2010 Chrysler Town & Country Shutting Down? You’re Not Alone.
An important defect alert to report–we are receiving calls from Chrysler Town & Country drivers who are left stranded with a problem that mechanics cannot seem to diagnose.
Most of these calls are coming from folks who own 2010 models. The driver will experience a slight click and then, the entire van will shut down with no warning. A quick search on the internet reveals that this is a serious concern among drivers.
Sadly, this is an intermittent problem which means service advisers may not be able to duplicate the situation. Offer to go on a test drive with your service adviser so they can get an understanding of what is happening. Even if they cannot duplicate the problem, make sure that you receive a repair invoice that outlines the mileage and the complaint.
Also inquire about an auto pilot, which would record the codes if and when the car stalls in the future. These codes enable the service department to figure out a proper fix. Lastly, when you are in this situation, use your phone to take a quick snapshot of the dash immediately after you restart the vehicle. Save these pictures as they can be helpful.
Once you are in three times for this problem, please contact us at 1-800 LEMON LAW (1-800-536-6652) or send us an e-mail. We have tons of information and answers to frequently asked questions on our NJ Lemon Law, NY Lemon Law, and PA Lemon Law pages. We will be glad to discuss the situation with you and figure out if and how we can help. This is a serious problem that should not be taken lightly.
June 2nd, 2011 at 12:17 pm
From the Associated Press, March, 2011- Chrysler is recalling about 250,000 vehicles to fix potential engine stalling.
The company says it will recall 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans and 2010 Dodge Journey crossovers in the wake of reports that the ignition key could move while driving and cause the engine to shut off.
Chrysler says if the engine shuts off while driving, it could increase the risk of a crash. The vehicles were built between August 2009 and June 2010.
The auto company told the government it had received 32 customer complaints and was aware of two rear-end crashes.
June 21st, 2011 at 7:49 am
FYI
I experienced the same issues several times with my 2010 Chrysler Town And Country 2010. I am taking it in for the second time and they say there is no record of this happening inside the van’s computer.
June 22nd, 2011 at 2:06 pm
Tracy–Hold on to your repair invoices!
June 23rd, 2011 at 4:38 am
Hi,
I have the same problem with my UK version of the car which has a 2009 plate so is unlikely to have been built in the same production run. The problem has only occurred twice but once at 60-65 mph on a motorway, nearly causing an accident. This problem comes after two other major electrical faults which rendered the car undrivable and an air con recall which left me without cooling for last summer due to parts not arriving in time from the US.
Two Chrysler garages and the Chrysler UK engineer have had a look at it but cannot reproduce the fault. Chrysler UK are now washing their hands of the problem as they must feel safe from prosecution. Anyone got any ideas how to pursue this? The car’s build quality is really poor and I think that I should have the right to a new car or some compensation.
June 24th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
I am sorry but we are not familiar with UK consumer rights.
July 13th, 2011 at 8:11 am
I am having the same exact issue with my 2000 Town and Country. We bought is used and with no warranty available. We have taken it to a mechanic and the fuel pump has been replaced but we are still having issues. The car shuts off about 2x a week.
August 23rd, 2011 at 3:29 pm
i have a 2003 town and country and it shuts down atleast 2x a week. just randomly when it feels like it. i have taken it to the dealer where i bought it they said nothing is wrong when they drove it ive had them replace the fuel pump and fuel filter even though they said it didnt need it . it wont do it all the time so when they drive it they think im crazy cuz it doesnt do it
October 18th, 2011 at 6:15 pm
My 2002 has been doing this consistently for several weeks. I had battery and attenuator replaced and it is woese now. It happens in the morning our the first use of the day. Dies at any slowing down.Very scary pulling into traffic. Mechanics can’t figure it out.
October 18th, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Alternator was replaced, that is!
January 4th, 2012 at 3:14 am
We have had this problem too. We have a 1996 Town and Country. Our mechanic said he thought it had to do with bad gas. so we put the top grade with Techron from Shell or Chevron only. It seems to work and things work, sometimes. In fact if it isn’t doing well we would fill it up and then it would run well. So lately we just fill it up before it got half empty, but just recently it stopped working on the freeway twice and would not start! Waited like 30mins and then it started. The second time it was hours then it started like nothing ever happened. Still trying to figure it out. When it runs it runs like a cloud. Wish I didnt have this problem.
January 7th, 2012 at 8:29 pm
My ’97 T&C with the 3.8 liter engine starting doing this back in April of 2011. We had it flatbedded twice and the next morning when I went to start it up and ran fine. I drove it around for 45 minutes with no problems. Eventually it became so bad my wife bought a new car.. but I still have the van…. trying to figure out how to fix it. After replacing relays, the MAP sensor, the ECU, Fuel Filter I decided I had to pull the Instrument Clustor board and reflow the solder connections on the main connector (it took me 3 months to get up the gumtion to do this!). I drove it every weekend for 3 more months without a problem until December. It died on me out on the street, but I coasted to a stop and it restarted immediately. So just this past weekend (Jan 1st 2012) I went out to start it up and it would not start. This was great news… Now I had a chance to find out what might be causing this. I immediately open up the fuse box and tapped wiggled the Auto Shut Off Relay, and a few other but this didn’t help. Then I tried this: I move the shifter into drive and back into Park. And the damn thing started up. I drove it around for about 20 minutes, stopped at a neighbor’s house and it died while idling. It wouldn’t start again so I ran the shifter into Drive and back into Park (two times) and then it started again. So now I believe it has something to do with the Drive Selector.
May 10th, 2012 at 10:37 am
I have a 2005 T&C. It shuts off, usually while idling. The dealers are having a “hard time” duplicating it…we bought it less than 3 months ago, it started happening 2 weeks after we purchased it. The gauges will usually flicker first, sometimes the lights will go out and then the van will just turn off. It has almost caused several accidents. After a lot of arguing, the dealership replaced the alternator, but the problem has just gotten worse. I have called Chrysler and they say its not their problem.
May 10th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
My Father in law had this car years before we did and then we bought it from him. We all love this car but it has gotten worse. My Father in law called many mechanics and found one that has a big shop of Chryslers. He tried everything and found out the problem is the map sensor. And all his cars have run fine from then on. So we took it in to our mechanic and he changed it and it has been running with no incidence for several months and before it would stall everyday. !!!!!
May 10th, 2012 at 8:42 pm
We have a 2009 Chrysler Town and Country- Once placed into Park and the ignition is turned off and the key removed- the engine is still running. We called Chrysler and apparantly they are going to replace the part but it’s going to take weeks because “the part has not been released”?! The Costguard after market warranty paid for a rental however this was for only 2 days. We are given a time frame of weeks possibly the end of May before we get it back. Does anyone have any insight on the issue?
May 24th, 2012 at 9:54 am
My 2002 T&C is been doing the same thing since November 2011. When we bought it we had to take it to the dealer more than three times, and after all they just said it was the computer. We were told to drive it like that and we will know when the computer will be at its worse( time to change it) that was a few months after buying it. My husband changed the computer, it was working fine for a while, until last November when it went down hill from there. It has left me stranded more than four times, and the mechanics cannot figured out what is the problem. right now my van is at the mechanic, and my van won’t start. I’ve been reading all these comments and it seems that everyone has the same problem. My concern is why they have not made a recall on those vehicles. I wish they go out of business.
May 27th, 2012 at 8:03 pm
We have a 2003 Town and Country, and having the same problems that started last Friday. We it gets hot, it won’t start. We have been stranded two times this week. Once in another start two hours from home, and last night at Libby Hills. The van started after 3 hours of sitting. When driving home the engine just cut off and I had to man handle it to a safe place. I’m scare to drive it. Calling someone tomorrow and see what can be done. We only have one van to drive and this makes it hard.
June 22nd, 2012 at 4:16 pm
My 2003 Town and Country (EL) is now stalling without warning almost daily. The problem began about two years ago and was very intermittent. When I asked my regular mechanic to look into it, no error codes were recorded, leaving him in the dark. This continues to be the case. However, the stalling issue has now become MUCH more serious. I have gone from intermittent episodes to stalling/losing my engine upon deceleration to stalling/losing my engine (and power steering) while driving on the highway at 65 mph. At this point, two mechanics and one dealership are befuddled and cannot locate the problem. As I have a diabled son and cannot purchase a new vehicle at this time, I feel as though I am putting my family’s life in danger on a daily basis just trying to get the kids to camp and school.
Meanwhile, no recalls for such a problem have been issued by Chrysler…leaving the onus on us, the consumers. Something needs to be done and soon — before someone gets killed in an accident that could have been avoided.
June 22nd, 2012 at 7:30 pm
We’ve been having the same problem with our 2009 T&C. It started happening about 15 months after we bought it. Finally took it to the dealer after it happened at least a dozen times. They could find nothing wrong. Problem got worse. It now was happening about 98% of the time we would exit the highway while approaching a stop light. Steering wheel would shake. Brake pedal would shake. Tachometer would drop way low. Engine would stall. Finally took it to our regular mechanic who told us it was the torque converter that was not properly disengaging upon exiting the highway and that it should be covered under our power train warranty. Back to the dealer we go. After 3 days, they still have no solution and have no idea what is causing the problem. We are so frustrated. I’m afraid that we are going to be in a major wreck one of these days!
July 26th, 2012 at 9:58 am
I have a 2002 CHrylser Town and Country van and it just started doing this within the last 4 to 5 weeks too. It just lost power while I was driving and I was like going 50 mph but started right back up on it’s own. It did it to my husband like 2 weeks ago it did it again and yesterday it happened to me and I had been driving all day. It started back up after 2 tries of turning the ignition. I have no engine check lights on or anything ti runs great except for the stalling these few occasions. I have used the fuel injection cleaner in my gas and I had been running on very little gas in the tank for a few weeks so thought it was particles that got into the fuel filter. I just filled up yesterday and am planning a trip out of town so I am concerned about this. I called Diamer Chrysler and they say there are no recalls for this problem; just as they do the same about the strut housing tower rusting out on most 96- 2001 models of dodge and Chrysler vans we just fixed that on our 99 Dodge grand caravan. I’m tired of them not trying to fix these issues with their vehicles it’s not fair to do this to us. They need to be responsible for this and do right by their customers instead of saying “Oh you need to get a diagnostic check at a certified dealership!” and have to pay for it too.
