2008 Braun Town & Country Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about brakes that wear out far earlier than they expect, with pads and rotors replaced at 10,000 to 30,000 miles and squealing, grinding or shaking that returns soon after. A second theme is electrical behavior — wipers, horn, lights and gauges acting on their own — often tied to the sliding-door wiring or door module, plus a smaller group of reports on wheel bearings, tire valve stems and power sliding doors. Many of these complaints come in at low mileage, typically under about 50,000 miles.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Brakes wear out early (pads and rotors)

   • 48 complaints (49%)
   • median 20,726 mi at 2.7 yrs old (43 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2011

   Owners describe brake pads and rotors needing replacement far sooner than expected, often in the 10,000-30,000 mile range, sometimes more than once. Symptoms include squealing at low speed, grinding, and a shake or shimmy through the steering wheel or pedal when braking. Several say the dealer called it normal wear or noted a known short service life for this model, and some report parts backorders and out-of-pocket cost. Most reports come in between roughly 9,000 and 40,000 miles, often within the first two years of ownership.

   What to check: Have the front and rear brake pad and rotor thickness measured and ask for service records showing when brakes were last replaced. A short test drive can reveal squealing or vibration under braking.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The brakes on our 2008 chrysler town and country van need to be replaced much more often than is typically necessary. Usually the pads and rotors need replacing. The front brakes need replacing every 15-18k miles. The van is not driven under harsh conditions as it is primarily driven by my wife to take the kids to school and for her to go to work.”

   NHTSA complaint #10341600, filed 2010-07, 16,000 miles

   “I had to have new brakes twice already. It seemed pretty odd that is was at 18,000 and then again exactly 18k later at 36,000 miles. After reading other complaints I realize I am not imagining this. These brakes were not made to last. For $27k that I paid for this new van with all kinds of bells and whistles, I didn't think the brakes would be the thing that continued to be a problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10335889, filed 2010-06, 18,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Electrical glitches: horn, wipers, lights on their own

   • 12 complaints (12%)
   • median 33,654 mi at 3.3 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2011

   Complaints describe the horn sounding by itself, wipers running and spraying with the switch off, lights and gauges flashing or dropping out, and the engine sometimes stalling or not shutting off with the key removed. Owners often say pulling a fuse or disconnecting the battery was the only way to stop it, and that dealers could not find or reproduce the fault. Reported from very low mileage up to about 70,000 miles, with most between roughly 15,000 and 45,000 miles.

   Recall 10V2350001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the sliding-door wire harness recall was completed and whether the door module was reprogrammed. Test the horn, wipers, windows and door locks with the key on and off, and check for any stored codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2008 chrysler country and town car and from the first day I have had all of the following failure due to the fuse box popping up the fuses and leaving my car withoutpower for the following no turn signal, no window control ,no heat, or air condition no windshield wipers,etc and it never repaired or replaced when I bring it in for service creating a very dangerous situation a recall is warranted.”

   NHTSA complaint #10379298, filed 2011-01, 1,000 miles

   “I was driving my 2008 chrysler town and country minivan down the highway when the horn went off continously, the windshield wipers front and back were spraying fluid and going back and forth. The instrument panel was blink on and off. I could not see because of the windshield wipers and the instrument panel was going off and on. I was with my wife and two small children, 3 yrs old and 15 months going down a major interstate. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10396006, filed 2011-04, 32,418 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Power sliding doors open, jam or fail to latch

