earlier and told me there was nothing wrong with my vehicle. It is under warranty for 90 days so I will continue to send the car back and warn others before they purchase an unsafe vehicle.

Engine would just shut off while driving. We have told the Chrysler dealership atlas 3 times that the engine would shut off mid driving. They always told us they could never find fault with the vehicle and that there was nothing wrong. Now there is a recall (r03/NHTSA 14v-73) that just came out and it's the same issue.

The contact owns a 2009 Chrysler town and country. The contact stated while driving 35 mph the vehicle shut down and all of the lights on the instrumental panel illuminated when the failure occurred. The contact was able to turn the vehicle off for a few minutes and it began to function normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, but the dealer advised they are not confident that they might be able to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer stated the failure was not recalled and the contact should wait in the event a recall was issued. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current miles were 31,000.