1997 Chrysler Town AND Country: common problems

Owners of the 1997 Chrysler Town AND Country filed 388 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 388
involving a crash: 27

What fails most often

1 Air bags 22% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
4 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
6 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
7 Visibility 9% of all complaints
8 Steering 7% of all complaints

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

Air bags: 84 complaints (22% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 78 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 52 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 44 complaints (11% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 42 complaints (11% of all), 6 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.

3.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: FWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 388 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

airbag warning light45 · 12%
warning lights, check engine28 · 7%
steering or power steering problems27 · 7%
smoke, burning smell, fire18 · 5%
rust, corrosion16 · 4%
stalls while driving16 · 4%
headlights and tail lights10 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise10 · 3%
A/C or heater8 · 2%
brake failure7 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	84	7
Electrical system	78	1
Engine and cooling	52	2
Service brakes	44	9
Powertrain	42	6
Vehicle speed control	38	5
Visibility	35	1
Steering	29	2
Fuel system	22	2
Suspension	18	0
Exterior lighting	14	0
Structure	14	0
Equipment	8	1
Seats	7	2

What owners report

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

The driver was wearing his seatbelt, but hit both the steering wheel (which bent) and the windshield. My van is totalled and the truck needs a new bed and back fender all replaced. I am concerned that the seatbelt did not restrain my son and also that the airbags did not deploy from this impact.
Air bags · crash · 2004-11-17 · NHTSA complaint #10100091
The most recent brake failure was the most potentially deadly. Without warning, we had total brake failure due to rear wheel cylinders seizing up. We contacted chrysler, offered to send them the defective parts. After numerous calls to customer service and the recall center, we were told chrysler was not interested.
Engine and cooling · crash · 2004-04-22 · NHTSA complaint #10070889
The front seatback failed and I slid out from under the seatbelt and impacted my daughter in the rear seat with my head fracturing her nose.
Seats · crash · 2002-06-14 · NHTSA complaint #762955
This morning when I put the car in drive, I heard a loud constant squealing noise. I attempt to turn the steering wheel to the left, but the van took off striaght ahead and would not turn and crashed into a parked car, which was totalled afterwards.
Service brakes · crash · 2001-04-19 · NHTSA complaint #743881
Sudden acceleration of vehicle while foot on brake and about to put car in gear resulting in accident.
Service brakes · crash · 2001-01-17 · NHTSA complaint #738583
Fire while driving, brakes, power steering completely failed.
Electrical system · crash · 2000-10-30 · NHTSA complaint #735182
Consumer was traveling about 30- 35mph on the service ramp, she went to apply brakes, and there were no brakes, and no prior warning. In order to avoid hitting another vehicle, vehicle has deliberately crashed into metal barrier. Vehicle was totaled.
Service brakes · crash · 2000-07-31 · NHTSA complaint #866362
When slamming on the brakes to stop in an emergency, brake pedal went to the floor, resulting in extended stopping distance, and the vehicle crashed into the rear end of vehicle in front. There was no deployment of the driver's side or passenger's side air bags. Owner waiting for help from chrysler about the crash.
Air bags · crash · 1999-09-27 · NHTSA complaint #848833

When owners complained

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

19961
199721
199819
199947
200037
200164
200265
200342
200428
200518
200612
20073
20087
20093
20105
20116
20122
20131
20142
20155
20161
20171

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,010 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town AND Country has 366 complaints (37 years in the data). This year has 388, about average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Chrysler Town AND Country?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 388. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (12%), warning lights, check engine (7%), steering or power steering problems (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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 2026-11-06.