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2008 MY was the redesign. We have the last (2007), of the jelly bean vans.

Do you have the tailgate seat too? I forget if touring models can get that as an option. They're standard on the Limited's (like ours). I thought it was the dumbest feature at first. We now use it all the time.

So we took it in last monday with the issues of the trans again, and of course, it wouldn't do any of them. Even had the Wife go down and try driving it with the tech in the car to get it to do it and still no luck. They attributed it to the fact that it was a warm 0* day and it wasn't even getting up to full operating temp to start acting up.

By tailgate seat, you mean the rear seats in the stow-n-go set essentially just lean all the way back, so you sit on the seat back, and lean against the seat bottom? Or 07 Touring does that. I figured all the stow-n-go's do that.

Our 2011 Touring-L has the tailgate seats. And yes, it means you can flip them backwards and sit in the open tailgate by sitting on the seat back and leaning your back against the seat bottom.

Yup. For awhile though, even though you got Stow-N-Go, didn't mean you got the tailgate seat. That was a separate option on models lesser than Limited's. Chrysler must've realigned that option somewhere down the line. I know we looked at some Touring models (2007's when we were shopping), they had S-n-G but no tailgate option, which as I said at the time, I wasn't at a loss, because I thought it was stupid. Now I love it!

We use it all the time with the kids when we go to one of the local drive-in movie theaters.

I wonder why they'd make it optional with the SnG seats. It's a built in motion for the seat, you just don't fold the seatback down first.

Remember, this is Chrysler!

gotta love than van Andrew. It looks brand new, except for the driver's seat. Looks like my fat gluteus maxim us has been in it took long. I'll tell one thing, if it had, I'd never turned loose of that van. - BC

I'd love to get an update on Andrew's opinion of this van now that he's had it for awhile. Love it? Hate it? Done anything to it; improvements or mods or repairs?

We just used our 2011's tailgate seat at the drive-in movies a couple nights ago, and it was great. We got our 2011 last November and I'm still just in love with it.

We drive this thing everywhere and we LOVE it. We've put almost 10k on it. The motorized doors and tailgate are a must have. The stow-n-go seats end up being changed more than I ever thought they'd be, they are so amazing. The only thing I did to it was an alternator because of weird clutch pulley on it was froze up and I broke two special tools trying to get it off, so I just got a new alternator.

harofreak00 wrote:The motorized doors and tailgate are a must have. The stow-n-go seats end up being changed more than I ever thought they'd be, they are so amazing.

I agree completely on the motorized doors and tailgate. They're awesome. I also agree on the stow-n-go. With the Honda Odyssey we had previously, I knew there were times I couldn't throw things in it because I had the second row seats in it. With our Town & Country Touring L, I picked up a big deck awning at the hardware store, reconfigured the seat layout and rearranged my kids, then drove over to the pick-up area and loaded it up. It's SO NICE to be able to just reconfigure the van on the fly without having to run home to stash the seats. It's AWESOME.

Minivans.... all kidding aside, I've driven the AWD version and liked it quite a bit.

Kinda late but congrads on the van and the new addition to the family.

So next time we see you post "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" it's because the baby is sleeping?

See. We go through snake cables like water we use our power doors so much.

Unfortunately, I am continuing to be frustrated with our van. The thing is falling apart faster than I can put it back together.

Transmission #2 is jacked and jerks not only when driving but while either in gear or not while idling, I just had to replace the second rear evaporator for the A/C, the exhaust is shot, the interior is falling apart (some self-inflicted), the weather stripping is now all dry rotting and falling off, the hood has hood herpes, and a number of little things. And we're just under 100k.

So as much as I am enjoying not having a car payment, and that Chrysler is on the tab for the powertrain issues, I am really tempted to dump this thing and get something newer.

CMNTMXR57 wrote:See. We go through snake cables like water we use our power doors so much.

Unfortunately, I am continuing to be frustrated with our van. The thing is falling apart faster than I can put it back together.

Transmission #2 is jacked and jerks not only when driving but while either in gear or not while idling, I just had to replace the second rear evaporator for the A/C, the exhaust is shot, the interior is falling apart (some self-inflicted), the weather stripping is now all dry rotting and falling off, the hood has hood herpes, and a number of little things. And we're just under 100k.

So as much as I am enjoying not having a car payment, and that Chrysler is on the tab for the powertrain issues, I am really tempted to dump this thing and get something newer.

So, it sounds like in your case, Chrysler built the vehicle to fall apart around the drivetrain, and for whatever reason, the designers of the drivetrains didn't get the memo to build to last...

Typical

It seems when Chrysler's hit about 80k, they spontaneously combust. The few we would see as used vehicles were always >80k and had a lot of refurbishing to put out on the lot, and this is our second personal Chrysler that after 80k, stuff falls off backing out of the driveway. The first was a Dodge Intrepid.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it previously but I had a rental Caravan and I loved it. I don't get the stigma of driving a minivan. If I had a wife and she refused to drive a van, I would be more than happy to.

After it has had 3 sets of wheels on it.

I love the van from a functionality standpoint. The Chrysler's blow the Honda and Toyota into the weeds with it's seating/storage flexibilty, but they're quality is well, Chrysler level.

So last night, I get in the van to move it, and the A/C compressor is clutching so hard, the PCM almost can't compensate for the load and nearly stalls it intermittently. So that's gotta go back...

Time to trade it in... My vote is Suburban becomes wife's new hauler!

I suggested a Tahoe to her, but she balked.

Both of us are in the mindset right now that we simply don't want another car payment. I'll take the maintenance bill over a payment at this point in time. As it is, I'm trying to accelerate the paydown on the Caddy because I want to eliminate that payment too.

Since it's on their dime, and I want them to document and replace everything, I had them take it again today. They got it to do what we've been complaining about. So they went through everything on the transmission, it tested out ok. They think it's a broken transmission mount.

So they're replacing that to see if it remedies it. That is fine by me, they're paying for it.