Chrysler Wheel Bearing Problems
Chrysler Corporation has extended the warranty on their Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan for wheel bearing problems. The wheel bearing/hub assemblies are now warrantied for 5 years or 90,000 miles, whichever comes first. Below you’ll find a copy of the letter being sent to the owners of the affected vehicles. If you’ve had the wheel bearing/ hub assembly replaced on your vehicle you can get your money back. Here’s what you need…..
This letter is to inform you that the warranty period ( 3 years or 36,000 miles) on your minivan’s front wheel bearings has been extended to 5 years or 90,000 miles, whichever comes first. This extended front wheel bearing warranty coverage applies to select Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan model year 2008-2010 minivans.
We are extending the warranty period on your front wheel bearings because some of the mini vans operated in cold weather regions, may experience premature wear resulting in a growl, hum or grind noise while driving. If your vehicle is operating properly, there is nothing you are required to do.
If you are experiencing the condition as described in this warranty extension ( within the 5 year or 90,000 mile period), simply contact your dealer to schedule a service appointment. Remember to bring this letter with you to your dealer. Please make sure to store this letter with your vehicle’s other warranty information for future reference. The warranty extension applies to the above components only; the other terms and the “What’s Not Covered” items of your warranty remain the same as stated in your Warranty Information book.
If you have already paid for the replacement of you front wheel hubs, you may be eligible to receive a reimbursement. You may complete the enclosed Customer Reimbursement Claim Form and send your original receipts, invoices and/or repair order to the following address for reimbursement, your claim will be acted upon within 60 days of receipt.
Chrysler Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 21-8007
Auburn Hills, MI 48321-8007
If you have questions or need any assistance, please contact your dealer or Chrysler Customer Assistance Center between the hours of 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, EST, Monday through Friday or Saturday 9:00 AM to 5 PM, EST. Please contact 1-800-Chrysler (247-9753) or 1-800-4-A-Dodge (423-6343).
Chrysler Group LLC
Northwood Garage… Keeping your Car Good to Go! Since 1955
11/29/11
I have a Town and Country in for repair at the dealer. They just informed me that all for wheel bearings need to be replaced. The vehicle has 37,000 miles on it. Front wheel bearings fall under drive line warranty, but not the rear. This vehicle has not had any off road or trailer tow or high speed use. My question is this ” WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF ALL FOUR BEARING GOING OUT AT ONCE. THIS JUST SMELLS OF MIS-ASSEMBLY OR DESIGN FLAW.” I have yet to see the relaxed parts to look at the seals or signs of bearings not getting lubrication. What would you look for and would you not be suspicious?
12/29/11
I just bough a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. This minivan came with a bad front bearing noise. After I read your post about extended bearing warranty from Chrysler I called the Dodge dealer to try to schedule to bring the Van for repair. They said that Chrysler do have a extended warranty for front brakes but not for front bearings. I dont know if this post have some mistake information about it or the dealer …..
No, it is not a mistake. In fact, the customer that handed me the letter from Chrysler (that we used for this post) just received a full reimbursement “ Parts and Labor” (December 2011) for a replacement wheel bearing/hub assembly that we installed. Keep in mind this extended warranty is for vehicles in cold regions. It does not apply to warm states like Arizona. When you called the dealer did they ask for your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)? The VIN is necessary information for Chrysler’s computer system to provide the correct warrantee information. I do suggest calling a different dealership. It seems that some dealership employees are more committed to customer satisfaction than others. But to get to the bottom of this extended warrantee use the information below…
If you have questions or need any assistance, please contact your dealer or Chrysler Customer Assistance Center between the hours of 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, EST, Monday through Friday or Saturday 9:00 AM to 5 PM, EST. Please contact 1-800-Chrysler (247-9753) or 1-800-4-A-Dodge (423-6343).
Have a Great Day!
