Hello-

We purchased a 2008 TNC in December of 2008. Since then the brakes and routers have had to be replaced at least 3 times ( Ive lost count ) The battery has had to be replaced twice. The electrical is crazy and the most recent problem almost got myself and infant killed. No I am not being dramatic, we were on the highway and the entire van just shut off completely. No warning, nothing. Just completely shut off. The dealership said SORRY out of warranty but we will fix it for 600.00. Apparently there was something wrong with the wiring in the engine. The last time the battery died on us the Sirius radio went out and will not turn on. The dealership cannot detect the problem it comes up fine. But yet will not turn on. Same with rear DVD player. I have spent thousands in the last few years with each problem getting worse. The van only has 60K miles on it. Are we the only ones with these problems?? I have wrote to chrysler with of course no response.

 

I had a 2007 T&C that was perfect. No problems with it at all. I then bought a 2010 and now a 2011. So far, except for a small backup camera problem, these last two Gen. 5 vans are also just about perfect.

The 2008's seem to have been very problematic. A new chassis and an electrical system that was vastly more complicated than previous years turned out to have numberous problems. I think Chrysler was trying to play catch-up to the Honda and Toyota vans that were making serious inroads to the market.

This forum and others are full of problems with the 2008 vans, particularly the brakes and the electrical and computer systems.

I can't offer anything except sympathy and a wish that Chrysler would step up and extend the warranty on the 2008 models to reduce the pain to those who had the misfortune to get a vehicle that was released before it had been sufficiently tested and perfected.

I think Chrysler, (and Fiat), would gain much more in customer goodwill and trust, than to just turn their backs on a bunch of owners who are now not very likely to purchase another Chrysler product. Perhaps the bean-counters have done some cost-benefit studies and decided that it would be more expensive to accept accountability for a vehicle released too soon than the money lost through sales that will now not happen. I don't think it's a very good policy to drive potential repeat customers into the open arms of your competitors, but that appears to be the decision they've made.

Call and email Chrysler and make your displeasure known, (in a civil and temperate tone, or your communications will be wasted), and point out that you will share your bad experience widely and perhaps...., if enough of the buyers of the 2008 vehicles do that, Chrysler might have a change of heart.

 

Of course they are. All forums are filled with people who have problems. Nobody ever logs on to a forum to tell the world how satisfied they are. I bet there are mad people at the Honda forum too. Walk into any service dept and you'll see first year revamped vehicles plagued with problems. There are no amount of field tests that can prepare any car maker totally. It's the nature of the beast. They're machines. For anyone to see them as anything other than a machine is pure ignorance.

 

In my post, I just praised my last three Chrysler vehicles! I realize that many who come here do so for answers to a problem they may be having, but it's not all doom and gloom.

There are many interesting and thoughtful posts that are intended to help others. Some here and on other forums are Chrysler employees or dealer mechanics who freely dispense some of their hard-earned knowledge and valuable advice to others, on their own time. Not too many professionals, (and to be an auto mechanic with todays complex vehicles is really a profession, not just a job), dispense their services or knowledge for free.

 

Fiat was left with the task of cleaning up the carnage that Daimler/Mercedes left.

It's much like going into a house after foreclosure. They took the ceiling fans, the appliances, the shrubs, bashed holes in the drywall, sledgehammered the toilets and left something that wasn't near worth what it was when they bought it. They also teamed up with a 3 headed dog that chewed the door frames and $hit on the floor. A true white trash going away party.

 

Well..., that's certainly not a description of the deal that one would find in the Wall Street Journal, (even though it's probably pretty close to the literal truth)!

My own company was bought by Honeywell Corporation a few years ago. "You won't even know we're around" is what they told us. About 10 minutes after they signed the papers, they had a painter up on the water tower, painting 'A Honeywell Company' in red letters six feet high! We had a better safety record than Honeywell did. Guess whose safety program and practices were forced upon us. A vice president, a thousand miles away, who had never been to our place and didn't have a clue about what we do, started issuing edicts about how we were to do things...., even though their practices did not fit with our business at all! They suddenly decided that everyone above a certain grade level, basically everyone on salary, had to go through a Six-Sigma certification course and be at least Green Belt Certified. If you go to the official Six-Sigma web site, it plainly says that the principles of Six-Sigma are really not applicable to a research environment. Guess what we do! We are a research company!

They cut back on our insurance, they cut back on our health care programs, they stopped company contributions to our 401K's and in two of the last four years we haven't gotten a raise and in one of the other years, we all had to give up a full weeks salary! The other year...., we got raises averaging a little less than two percent!

The CEO, Dave Cote, just got fifty eight million dollars in stock options this year, and that doesn't include his salary, which was over thirty one million dollars last year. In fact, he was just in the news as a CEO of a company whose salary is more than the entire company pays in taxes!

Oh...., and they are outsourcing our jobs to places all over the world as fast as they can. If I have a problem with one of the computers on my desk...., I call the number...., and wind up talking to someone in India...., with an accent so strong, I can't understand a word they are saying. They keep sending out press notices bragging about how much money we are making..., and then cry poor when it comes to raise time!

Large, multi-national companies are killing our country and our economy! I'm glad I'm getting close to retirement. I'd hate to be starting out in todays world!

 

If anyone truly thinks that Fiat is going to sort out the mess that is/was Chrysler they are seriously deluded or simply have never owned a Fiat. If you think Chrysler's have issues.....well then my friends you are in for an education. I currently own a Voyager and my wife a Fiat Multipla. Let me tell you the Fiat was put together with pasta, spit and chewing gum. The list of issues with this car and most other Fiats are longer than all the strings of pasta that have ever been made layed out end to end across the globe.

Fiat make Chrysler look positively reliable.

Fiat - Fix it again Tony

 

I have a 2008 Town & Country with VES issues. Everything was fine before getting an oil change from the dealer. Once we left we didn't notice, but the rear VES was off, we assumed the tech turned it off while pulling into the bay. But, we went to turn it on, and nothing. The power light on the lower DVD player is off, pushing power does not turn it on. Using the menu -> VES -> "turn ves on" button has status of "OFF", pushing the soft button does not turn it on, it just blinks as you press it, but remains status OFF.

Opening the 2nd row screen does nothing, no picture, no power apparently. Opening the 3rd row DVD screen causes the power light to come on, on the lower DVD player and Chrysler logo appears on screen, but no video, the menu -> VES power still shows status off.

Inserting a DVD into the player (it has power and will accept, eject discs), causes power light on lower dvd player to light, but again menu shows, off, but after fiddling with the volume it does have volume, but very low when turned all the way up. No video to either screen.
Selecting sat TV does nothing, no video on front screen while in park, very low sound, no video to either rear screen. I am so disappointed as this was part of the reason we purchased our van. I have found many other owners of Dodge Caravans, whom have had the same issues. Have any Chrysler owners experienced this rear VES issue?


Thanks!