July 26th, 2012 at 7:09 pm
Wanted to post a follow-up to my initial post on June 22nd. My dealer had the car for 4 days and was unable to duplicate my problem. That’s when I contacted Chrysler to put in a warranty claim. The gal I gave my report to said that she was unaware of any stalling issues being reported on the T&C! I told her to search it on the internet like I did. I told my dealer they needed to drive the car for a minimum of 30 minutes on the highway to set it up to stall. FINALLY, 2 more days and over 400 miles added to our van, they were able to duplicate the stalling issue. Since it was not giving them any error messages, they were stumped as to the cause. Since my mechanic had stated the issue was with the torque converter, they went ahead and replaced it. They had my car for 11 days! Fortunately, I had spoken with the Service Dept manager and he decided to pursue having Chrysler pay to replace our entire transmission. It took them a full week to do the work, but this time they provided me with a comparable rental car at no cost. So far, so good. For everyone who is having a stalling issue, I would strongly recommend that you call Chrysler directly. That’s the only way they are going to know that all of us have had serious issues with our vehicles. Still not ready to commit to buying another Chrysler vehicle just yet.
July 30th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
I am having same problem with my 2009 chrysler town and country touring model. It was mfg april 2009, and is not included in the current recall….?????? It has 54,000 miles on it.
August 13th, 2012 at 10:04 pm
We have been having issues with our 2008 T&C stalling. It started about a month ago and I have taken it to the dealer twice and my regular mechanic once. Each time they can not duplicate the problem. The vehicle will ocassionally stall for no apparent reason, all or most of the warning lights come on and the vehicle will restart after a few minutes. This is extremly troublesome because I am affaid the car will stall at high speed possibly causing accident.
Today I had it at the dealer and they can not duplicate the issue. I picked up the vehicle, no problems (yea right). Less than 10 miles from the dealer it shut down again, Frustrating they don’t seem to know what is wrong. Of course they never heard of the problem and don’t know what is wrong. I need this problem fixed. If anyone has any ideas please post.
August 14th, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Tim,
Trust me, I know your frustration. We finally took our van to our local mechanic because our van was only stalling upon exiting highway speeds. Without even taking it for a drive, my mechanic told us it was the torque converter not properly disengaging when exiting highway speeds. We never had the problem just driving around town. Should have been covered by our power train warranty. Our dealer also said they never heard of any stalling issues! I told him to google it and he’d be quite surprised. I finally called the Chrysler recall department to ask about any recalls on my van. They did open a file on our vehicle. It took my dealer a full week and putting over 400 miles on our van before they were able to duplicate the problem. I told them that they had to drive it a minimum of 30-40 minutes at highway speed, then they finally duplicated the stalling. There were no warning lights or error codes coming on. They worked with Chrysler and I now have a brand new transmission and torque converter. Hopefully our van won’t start with the same issues in another year or two. They did issue a recall for a stalling issue on vehicles manufactured from August, 2009 to February, 2010. Our van was manufactured mid July, 2009 and was not included in that particular recall. The only way they will know how wide-spread this problem is, is if people contact Chrysler directly instead of only the dealers. Good luck! I love the van, but I told them that a car stallin on us at any speed is NOT a good thing and that I felt that we were at serious risk of a fatal car wreck due to their transmission.
August 17th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
I replaced the “Cam position sensor” in our 2003 T&C and it has not stalled since.
August 17th, 2012 at 5:43 pm
I should have added our van stalled all over the place. Very tough to duplicate on demand.
August 19th, 2012 at 5:20 pm
Hi!
I know how all of you feel, because I have written twice before of
Having this same problem for years. It would stall several times
A week. My Father in Law did extensive research & called a lot of
Mechanics & found a Chrysler dealer that had been testing out
These cars for a long time to find out what the problem was. He
Said he found it was the map sensor. So our mechanic changed it
And we have been problem free for 8 months now. That’s amazing
Since before it would stall almost every day. Try it out.
Sincerely, Denise
September 2nd, 2012 at 3:51 pm
I have a 2009 Town & Country. We purchased it used with an extended warranty which only has a little less than 2,000 miles left on it. It has stalled on us 5 times this week, but this is the first it has done this, and so far has only done it when stopped in a parking lot, at a stop sign, and stopped to turn; thankfully not while moving. It also feels like the transmission “kicks” once in a while when driving on a flat stretch at a steady speed, when it should not be shifting at all. That it has done before, but not so pronounced as this week. What is the best course of action for this to make sure I don’t get brushed off and the warranty expires?
September 17th, 2012 at 9:24 am
I have a 2010 Chrysler with only about 40,000 miles on it.
4 days ago I was driving 60mph down the highway with my 3 little kids.
Suddenly the instrument panel, radio, lights, and AC all started going hay-wire. (They would turn off – then suddenly come back on full blast. Then turn off and a second later be going full blast.)
The engine was still going fine for about 45 seconds.
Then the engine just shut off.
Thankfully, I was able to coast safely to the side of the road.
1. I tried the key, and the engine started for about a second in a half. Then it shut off.
2. I tried again. It started for 3/4 a second and then shut off.
3. I tried again, and it would not start though the instrument panel would act like the video link.
4. I tried to turn on the hazard lights, but they would start and stop and flicker and sputter.
5. I waited 15 minutes without trying to start the engine. I had all doors closed and everything turned off (radio, AC, even hazard lights etc.)
6. I tried after it had sat for 15 minutes. It restarted and drove home completely fine.
Episode 2:
It looked just fine so half an hour after it was parked in our driveway, my husband took it for a drive around our house to check what would happen. 2 blocks and it just died without warning.
That is what these videos are from.
(link to jeremiahsandahl.com/car-troubles.mov no longer valid, link removed – admin)
Detail: After we had been parked at the dealership with all doors locked and everything (including lights) turned off for 15 minutes, one of the van’s rear tail lights was flickering sporadically and not stopping.
Does anyone have ideas about what this may be? ECU?
September 19th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Update post #27
I took my car to the dealer after 8 stalls.
New wiring harness, new key fob, new PCM control module and radio.
I think there was more, but I don’t have the service sheet or car back yet.
Hopefully this takes care of it, but I’m not sure if this will take car of the transmission kicking.
October 3rd, 2012 at 1:24 am
my 2003 chrysler town and country,s engine suddenly shuts down while am driving.. no clicks,, no vibrations before shutting down just simply cuts off… this is dangerous.. what should i do to fix this problem,, thank you to who can answer my problem
October 10th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Update: New PCM seemed to fix the stalling. The transmission still grabbed & engine light came on first time driving it after it came back from a week in the shop. Back to the shop for another week…New crank position sensor & has worked for a week so far. New problem: driver side door light flickers. It is just one thing after another with this T&C. And it is all happening at once.
October 20th, 2012 at 6:38 pm
Our 1996 T and C stalls everytime it is driven. It is at the dealer now and they are talking about replacing a vacuum switch. They also say they aren’t guaranteeing this will fix it!
February 2nd, 2013 at 9:48 am
Our 2010 Chrysler Town & Country has been stalling–while in motion–causing the steering, brakes, and gas pedals to lock up, leaving us sitting ducks to get hit on the road for 2 months now. They insist that because they have not been able to recreate the issue, they can not fix it, despite there being multiple reports of the same thing going on (easily found by internet searches). We are attempting to work with corporate, and because we have contacted Chrysler, our local dealership is refusing to service our vehicle. Today, the service manager, Gary, informed us that “Dealerships sell cars with issues all the time.” With a policy like that, I would steer clear of making any purchase from that dealership. We are giving corporate one last chance. If we are unable to come to a solution that makes us feel safe we will be forced to reach out to local and regional news. I’m sure Fox would love a story about how Chrysler is knowingly sending families out in defective cars.
February 18th, 2013 at 5:27 pm
I am experiencing this exact same issue with my 2008 Chrysler Town and Country limited that I just purchased 3 weeks ago. The car dealership is giving me the run around and it’s extremely frustrating to have your breaks and steering intermittently stop working at any given time. They keep trying to tell me it’s the key fob. I can’t believe a key fob would be the problem.
April 17th, 2013 at 6:53 am
2010 Chrysler T&C has now stalled 8 time to the dealer once repalced crank sensor and cleaned injectors (carboned up LOL). The van has 60k and after spending over 300 to fix nothing we are frustrated. The van upto 55K has beena dream and loved it, now we have nofaith we can safely drive any where. Thanks you for the information as the dealer tell us that ther is no recalls on the van and have no updates to this problem. As everyone had noted above they can never duplicate the faliure, our van just dies and the only dash light that comes on it the traction control, everything else just shuts off. YOu can restart it from nueteral or park but it just happend to me at highway speeds. I use this vehicle daily as I am a counsultant and have to travel aroun our state. Any information will be helpful. Another long time Chyrsler user who is very frustrated.
April 17th, 2013 at 6:56 am
OH by the way the delar just told us that my van was made prior to the date of the recall…lovely!
April 18th, 2013 at 11:25 am
Update from my february post. After 6 times in the shop they finally replaced the emissions control valve and for whatever reason this did the trick. However it still acts crazy when I leave the key in the ignition with the door open in park. Instruments light up. Windsheild wipers go crazy. Weird but I can live with it.
June 13th, 2013 at 9:44 pm
My 2008 dodge caravan shuts off while driving. The steering wheel locks up and you cannot brake or turn the wheel to get off of the road. Today I almost crashed!!! Thank God. Can someone please help the dealers are no help at all. I want to live !!! I have two children and a husband.
June 17th, 2013 at 6:21 pm
While driving our 2007 T&C today 6-17-2013 at 65 mph our car just died. The dash was off no lights, no warning. BUT the radio worked no steering. We took it into a Chrysler deelership who carged us a lot of money and the found no problems. I am terrifed! I had my whole family in the car 4 kids, a dog and my husband. This could have been deadly and to have them not find a problem. Fyi when we parked for a few minutes it started up with no extra idiot lights telling us of a problem.