Jim
Just spoke to Chrysler then to Dealer, for my 2008, its not a RECALL its an EXTENDED WARRANTY, and they list as X35
Why do they only cover the right side bearing and not the left? Letter from Chrysler is misleading as it say’s “bearings” and nothing about only covering right side!!
I heard a noise at 55000 km on mine took it in for warranty repair they said nothing was wrong now at 61000km (1000 km) over warranty it’s so noisy so I took it back all four bearings need to be replaced my family could have died had the wheels come off! Not happy at all!
I have to say, it is very odd that all 4 wheel bearing/hub assemblies needed replacement. We’ve not seen that level of failure in out area. Due to the problems you and others have had getting information out of Chrysler we are now starting post copies of the actual document. That way our readers can print it off and wave at the Dealer’s Service adviser.
Honestly I have not a clue why this is. Yet, I had a customer that had both sides (front) taking care of. Maybe they’re good complainers
Chrysler ended up covering both sides. Took some calling and asking for it but they made it happen.
I have a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country, after 51,000 miles my front wheel bearings have to be replaced. I didn’t get the letter from Chrysler about the recall, but using the letter above I got mine replaced in Wilmington, NC for half the service fee. I think $153 is a lot more reasonable than the $600+ that it would have cost. It didn’t take but two calls to the Chrysler Customer Care line to get the problem resolved. I agree with the comments about poor craftsmanship on the parts but Chrysler is getting a thumbs up for customer service.
Just had the front bearings replace in our 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan with 35K miles. They extended the warranty to cover
I have a 2008 T&C and I am about to go for my second replacement of hubs. Replacing them once my husband said was rare but TWICE is crazy. This is a design flaw for sure. The van eats brakes and tires like crazy. I guess add hubs to the list.
What date did Chrysler send this letter out to effected owners?
I have a 2010 Grand Caravan with 37k. Recently a hum say after 25mph has begun so in remembering the letter they sent I called the dealer and will have it looked at two days from now. We just moved from a cold climate state to a southern one. I hope that does not matter. I know the last post on this thread was last year but does anyone recall (who had the bearing problem) what sound they remember hearing?
Well let’s see. I bought a 2009 caravan with 100,000 miles, a year and a half ago. Luckily the guy said he just had the brakes redone. Next, one of the “keys” quit, They want $200.+ for a new key. Come on Chrysler the old $2.49 keys worked fine. Today I took my van in for a “howl” Front wheel bearing. I’ve put on over half a million miles in driving and never had to replace a front wheel bearing. CRY sler- shoddy engineering and design.
I had bearing failure on two front hubs, but the noise coincided with the purchase of two new tires. I thought, boy, these tires are noisy….and kept driving for most of the year. Finally I realized this was not tires and took the Caravan to a dealership in Las Cruces, NM, where I spend the winter. Bearings, they said… a bit over 800 bucks to fix. Yikes! I asked about recalls, etc. and they couldnt find anything, so I got on the net and found this site.
Armed with the info you’ve provided, I called Chrysler directly and after a few days of investigation and some converstions with them they agreed to cover the cost of repair.
Though I live in Michigan and spend most of the year there, we bought this van in El Paso, TX, registered it in NM, and thus did not get a letter about extended coverage. Once I explained this van basically lives in MI, we were on the way.
So credit where it’s due, to northwoodgarage.net and also to Chrysler for doing the right thing and covering this unusual failure (at 55,000 mi) on what is my fourth Chrysler minivan. It took a few phone calls after the web research, but I’ll do that anytime to save 800 clams!
Our 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan was having this issue and we got it fixed and then I found this site. Sent all the information to Chrysler 2 weeks ago and received a call this morning saying that they were not going to reimburse me. I asked why, at first he tried to say it wasn’t for 2009 makes/models, it was just for 2007 and 2008. I found this letter, read it to him and he then said that he’s sorry, but he can tell me right now that my particular vehicle is not eligible for reimbursement. I asked him why, and he said that he couldn’t tell me the specific reason because that was “proprietary” information.
