U.S. public vehicle records

1996 Chrysler TOWN AND COUNTRY problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

643 owner complaints analyzed

7 distinct recall campaigns

94,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1996 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 99 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 97 of 643 complaints (15.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	92	14.3%
Fuel system concerns	65	10.1%
Braking behavior	53	8.2%
Steering behavior	51	7.9%
Engine operation	40	6.2%
Electrical and battery issues	29	4.5%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Electrical System:Horn

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly

Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer

Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Air Bags	97
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	88
Electrical System:Horn	50
Vehicle Speed Control	50
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	42
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly	39
Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer	30
Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System	28

Air Bags: 97; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 88; Electrical System:Horn: 50; Vehicle Speed Control: 50; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 42; Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly: 39; Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer: 30; Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System: 28

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 22; 75,000 to 99,999: 27; 100,000 to 149,999: 33; 150,000 and above: 11

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (33). 544 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1995

1996

2000

136

2001

157

2002

143

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2014

2015

2019

1995: 13; 1996: 41; 2000: 136; 2001: 157; 2002: 143; 2003: 71; 2004: 42; 2005: 11; 2006: 6; 2007: 5; 2008: 7; 2009: 1; 2010: 1; 2011: 3; 2012: 2; 2014: 1; 2015: 2; 2019: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 92 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 65 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 53 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10005135 · 2003-02-02 (February 2, 2003)

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WILL INTERMITTENTLY FAIL TO SHIFT INTO O/D. IT MAY DRIVE FINE FOR DAYS AND THEN LOCK IN SECOND GEAR. MANUALLY CHANGING THE GEARSHIFT DOES NOT OVERRIDE THE FAILURE. THE ONBOARD COMPUTER DOES NOT LOG THE FAILURE. IT DOES CAPTURE THE MANUAL SHIFTING EVENT. THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT THE PROBELM IS TO TURN OFF THE VAN AND START IT BACK UP. THIS COULD CORRECT IT FOR SEVERAL DAYS OR IT MAY RECUR WITHING MINUTES. TOTALLY RANDOM. OCCURS AT ANY TIME, NIGHT OR DAY. IT OFTEN OCCURS DURING ACCELLERATIONS FOLLOWING TU…

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005135 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007051 · 2002-10-08 (October 8, 2002)

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. *JB *NLM *****DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*****768224

Owner-reported narrative. 52,270 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007051 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10005459 · 2003-02-07 (February 7, 2003)

WARPED GAS TANK CONDITION. WHEN FILLING TANK, GAS WILL LEAK FROM SEAM ON TANK TOP, AND RUN ON GROUND. PH

Owner-reported narrative. 65,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005459 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10011859 · 2003-03-17 (March 17, 2003)

THE VAN EXPERIENCED A LEAK AT THE GAS TANK, WHICH HAD WORSEN OVER TIME. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIX PROBLEM. *JB *TS

Owner-reported narrative. 75,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10011859 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10009273 · 2003-02-25 (February 25, 2003)

WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10009273 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10014777 · 2003-03-31 (March 31, 2003)

THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS WHILE PARKED ON A HILL WITH THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10014777 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000191 · 2002-12-17 (December 17, 2002)

1996 CHRYSLER T&C MINIVAN WITH 78,000 MILES, BEING OPERATED BY WIFE, BROKE DOWN IN HEAVY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WITH KIDS ONBOARD. THE SERPENTINE BELT BROKE DUE TO FAULTY BELT TENSIONER. THE BELT HAD BEEN REPLACED ONLY TWO MONTHS PREVIOUSLY AS PART OF PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE (JUST TO AVOID EXACTLY WHAT HAPPED). MECHANIC INDICATED THAT CHRYSLER T&C TENSIONERS WERE PRONE TO PREMATURE FAILURE CAUSING SHREDDING OF THE SERPENTINE BELT. BELT AFFECTS POWER STEERING, COOLING FAN, CHARGING SYSTEM, ETC. WIFE, WHO WEIGHS IN AT 95 LBS, LOST ALL …

Owner-reported narrative. 78,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000191 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10016269 · 2003-04-21 (April 21, 2003)

ENTIRE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, POWER STEERING, AND POWER BRAKES. THIS IS EXTRAORDINARILY DANGEROUS DURING ANY BUT THE SLOWEST, STRAIGHT AHEAD DRIVING, AS IT RESULTS IN A NEARLY COMPLETE LOSS OF MANEUVERABILITY. IN THE EVENT OF SUCH A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE EFFECTIVELY ACCELERATED, BRAKED, OR TURNED, AND LIGHTS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALSO FAIL. FURTHERMORE, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER DELAY MALFUNCTIONS CONTINUOUSLY IN COLD WEATHER, RESULTING IN COMPLETE LOSS …

Owner-reported narrative. 71,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10016269 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10012048 · 2003-03-18 (March 18, 2003)

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE CRANK SHAFT BROKE AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10012048 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10015788 · 2003-04-14 (April 14, 2003)

THE TRANSMISSION OR SENSOR DEVICE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL OUT WHEN PLACED IN GEAR. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10015788 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002781 · 2003-01-16 (January 16, 2003)

1996 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LXI MINI-VAN PARKED AT AN OFF-AIRPORT PARKING LOT WAS TOTALLED DUE TO A FIRE ORIGINATING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT APPROX 8:00 AM. AT APPROX. 1:00 AM THE FOLLOWING MORNING, PARKING ATTENDANTS NOTICED VEHICLE ON FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED, RESPONDED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE BY APPROX 3:00 AM. FIRE DEPARTMENT FOREMAN RESPONDING SAYS FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SUSPECTED THAT IT STARTED FROM A ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUSE BOX NEAR THE BATTERY. VEHICLE DEEMED A COMPLETE LO…

Owner-reported narrative. 188,350 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002781 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10005887 · 2003-01-29 (January 29, 2003)

VEHICLE IS HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. VEHICLE WILL DOWNSHIFT WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING RPMS TO INCREASE DRAMATICALLY. THE POWER WINDOWS AND AIR CONDITIONING WILL STOP FUNCTIONING. PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10005887 at NHTSA ↗