Your vehicle report

1997 Chrysler Town AND Country

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
388
Received Dec 1996 to Jul 2017
Official recalls listed
5
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Horn fails with airbag warning light36 complaints · 9.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Serpentine belt breaks or slips off26 complaints · 6.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail23 complaints · 5.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #02V293000On certain mini vans, the clockspring assembly may have been wound incorrectly during the vehicle assembly process.
  • Recall #02V076000On certain minivans, some trim material can loosen and drop into the rear outboard seat belt assembly, causing the seat belt to become inoperative.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 27 crashes, 14 fires, 30 people injured, 2 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 20 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

3 more problems

Brakes

Electrical & lights

2 more problems

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 1997 Chrysler Town AND Country
65
Show as a table
YearComplaints
19962
199720
199822
199943
200039
200164
200265
200342
200425
200518
200612
20073
20087
20093
20105
20116
20122
20131
20142
20155
20161
20171
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 (to Oct 2026)0
Total388

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Horn fails with airbag warning light369.3%–
Serpentine belt breaks or slips off266.7%–
Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail235.9%–
Airbag warning light stays on215.4%–
Engine suddenly shuts off while driving174.4%–
Vehicle catches fire from wiring143.6%–
Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips123.1%–
Transmission fails or loses power while driving123.1%–
Headlights dim or fail at night102.6%–
Rear door latch fails to open or close82.1%–
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes82.1%–
Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline71.8%–NHTSA recall #00V268000
Instrument cluster or speedometer fails71.8%–
Power steering cuts out while driving71.8%–
Battery drains and dies when parked71.8%–
Vehicle rolls backward out of park71.8%–
Seat belt fails to latch or retract61.6%–NHTSA recall #02V076000, #98V185000
Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines61.6%–
Front brake rotors warp and wear early61.6%–
Side mirrors give poor rear visibility51.3%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #02V293000November 7, 20021,500,521 vehicles affected

    air bags: frontal

    On certain mini vans, the clockspring assembly may have been wound incorrectly during the vehicle assembly process.

    This condition will manifest itself through illumination of the air bag warning lamp, And could eventually result in a driver's air bag open circuit, if the part is not replaced in a reasonable amount of time.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly on all vehicles with 70,000 miles or less. An extended lifetime warranty will also be placed on this component for all affected vehicles, regardless of mileage. Daimlerchrysler will also reimburse owners who have paid to have the clockspring replaced on their vehicles. Owner notification began november 18, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date And do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

  • NHTSA recall #02V076000March 8, 2002545,311 vehicles affected

    seat belts: rear/other

    On certain minivans, some trim material Can loosen And drop into the rear outboard seat belt assembly, causing the seat belt to become inoperative.

    In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the trim with foam blockers And inspect And replace all 3RD row seat belt assemblies. Owner notification began june 3, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date And do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

  • NHTSA recall #00V268000September 13, 20001,163,000 vehicles affected

    fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system

    Vehicle description: mini vans built with 3.3L And 3.8L engines have fuel rails with nitrole rubber o-ring seals that Can degrade over time. Fuel leakage from the underhood fuel injection fuel rail could result, increasing the likelihood of a vehicle fire.

    Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source Can result in a fire.

    Remedy

    Dealers will install a seal on the vehicle fuel rails to prevent external leakage of fuel from the fuel rail crossover tube, should the existing o-rings continue to degrade. Owner notification began on january 25, 2002. Due to the large quantity of vehicles involved in this campaign, the owner notification will be phased over the next several months. However, if a vehicle is leaking fuel from the o-rings, the vehicle should be taken into a dealer to have this repaired as soon as possible. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date And do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

  • NHTSA recall #98V185000August 6, 1998157,000 vehicles affected

    child seat

    Vehicle description: mini vans equipped with integrated child seats. The shoulder harness restraint on the integrated child seat Can become difficult to extract when the safety belt latch plate becomes contaminated.

    This Can cause difficulty in releasing a child from the restraint.

    Remedy

    Dealers will clean the latch mechanism. An extender will be added to the emergency release anchor for the child seat safety belts so that the release clips are more visible And accessible to the operator in the event that the retractor mechanism Can not be unlocked. In addition, an instructional owner's manual supplement card will be provided.

  • NHTSA recall #96V215000October 29, 199618,997 vehicles affected

    service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder

    The master cylinder rear seal, between the hydraulic fluid And the vacuum reservoir, may not seal adequately allowing hydraulic fluid to be drawn into the power assist vacuum reservoir.

    As the hydraulic fluid in the master cylinder reservoir decreases, the level sensor will detect the loss of fluid And illuminate the instrument panel brake warning lamp. Continued operation of the vehicle with the warning lamp illuminated Can result in extended stopping distances.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder on all affected vehicles. Addendum (4-14-97): vehicles inspected per Chrysler recall no. 707 And found to be outside the listed suspect master cylinder date code range, must now have the master cylinder primary piston replaced (Chrysler recall no. 714).

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Chrysler Town AND Country.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN