Body Problems of Chrysler Town & Country - part 1

Issue 1) side slide door on driver side won't open. I could not get my child out and had to crawl across. Won't unlock, won't open manually, won't open electronically, won't unlock with fab. Issue 2) driver window has failed 3 times now. Like clock work every 2 and a half to 3 years it goes out.

See all problems of the 2016 Chrysler Town & Country 🔎.

First incident. Driver side sliding door lock failed. Sliding door could not be unlocked and opened from inside or outside the vehicle. Had to use other sliding door to exit van. Door had to be dismantled and failed latch replaced. Approximately 7 years old and roughly 52,000 miles. This was around 9/2023. Second incident. Passenger side sliding door lock failed. Sliding door could not be unlocked and opened from inside or outside the vehicle. Had to use other sliding door to exit / enter van. Scheduled to go in for failed latch replacement at Chrysler dealer. Approximately 9 years old and roughly 63,000 miles. Either one of these unexpected failed door latch incidents could have led to injury or possibly death.

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.

The contact owns a 2010 Chrysler Town & Country. The contact stated that while driving on a highway at 45 mph the drivers side door caught on fire from the vent window switch, no warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that she proceeded to drive the vehicle to your residence. The contact was able to reach her residence in time in order in order to exit the vehicle, and to call her husband whom quickly rushed over to extinguish the fire. A fire department report was not filed. The contact stated that the door latch was melted and so the door is no longer lockable. The local dealer was contacted and the contact was advised that the soonest appointment available for a diagnostic was early next year. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 114,633.

See all problems of the 2010 Chrysler Town & Country 🔎.

The sliding passenger door locks when the other doors are unlocked. But when you lock the car that door is not locked so we have to keep the kiddie lock on and not use it and sometimes we have to open it manually. The kiddie locks automatically comes on when the door closes.

See all problems of the 2015 Chrysler Town & Country 🔎.

The sliding drivers side door is locked shut and will not open. I have seen a notice for this vehicle model but for some reason this VIN does not show it.

Rear passenger door is stuck in the locked position and cannot be unlocked manually or with the fob. This is dangerous if children in the rear seats would need to exit the vehicle.

See all problems of the 2014 Chrysler Town & Country 🔎.

Van was sitting in driveaway in front of my house. We noticed smoke coming from rear of the vehicle and then saw flames. Contacted 911. Fire department arrived to put out the fire. They said something appeared to have shorted or exploded inside the driver side rear wall panel. Just below the rear window vent in the area of the 3 row speakers and cup holders. It burned down the exterior of the van near the gas cap.

See all problems of the 2011 Chrysler Town & Country 🔎.

The exact issue as described in 23-036-21 rev. A, which indicates is for Chrysler town and countries manufactured between 05/01/2015 - 01/09/2017, is occurring in my Chrysler town and country manufactured in 11/2014. This issue should be covered, as it is under this prior bulletin. This issue has been ongoing for some time.

As I was driving down a local highway my rear liftgate spoiler broke off my van, hit the road and flew into a field or ditch. Luckily no one was close enough behind me to get hit by the debris. I tried to find the spoiler but was unable to safely find it due to the busy highway. I have not filed a claim with my insurance yet or taken it into a dealer service dept. Just before the spoiler flew off I heard some banging on my rear window but was unable to safely stop to investigate.

See all problems of the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country 🔎.

The passenger side sliding door made an awful noise when closing and since then will not lock. It occasionally makes noises like it isn't closing properly but then does close. This happened about 2 weeks ago but we have not had it checked for repair as I feel this is a safety issue that should be addressed by Chrysler since my research has shown it is a very common complaint with Chrysler sliding doors as well as expensive repair. We are worried about the security of not being able to lock our vehicle as we frequently travel and even sleep in it.

The driver's side sliding door became inoperable suddenly. The locking mechanism was stuck in the locked position and would not release via key, manual, fob, or buttons. A buzzing noise occurred when trying to lock or unlock. This exit door being inoperable caused a safety concern to be able to exit the vehicle on the driver's side. It does now allow for quick, easy escape from the vehicle. If the danger was on the passenger side then the only exit is everyone climbing through the driver's door. This issue was verified by dishman Dodge (spokane valley, wa) service team on 8/8/23. The lock actuator was the issue. They have replaced it at my expense. (this is the same issue referenced Chrysler TSB 23-017-20) there were no warnings or symptoms prior to this lock failing. We were on a trip July 22 when we first noticed the issue.

See all problems of the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country 🔎.

