1998 Chrysler Town AND Country: common problems

Owners of the 1998 Chrysler Town AND Country filed 296 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 296
involving a crash: 12

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 23% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
3 Air bags 15% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
5 Steering 10% of all complaints
6 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
7 Suspension 6% of all complaints
8 Fuel system 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.

Engine and cooling: 67 complaints (23% of all).
Electrical system: 62 complaints (21% of all).
Air bags: 45 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 30 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 30 complaints (10% of all).

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 cylnamed in 2 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: FWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 296 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

steering or power steering problems26 · 9%
airbag warning light25 · 8%
smoke, burning smell, fire23 · 8%
warning lights, check engine18 · 6%
rust, corrosion14 · 5%
loss of power / limp mode12 · 4%
headlights and tail lights11 · 4%
won't start11 · 4%
overheating, coolant loss11 · 4%
stalls while driving11 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine and cooling	67	0
Electrical system	62	0
Air bags	45	1
Powertrain	30	1
Steering	30	0
Service brakes	21	6
Suspension	18	0
Fuel system	16	0
Vehicle speed control	12	1
Exterior lighting	10	0
Seats	9	3
Visibility	9	0
Equipment	7	0
Seat belts	7	1

What owners report

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

The contact stated that another vehicle rear ended the contact and the seat belts failed to secure the front driver and the front passenger. A police report was filed. The front driver and the front passenger both sustained back injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.
Seat belts · crash · 2015-01-30 · NHTSA complaint #10679932
While driving applied brakes vehicle would not stop an d rearended another vehicle. Brakes failed without warning. Dealer contacted.
Service brakes · crash · 2002-05-28 · NHTSA complaint #8010567
While traveling at approximately 55 to 60 mp consumer's vehicle rolled approximately four times, and driver was ejected from vehicle while he was wearing restraint belt. Consumer was ejected from vehicle due to seatback snapping and falling backwards, allowing driver to slide out from restraint belt.
Seats · crash · 2001-06-06 · NHTSA complaint #889863
Consumer was driving at approximately 25mph involved in front end crash by a vehicle that was also going 25 mph. Upon impact, dual airbags did not deploy, which could have caused injuries.
Air bags · crash · 2001-01-08 · NHTSA complaint #877656
Plenty of room to brake, there was total brake failure and the vehicle did not stop, causing a rear end crash. The dealer was not able to find a problem with the vehicle.
Service brakes · crash · 1998-06-15 · NHTSA complaint #824291
This vehicle has stalled while driving on the highway with my kids in the car leaving me with no power no brake had to quickly turn off to the shoulder and try to restart it is happening on a daily basis and is very dangerous I had a recall part replaced by dealer and still nothing something has to be done as I see…
Electrical system · 2017-06-13 · NHTSA complaint #10994609
Wiper blades unable to shut off at times, some time delay of starting, I have had the wiper motor replace.
Visibility · 2014-10-08 · NHTSA complaint #10643262
Cranked, started, ran for 1 second, and stalled. This happened three times in a row. Then it would not crank until we returned the next day and it started and ran fine. This became an intermittent problem over time and eventually failed altogether. Very mysterious but I found the cause and repaired it.
Electrical system · 2014-10-02 · NHTSA complaint #10640958

When owners complained

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

199813
199933
200018
200132
200242
200342
200422
200520
200611
200712
20087
20094
201013
20116
20124
20134
20149
20153
20171

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town AND Country has 366 complaints (37 years in the data). This year has 296, below average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Chrysler Town AND Country?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, electrical system, air bags. Total complaints: 296. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (9%), airbag warning light (8%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 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 1998 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 1998 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.