Help! What should I do next? I feel like they’re jerking me around. Any ideas?
I have a 2008 Chrysler T & C, 51,800 miles and buzzing/humming coming from what I thought was the motor for a couple of weeks. Then a vibration in the gas pedad started. Male friend drove the van yesterday and told me my wheelbearings were going. We had driven 40 miles to destination and upon 40 mile return trip, it was already much worse. He told me not to drive the van until it was fixed as it was dangerous. I had van towed to Chrysler dealership and they repaired two wheelbearings under extended warranty. I live in Michigan, so appreciate this. I purchased this Van new, drive it very carefully, and have had it only 5 yrs 5 days today. It’s absolutely the worse on fuel only getting approximately 9.9 – 16 mpg most times. Occasionally will get 18 mpg on highway. Going to sell it even though it’s still in excellent condition. I can’t afford the gas. Would the wheelbearing problem cause mpg to be so poor? Anyone else have horrible mpg with their T & C? This is my second and has been bad since day one.
I had the front wheel bearings replaced in fall of 2011 under warranty the town & country van now has 113355 kilometers on it now , and the bearings are noise again, the van has extended warranty should it be covered by Chrysler thks
I have a 2012 Chrysler 200 with about 20,000 miles. Now having wheel bearing problems. Also replaced the water pump under warranty and a failed ABS module. Paint on front edge of hood is bubbling up. This is “quality”? Where are the inspectors? Where are the managers and engineers? My car goes back and forth to work in the city…..20 miles per day on suburban streets. I’ve taken one long trip to RI. Other than that it’s just been normal wear and tear and it’s regularly washed. No accidents or abnormal driving conditions. I have NEVER had problems like this with any other car, including other Chryslers. I am very disappointed.
Just had both front and rear brakes and rotors replaced in August, 2010, just one month after we purchased our 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan. The company, at that time, was not covering the cost, even though we’d paid for the worthless warranty. A few months after we paid for it, we got this same letter. At that time, we were in the middle of moving and lost our letter at some point. I’m hoping they’ll still reimburse us the $936 we had to pay! Now, our brakes and bearing are going out again! These vehicles suck, I wish that I had known all of this before purchasing. That’s what I get for not doing my research. I will NEVER purchase a Chrysler/Dodge vehicle again after this experience. 🙁
I have a 2009 T & C van with 94K miles on it, of course had the noise and took it in and it was the front right wheel bearing. Wouldn’t you know it would happen right after the extended warranty ;( however another issue I seem to have is that I had it done at the dealership and 3 weeks later my ABS lights came up on the dashboard. Took it in and they wanted 115 to run diagnostic. decided to take to mechanic that works on our older cars and he says it all points back to the wheel bearing I just had replaced. There is a cable (sensor?) that comes off of it that is bad. The dealership wont look at unless they run their diagnostic ($115) they say they did not change that cable. My other mechanic says it comes with the kits they get. I’m confused as to why it would not be changed out if it comes with wheel bearing kit ? They want to charge me 150 – 200 more for it.
The link below will take you to pictures of the wheel bearings on your T&C. As you will see the ABS wheel speed sensor is part of a replacement bearing/hub assembly. You should ask the dealer if they find that the repair part was defective will you still be charged for the diagnosis of the defective.