The passenger sliding rear door does not completely latch and close. It will not lock. . Read more...

Both passenger rear doors will not open. It is available for inspection. My passengers had to crawl over the rear seat to exit the vehicle. If for instance there had been a fire or an accident they may or may not be able to get out safely. Yes I have taken it to two dealers who wanted $ 3,000. 00 to repair them. No warning lamps. No messages. They actually began closing on my passengers while trying to enter the car. The back hatch door is also presenting issues as it opens randomly mostly after a rain storm. It will also begin to close on us while we are putting our groceries into the back.

When vehicle is exposed to consistent sunlight and heat during the spring/summer months, the driver's side power sliding door will not latch properly, causing the door to repeatedly try to latch itself shut. This occurs when opening/closing the door, and also while the vehicle is in motion. For example, if the door is shut properly, and the vehicle goes over a bump or something disrupts the ride, the door will think it is open, the warning light comes on the dashboard, the interior lights activate and the electric latch motor will repeatedly activate until the van thinks the door is closed. Even when parked, I have returned to the vehicle to find the door trying to close itself.

Electric fire drivers side rear inside, parked in driveway, hadn't been started for 24 hours, no inspection, not sure who to contact, disconnected battery and extinquised fire with water, major melting on inside and paint on outside, lucky we saw what was happening when we did close to fuel tank could have caused explosion.

Right rear door lock not functioning. Door does not lock electrically or manually.

Drivers rear sliding door is in a locked position and it can not be opened. The dealership said it was a malfunctioned door lock actuator. Its the same part as the 2015 and up actuator that Chrysler extended the warranty on to replace the faulty part. My van falls under the mileage limit, but will not be covered because its a 2014. My opinion is , if the part was found faulty for the 2015 and is the same as the 2014, then the 2014 part is also faulty and should be covered.

The driver side sliding door stopped unlocking, manually or automatically, it also stopped opening manually or automatically by button. I contacted my dealer who referred me to TSB 23-036-21 rev. A. They said the repair would be 100% covered by the manufacturer, however, after repair, they tell me that certain parts required for repair we not covered by the extended warranty. They replaced the actuator as the repair required, as well as the latch. The actuators are specified in the TSB, the latches are not. But the dealer insisted that to repair this they followed manufacturer instructions and the latch was necessary to fix the door. They gave me the fca Chrysler hotline, which I called and they tell me that the latches are required to be replaced for repair, but that the customer is required to pay for this part which is nearly $800. If latch repair is necessary to make the van doors operate safely, it should be included in the TSB. I need help with getting resolution here.

Passenger side rear sliding door, this door is currently stuck half-way open (or closed). Nothing works to open/close it. Not by any button or manually. Tried to reset and to disconnect battery. I push a button, it moves 3-4 inches and stops. I shutter to think if someone vulnerable like my wife was stuck in her wheelchair, trapped inside and it was zero outside. Well I guess the fire department will be able to remove the door and lift her out. No response from either dealer, Chrysler or accessible van. Door seem to have open and closing issues when this cold or on any slight incline, but always worked manually. I don't understand why a sliding door with yearly inspections and maintenance does not always work manually, at least????.

Passenger rear sliding door on my 2015 Chrysler town and country will not unlock with the remote. This happens all the time and has become a great concern as it causes not only frustration for me but has caused stress for my grand children thinking they are stuck in the vehicle! this also causes my wife to have to open the passenger front door and reach between the seat and the "b" post to reach the lock and unlock the door. Then at this time the door must be opened manually or push the remote button again to try and open it. This happens in hot or cold weather. This could cause the door to fail to unlock in an panic causing injury or loss of life during an emergency. As a first responder this would cause us to have to figure out ways to cut the door open or use the jaws of life to open the door after a crash where the driver is unable to inform us of the issue in unlocking the door. Safety issue for sure that needs to be repaired by Chrysler at their expense since they know of the issue.

I just bought the van while dropping off the kids 10-year-old and a nine-year-old at the schools drop off lane from the driver side rear sliding door while they were coming out of the door. The door closed on them. I had to stick my hand from the back of the drvers seat to stop and it was pushing against my hand . It this has happened three times, it appears that the door is not locking open when it’s commanded to open .

Defective door-latching system; in particular: the driver side, (left side), passengers sliding door; which resulted in occupant being trapped in vehicle until we were able to extricate through other door. There is a pending class action lawsuit regarding this defect: united states district court for the eastern district of michigan case 2:21-cv-11696-jel-drg; failure occurred with no warning and does not allow for manual operation of the door system. This defect poses an extreme safety hazard, as it is possible that both passenger doors could be affected, essentially trapping the occupants in the mid and rear seating compartments.