June 21st, 2013 at 11:04 pm
…. I have a 2005 T&C with about 116K miles. I have had a two stalling events (once a year), -the car didn’t start right up afterwards this time. My wife got stuck at the entrance to a store and I had to rescue her. I heard a lot of clicking under the dash(thinking this is an ignition or fuel pump relay cutting in and out.) The car was getting ignition(spark plugs were firing) as the car was trying to start, but either ignition timing was not sync’d, or not enough fuel… I cycled the gearshift lever back and forth. I also took the key out and put it back in. Van then started and ran fine. I’m tempted to try a camshaft position sensor, and I am going to tackle the instrument panel to look for bad solder joints. I’ll update if I find anything. – This type of thing makes you lose trust in your vehicle, particularly when it strands your wife and kids in a precarious spot.
July 3rd, 2013 at 10:13 pm
i have a 2003 town & country and it started when it got warmer outside. the van would die when idling. then it would not start. no power to the starter. Would have to wait sometimes an hour before it would restart. I took it to the dealer and they tried a new skim and then it would not even connect to there computer. they said the ecm (Computer) was bad. after one and a half weeks at there shop and a new ecm it did start. got it home and it still dies on us at idle sitting in rush hour traffic. put in a new fuel pump, alternator, battery,tune up, cam sensor, crack sensor, fan motors, dealer checked out the wire harness and said it looked fine. allot of money later and still have the problem. If i didn’t love my MOPAR’s so much it would have been gone by now. it is a nice van with the AWD and hard to beat when it run’s. I think something is tripping the ASD (automatic shut down)and shutting the van down. this van is really testing me. It runs great when it is 60 or cooler out??? If the dealer can’t figure it out I will!
July 11th, 2013 at 10:38 pm
Doug,
Try the Cam position sensor, it’s easy to replace.
July 21st, 2013 at 10:37 pm
I have a 2010 T&C and it’s been in the shop 4 times for shutting off and not shifting while driving. Where do I start to fix this issue? the draler or a lawyer? What are the steps to get these vans off the road before someone and their families die? this whole situation is so disturbing >:(
July 23rd, 2013 at 2:22 pm
@3 cathedrals: You need to speak with a lemon law lawyer now. The defendant is the manufacturer; not the dealer. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lawyer in your state who can help and reach out ASAP.
July 29th, 2013 at 11:35 am
We bought our 2009 T&C to replace a vehicle totaled in a collision. It was allegedly the service manager’s trade-in. We drove it for a time when it began stalling for no reason. We tried several things and took it to several shops. We were given several suggestions. I called Chrysler and they told me there was not recall on it. My wife was unwilling to drive it due to the fear-factor. After all, she barely survived a collision in her last vehicle. When we did a cost-benefit-analysis, it was not within our budget to repair it and keep paying on it, so we let it go. Now the bank is interested in the balance owed as it went to auction and it got only 2/3 of the value of the loan. Interesting. I pray the information I wrote into the owners manual about the stalling problem was not torn out by some road-side car-lot; lest some unfortunate family get into a collision.
August 16th, 2013 at 9:02 am
I have a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country made in June 2010 and it stalls and completely shuts off while I am driving. I have had it in the stop two times and they finally told me that there is a recall for this exact problem but my van does not fit in the recall. NOT happy. I will be pursuing this for sure!! It is very dangerous for my van to stall while I am driving on the interstate.
August 19th, 2013 at 3:57 pm
@April: Keep reporting the problem and once you are in three times, reach out to us at https://www.lemonlaw.com/mail.html and we will review the situation to determine if and how we can help.
August 20th, 2013 at 8:52 pm
Same thing. 2010 T&C Touring 4.0L. Dies for no reason. Had recall done… something about the key slot. Did not help. Still dies. 90000 miles…scary as hell.
August 21st, 2013 at 4:42 pm
We purchased a 2010 T&C brand new in 2010 and never had issues until about 5-6 months ago. First it was the passenger side door. When we use the remote to unlock the doors there is a loud BUZZING noise. Took it in and they said it was the door actuator going bad and it would be $1,500 to replace it. I laughed and said give me my keys back. Then, about 2-3 months ago, I was picking up my daughter from camp. I was in the parking lot waiting for the bus and I had the key off. When we were getting ready to leave, I started the van and it would not accelerate past 20 MPH. That was a LONG ride home. Took it to Autozone and they read the fault code. Turns out it was a bad battery. Ok…I purchased a new one. Ran fine until last week. Same thing…my wife called me at 7:30 am telling me the engine light came on and the van would not accelerate past 20 MPH. I took it back to Autozone and they read a fault code which said a #4 misfire. I changed the plugs and wires, pulled the +Pos battery cable for 5 minutes to reset the fault codes and then put the cable back on. No “check engine” light. Then 30 minutes later…light came back on but it still ran fine. Ran it to Autozone again and it listed NO FAULTS!!! Pulled the +Pos cable again but for 10 minutes this time. Reinstalled the cable and no issues. Wife said the van had no issues at all today. It might be the perfect time to trade it in on a NON-Chrystler vehicle before it happens again!!! I WILL NEVER BUY CHRYSTLER AGAIN…EVER!!! Junk vehicles.
August 21st, 2013 at 7:54 pm
I am contemplating contacting a lawyer does anyone know if there are any class action suites regarding the vehicle(I have a 2010 Chrysler town and country) stalling while driving? I am so worried that this will happen to someone else and it could result in serious injury or worse 🙁
August 28th, 2013 at 11:49 am
@April: If you qualify, you will do much better filing an individual claim than participating in a class action suit. Fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form at https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html so we can review your situation.
August 28th, 2013 at 9:12 pm
With the wide range of year models that have all had similar stalling issues, it seems a bit odd that Chrysler would only recall a small portion of them. I posted on here last summer about our 2009 T&C stalling whenever we would exit the highway. Fortunately for us, once Chrysler gave our dealer permission to change out our transmission, we’ve not had a single stalling issue over the past year. Yay!!! That said, as much as I love everything else about this van I will NEVER buy another Chrysler. When I contacted the Warranty office at Chrysler last year, I was told that they had never received a single stalling problem complaint. For every person who posted here, I’m sure there are at least 100 others having similar issues. Even though it appears that our problem has been fixed, they have lost my confidence. For anyone else still having issues, keep complaining to Chrysler and your dealer. If your local news channel has a consumer reporter, call them. Good luck everyone.
September 22nd, 2013 at 10:40 am
We’ve had our 2010 T/C van stall 3 times all while turning left. I’ve seen posts on sites that numerous keys or weight on the key fob/ key ring may cause the fob to turn out of the on position while turning. All 3 times have happened to my wife who has numerous keys on her fob but I have never had the problem but I only have 1 key on mine?
October 21st, 2013 at 8:23 pm
My 2009 town and country started stalling after one year of purchase took it to the dealer was told I need a new fuel pump,got it done,needed a trottlebody got it done lastly needed a map sensor got it done still stalling can’t wait to get rid of it. Latest was told to change the crankshaft position sensor!!!!!! I’ll keep u posted to see how it goes!!!!!!One more had fuel injectors clean full engine clean and egr valve replace still stalls!!!!!
December 8th, 2013 at 10:05 am
our 2010 T&C with 55K miles doing the same thing as described by Nick (#33), Indy Jill (#35), and Donna (#38). Eight times in a week, and staring at a Minnesota winter with ice and cold, etc. Firestone ran the codes and could not find anything. Someone locally suggested the recall on the Wireless Ignition Node module, that might be causing it. Our VIN not part of the recall, but brought the van to the dealer on Tuesday – they ran the codes again (whatever that means) and found that the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve was not working/closing properly, and this caused the problem. So for $575 it’s fixed. Not happy about the price or this happening on a recent model, but relieved it’s fixed. Asked Firestone why their computer code checked and the guy lamely replied, well, our computers are different. Not sure why that would matter… Anyway, posting this because I learned a lot from the page while trying to figure out the problem, maybe someone can gain from my experience.
January 17th, 2014 at 2:50 pm
Daughter’s 2010 T & C stalls unexpectedly. Almost a serious accident this afternoon. Recalled ignition was “fixed” in July 2011. Last July 2013, dealer “couldn’t find anything wrong” after complaining of stalling then. Told by Chrysler corporate today that maybe recall not done properly. Dealer won’t have anything to do with that idea. Dealer also told me not to believe anything I read on the internet. He never reads it because it can’t be trusted. Got the run around over the phone like a master politician would do you. Bottom line: car has had many problems (previously covered under EXTENDED warranty). I don’t trust the dealership and aggrevation with every response…..Good by Chrysler forever – wonder if factory workers are still smoking weed and drinking on their breaks? – look it up. (PS. Always very pleased with GM service – wish they made a family van)
February 4th, 2014 at 7:57 pm
I have a 2010 t&c 48k miles we bought it used 6 hours after buying it , it stalled we jumped it and took it right back to the dealership they replaced the battery . We got it back and it was fine for 3 days and then again it’s stalled on my husband with my kids in the car. When it stalls all of the alarm light come on a
The steering locks up and it shuts off . If you are driving at a high rate of speed the alarm light come on if you pu over shut the car off and turn back on it restarts. If it does turn off we wiggle the box that runs back to the battery and the power comes back on . We have had it in the shop 5 times each time they have said they can not replicate and the computer does not show anything.
February 21st, 2014 at 10:24 pm
2008 Caravan the stalls intermittently with out warning this is the 6th time in a year. This time the van would not restart and my wife had to be towed off of a icy road. Then after an hour we tried starting it one last time at the dealer ship it was towed to and it started up!?! The van was driven around the parking lot and ran for 10 minutes and then shut off again. After reading all of the posts on this and other websites this appears to be a major safety issue that needs to be recalled and fixed. What can I do to get this dangerous problem fixed?
March 22nd, 2014 at 12:04 pm
2008 has only stalled twice in the six years we had it. Both times in the month of March 2014. Took it to the dealership to day and of course they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. They checked everything fuse box, electrical system, ignition switch. If it is the Cam Position Sensor, Map Sensor or the Exhaust Gas Re-circulation can it be simply installed by me or does the dealership need to do it?
