general problems of the 2016 Chrysler Town & Country - part 1

1st vehicle was driving heavy so I got it checked and the transmission had to be replaced, this was in July?? 2024. The vehicle was still driving heavy 2nd was the traction light(s) vsr?? light turned on 3rd the check engine light came on and gave a p0420 code. The right catalytic converter was replaced in March 2025 4th the same day I went to repare the catalytic converter (before replacement), the blind spot system warning came on along with 1. My windshield wipers turning on and off by themselves, 2. Rpm went down to 0, 3. The low fuel sign came on even though I just fueled up and the needle dropped to e, 4. The mph also went down to 0, 5. The tire detection came on + the light, 6. The abs light came on, 7. The traction lights came, 8. Heating/a/c system dropped to a lower pressure and then regained pressure, 9. There is a skip when accelerating, 10. Won't properly read mileages used11. I lose control of my turn signals, lights, wipers and hazard light as well as the powered windows everything turned off and I gained control again then it started again I turned the vehicle off but the lights kept turning on and off and I kept gaining control then losing it all of this occurs while I am driving, at a stop, or just turning on the vehicle yes this possesses an issue for my and the safety of others no and yes about the confirmed issues with a certified dealership no because I am scheduled for an appointment with a Chrysler dealer tomorrow (Mar. 20th,2025) yes because I have gone to other dealers and they cannot figure out what the main issue is no the issue has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance rep. , etc. Yes and no to other warnings I knew someone was off because when I turn the key to the run position right before I turn the vehicle on, the check engine light stays on if I leave it in that position until all the other lights turn off, the check engine light remains on when I turn the vehicle completely on, the check engine light disappears.

I received a letter from Chrysler regarding TSB #23-017-20 regarding the rear sliding doors unable to be opened either electrically or manually a few years ago. Recently the cars left/rear door wouldn't work. Unable to open it at all. It's a 2016 town and country with 147,421 miles on it. Well within the TSB requirements. I called a local Chrysler dealer. They told me if they decided the cars problem wasn't part of the recall they would charge me $250. 00 for diagnostics. It clearly is related since it has the same symptoms. Sounds like their way of avoiding the repairs since Chrysler will only reimburse the dealer for 1. 2 hrs when actually repair time is past 3 hours. I then called 1-800-247-9753 the number on Chrysler's service bulletin they mailed me. After a 30 minute conversation were they told me the car didn't qualify. I convinced them it did when I referred the letter they sent me. They said to contact a dealer which I told them I had. I explained their response and they said they would put a complaint regarding the dealer and there was nothing else they could do. I called another local dealer and they never bothered to call me back. I called a local car repair place since the letter says they would reimburse someone else if the repair is done somewhere else. They refused to sell the place the part to them. I entered my VIN number on Chrysler's web site that they provide to reimburse customers. The VIN number came back as not qualifying for the service bulletin. These are their ways to avoid servicing these cars under the service bulletin. I have proof the car is within the mileage limit and at this time it still is. I had to replace the part myself. My wife needed the car and couldn't wait for Chrysler. There are many places online were people with the same problem were denied the repair even though they did qualify. Thanks.

Passenger side sliding door makes noise and won't open remotely or manually. When it does open it will close on its own sometimes making it dangerous when loading my children.

Righ passenger side door making a buzzing sound when locking/unlocking sliding door. Door will not open. Just bought car yesterday, 9/14/24.

The van cut off while driving twice in one day. Took van to have battery, starter and alternator checked and all was find.

While I was driving the van started acting like I was driving a stick shift car. Stalling out . Now the car jumps and wants to turn off when I'm reversing or trying to drive. It feels like I am driving a stich shift car and cant get out of first gear.

The wire under the passenger side that controls the cruise control and abs system snapped suddenly. There was no impact or accident it just detached itself on the highway.

Spark plugs and motor/transmission mount fixed but car started shutting off when I would come to a stop. Took it back to dealership and they stated the tcc failed and was replaced, started messing up again a week later. Wouldn’t start , I had the battery and alternator checked and both are good. It is currently back in the shop.

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 drivers side passenger door sealed shut and won’t open. Can’t open with the button or manually, it was completely stuck shut which is a massive issue if I were in a wreck and hit from the other side as I have four kids who ride in my vehicle daily.

Sliding door on driver side will not open manually or automatically whether inside or outside vehicle.