Right side passenger door will not open even when unlocked by push button or by pulling on handle. Can only exit side left side door, the traffic side. This could be dangerous as children or adults may exit out into traffic. The vehicle is available for inspection. Called the dealership and they said only 2016 models were under recall. They said this is a known “actuator problem”. They would not examine vehicle unless I paid a fee. This occurred without warning.

Driver-side sliding passenger door cinch motor keeps activating when it is hot outside. Usually when above 85 degrees and the direct sun hitting the side of the van. Sometimes runs continually for one to two minutes. Sometimes after locking doors alarm will go off on its own. When driving down the road door ajar light and chime will come on also interior lights will flash. No issue in colder weather. Happens all summer long.

The passenger right side sliding door locking mechanism has failed. It makes a very loud rattling / ratcheting sound when the door closes automatically. No warning lamps or messages indicating a failure. Date first noticed was June 22, 2022. The problem was reproduced and confirmed by an independent service center. We have been told the local Chrysler dealer is backed up for months due to lack of service staff. The concern is for the safety of passengers in that the lock is not working properly and the door could open or possibly jam in an accident situation. We have been informed by others in the community that the dealer has been known to confiscate vehicles that have recalls that they do not have parts or people to repair. Vehicles are kept behind a locked fence. This seems illegal. This vehicle is needed and can't be given up or seized by a dealer. No loaner vehicles.

The left side passenger sliding door won't latch thus causing a safety hazard. I have read that hundreds of thousands of these cars suffer the same defect and this is being investigated by the NHTSA. . Read more...

Right sliding door would not open, electrically or manually. Passengers where trapped inside until another door was opened for them to exit. The problem has been inspected and repaired by an authorized Chrysler dealer. There were no warnings of failure.

When hot, the drivers side passenger door does not latch. Multiple people have made comments about the same issue (many for the 2014 model) through various forums. No known solution exists. Would like nhsta to see if/how many other complaints received as this should be a recall. . Read more...

The passenger side sliding door will not open. The lock became stuck in the locked position and it will not unlock. It cannot be unlocked by hand, the unlock button inside the van, or with the key fob. This is dangerous because nobody can get out through that door in the case of an emergency.

Passenger side sliding door malfunctions when the temperature is above ~80 degrees f. It refuses to latch and cycles open-shut, open-shut, indefinitely, sometimes while the vehicle is in motion. Discovered that by pressing hard on the body panel behind the malfunctioning door, the cycle can be disrupted. Has been an issue for 3+ years. Local Chrysler dealer will fix it for $1000 + and acknowledges that it is a common problem.

The rear drivers side door suddenly stopped opening. Happened at 56k miles.

Both driver’s and passenger’s side sliding doors have failed automatic locking mechanisms. Sliding doors on both sides have locked and have been unable to open either manually or by using push-buttons in the vehicle or on the key fob. A technician told me this is caused by a failed actuator. I managed to get the doors open, but now they buzz when opening the doors and the locks don’t seem to work. Two safety concerns: 1) we won’t be able to get the doors open in an emergency. 2) the door lock or latch will fail when the vehicle is in use and someone will fall out.

Used key fob to open rear liftgate in order to put packages in , liftgate opened like normal I bent in to place packages inside and the liftgate came backdown and hit my head and then went back up a few inches and came back down again hitting my head again before I had a chance to move out of the way. I had to go to the hospital, I had head and neck pain ,to get checked out and was told I wad whiplash.

In July 2020, while on a trip, driving on the interstate at approximately 70mph, the driver front door window trim flew off, luckily not hitting the vehicle behind me. I suspect if would have caused damage if it had, even possibly going through a window. It cost $92 for the new part (applique. B pillar. Left). In January 2022, while on a trip, driving on the interstate at approximately 70mph, the passenger front door window trim flew off, luckily not hitting the vehicle behind me. As stated above, it could have been a problem had it hit any vehicle behind us. It cost $86 for the new part (applique. B pillar. Right) . I was able to find the parts online rather than going through a dealer (cost $150+ from them). A friend who works for caliber collision offered to put the replacement parts on for us, saving us labor costs. He mentioned he has seen this problem on numerous town and country vans. The only warning we had was a sudden high whistle as the piece came off. The parts never felt loose so we had no reason to suspect they would come off. This seems to be a design flaw that I think we should be reimbursed for. I can supply the receipts if that is a possibility.