One other question, when your mechanic test the sensor or just read the code. You have to keep in mind that there are wires going to the sensor connection from the vehicle. I’m in the mood to bet coffee that the sensor in the replacement bearing is bad/defective
https://www.google.com/search?q=town+and+country+wheel+bearing&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb
On our way to Florida a year or so ago the left rear bearing on our 2009 Town & Country started to go. Had them replaced at my expense in St. Petersburg, FL. The Goodyear store who did it advised me that to have them replaced with Chrysler parts only because they were almost $100 dollars cheaper than the knock offs. On our way back to NY the right front bearing began to go. Had it replaced at another Goodyear store with Chrysler parts and they advised me of the recall.Sent my claim in on the front replacement and got a full refund promptly. Scheduled to have the remaining bearings replaced with a local Chrysler dealer. They insisted on having “both” replaced in spite of the fact that one of them was less than a month old. All very strange. No notice sent to me originally on the recall. No national press release that I can find…
The link below will take you to pictures of the wheel bearings on your T&C. As you will see the ABS wheel speed sensor is part of a replacement bearing/hub assembly. You should ask the dealer if they find that the repair part was defective will you still be charged for the diagnosis of the defective.
One other question, when your mechanic test the sensor or just read the code. You have to keep in mind that there are wires going to the sensor connection from the vehicle. I’m in the mood to bet coffee that the sensor in the replacement bearing is bad/defective
https://www.google.com/search?q=town+and+country+wheel+bearing&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb
Ok!!! Let me start by saying I will never bye another Chrysler as long as I live and will talk any one I know out of it.I purchased my 2009 town and country new,from day one I have had multiple problems,first was the check engine light,after months of replacing sensors and other trouble shooting they figured out it was the catalytic convertor, they replaced it,within first 4 months of ownership,the front and rear brakes needed replacing in witch regrettably I did myself and was not refunded,since ownership they have been replaced 6 times (ridiculous).i could go on with a bunch of minor thing but I’ll get to my point,last month I was getting that dreaded noise in the front end and sure enough it was the drivers side bearings which they replaced no charge and told me the rear also needed to be replaced but didn’t have the part,so after a couple of weeks driving what sounded like a boat I finally brought it back in.after a few hours they called me and said the rear brakes needed replacing and also the beating,for a total of about $1400,I asked not covered under my life time warrantee I purchased for $3000,they say no only the front are covered because of a recall,why the front and not the rear I ask,he don’t have an answer,so with no other choice I have to say go and do it,,I never seen any vehicle go through so many brake changes,as far as the gas millage I never even came close to what they say I should be getting.
I have a 09 T &C whenever I press The breaks I hear a humming sound. Is that a sign of bad bearings?
I have a grand Caravan 2008 It is problem front wheel bearing
but they never recall and no warranty they just problem headen
I go to complain to richmond columbia chrysler
they don’t care about that ………….
I have been reading all of the complaints; because I now have the same problem with my rear bearing..My question to all: Has anyone filed a complaint with DOT in Washington, DC?? The only way to get Chrysler to pay for the repairs is for the Government to issue a recall; if Chrysler won’t do it on their own. SAFECAR.GOV or go to the DOT website and find the link.
Did you ever post a copy of the original letter so we as consumers can print it out and “wave at the Dealer’s Service adviser” as you advised? I recently purchased a used 2010 and it is starting to hum at high speeds. I believe I have a front wheel bearing going bad and want to get the letter so I can have the dealer front the cost.
I don’t have a copy of the letter the letter but here is the service bulletin info;;
NUMBER: 02-004-12
GROUP: Front Suspension
DATE: April 24, 2012
THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES SERVICE BULLETIN 02-003-11, DATED SEPTEMBER
29, 2011, WHICH SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM YOUR FILES. ALL REVISIONS ARE HIGHLIGHTED WITH **ASTERISKS** AND INCLUDE BUILD DATES.
SUBJECT:
Growling And/Or Humming Sound At The Front Wheel Bearings X35 (5yr./ 90,000 Mile (145,000 Km) Warranty Extension)
OVERVIEW:
This bulletin involves road testing and if necessary removing and replacing both front wheel bearings.
MODELS:
2008 – 2010 (RT) Caravan / Town And Country
NOTE :**This bulletin applies to vehicles built before October 15, 2010 (MDH 1015XX).**
When I initially commented I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and
from now on whenever a comment is added I get 4 emails with the exact same comment.