April 17th, 2014 at 8:12 pm
Hello Folks, we recently purchased 2010 T&C With 35000 mi. It’s from An Infiniti dealer in Puerto Rico. The unit came with numerous electrical problems. One was the cluster and gauges would go crazy, wipers on, lights on & off. Then the stall issue, then the intermittent no start issue. Infiniti took it to Chrysler Dealer. They seem lost.
May 6th, 2014 at 1:40 pm
We purchased a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country Touring edition two years ago. Thankfully, we purchased an extended service plan. We just hit 52,000 miles this week. Pulling into a parking spot, the vehicle stalled on my wife. Thankfully, I found this website though after reading all the posts I do not have much confidence in the issue being fixed. Before this, my wife had a Jeep Grand Cherokee that did the same thing. This will be the last Chrysler product I EVER purchase. I have a 2003 Chevy Suburban with 150,000+ miles on it. This @#$% Town and Country has been into the dealership for major repairs more than my Suburban. I am hoping that this stalling issue does not manifest into an epidemic.
May 10th, 2014 at 5:19 pm
Bought a 2013 town and country a week ago and the engine stayed on after taking the fob key out, I’m wondering if I should return the car to the dealer or take it to chrysler shop.
May 13th, 2014 at 8:13 am
@Francisco: Get to a Chrysler dealer asap.
May 24th, 2014 at 11:29 pm
Have a 2006 TC AND AS IM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ALL THE INSTRUMENT GAUGES STARTED TO FLIP OUT. THEN THEY STOPPED LIKE NOTHING. THEN IT DID IT AGAIN AND AGAIN ADDING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT. THEN DOWN THE ROAD THE AIRBAG LIGHT. WOULD TURN A CORNER AND IT WOULD DIE. I WOULD OPEN HOOD PUSH TOGETHER SOME PLUGS AND WOULD RESTART. MECHANIC SAID ITS THE ALTORNER PUT THAT IN. SURPRISE THAT DIDN’T WORK 300.00 LATER. THEN WAS TOLD IT WAS THE MAIN COMPUTER INSTALLED THAT. STILL STALLING CLUSTER PANEL STILL FLIPPING OUT. OK I’VE WORKED IN DEALERSHIPS AND DID A FEW MINOR REPAIRS BACK IN THE DAY. MY FRIST THOUGHT THE CIRCUIT BOARD WAS FRIED IN THE CLUSTER PANEL. IN THE MEAN TIME IT STARTS RUNNING ROUGH. UNPLUGED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. PUT IN 3 SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. I’M REALLY GETTING TIRED OF ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER.
I USE THIS CAR FOR MY BUSINESS AND PUT ON ABOUT 2,500 A WEEK WITHOUT THIS CAR I,M OUT OF BUSINESS. ANY IDEAS?
June 5th, 2014 at 3:08 pm
I had the same problem with my 2009 Town & Country. It would stop all of a sudden for no reason and usually at the most questionable time. I took it to several garages where they said it was probably caused by some valve or other in the fuel system. One garage changed out a sensor but the problem continued. I took it to Chrysler and they said it was probably somewhere in the fuel intake system but they were not sure. I said that since the car would immediately shut down, not stall out as it would if it were a fuel problem, I suggested they look in that direction. I got a call that they found a fault code for the remote start and would proceed to replace the remote start sensor in the drivers door. This was done two months ago and I have not had that problem again. Suggest anyone who has this problem consider the remote start system faulting and shutting down the car.
June 6th, 2014 at 6:23 pm
Our 2010 Town and Country showed the “throttle” and the stabilization light on. Said to shut off the car and restart. After restarting it, it was fine. When we got in the car this morning, other gauge lights came on and we had to let it roll downhill to our mechanic. The car only has 40K on it. I hope this doesn’t continue as we have a long trip ahead of us.
June 6th, 2014 at 11:37 pm
We bought a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan new in April of 2010. Since we have owned it it has shut down 30+ times as we were driving it. It has been to 3 different dealers over a dozen times. Have had sensors, ignition switch switched…and the engine of the van will still shut off while driving. No power steering, no radio, AC/heat. This is a problem that Chrysler MUST TAKE CARE OF!
June 10th, 2014 at 3:35 pm
2008 Lincoln town and country limited, stalls with no warning even on the highway, more often when rainy weather.
June 12th, 2014 at 2:05 pm
@Monica: Why have you never looked into your rights under State Lemon Laws? I suggest you visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/state-lemon-laws/ to read about your state’s requirements and get in touch with a Lemon Law Lawyer asap. Your statute of limitations to file a claim may have already expired.
June 28th, 2014 at 11:43 pm
2005 Town & Country started stalling this past weekend. Would not re-start, but after waiting a few minutes, it would start and run fine, but then do it again. Now, it will not start and had to be towed. Thought it might be the ignition coil, but that was not the issue. Could be PCM/ECM or a cam or crank sensor issue. No codes were stored. Needs to be put on a scope and watch it die so they can solve this issue. Have had many of these vans but never had this problem. Glad we rented a car the past weekend for a long trip. I don’t have much faith in this van reading all the issues others post.
June 30th, 2014 at 2:27 pm
2008 Town and Country stalls intermitantly. When driving the whole electrical system shuts down as if the key has been tuned off. Happens about 8 times a year and is extremely dangerous. No one seems to know what the problem is, or care, no one is doing anything yet people will be killed by this. Now this morning it happened in a car park the car acted like the battery was dead yet it wasnt. A jump start fixed it yet there is nothing wrong with the battery so perhaps it was just the delay. This is ridiculous what are Chrysler doing about this?????????????????
July 3rd, 2014 at 2:40 pm
Just bought a 2014 Chrysler (grand)caravan. 5 days later the engine shuts
off while parking. Brought it in to Chrysler Barrie, they could not duplicate the problem nor find anything wrong. Called Chrysler Canada, they have documented it, but will not buy back the vehicle and said that it may be just a one off. So we are stuck with van that has a defect that they cannot find and is a potential safety hazard whenever we drive it. We have to wait until this happens 2 more times before we can take any action, and just hope if and when this does happen that we are in one piece. After what GM has gone through you would think they would step up and take responsibility instead of ruining our trust in their name!!!
July 14th, 2014 at 9:40 pm
For those of you who are having the problem of your town and country shutting off while driving it, get the egr valve replaced. I just had this done and it now runs like a new van. However, the diagnostic did not show this.
July 15th, 2014 at 2:13 am
@LemonLaw….I contacted Chrysler as this was happening in 2010 and they reviewed my case and said I did not qualify for the lemon law. I believe I would have, but the statute may have run out…..I thought Chrysler was going to do the right thing because I thought mine was an isolated case. It is not…It makes me sick that all of these people are suffering the same thing I am going through. Most are trading their vans in, to pan off to another family, who is going to deal with the same dangerous issues. (by the way, I do not blame the families trading these vans in…..but know that if we all fight, we can bring on change). I am planning on taking a trip to the Chrysler Headquarters. Anyone have any advice regarding this? I will be heard. Like someone else said, with all the GM issues, you would think that Chrysler would be smart enough to take these cars off the road since they are unfixable. What infurrates me is that the dealers and Chrysler are lying. THEY KNOW THIS PROBLEM EXISTS! I have personally called well over 100 times…..(four year span). Many other people on here have called. Why must they lie! I despise people who lie…..Just tell the truth, find the problem, fix the problem or take the vans off the road. Also, it is not all Chrysler/Dodge mini vans that shut off….but there is a group that do shut off. I actually stop people and ask them if they have this issure with their car….and I have not talked to one person who has….I have only seen the issues here…My guess is that it is a small group of these vans….but they all have something in common causing this. It can not be this difficult to figure out….not if they actually assign a few people to research this problem.
July 17th, 2014 at 2:36 pm
I have had multiple problems with my 2010 Town and Country. We bought it brand new and it currently has about 45000 miles on it. It is currently in the shop for a rough idle and power steering issues. It has been in the shop probably about six times before this. At 28,000 miles all four rotors and brake pads were replaced, power steering has been fixed last year, the seatbelt sensor wiring was wired wrong in the driver’s seat so it malfunctioned and it could have set off the airbag. It is really frustrating that we continue to have problems but there doesn’t seem to be much that can be done about it. The dealer always has a hard time duplicating the problems and with it in the shop now I have a rental while they try to duplicate the idling and power steering issues. A automobile with 45,000 miles should not be in the shop for more than regular maintenance. I will never buy a Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge product again.
July 23rd, 2014 at 4:26 pm
@Monica: That is the downfall with contacting the car company directly. They are not upfront and they interpret the law in their own way. Furthermore, they do not think about Federal Warranty Law. That is the why these laws provide free legal representation, to ensure consumers are not taken advantage of and provided with incorrect information.
July 23rd, 2014 at 7:04 pm
New cam position sensor fixed the stalling issue on my 2009 T&C, but other random electrical issues still occurred, one right after another…all around the 70,000 to 80,000 mile mark. Some just went away mysteriously as they appeared.
July 23rd, 2014 at 8:50 pm
I just purchased a 2007 Town and Country and on the way from the dealership the check engine light came on. When I was completing the purchasing paperwork I was told that 80% of the check engine codes are not covered under the New York State Limited Warranty (and once the light came on I was wondering if it had been on previously, but they just cleared it before selling it). Now I am worried because I just bought this van TODAY and the check engine light is on. I went to Auto Zone and had the diagnostic codes printed out for me and one was an EGR system fault. I am so aggravated and then after reading all of these issues that others have had with Town and Country’s I am seriously worried about driving it. I’m taking it back to the dealership tomorrow, but I am afraid that they will tell me that there is nothing I can do.
July 28th, 2014 at 11:17 pm
Having read though this thread, it is obvious there is no single common cause for all the stalling issues. Going back to the original post pertaining to 2010 T&C’s, the problem in question is very specific. The car stalls while coasting, (foot off the accelerator & usually on the brake). When the car stalls, ONLY the traction control idiot light, (amber car with squiggles) comes on. There is no other indication that the car has stalled until one attempts to accelerate, turn, or brake; the car is unresponsive. This specific problem is caused by a faulty EGR valve. Keri above hit the nail on the head. Under acceleration, the valve opens as it should then sticks open. Once your foot lets up on the peddle, the air to fuel ratio goes to hell and the car stalls. It’s a very elusive problem and dangerous to boot. This issue will most likely become more and more prevalent as 2010 models age. This has all the makings of a national recall.
