U.S. public vehicle records

1998 Chrysler TOWN AND COUNTRY problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

249 owner complaints analyzed

5 distinct recall campaigns

97,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1998 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 111 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 35 of 249 complaints (14.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	41	16.5%
Braking behavior	27	10.8%
Engine operation	17	6.8%
Transmission and shifting	16	6.4%
Electrical and battery issues	16	6.4%
Fuel system concerns	5	2.0%

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

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys

Electrical System:Horn

Engine And Engine Cooling

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Steering

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Air Bags	35
Electrical System	27
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys	21
Electrical System:Horn	15
Engine And Engine Cooling	12
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	12
Steering	12
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	10

Air Bags: 35; Electrical System: 27; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys: 21; Electrical System:Horn: 15; Engine And Engine Cooling: 12; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 12; Steering: 12; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 10

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: 6; 50,000 to 74,999: 25; 75,000 to 99,999: 23; 100,000 to 149,999: 33; 150,000 and above: 21

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (33). 138 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.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2017

2000: 20; 2001: 33; 2002: 41; 2003: 39; 2004: 22; 2005: 20; 2006: 11; 2007: 12; 2008: 7; 2009: 4; 2010: 13; 2011: 6; 2012: 4; 2013: 4; 2014: 9; 2015: 3; 2017: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 41 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 27 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 17 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 10008550 · 2002-11-10 (November 10, 2002)

THIS VEHICLE HAD TWO CLOCK SPRING FAILURES WITH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYING ON. THE FIRST OCCURRED AT 3000 MILES. THE SECOND FAILURE CAUSED CRUISE CONTROL TO CEASE WORKING. WITH POWER STEERING COMPLAINT, THE VIBRATION AND GRUMBLING IN THE STEERING AT SLOW SPEEDS WAS A CAUSE OF CONCERN. AFTER THE STEERING RACK WAS REPLACED, AND LONGER STEERING HOSES PLACED ON THE VEHICLE, THE VIBRATION CONTINUED IN THE STEERING, ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT SUBDUED. THE STEERING PUMP FLOW CONTROL VALVE WAS WORN. WHEN THE FLUID REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURES, THE VIBR…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008550 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10009228 · 2003-02-25 (February 25, 2003)

WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED AT LOW SPEEDS, ALL POWER STEERING WAS LOST.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10009228 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10018067 · 2003-05-02 (May 2, 2003)

THE VEHICLES ABS SENSOR LIGHT STAYED ON AND HORN DID NOT FUNCTION. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10018067 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10031337 · 2003-09-23 (September 23, 2003)

WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ENGAGED IT LOCKED UP AND FAILED TO DISENGAGE. DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE , BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED.*AK CLARK TIRE AND AUTO FOUND THE BRAKE LINING OFF AND JAMMED IN THE DRUM. BRAKES WERE ADJUSTED AND PARTS WERE INSTALLED TO PREVENT BRAKES FROM LOCKING. MECHANIC STATED EVERY TIME THE BRAKES WERE SERVICED, THE RACKET FROZE UP. *PH *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10031337 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10073463 · 2004-05-11 (May 11, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC REPLACED THE SERPENTINE BELT, AND PLACED A SHIELD AROUND IT TO PREVENT IT FROM FALLING OFF. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10073463 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10105726 · 2005-01-04 (January 4, 2005)

MY CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY HAD A BELT ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. IF THE BELT GETS WET, IT SLIPS OFF THE PULLEYS OR BREAKS/SHREADS. I HAD TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BY PLACING A SPACER PLATE BETWEEN A PULLY AND THE MOTOR AND A NEW BELT TENSIONER.*AK WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, THE VAN IS VERY HARD TO STEAR DUE TO LOSS OF POWER STEERING. I RESEARCHED THE WWW, AND THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR MANY PEOPLE.

Owner-reported narrative. 105,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10105726 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10005911 · 2003-01-29 (January 29, 2003)

THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP CAUSING THE REAR TIRES TO LOCK ALSO. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10005911 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10009231 · 2003-02-25 (February 25, 2003)

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO CHANGE GEARS.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10009231 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10013964 · 2003-04-04 (April 4, 2003)

INSTRUMENT PANEL CEASED TO FUNCTION WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. PROBLEM APPARENTLY CAUSED BY DESIGN DEFECT IN CABLE ROUTING - WIRING TOO CLOSE TO ALTERNATOR, DAMAGED WIRING AND INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CIRCUITRY. CABLES WERE REPLACED AT COST OF $235, BUT PROBLEM RETURNED 3 MONTHS LATER. REPLACEMENT OF INSTRUMENT PANEL CIRCUIT BOARD NOW NECESSARY AT COST OF OVER $500. WERE TOLD THAT CHRYSLER RECENTLY INCREASED COST OF PART TENFOLD. DEALER REPORTED SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OVER PAST YEAR. SAFETY ISSUE AS SPEEDOMETER AND SHIFT INDICATOR …

Owner-reported narrative. 90,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10013964 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10028720 · 2003-07-21 (July 21, 2003)

I JUST STARTED DRIVING MY CAR THIS MORNING, WHEN I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. NONE OF MY ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON, AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS IN THE NORMAL RANGE. I PULLED OVER AND CALLED FOR HELP, BUT HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR WHEN THE FLAMES STARTED COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. ENTIRE FRONT END OF MINIVAN WAS ON FIRE, ENGINE/BATTERY MELTED, FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED/MELTED, HOOD MELTED. FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED AND PUT OUT FIRE.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 75,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10028720 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10046153 · 2003-12-03 (December 3, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE DRIVER HEARD A DRAGGING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE GAS TANK WAS HANGING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. *AK THE DEALER REBUILT THE FUEL STRAPS TO THE TANK THE NEXT DAY. THE FUEL LINE COUPLED AND HAD BROKEN. THE VAN STOPPED AS THE REMAINING GAS IN LINE SPILLED ONTO THE STREET. *SCC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 91,858 miles reported. Look up ODI 10046153 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10163978 · 2006-07-31 (July 31, 2006)

I OWN A 1998 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LX. CORROSION OF FUEL FILLER TUBE CAUSED A FUEL LEAK AND THE FILLER TUBE HAD TO BE REPLACED. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO FIRE OR INJURY. I WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC AND THE AUTO SALVAGE FIRMS I CONTACTED THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE MINIVANS. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 108,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10163978 at NHTSA ↗