Perhaps there is a means you are able to remove me from that service?
Kudos!
Bought my 2008 Dodge Caravan new. It now has 94 K and is going to need a new right rear wheel bearing (3rd one). At the time of the first and second replacement were not covered by the extended warranty. Now they are! How about the 8 sets of front brake pads. The 4.0 Liter engine should have bigger breaks!
I’ll see what I can do to fix that
If you are going for finest contents like I do, simply pay a visit this website everyday since it
presents quality contents, thanks
I have a 2009 VW-SE.( Or a 2009 Gloryfied Town and Country). I have 120000 + on it. I will be replacing the front hub and bearing assemblies after reading your articles. Now I know what that sound is. I solved my brake and rotor problem by switching to all CERAMIC PADS.. My rotors are smooth and clean without a lot of brake dust. The SEMI-Metalics ware too fast and leave a lot of brake dust on my rims. This drove me nuts. When i have the cruise on and tap the brakes to slow down my BRAKE Light comes on. I think my drivers side front caliper is sticking also. It’s the only one hot when i stop to check it. Soo i’ll replace the Calipers and hubs and be set for another 100 grand hopefully. What do you think?
If we’re having such problems with our O E M, bearings, can we switch manufacturers or is this still a design problem? Has anyone had to replace their heater fan and motor? Is this a common problem with Chrysler? This nickel and dime stuff is eating a hole in my budget.
Hay! On gas mileage, I got a 3.8 v6. I put a K/N filter in the breather and switched it over to MOBILE One 5w/20 synthetic . Now i get 17-19 city, mixed driving. and 23-25 consistent on the hyway. Also Double PLATINUM tipped plugs. You must use 89 OCTANE or higher with this 2 valves per cylinder engine to get the performance out of it. Just like the old 318’s and 383’s. The new 3.6 may not need 89 octane, it has 4 valves per cylinder. What you think?
We have a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. It makes a humming sound from the front that gets worse when 1) speed increases and/or 2) the steering wheel is turned to the right.
yes, 100% of what I know says that this is bearing. I replaced the driver side bearing hub. Test drive through the neighborhood and it sounded only a little better. Replaced the passenger side in case that was it, then one cv shaft, then the other, then replaced the driver side bearing hub with another new one from a different brand. We bought this van used last fall, and it wasn’t making this noise then. The only other thing I’ve touched on the front end was brakes and rotors.
Yeah. Weird. I know. I just want a vehicle that we can drive on the highway AND be able to hold a conversation in the front seats without having to yell over the hum.
Seems odd, we have had wheel bearings so loud that we could not hear the other (bad one) until the loud one was replaced. We have even had a defective replacement bearings. We have also stopped buying assemblies from certain suppliers because we seem to practice changing their bearings. So with all of that practice, have you rotated the tires? We’ve have had tires that were cupped just right that they would sound like a bad wheel bearing.
I have a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan with 70000 miles. I too had to replace both front bearings. Regarding the recall (5 yrs or 70000 miles), I am out of the 5 year window (2008-2013) but within the 90000 miles. Online chatting with Dodge, they say, my van is not under recall. There isn’t a Dodge dealer in the town where I live. I had the work done at a local tire store. Is there anyway I can get at least a partial reimbursement of what I paid to get this fixed?
How do you find time to post gems like this all the time?
I have 2008 T&C and have also been going through brakes and rotors like crazy over the years. I hit a new low however, when I had service done to front brakes. That night driving home I heard a howl and grinding when I was braking and the vehicle slowed to 10 mph.
I figured the mechanic screwed something up during brake job and returned the next day. Driving back to the garage no noise at all. The mechanic pulled the wheels and could find anything wrong. .What is bizarre about this is the noise would come and go. This went on for days. Then they suggested I needed a new transmission. That didn’t make sense to me. Finally I had them replace both front wheel bearing hub assemblies. I had three great days after that. But the honeymoon is over. The noise is back- though no as severe.
