2006 Chrysler Town AND Country: common problems

Owners of the 2006 Chrysler Town AND Country filed 431 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 431
involving a crash: 23

What fails most often

1 Steering 26% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
3 Exterior lighting 16% of all complaints
4 Air bags 14% of all complaints
5 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
6 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
7 Visibility 6% of all complaints
8 Structure 4% of all complaints

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

Steering: 110 complaints (26% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 74 complaints (17% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Exterior lighting: 70 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Air bags: 61 complaints (14% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 34 complaints (8% of all), 1 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 cylnamed in 1 complaints
3.8 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 2 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 431 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

steering or power steering problems73 · 17%
knocking, grinding or other noise54 · 13%
headlights and tail lights51 · 12%
airbag warning light44 · 10%
warning lights, check engine39 · 9%
stalls while driving35 · 8%
windows, sunroof19 · 4%
smoke, burning smell, fire16 · 4%
door locks, latches, handles10 · 2%
seat belts9 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Steering	110	3
Electrical system	74	2
Exterior lighting	70	1
Air bags	61	10
Service brakes	34	1
Fuel/propulsion system	26	0
Visibility	24	2
Structure	19	2
Engine	16	1
Engine and cooling	15	0
Fuel system	14	0
Powertrain	14	1
Vehicle speed control	13	2
Equipment	8	0

What owners report

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

None of the airbags were deployed nor did the seatbelts lock. All 3 people were injured.
Air bags · crash · 2021-11-25 · NHTSA complaint #11441679
It hit me on the front driver side headlight and did $5000 damage. I suffered three fractured ribs and a head and back injury. My airbags failed to deploy.
Air bags · crash · 2020-06-09 · NHTSA complaint #11327945
This is an ongoing issue with the heater control switch. The temperature knob will not change from cool to warm. After I turn it fast back and forth, sometimes it may trigger the change. This has been happening almost a year. All other controls on the unit work fine.
Electrical system · crash · 2015-08-26 · NHTSA complaint #10759397
The airbag never deployed. We checked on line and other years around our van had a recall but not ours. I reported it to chrysler but they said airbags don't go off when you 'drive through an animal'. I've known people who have hit deer with less damage and their airbags did go off.
Visibility · crash · 2015-07-17 · NHTSA complaint #10734755
Both the upper and lower airbags exploded with a pop-like sound, similar to gunfire, emitting terrible smoke and sharp debris, which smelled as though the car caught fire. Noticed several holes punctured as the airbags reached their maximum capacity, showing large burnt-like holes.
Electrical system · crash · 2014-12-01 · NHTSA complaint #10661400
The seatbelts of my 2006 chrysler town and country do not lock. The dealer told me when I purchased that they would if I was in an accident in came to a quick stop. Today me and my three children were in an accident and they did not lock.
Seat belts · crash · 2011-05-25 · NHTSA complaint #10402764
Looked out of the 2nd floor window approximately 2 to 3 minutes later and the car was moving, entered the garage (door opened) and ran into the wall, making a hole in the wall and minor scratching of the front fender. The car was still running and the gear was in drive.
Powertrain · crash · 2007-12-26 · NHTSA complaint #10212727
The air bags failed to deploy. Smoke rose from the engine and all five passengers were injured. The front seat passenger suffered bruises to her legs, chest, and waist along with a sprained left ankle. The driver sustained neck and knee injuries.
Air bags · crash · 2007-08-16 · NHTSA complaint #10199839

When owners complained

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

200610
200721
200829
200925
201072
201157
201228
201333
201459
201539
201618
201713
20186
20198
20207
20213
20222
20231

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 897 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Town AND Country has 366 complaints (37 years in the data). This year has 431, above average.

What to check before buying

Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Chrysler Town AND Country?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, electrical system, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 431. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (17%), knocking, grinding or other noise (13%), headlights and tail lights (12%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 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 2006 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 2006 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.