Actuator for driver side sliding door lock making loud noise when operating which will lead to failure.

With no warning the driver side rear door became unusable. It is frozen in the lock position and cannot be unlocked by the key fob, remote button, or manually. This is a dangerous situation should there be an accident or some other incident where someone needs to exit the vehicle quickly. There have been numerous complaints about this exact situation with this particular year and model. Why has there not been a recall?.

Without warning ignition turned off while driving and in motion. Was slowing to get ready to make a turn onto another adjacent road loss of power steering and the stall nearly resulting in auto accident luckily my 3 children were not present in the van at the time no warning lights no check engine lamp just sudden failure and shutoff of the vehicle.

The driver side rear sliding door started making a loud buzzing noise when the doors lock. Then the door stopped locking at all. This is a safety hazard because my kids could open the door while the vehicle was moving. I read about this happening with other 2016 t&c vans also. There were no warning lights or anything to indicate what was happening. Just the loud noise.

Engine completely shut off while in drive on the road, lost all power, brakes everything. Managed to coast into to a parking lot, where the vehicle kept turning on and off. The key didn't seem to connect to the van. The van died as soon as I coasted it off the road. Everything is electronic in the van. Even taking inserting the key fob into the van did not work. Van has around 93000 miles on it. Had problems where the van would not start at all before then got it to start eventually. It was like the ignition was not reading the key. First time it happened driving on the road. Newer vehicle battery and batteries in the key fob. Help. Is there a recall on this van?.

The sliding doors, both driver and passenger side, locks broke. They make a loud honking noise when unlocking vehicle. After doing some research, it looks like this is a very common problem in the 2016 minivan.

During idle, or driving under various conditions, vehicle will randomly "shut down". This can happen driving through a corner or on the interstate at 70mph. Once it shuts down, you lose braking and steering assist. Still have headlight and accessory power. Car will start right back up either putting it in neutral and turning the key, or coming to a stop and putting it in park. Doesn't hesitate to crank, appears to have fuel pressure and spark. There is no correlation to this issue with driving conditions. Sometimes will happen multiple times in a day, sometimes wont happen for a week. Research suggests that this is a very common issue across many years of vehicles that have used the 3. 6l pentastar engine, however no TSB's or recalls have been issue for the 2016 t&c exhibiting this issue.

I have had this vehicle for 2 years. I have replaced the fly wheel 3 time. It has caused many issues under he hood.

Rear side passenger doors. At times they do not work remotely or manually. They go into a lock position and there are no means of opening them. If there are passengers in the vehicle, they are locked inside without any means to get out those doors. At the present time on my vehicle, one is working and the other is in a lock position. I am calling the dealer today to set up an appointment to resolve. This is a very serious problem if someone was to have passengers and have to exit the vehicle through those doors quickly, or are not able to climb out the front or back doors, I feel could lead to a liability or lawsuit against the manufacturer.

The rear passenger door no longer operates. Have been told it is a door actuator problem. How can a car manufacturer in 2016 not make a functioning part that would kill my children if the vehicle were to become submerged in water/catch on fire/ or need immediate evacuation. Chrysler should be ashamed they have not recalled and fixed this defective part that they have known since 2008 was a problem. Other than non functioning brakes and seat belts. . . . . What could be more important than evacuation during an emwrgency??emergency???.

On 4/12/2022, I attempted to open the drivers side sliding door on our 2106 Chrysler Town & Country. The door did not unlock when using the key fob or when using the unlock button on the drivers side door. I also tried manually unlocking the door but it would not unlock. Now the door is stuck in a locked state and will not open. I was unable to open the door to put my child into their car seat and therefore I would not be able to get them out of the car in an emergency. As this issue just started today (4/12/2022) I have not had a chance to get the vehicle looked at but have found many articles online that confirm that this is a re-occurring issue with this particular vehicle. There were no warning lights or any other indicators that this issue would occur. Vehicle and doors were working completely fine up until this morning (4/12/2022).

