Over the last month and a half, the engine on our less than 10-month old Town and Country has died 3 times while I’ve been driving it. I lose power steering and brakes too. The car has less than 9,000 miles on it.
I’ve taken it to the dealership twice now, the second time they kept it for a week and drove it almost 100 miles and couldn’t find anything wrong with it.
Any ideas on what might be wrong or how it can be fixed?
You don’t need to know exactly what is wrong with the car, all you need to know is that you have both a warranty and the protection of the Lemon Law in your state.
Incidentally, you have lost your power steering and your power brake assist because the engine has stalled. Both of those systems are dependent upon a running engine. This type of situation is a definite safety hazard, so you need to be more aggressive with getting a resolution of the problem.
In most states, three failed repair attempts will qualify you for a settlement under the Lemon Law.
The amount of “shop time” can also qualify you for a settlement in many states.
In some states, you have your choice of a comparable replacement vehicle or a refund of all your expenses related to the purchase of the car. In other states, you can only receive the replacement vehicle. For details on your state’s statute, go to: www.lemonlawamerica.com
So–you need to take it back to the dealership, and once again describe the symptoms in detail. If you offer a diagnosis, they will ignore it, as they need to go through the diagnostic protocol specified by the vehicle manufacturer.
Even though all Lemon Law claims are filed with the manufacturer, rather than with the dealership, you might want to remind the dealership that you intend to file a Lemon Law claim if they cannot fix the problem to your satisfaction. That might motivate them to bring in an engineer from Chrysler to supervise the diagnosis and repair of the vehicle.
If the third repair attempt is unsuccessful, then you need to initiate the process for a Lemon Law claim, being sure to file your claim in writing, via Certified Mail, following the directions precisely. In many states, you can find the claim form and complete directions on the website of the state Attorney General. You do not need an attorney.
Good luck!