July 30th, 2014 at 3:44 pm
It’s been 2 years now since I was able to get Chrysler to pay the cost of having my transmission replaced on my 2009 T&C. I had multiple stalling issues with it.
No stalling problems now for the past two years, but another problem has surfaced in the past year. Car would not start while in Park. At first it would take me 4 to 5 times turning the key fob before the engine would start. Back in June it became a daily problem. Of course we are way past warranty and my mechanic had no problem starting it, but said our starter was showing as bad on their computer diagnostics so we paid for a new starter. Went about a week and the starter issues re-surfaced. Our mechanic replaced the starter for no charge. Now, after another two weeks with the second starter the same issue has begun. My husband said that he had the car turned on for “accessories” and moved the gear shift from Park to Drive, then back to Park. The car started successfully after that.
I am not a mechanic, but has anyone else had this issue? It seems like something from the gear shifter that is supposed to tell the starter that it is properly in Park or Neutral is not transmitting that information.
July 30th, 2014 at 6:33 pm
2005 T & C developed stalling issues that lasted about 1 week. Would re-start after waiting a few minutes, until one night it had to be towed. Would not start next morning until I did some voltage checks at the cam & crank sensors. It started and has run since. Believing that it could be a transponder issue, I replaced the batteries in the key. Been about 1 month with no issues. Bad lead at a sensor? Weak batteries in key? Who knows!!!
July 30th, 2014 at 6:47 pm
AND ANOTHER THING! Stalling only occurs during low speed driving, never on highway. Every time it happened, my (replacement) key was used. I drive with my wife’s key handy should it happen again. 2010 issues could be ignition switch recall issue, but not so with mine. Pray for me!
August 2nd, 2014 at 1:01 pm
To Debbie. If all the car does is “click” when you try to start, have your mechanic install a ground strap from the negative battery terminal direct to the engine block. I had the same issue with my 2010 and this simple fix corrected the problem.
To Mario. If the traction control idiot light comes on after stall, (little amber car with squiggles) then replace the EGR valve. It’s that simple.
August 12th, 2014 at 4:44 pm
I have a 2002 T&C EX and it just started doing this “power loss” thing like you’ve mentioned above. It just dies w/o actually shutting off so I have no power to steering, brakes or gas. I can sort of keep the car in place but it’s mostly (thankfully) happened at stop signs and lights and then it bucks / shudders back into life and I can go again but it’s sluggish.
I had told my father about it and we took it in and found some issues I didn’t now were wrong with it. I had assumed it was the three spark plugs I hadn’t been able to change out but those were changed, wires updated and fuel pump replaced. Alternator and starter are in excellent shape so not sure what’s causing this. :/
I have a black box thing on my car from my insurance and I notice it says everything is good but there’s a big warning for something to do with my powertrain. My dad said that deals with the transmission system so wonder if it could be that kind of issue. I tend to have my car set for 3rd gear instead of Drive (automatic transmission).
Any ideas?
August 16th, 2014 at 7:53 am
My 2005 Town and Country Minivan just stalled while driving again the other day. This has happened around 5 times in the last two tears. Not the van is hesitating. I plan on bringing it in on Monday.
I’ve been reading all these posts and I just want to say I used to have a 1998 Chevy Lumina that used to shut down on me from time to time. I brought it to many different shops (STS, MIDAS, ETC) and none of them could figure it out, Then one day I ran in to an old friend who was a mechanic and I told him about it. He told me right away that it was probably the Ignition Control Module. When it would get too hot it would shut down for a while. When it cooled down enough it would start back up. I had someone fix it and never had a problem with it again. I am going to ask the mechanic on Monday to check that first.
August 19th, 2014 at 4:12 pm
I have a 2008 T&C and last week I was pulling out of a parking lot after just starting the van, and the traction control light came on and the motor and power-steering went off. All the instruments and radio were still on, but I had to turn the van off, and restart it to get it running again. I thought it was a fluke but then 3 days later I was traveling down the road at 55mph when it happened again and I trouble trying to steer it off the road. The traction control light comes on, and the motor and power-steering just went off.
I’m super concerned about this issues because if my wife was driving at the time with our kids I fear for their safety. If this had happened on a turn in the road she probably would have gone off the road.
The van is at the shop today and my mechanic is telling me that there is no warnings on the system computer that he hooked up to. After reading all of these posts here, I just told him to check the EGR valve.
One last thing is that I’ve noticed this car will have jerky driving right around 35mph. When you try to drive it at 35 the car seems to be fighting between gears and you can feel it jerking a bit.
My car has 52,000 miles on it.
August 22nd, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Just to further isolate the stalling issue that involves the traction control light. My Town and Country has the 4.0 liter V6 engine. The EGR valve in question is specific to that particular engine years 2008 to 2010. To Casey: what size engine is in your T&C? I’m thinking this particular problem may be confined only to the 4.0L engine…
August 23rd, 2014 at 3:18 pm
My mom has a white 2008 Chrysler Town & Country Limited, and on cold days when we go out to eat, at around 2,000 RPM, the car shuts off, also the traction light comes on when the van shuts off. Well, we were coming home from away band camp on colonial parkway, and the van shut off. I don’t know if the EGR valve got hit by something, where would the EGR valve be exactly so my dad can see where it is, because we need it fixed.
September 30th, 2014 at 7:40 pm
My daughter has a 2002 T&C with 75k miles. Over the past year, the van developed a periodic stall. Coils, plugs, wires, filters, air induction cleaning, MAP sensor cleaning. No luck. She just got the van out of a 2-week dealer shop visit with nothing but a “Could Not Duplicate” stamp on the bill. Normally happens when the car is cold, either warming up or stopped at a light or stop sign. The idle is somewhat rough but when it dies, it usually starts up shortly after dying. I’ve seen several posters state that camshaft position sensor resolved their issues. Has anybody replaced the sensor and NOT had their stalling problem resolved?
October 1st, 2014 at 6:08 pm
I just purchased a 2010 Chrysler T&C 6 days ago, and have stalled twice so far!! The van is at the dealer as I refuse to drive an unsafe vehicle!! I called Chrysler & they state that they are unaware of any of these issues!! So PLEASE, if u haven’t called already, do so!! These vehicles NEED to be recalled!! Mine is a 4.0L, as mentioned above, stalls when I’m in idle or not pushing on gas!! Of course nobody can figure out problem as stated by everyone!!! I’m VERY concerned!!!
October 8th, 2014 at 8:03 pm
My daughters 2003 chrysler t&c has started stalling for no apparent reason, once it stalls there is no power at the starter all you hear is a clicking sound in the fuse box.
October 10th, 2014 at 2:41 pm
Becky,
I was told the same thing when I called Chrysler corporate to complain about our 2009 Chrysler T&C stalling whenever we were either coasting or exiting from the highway. Took our dealer nearly 2 weeks to replicate the problem. I told them they had to be driving the van at highway speeds for a minimum of 30 minutes, then exit the highway and not giving the vehicle any gas. Like clockwork, it stalled every time. Corporate agreed to have our transmission replaced, and all was well for about 9-12 months. Then….we started having starting issues. Our starter was replaced twice this summer and we still have the issues. If we slide the gear shifter from Park to Drive, then back to Park it starts up fine. For some reason, the van is not recognizing that the vehicle is in Park and can be started. I have no idea how to properly explain this to either Chrysler or a mechanic to see what’s wrong. The starter is NOT the problem. We’ve not had a stalling issue since the transmission was replaced 3 years ago. For the record, I will NEVER buy another Chrysler again!
October 10th, 2014 at 4:53 pm
Same problem with 2010 T&C, 4.0L engine. 56,000. Stalls while driving, difficult to start after stall, while starting engine makes clicking sound and will not start. After reading all of the above; dealers and Chrysler Central has no knowledge of these on-going problems? What? I’m praying all of will live! UNREAL! I want to dump my van…in the ocean!
November 1st, 2014 at 6:58 pm
I have stalling problem when im sitting at stop sign or stop lights whenever im not pressing the gas,but there is also a sputtering problem like when I go up hills there is very little speed which caused my check engine light to come on. other then that I have had nothing ealse come up my van, it. has been realy good other then that. any one with any input let me know please!!!!!!!
November 22nd, 2014 at 5:49 pm
I have a 2008 Chrysler Town & Country with over 170,000 miles on it. For about a year I have been experiencing an intermittent stalling problem. It always happens after I have been driving, then parked the car for a while and drive it again. It always stalls when slowing down or coasting. The engine begins idling a little rough, then it shuts down. The anti-skid light comes on, then the dashboard lights up. Like others, I have to coast it to a safe place, shift into park, turn off the key and restart. I am worried that it will occur in heavy traffic and I will have a serious accident. My Chrysler dealer did a tune-up and that didn’t solve the problem. It has happened several times since it was services. A diagnostic computer never detects anything wrong. Chrysler needs to determine the cause of the problem and recall a large number of vehicles. Too many people are having this problem. I absolutely don’t understand why the US government is failing to take action. These cars are a potential death trap.
December 17th, 2014 at 9:59 am
When below freezing outside, 2007 Grand Caravan 3.3l starts then stalls and then dash lights and all accessories become inoperative. Vehicle will not respond to key or other pormpts. Scanning says loss of communication between BCM and Ecm. We have replaced ECM and flashed, replaced BCM twice and replaced power control module on L/F fender. Would greatly appreciate any help.
David or Rick
December 23rd, 2014 at 6:08 pm
Twice this year my 1996 3.8 stalled w/o warning. Once in the summer with a/c and just this week with defroster running.
My wife turned off the defroster and fan and the car started up. Took into excellent repair place and they could not get it to fail.
Battery, alternator, and other stuff is fine. Possible problem with a loose wire somewhere below the engine. I saw a note about the rotor wires on another board.
Merry Christmas?