Any ideas what this could be? It’s making me crazy. One would think bad gears or bearing would make noise ALL the time.
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
A#1 I agree, if it were a transmission problem it’d be more consistent and becoming more pronounced with time. I’m leaning towards the brakes being the cause for your concern. We’re very particular with the type of brake pads we use. Years ago we learned that the most affordable brake pads are cheaper for a reason. Not that those brake pads won’t stop the vehicle, they’re just prone to noise problems. Did you know that when a parts store is purchased by another, which does not sell the same product/brand, they send in a team to re-box the brake pads (or any other parts for that matter)? They move one brand of parts into boxes labeled with their part numbers. When it comes to brake parts, honestly I believe they don’t always care that the cheap brake pads are being placed in the premium brake pad box, and the problem is you can’t always tell by looking at the parts. With that said, I’ve also had quality brake pads be a noise problem. Doesn’t happen often but it does, and the only fix is to replace them.
Homework for you
So you can pretty much guess I’m think the brakes are the problem. Here’s your homework: figure out how to make the brakes noisy. That’s right; I want you to grind this problem down. The next time the brakes make that noise, ask yourself what are the conditions right now?
How far have I been driving? How long?
Has it been highway, in town or stop and go driving?
Is it warm or cold out?
Is it raining or dry?
How hard am I’m I stepping on the brake pedal?
Most importantly, can I make it happen again?
This is how a good tech would approach the problem. If you can make it happen again and again, you’ve done 75% of the diagnostic work.
Back to the brakes
Let’s think this through a little more. In both cases you stated the noise only occurs during low speed braking. You didn’t have the noise until you had the brakes replaced for the umpteenth time. Note; There is a common cause for that problem, that’s for later. After replacing the wheel bearings, the noise changed but it was still there. Did you know that replacing the wheel bearings in your vehicle requires complete removal and reinstallation of the brakes you just had replaced?
If we put dots together, your brakes are the problem.
It could be cheap brake pads.
Improper cleaning and lubing of contact areas during assembly, very important.
Grease prints or incorrect cleaning/preparation of the brake rotors before installation, very important.
If you were my customer I would perform an inspection and prove the above items were correctly serviced. If no problems were found I would replace the brake pads, and maybe even the rotors.
I have a 2010 Grand Caravan SXT that I bought used at 33,000 mi it now has 70,000. I started hearing a hum last year 2015 about this time. Had the mechanic ride with me in the car but he could not pick up the noise and we left it at that. The noise will come and go if I put a slight left had turn on the vehicle. I was attributing it to the tires. Thought it was in the drivers side rear. Now a year later it is getting worse. I rotated the tires thinking that the noise would change location but it did not. Recently on a 2500 mi trip I came to the conclusion that it might be bearing related. I have 70,000 miles on the car and live in a cold climate. Talking with a friend he mentioned a problem with wheel bearings in this vehicle. Which search led me to your sight. I cannot find a recall for this . Any suggestions?
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2009 4.0l town and country
On Jan15 2014, and at 125,000 Km, I had both front bearings replaced under the extended Warrenty
On June 1 2016 one of the bearings needed to be replaced again. Cost me $250 for the part and $160 for labour at the dealership
Aug 2, the other front bearing needed to be replaced.
Bearings should last longer Then 2 years and a bit, or 40,000 km at regular use!!
As well since the day I bought the van, I have replaced the breaks about every 16 months.
My advise, don’t buy 08-10 T&C as a used vehicle. This was a bad time for Chrysler $$$ and they used, in some cases, cheaper parts. I am not just saying this, it was stated in an interview years back on the radio by a union president.
I have 2009 Grand caravan sxt.I replaced from bearings about 1 year ago and Chruler coversed cost. Now at 62,000 miles same humming is back in rear wheels.Does anybody know if this would be covered?