Well the passenger sliding door hasn't locked since I can't remember, but that isn't my main complaint, m y transmission went out along with possible fuel pump issues etc. This happened while enroute to meet my dad and brothers for lunch on a Saturday afternoon, I had my 3 children with me aswell. . . . . It was a little scary and I was able to pull off thebusy highway and into a church parking lot. Where the van sat until Monday and wa taken to my dads via towe. The incident happened on April 9th 2022. I hd it checked out prior by a place called demarc auto in caldwell idaho,( where it sat for a week) due to an engine light being on for a while, my dad checked previously with a fuse reader devise and it showed a thermostat issue which is why the engine lightwas on. But I hadmy dad take it in to have it checked out, there they noticed that the thermostat did need replaced and stated that it did seem like there might be an issue with the transmission but said it drove ok after they fixed the thermostat and said they don't do tranmissions, my dad drove it fine home and then the next day I drove it to lunch and that is when it got scary and we had to pull over to the church.

At a stoplight the vehicle completely quits . . Totally . . Put in park restart ok. The vehicles airbag light on the control panel at the end of the "p r n d " comes on with an alarm. It requires all electronics ie clock to be reset. Have not experienced at any other speed except idle at a stop.

My wife had just gotten on the interstate and had accelerated to ~75 mph. Then without warning, the steering system locked up making it hard to navigate. Both the gas pedal and breaking system went off line as well. Luckily, there wasn't any vehicles in the immediate vicinity. She was able to allow the vehicle to coast to a stop as she wrestled with the steering wheel to try and get the vehicle to the side of the road. As the vehicle was slowing down (to around 25 mph), the speedometer indicated that she was at 100+ mph. This could have been devastating in most situation. Just prior to getting on the interstate, she was on a one lane road with 18-wheelers passing by her head-on. What if this was to occur if she was approach a cross walk with pedestrians crossing, or other vehicles (to include motorcycles), she would not have been able to stop. When she finally made it over to the side and the vehicle had stopped. She turned the vehicle off and everything was fine again, like nothing ever happened. This is our first and hopefully last occurrence. But looking online, this is nowhere near being close to the first occurrence of this type. . Read more...

Left sliding door will not open or close. Yes, it will be available for inspection. Our safety is put at risk while in the car if the vehicle catches on fire and there are passengers in the back seat who will not be able to get out the side door because it will not open. No, the problem has not been reduced or confirmed by the dealer. No one has has inspected the vehicle. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to failure. It first appeared about 4 months ago. Have attempted to see what could be done, but it was beyond my abilities.

Body: driver's side sliding door will not open- neither with the button or manually electrical: the back up camera/radio unit turns off or refuses to power on when starting the vehicle fuel/propulsion system: the vehicle does not change gear smoothly (automatic vehicle), the driver must manually change the gear speed to avoid collisions.

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler town and country. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally lost motive power without warning. The contact stated that the failure occurred occasionally while driving or while idling. The contact stated that the vehicle would restart after waiting for several minutes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where no failure was diagnosed however, the dealer advised the contact to replace the battery. The contact stated that the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but no assistance was offered as the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was unknown.

My driver side passenger van door won’t open. It won’t open when pulled open. The keyfob can’t open it. The button in the van won’t open it.

Right side passenger sliding door makes a buzzing noise whenever the doors unlock.

On 3 July 2021 the driver side rear sliding door became inoperable. The door would not open using either the electronic motor or by manually pulling the handle and sliding the door. The door lock appeared to be jammed in the locked position and could not be unlocked either electronically or manually. Not being able to open the rear door in any manner is unsafe and in the event of an accident would not allow access or egress to passengers in the rear of the vehicle. I had an independent ase certified master mechanic asses the issue. The only way to get the door open was to remove the door panel from the inside and manually push the lock actuator back into the correct position. Upon further inspection and testing it was noted that flipping the child safety lock back and forth several times seemed to have reset the actuator and the lock and door has worked correctly since.

Left drivers door, sliding door makes a loud buzzing sound it will sometimes not open manually and automatically , kids could not get out of van by the door bringing to Chrysler dealershipon July 19, I know there have been many complaints to this issue something needs to be done quickly!!!! when you press lick button for van , even when not moving it still locks up and doesnt open sometimes.

Ignition switch. The switch moves somtimes out of run postion, turning off the engine, spesially when the engine is worm. ( I found this information in my hayes repair manual where they also says it has a recall since 2015) dealer claimed it was a computor glitch. Only the dealer ship. The techs could could not get a clear signal that's why they said it was a computor glitch. But I think they know more because they said it might be the ignition switch. When I asked they if the had one they said no because they are waiting for parts from china. . . .

The passenger rear sliding door makes a buzzing sound when locking or unlocking the door. Door does not open/close and have to manually open/close door.

Rear sliding door lock makes buzzing sound. Stopped locking.