December 28th, 2014 at 5:24 pm
I have a 2010 town&country 4.0L recently went on a trip with it and was passing a vehicle so I floored it to get around him the van then jerk/hit 4 times really hard engine light came on traction light came on and pulled over at a gas station and it was idling really bad I’ve only had this van three months. Took it to a Chrysler dealership they said could be crank position sensor or spark plugs but the van was in for service month prior and the spark plugs were fine. So I did a test on it started at 25 mph and did a pull to 75 mph van didn’t hit or jerk but when I slowed down it would barely run/ running really rough and smelled really bad. Also ever since this started my remote start would start the van and it would shut off 30 sec. Later and then remote start wouldn’t work for awhile!? The crank sensor is 20 bucks but I do believe this should be a recall item it’s dangerous out on freeways!! By the way the van only has 82,968 miles on it
December 28th, 2014 at 6:33 pm
Okay so as stated above my van has problems but hasn’t stalled yet so I’m going to put spark plugs and a crank sensor in it myself sense it will be cheaper then paying 100 bucks for the warrenty to do it and if it fixes the problem then great I will let everyone know if not I’m going to drive it till it pukes so that way the warrenty and Chrysler have to look into it and then everyone can get there voices out on this issue. It really is a disappointment because I’m a diehard dodge fan and that’s usually all I buy. Hopefully I find something out before two years is up because this van will be getting traded for the srt dart when it comes out in 2017
January 12th, 2015 at 7:51 pm
96 dodge grand caravan
Stalls 8 x a wk doesn’t matter idling or 75mph – I just put it in neutral and re starts just fine. Has happened multiple times within minutes. I’ve learned a lot from all these posts but still no fix. Will be trying egr valve next. If it fixes it next step to trade in and not on a dodge ever again!
January 14th, 2015 at 3:34 pm
2010 T&C Mini Van….. cars shuts off while driving 20-30mph. Never has happened on hwy. Slip light on dash comes on. Exactly what happens when the recall for L25 was explained. I am the second owner so when this started happening I read about L25 recall brought it to the dealership and was excited to have it fixed just to find out it was already fixed. Now I am puzzled and more upset. Seems like there is a need for another recall after reading all the complaints. The man at the dealership said it could be the win module, a $800 PART…. oh then first to figure out if that what it was he wanted to charge me $110 to me diagnose it. Wtf again… for a vehicle that barely 5 yrs old seems like they should be paying for this. “` fyi to all those this is happening to…. first complain, complain and complain! ***** Second a lil advice. When this happens. Just put car in Neutral and restart key, and car will restart save yourself from trying to pull over @ a possible accident that Chrysler won’t admit fault…. thats
January 22nd, 2015 at 11:56 am
I have a 2008 Town & Country Limited 4.0L with 116,000 miles and it is doing exactly what Jay has been talking about. Jay stated “Going back to the original post pertaining to 2010 T&C’s, the problem in question is very specific. The car stalls while coasting, (foot off the accelerator & usually on the brake). When the car stalls, ONLY the traction control idiot light, (amber car with squiggles) comes on. There is no other indication that the car has stalled until one attempts to accelerate, turn, or brake; the car is unresponsive.” My mechanic has not been able to fix it, so I will try getting the EGR valve replaced. The issue had started with the van running “rough” between 32 and 36 mph. Then, a few months later the stalling began. Oddly enough, when the outside temperature is less than 15 degrees F, the van runs great. Also, the van has had the “refusal to start” issue as well. This occurs on occasion and began about two years ago. I simply cycle through the gears, and then it starts. It is frustrating. The Chrysler dealership cannot solve any of these issues.
January 30th, 2015 at 12:08 am
I have a 2013 town and country. I noticed this past week that the doors randomly lock while driving, after I’ve been driving for a while. Then I went to start the van and it wouldn’t start. Assumed it was the battery, tried to jump the car (correctly) and van started smoking and shut off. Tried again and it started just fine, and has since then. Battery tested fine, Worried about an electrical issue. I know that there is a recall out for the rear window electrical, not sure if it is related.
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:46 pm
I did get the EGR valve replaced on my 2008 Town & Country Limited 4.0L with 116,000 miles. Since the EGR valve has been replaced, I have driven over 1,000 miles with no stalling and no running “rough” between 32 and 36 mph! I am very pleased with the results. Thank you Jay!
February 10th, 2015 at 2:01 pm
I have a 2008 T&C Limited 4.0 with 84,000 miles. Same thing, stalls, hesitates and acts like it’s flooded. Sometimes it refuses to start. There is a recall on the ignition system, but Chrysler has no parts to replace it, and has told me that is doesn’t even have a solution for the repair. Their advice? Make sure you have no key rings or keys that could weight your key down and cause the car to stall, lose steering, and put my family in danger… no biggie!
It’s at the shop now and will receive a new EGR valve and my wallet will take a hit of ~$800. Save all of your repair invoices. I have had to send them in and get reimbursed when the brake/rotor recall happened a few years back. I will NEVER buy another Chrysler.
March 17th, 2015 at 4:24 pm
In all the blogs, I didn’t find anyone having the same stalling issues with 2006 T&C, which I have. But regardless, the same issue exist. this page is very helpful. I took all the solutions that everyone recommended and will try them one at a time to pinpoint which one is really the culprit and save money on the repairs. It seems that replacing the EGR valve is the most popular solution. I’ll try that first. Then the next would be the camshaft position sensor, then the ignition control module. Could someone please post here if you had replaced the EGR valve and did not work?
I will post an update if things work with each repair. I am hoping to hit the issue on the first try.
March 22nd, 2015 at 11:29 am
I needed to chime in here because this thread has proven very helpful to me!
We were about to go out of town with what we were beginning to refer to our 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan as our family “death trap” when we noticed a VERY DANGEROUS trend with stalling out while driving beginning to form. It had happened 5 times in just a 2 week span prior to our planned trip last week. I’m a sleuth at heart and kept trying to find some pattern that occurred during these harrowing moments,…but had no luck until the 5th event occurred under my watch and not my wife’s.
Every time the van died while being driven, it occurred while driving local streets and roads. The ONLY indicator that you had just lost all power was that the Amber traction control light would appear. I then realized that this always occurred when releasing pressure off the gas pedal (hence the connection to local driving) preparing to coast to maintain a speed or preparing to possibly break.
Looking here on this page, I spotted another reference to the amber light through Jay’s post and how h mentioned the EGR valve as the culprit.
He was right! I had an emergency EGRectomy performed on ours the morning of our trip and after 1000 miles of driving (a good portion of in town driving as well)….I’m happy to report that the problem is gone.
The mechanic said that the valve was gummed up and had some grime and crap in it too.
My big question is why after only 57K miles would the valve already be gummed up? I’m thinking I need to switch over to synthetic oil VERY SOON on my next oil change.
Anyway,…A HUGE THANK YOU TO JAY!!!!
You saved us……in more ways than you know.
March 22nd, 2015 at 9:14 pm
I have a 1996 Dodge Caravan 190,00 miles and out of no where it stops with out warning. It use to do it when I had the defrost on and so I got a New fuel pump mechanic said bad gas used the high BP and went 3 month’s and it happened again was going 65 miles an hour got off freeway and follow lost speed and the just stopped. So I had spark plugs and wires changed. Also fuel systems cleaned and one week later and more than 1100.00 spent it stopped again no warning fuel tank of gas. Heat was on and just got off freeway and it decelarated by it self and then stopped. All lights were on each time I truce to restart. Waited 10mins and restart drove 3 miles stopped again. Waited 10 more mins and the car tan like nothing had happened Help.
March 28th, 2015 at 10:59 am
Alicia,
Sounds like this occurs for you when you are taking your foot off the accelerator to either coast and/or begin to brake and/or slow down. Have the EGR valve replaced. You’ve addressed the other possibilities,….so I think that it has to be the culprit. As explained to me…..the EGR valve may be gummed up and sticks open when you slow down or simply let up even slightly on the gas. This lets in too much air and makes the van crap out….instantly.
I can’t guarantee that it’s the answer,……but since you have high miles on it and it’s a Chrysler product……just saying.
Also check to see if there is any play or wiggle room in your ignition switch where the key goes in.
Could also be that as well….as per the discussion here.
April 7th, 2015 at 8:43 am
I am having the same issues here. I have a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan with about 88k. I have had this for 4 years and have had at least 6-7 stalls while driving. At first I thought it was just losing traction because the control light would come on and then lose power steering and brakes. Pull over and restart the car and it would be fine. I didn’t even realize it stalled at first. It was always a little wet out but reason to lose traction. I had it checked initially but they couldn’t find a problem. It happens within about 1/2 to 1 mile of driving on local roads (thankfully). Yesterday was the first time it happened twice in the same day. Usually months apart. I am afraid to drive it. Is this EGR valve something we can replace ourselves? My husband is very good with cars, does all the brakes, oil changes and other fixes but he just couldn’t come up with what could be wrong with this vehicle. Of course it never happens when he is in the car. Since it is always sort of wet conditions or had rained the night before is water/moisture getting into something maybe?
April 14th, 2015 at 6:26 am
My wife called me this morning. She was driving our kids to school and the 2010 Chrysler T&C did the same thing again just die while driving. Had this happen before and some other electrical issues as well such as sliding doors not working correctly. Dash lights coming on infrequently. Need to contact dealer today. Also while writing this I have been on hold with Chrysler recall group for over 45 minutes.
#Frustrated
April 15th, 2015 at 9:18 pm
Thank you to all of you for your posts and suggestions. I have a 2008 T & C. The engine has shut down on me half a dozen times. It is very frightening, and frightening to think that it is legal for us to drive a car with such a lethal fault. I am thinking of starting a petition to send to our government. I am Canadian, and so we don’t even have the protection of your lemonlaw, which I think is a brilliant idea. Thank you for the idea of changing the EGR. We will give that a try and I will get back to you about that. Do you know if Chrysler will reimburse us for this work once the recall part becomes available?
April 18th, 2015 at 7:59 pm
Brenda ( comment #110)
We have exactly the same issue … 1/2 to 1 mile from home .. Usually after the vehicle has sit for the day ..
I called Chrysler Canada and started a claim number .. They ARE aware of an issue with the ignition system and there IS a recall but there are not parts available ..
