1994 Chrysler Town AND Country: common problems

Owners of the 1994 Chrysler Town AND Country filed 154 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 154
involving a crash: 14

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 19% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 16% of all complaints
3 Structure 16% of all complaints
4 Latches, locks, linkages 10% of all complaints
5 Air bags 9% of all complaints
6 Visibility 9% of all complaints
7 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
8 Steering 5% of all complaints

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

Powertrain: 30 complaints (19% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 24 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 24 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Latches, locks, linkages: 15 complaints (10% of all).
Air bags: 14 complaints (9% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

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

3.8 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: FWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 154 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

airbags did not deploy8 · 5%
brake failure7 · 5%
windows, sunroof7 · 5%
knocking, grinding or other noise6 · 4%
jerking, harsh shifts4 · 3%
transmission slipping4 · 3%
warning lights, check engine4 · 3%
A/C or heater3 · 2%
rust, corrosion3 · 2%
smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	30	1
Service brakes	24	2
Structure	24	2
Latches, locks, linkages	15	0
Air bags	14	10
Visibility	14	0
Engine and cooling	11	0
Steering	8	1
Equipment	6	0
Fuel system	5	0
Seat belts	4	0
Suspension	4	0
Tires	4	0
Vehicle speed control	4	1

What owners report

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

Upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. She was told by the manufacturer that air bags were not guaranteed to deploy in a crash. Also, she was told not to depend on the air bags.
Air bags · crash · 2005-05-24 · NHTSA complaint #10121989
Vehicle involved in a rearend collision hitting another vehicle in rear at 50 mph in which driver/ passenger air bags did not deploy, cause unknown. Please give any furthe details.
Air bags · crash · 2002-01-28 · NHTSA complaint #8002928
Consumer applied brakes at 50 mph and rear wheels started to skid, when rearending vehicle in front he felt pulsation of the brakes. Pedal felt normal. No injuries, vehicle was totalled. Consumer states that the airbags failed to deploy.
Service brakes · crash · 2002-01-25 · NHTSA complaint #8002885
While driving about 15 mph the vehicle took off, causing the consumer to run over enbankment and into a building, and the air bags didn't deploy. Consumer doesn't know what the problem is.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1998-11-17 · NHTSA complaint #830936
While driving at 35 mph, went to apply the brakes and the brakes went straight to the floorboard, causing the consumer to rear end the vehicle in front, and the air bags did not deploy.
Air bags · crash · 1998-10-21 · NHTSA complaint #829280
Husband driving vehicle, vehicle has captain/quad chairs, was rearended by a tractor trailer, upon impact, all 3 seats collapsed backwards.
Seats · crash · 1996-06-19 · NHTSA complaint #985886
Side impact on left rear wheel caused liftgate to open causing cargo to fall out. Airbag did not deploy. Please describe details. Tt
Structure · crash · 1995-04-07 · NHTSA complaint #963366
I drove my van and it started smoking so I had to call a tow truck and have it towed home so it didn't catch fire.
Fuel/propulsion system · 2019-03-18 · NHTSA complaint #11189779

When owners complained

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

199529
199614
19978
199819
199918
200018
200116
200214
20036
20042
20051
20062
20083
20111
20121
20161
20191

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,585 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town AND Country has 366 complaints (37 years in the data). This year has 154, below average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Latches, locks, linkages. Door, hood and tailgate latches, especially near the impact.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1994 Chrysler Town AND Country?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, service brakes, structure. Total complaints: 154. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (5%), brake failure (5%), windows, sunroof (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1994 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 1994 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 1994 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.