1986 Chrysler Town AND Country: common problems

Owners of the 1986 Chrysler Town AND Country filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 3

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 33% of all complaints
3 Vehicle speed control 33% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (33% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 3-speed

Drive: FWD

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Engine and cooling	1	0	0
Powertrain	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Consumer noticed a burning smell while driving. Vehicle was serviced, catalytic converter needed to be replaced.
Engine and cooling · 2003-07-09 · NHTSA complaint #10026915
Consumer states when depressing gas pedal vehicle would not accelerate. Consumer would have to apply force to accelerate pedal to gain speed.
Vehicle speed control · 2003-07-09 · NHTSA complaint #10026916
Consumer was driving and without prior warning transmission went out. Vehicle would move on in second gear. Rest of the gears were frozen and would not move.
Powertrain · 2000-08-30 · NHTSA complaint #869148

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20001
20032

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town AND Country has 366 complaints (37 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1986 Chrysler Town AND Country?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (33%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1986 Chrysler Town AND Country?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1986 Chrysler Town AND Country from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1986 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.