They recommend removing everything from your Fob as not to dangle and possibly physically turn the key to the accessory position …
My wife is afraid to drive the vehicle and to be honest I thought it was even the way she might have been driving it but I’ve been on a de trips with her and she drives perfectly normal and then FINALLY it happened to me this morning .. Exactly as described …
Call Chrysler and your local dealer ..
The recall is called “L25”
April 30th, 2015 at 9:48 pm
I have a 2010 Chrysler T & C with 76,600 miles. The shutting down issue started a month ago. The van coincidently failed the state vehicle emissions test which prompted me to bring it to the local dealer where I purchased it from. Of course, they couldn’t replicate the problem. I mentioned that this was a known issue and that I wasn’t going to pay for a ghost chase by the mechanic. Since getting it back from the dealer, the van stalled once again. I contacted Chrysler Customer Care through their online chat feature to leave a complaint about the problem. They said that by getting a confirmation number and having brought it it to the dealer to specifically address this issue, this would be a start. Not sure what the next step is. I did experience the remote starter on my key fob dies after 30 seconds.
May 5th, 2015 at 1:44 pm
Hello our 09 dodge caravan was having the same problems, shutting off while driving only indication was the traction light on dash. had it to dealership over 10 times for same problem. I finally got them to change the E G R valvle after listening to these posts. I have not had any problems now. almost 4 months latter and and 4,000 miles later. replace EGR problem solved i feel save driving my wife and 4 kids now.
May 8th, 2015 at 9:38 pm
Have 2008 have same problem , thats getting worse with outside temp increasing. The van when driving and slowing down starts feeling like transmission is not shifting causing engine to run rough. The van quits and you have to restart. But the van also just quits like no power.There are two codes showing up c121c and p0884 I have reset codes and have c121c still shows up and vanis quiting more and more. Not safe for family on highway.
the vehicle has about 140,000 km..
June 25th, 2015 at 12:18 pm
I have a 2012 with less than 29,000 miles on it that’s doing the same thing…
August 8th, 2015 at 8:06 pm
I have a 2015 chrysler T&C with 9,000 miles and is 6 months old that stalled in the middle of intersection and when put in drive it rolled in reverse, it nearly caused a major car accident. I want out of my lease and will never drive that car again!!!! DANGEROUS!
September 12th, 2015 at 8:47 am
Just today car stalled a new Chrysler town and country 2010, since day of purchase nothing but problems. I need desperate help I have only 34,000 miles and I have stacks of repair receipts.
September 18th, 2015 at 10:00 am
@Keith: Please visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law lawyer in your state to help.
October 21st, 2015 at 9:06 pm
2006 T&C 3.8 liter 188000 miles. I had an occasional misfire since I purchased it at 60k. Then it became really bad at 120k. Now it idles and runs bad under 1500rpm, but smoothes out 1500rpm to 2100rpm. I replaced the EGR last year at Oreilly for $66 ( error code said it was the problem ) Wow. All better. Now 1 year later the low rpm misfires are back. I replaced the EGR under lifetime warrantee 3 days ago and it seemed to fix the problem. 3 days later it’s back and worse. I checked the compression, plugs, ohm tested the wires. All these were tested good. I’m thinking it’s a bad EGR and I need to get another. Dealer wants $140 for the part and free at Oreilly lifetime warantee)… I’ll get another from Oreilly and see if I get a good one. Otherwise I’ll go to the junkyard. Last choice is the dealer.
October 22nd, 2015 at 4:19 pm
My 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan stalls, code says EGR valve. I use a high quality synthetic 10-40. wondering if this oil may be affecting the EGR valve? I am going to switch to a 10-40 mineral oil for several oil changes.
January 14th, 2016 at 7:16 pm
Have a Issue with my 2010 T&C. Yesterday I stopped behind someone and the car turned off. Tried to start it back up and would try idle rough then die back down. Had it towed to the mechanic and he said maybe the crankshaft cause it sounds like a misfire. Has anyone had this type of issue where it just won’t stay started?
February 19th, 2016 at 10:25 am
The issue is with the ignition key. While driving, the key slips out of the switch and the vehicle turns off.
June 26th, 2016 at 6:36 pm
I put in a post earlier #41 still have the van took it back to the dealer they said it was the PCM again and this is the second new one now. the place that repaired the PCM said that the Generator field driver and voltage regulator that is located in the pcm was burnt out again. and they also replaced the flash chip. the computer repair place said that something is causing the ground to drop in the computer? and if it does this enough it will damage the pcm again. so I got the repaired pcm back and replaced the starter and alternator as well. thinking this would do the trick. the Dealer then drove it around and also left it running for four and a half hours after driving it for 15 miles as well. and nothing. went to pick it up today and it drove home nice but the ac lost its charge and it was hot out. the van idled great when I got home so I thought it may finally be good to go. I the proceeded to charge the ac and the ac clutch started kicking in and out and all of the sudden the van dies. its as if the ac clutch is working the voltage regulator to much and caused it to shut down when the fans are running and the blowers on high in the car. (I already replaced the fan relay twice on the bumper before all of this as well.) I am thinking it all has to do with the voltage regulator getting hot and unable to keep up with everything. back to the dealer I go.
June 26th, 2016 at 6:44 pm
to number 43 post on this. I forgot to add this into the long list already did the cam and crank sensors
June 26th, 2016 at 6:46 pm
sorry it should have said number 42. Thanks Doug
August 6th, 2016 at 11:26 pm
2010 T&C 4.0 V6 – Original problem was random starting issues which lead to the stalling, sputtering, shut down while operating. Dealer couldn’t figure it out so I took it to a local mechanic. His guys couldn’t figure out what was going on. I read through the forums and suggested that he replace the ERG valve. He replaced it and it solved the problem. About 2 weeks later the van was beginning to start funny. It cranks but does not turn over, if I immediately try to start if after the first fail it starts fine. Any thoughts? Thanks!
August 12th, 2016 at 11:51 pm
car shuts off even while driving sometimes dosent crank car says check system temp when gages is not on hot used car I just bought a month ago nobody can help me they already changed the TIPM and I’m at the dealer they said they cant do it agin unless I pay out of pocket. I’m very stressed I’m on a budget and have 4 little boys if I walk they walk too do anybody think about these things at all HELP PLEASE
August 23rd, 2016 at 4:53 pm
I have a 2009 Town And Country Limited 65000 miles. Been in and out of the dealership for 1.5 years. Almost crashed head on with my 8 and 5 year old sons in the car. In the shop now and they are getting ready to sent it back to me because ‘they can’t duplicate the problem”. All of these complaints sound exactly right. Please help!
October 24th, 2016 at 8:53 am
Same problem made a purchase in 2010 and purchased a lemon, I even had lemon law attorneys try and help but was told sorry Chrysler is the worst to deal with. My vehicle shuts down with out notice to tell the truth it feels like I live in Texas with long empty roads no one to help and always being stranded by this death trap. Remind you I traded in 2 vehicles for this crap because I was told it won so many awards and is excellent is gas well it was all lies bad gas mileage and many problems that can even cause death. Someone please help us all.
February 5th, 2017 at 3:30 pm
I have a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country. Stalling started very infrequently about 1 month ago, always between 20-30 mph. No warning that it will happen; the engine can be warm or cold. I put it in drive and it starts easily. Had my mechanic look at it two days ago and of course the stall couldn’t be duplicated. He cleaned and adjusted a few things, but later that night stalled. It goes back to the shop tomorrow morning. I’m going to have him start with a erg replacement. Will let you know if I get lucky.
February 20th, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Just got in an accident (rear-ended) with my 2010 Chrysler Town & Country Touring minivan! Was trying to slow down at a stop light and the car just suddenly shut off on me. This is the 5th time already this has happened and it’s scary and frustrating! I just called Chrysler and all they could tell me was to take it to an official Chrysler dealership to get my vehicle checked out and opened up a claim #. They said my own mechanic isn’t sufficient enough. I asked them about the WIN Module recall and they said my vehicle didn’t qualify for it, even though it’s a 2010 (which is the cut off year). But when I took it to my private mechanic, he said it was replaced already. What?! I need help!! I have 4 children and this is our designated family vehicle!!
February 20th, 2017 at 4:15 pm
@Angela: It’s been several years since we posted this and I fear the age of the vehicle may prohibit recourse. Please contact your state attorney general to determine if there are any used vehicle statutes in your state.
April 15th, 2017 at 3:16 pm
2010 Chrysler Town and Country 4.0L. 130000 miles.
A little rough on idle at stop lights, always feeling like it wants to stall in idle.
Been doing the 20-30 MPH stall often lately.
And losing antifreeze slowly.
Near the EGR valve are some water hoses, with two different plastic y joints. Those were wet. Antifreeze leaking right overy the EGR valve.
Dealer wanted hundreds to replace the hoses in sets, and 800 to replace the EGR valve.
My cheap solution?
Amazon had an $80 dollar EGR valve, and I got two plastic Y joints from Autozone, some replacement hose, and some new hose clamps.
About $100 total in parts, and my local mechanic did it all in under an hour (he charged 75, I gave him 100).
Fixed. I hope. Only driven 20 miles so far, but instead of a rough idle and feeling like it wants to die at low rpms, it now run’s smooth and strong. Actually feels like new again, it made THAT much difference.
EGR was gummed up, as others have said. Mechanic said it looks like a lot of antifreeze got on it over time.
So if you replace the EGR, be sure to check those plastic hose joints too…
It really does run like new now. Knock on wood.
May 7th, 2017 at 10:40 am
To #134-Angela-My sister is having exact issues as you 2010 Town and Counry-Her engine shut off just before a railroad crossing and a train was coming….she barely stopped before crossing guards came down. After that she does not drive, luckily they have another vehicle. Have you been able to resolve anything with Chrystler yet? They have done everything out there including ordering a part from an online posting that was supposed to be a temporary fix and it still stalled. It really is a death trap and unbelieveable that Used Car dealers are selling these to people.
December 4th, 2017 at 4:14 pm
Our 2010 Town and Country has been idling rough for a while. We’ve had it for about 4 years, and it has been one problem after another for the entire time… Engine light came on several months ago with an 0420 code. mechanic replaced Catalytic Converter. Light came on a week later, code was o2 sensor. replaced that too. Couple months later, car was running REALLY rough,engine light on and code reading ERG valve, sounding like it will stall out and sputtering while accelerating, replaced ERG valve. Didn’t fix problem, but code went away. Light back on, “random engine misfire”, replaced spark plugs, and has run great for about 2 months (although the engine light has been on the whole time). This morning, my wife was coasting down a hill in our neighborhood, all lights came on and car completely shut off… She was lucky and could pull over and stop safely and put the car in park, before ending up in a serious accident as she was headed toward a major intersection… Car restarted and she drove home. I’m now terrified to ever drive this car again, but really have no means to affording a new car. Our kids play multiple sports, and we are always in this death trap. hoping for a Christmas miracle but I’m really ready to get out of this car!!!
December 4th, 2017 at 4:14 pm
Our 2010 Town and Country has been idling rough for a while. We’ve had it for about 4 years, and it has been one problem after another for the entire time… Engine light came on several months ago with an 0420 code. mechanic replaced Catalytic Converter. Light came on a week later, code was o2 sensor. replaced that too. Couple months later, car was running REALLY rough,engine light on and code reading ERG valve, sounding like it will stall out and sputtering while accelerating, replaced ERG valve. Didn’t fix problem, but code went away. Light back on, “random engine misfire”, replaced spark plugs, and has run great for about 2 months (although the engine light has been on the whole time). This morning, my wife was coasting down a hill in our neighborhood, all lights came on and car completely shut off… She was lucky and could pull over and stop safely and put the car in park, before ending up in a serious accident as she was headed toward a major intersection… Car restarted and she drove home. I’m now terrified to ever drive this car again, but really have no means to affording a new car. Our kids play multiple sports, and we are always in this death trap.
April 30th, 2018 at 8:04 pm
I have a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 4.0. This van has been shutting off every sense I bought it the first couple of minutes of driving every other 2 or 3 weeks and also shut of in busy traffic in Atlanta Ga. I bought it from a man claims to be a preacher but that preacher didn’t tell me everything that’s was wrong with the car when I asked. Dodge and Chrysler dealership should fix the problem or give you your money back regardless where you bought the Dodge and Chrysler lemon from!!!!!!!!
December 10th, 2018 at 4:15 pm
We are having this same problem with our 2014 Town & Country. The vehicle is currently in the shop right now for the second time and I just got a call from the technician that they cannot duplicate the issue. This is the most frustrating thing I have ever experienced. Not even sure what our next step should be….The vehicle is a death trap.
December 26th, 2018 at 12:48 pm
The recall you’re referring to is the r03 recall. I currently have 2 Town and Country vans in my shop with the same problem. The local dealership initially denied there was a recall and then claimed the issue was not due to the recall work. I am fighting with them to get the issues resolved and back to my customers.
Here is a link to the recall from Chrysler, hopefully it’s helpful.
https://www.chrysler.com/universal/webselfservice/pdf/R03.pdf
May 29th, 2019 at 7:24 am
I just experienced the same issue with my 2014 T&C. It just stopped working without warning – no power steering, no acceleration, nothing. I’m traveling with two young children. My car is currently at a repair shop. This is extremely dangerous! I know my car doesn’t fall under past recalls, so what’s the best course of action to report?
August 7th, 2019 at 8:26 am
2010 town and country, shuts off while driving intermittently. I lose all power steering and brakes. very dangerous. pull over and coast to a stop. Restart van and drive until it happens again. PLEASE FIX CHRYSLER!!!!!!!!!!!
October 2nd, 2019 at 9:08 pm
An idle air control actuator or idle air control valve (IAC actuator/valve) is a device commonly used in fuel-injected vehicles to control the engine’s idling rotational speed (RPM).[1] In carburetted vehicles a similar device known as an idle speed control actuator is used.
Description
The IAC actuator is an electrically controlled device, which gets its input from the vehicle’s engine control unit (ECU). The actuator is fitted such that it either bypasses the throttle or operates the throttle butterfly valve directly. The actuator consists of a linear servo actuator servomotor that controls a plunger which varies air flow through the throttle body. The position of the servomotor and hence the amount of air bypass is controlled digitally by the engine ECU. This allows the engine’s idle speed to be maintained constant. The linear servo is most commonly a combination of a DC motor, lead screw and a digital optical encoder.
There is essentially no difference in efficiency between the technique of bypassing the throttle butterfly and operating the butterfly itself. The IAC allows the ECU to maintain minimum RPM irrespective of changes in engine load, sometimes referred to as anti-stall feature. Thus the driver can more easily move the car from stand-still by merely releasing the clutch (manual transmission) or the brake (automatic transmission) without having to simultaneously press the accelerator.
Problems with IAC
Although the IAC is supposed to last the vehicle’s lifetime, various reasons may cause it to fail/malfunction prematurely. The most common failure mode is partial/complete jamming of the actuator (due to dirt/dust or even oil) where it cannot be smoothly controlled. The result is an engine that fails to maintain idle RPM and frequently stalls. A jammed actuator may be freed simply by cleaning it. However an actuator that has stopped working due to a fault in its servomotor will need replacement
November 25th, 2019 at 7:36 am
2013 Chrysler Town and Country has now shut down twice suddenly and spontaneously, and on VERY dangerous roads in the northern VA / DC metro area (28 and at the 495 interchange at 95/395). VERY VERY DANGEROUS area, between the speeds and the amount of traffic, and general confusion from folks not knowing which lane to be in and where. Anyone that has driven these roads knows what I’m talking about
The car literally just shut down. No power, electrical or gas. No power steering, no power to the brakes, not able to accelerate. Very scary and very dangerous circumstances. The car will not start after this happens for exactly 15 minutes. NO CODE posts to the CPU readout per the service center, so they ate unable to fix it without throwing thousands of dollars at random speculative solutions, which they recommend NOT doing as cases have shown the problem to still exist after
THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED TWICE. I have video of the crazy dashboard readout and location after the second one. The solution to getting the van to start after one of these incidents is to wait exactly 15 minutes before attempting to start (set your timer; we did after researching a similar case and sure enough, after exactly 15 minutes it started)
Took the car into the Chrysler Service Center in Leesburg, VA and their suggestion / guidance was to buy a new car. Seriously. After pressing them to plz take a look they became agitated and said they would have to charge me a minimum of 10 hours service at $150/hr to just look at it, and that the bill would much higher than that to begin to fix
If you are having this problem be sure to document the case with pictures and video. This is a very very VERY dangerous issue, with zero coding / readout to fix. We took it to a third party service center nearby and they attempted to research / find a solution and stated many service centers are aware of the issue. They documented my first and second cases of this happening. There was a SEVEN MONTH GAP between when the first and second instance happened, so it’s as random of an occurrence as can be (and the solution to getting the car going in both cases was wait 15 minutes)
I pray this doesn’t kill me or my family. This is criminal negligence and Chrysler’s certified service centers are a scam perpetuating the problem!!
December 2nd, 2019 at 8:39 am
Our 2013 Chrysler T&C has had two occasions of spontaneously shutting down while driving. No power steering, no power brakes, no power from the engine. This has happened on 495 in DC and 28 in VA, both notoriously dangerous roads. The situation created is extremely dangerous for me and my family
The car will not start immediately after this happens. The solution to getting the car to start is wait at least 15 minutes before attempting to start again (I learned this while on the side of the road researching the issue). Set the alarm to 15m, turned they key and it started
Both occasions there was no code found at the shop. Both occasions were noted, and I have both a picture and video after the second instance of this happening. The shop stated that without a code, we would be throwing money away on speculative causes. The shop also researched the issue and found that people were throwing thousands of dollars at this issue with no resolution
I took the vehicle to a certified dealership in Leesburg, and the service centers initial reply was refusal to work on the car, and then stated we should just buy a new car. After pressing / escalating to the service center manager they stated they would charge me 10hrs @ $150/hr just to look at it, and that I could expect a bill much greater than that before actual work to fix would begin
I am now just waiting on the third occasion, and pray that this issue does not kill me or my family
November 24th, 2020 at 6:12 pm
My 2011 Town and Country has done the same. It shut off twice on the highway, which was very scary with my children in the car. My entire family are some what experienced mechanics. They dont know what’s going on. My van does “pull” sometimes when I’m driving as well.
March 10th, 2021 at 5:02 pm
I have the same problem with 2010 town and country. The van has been at different chrysler dealers shops and can’t find the problem. Also I took the van with other mechanics and they can’t find the problem either. I am tired of this. It happened again today and I couldn’t stop the van in the middle of a curve. The car suddenly shut off and steering wheel, brakes didnt worked.
April 20th, 2021 at 11:22 am
Same issue as everyone else. Most harrowing time that it happened was on a interstate interchange in Washington D.C. Scary situation.
February 22nd, 2022 at 11:10 am
I have a June 2010 (after WIN ign. mod recall end date of FEB 2010) Chrysler Town & Country 4.0L v6 mini van with 145,000 miles. I just replaced the EGR valve (cost from rockauto $83.00–2 hour job) and now it doesn’t feel like it will shut down during idle and runs very smooth and quieter. However, my original issue of stalling after highway speeds or at 55+ mph for maybe 15 minutes will still cause it to turn off vehicle but quickly restarts. My AC also makes a buzz and has been refilled by me twice at low pressure with resealer that doesn’t work I’m told–cheaper than pressurized refill). I noticed today the electric touchscreen for mp3 player dimmed to low light very quickly during driving then to normal. The anti-skid amber light cannot be seen entirely but has been on since I got vehicle last year. From above comments, must be Air Conditioner Clutch cycling too much kicking out the PCM mod. from ground dropping out. as well as fan relay in the bumper. The voltage regulator from within PCM gets hot from cycyling too much. If it drops out you get that transmission kick! My van sat on a lot in Iowa for a long time–if it has a remote start like they use up North in the driver’s door, it may be faulting and causing the PCM to shut down and ground intermittently and burning it out in time. I know fixing the PCM fixes the stalls they said. The next step when I can afford it (luckily I can drive under 55 most of the time) is like they say at the start of this post, get ‘auto pilot’ to read codes that flicker AS IT STALLS. My van is after recall but while running key can fall out and it keeps running–no key!