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report power sliding doors that reopen as if something is in the way, jam partway, or close on their own; one described a door closing on a child during exit. Dealers are described as unable to reproduce the sensor behavior, and accessory-sensitive obstruction detection is the subject of a service bulletin. Mostly reported between about 10,000 and 45,000 miles, in mixed driving.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Cycle both sliding doors several times, including from the key fob and dash buttons, and ask whether the door module reprogramming described in the service bulletin has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We have had multiple electrical problems with the vehicle since we have had it. Most have been related to the sliding doors not completely shutting and reopening as if there was something in the way. The dealer can not find anything wrong with the door sensors. The most recent issues have been much worse. One time while driving down the road, all of the dashboard lights started flashing, the key in the ignition alarm started beeping (while driving with the key in), the radio went to 12:00 then reset it back to the correct time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10397009, filed 2011-04, 18,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2008 chrysler town and country. The contact stated that a child passenger was exiting the vehicle when the rear passenger sliding door closed independently, jamming the child's head in the door. The child was uninjured. The manufacturer was contacted and but advised that there was no failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The current mileage was approximately 45,000 and the failure mileage was approximately 43,050.”

   NHTSA complaint #10390048, filed 2011-03, 43,050 miles
4. 4
   Suspension

   Front wheel bearing noise and vibration

   • 8 complaints (8%)
   • median 43,000 mi at 3.1 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2010–2011

   Complaints describe a grinding or humming noise from the front, sometimes mistaken for tire or brake noise, followed by steering-wheel vibration. Dealers reportedly replaced front wheel bearings, in some cases more than once, and the cause was not always identified. Noise typically noted from around 20,000 to 50,000 miles, with replacements reported up to higher mileage.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Listen for a grinding or humming noise at low speed and while turning, and check for play or roughness by having the front wheels raised and spun. Ask whether a front bearing service campaign applies.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2008 town and country van. Rear brakes pads and rotors replaced at 12,000 miles. Left rear caliper froze shortly after, smoking and very hot. Fire hazard. Front brake pads replaced at 14,000 miles. Brakes have major issues, undersized for this vehicle? Reports online indicate they need replacing as soon as every 10,000 miles. No longer think that my wife was the problem. Can someone force chrysler into recalling this vehicle and replacing with larger braking system? Must an entire family with kids perish? …”

   NHTSA complaint #10345847, filed 2010-07, 12,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2008 chrysler town and country. The contact had to replace the wheel bearings three times on both front wheels. The dealer replaced the wheel bearings each time, but could not determine what caused them to break. The most recent failure nearly caused a crash to occur. The only thing holding the wheel on was the caliper. The failure mileage was 45000 and the current mileage was 145000. Updated 09/29/10.”

   NHTSA complaint #10342305, filed 2010-07, 145,000 miles
5. 5
   Tires

   Tire valve stems cracking or breaking (TPMS stems)

   • 5 complaints (5%)
   • median 34,000 mi at 3.3 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2010–2011

   Owners describe tire-pressure sensor valve stems that crack or snap, letting the tire deflate quickly; one report links it to a tire failure while driving. In another case the stems looked corroded while the wheel showed no corrosion, and the dealer replaced them. Reported between roughly 8,000 and 35,000 miles, sometimes after a vehicle sat unused.

   What to check: Inspect each valve stem for cracking or corrosion and watch for a slow leak or an intermittent TPMS light; replacing stems is inexpensive compared with a blowout.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While parked in our heated garage, valve stem snapped off allowing the tire to completely deflate as I washed the tires of my 2008 chrysler Town & Country. Thankfully I was not driving down the freeway at the time of the valve stem failure. This should never happen and certainly not at 34,000. We contacted the local chrysler dealer for repair.”

   NHTSA complaint #10377947, filed 2011-01, 34,000 miles

   “I found the right-rear valve stem broken, while trying to add air. It appeared to have been weakened by corrosion. The surrounding area of the wheel showed no signs of corrosion. The valve stems on this vehicle are also the tire pressure monitoring sensor (TPMS) sensors. Upon inspection, I found the other valve stems/sensors in poor condition. After the spare tire was installed, the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair, under warranty. I asked that they replace the other three sensors, since failure appears imminent. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10401928, filed 2011-05, 30,100 miles

Buying note. Budget for brake work soon after purchase unless records show recent pad and rotor replacement, and have the brakes measured rather than relying on a visual check. Confirm the sliding-door harness recall and door module reprogramming were completed, and test the electrical accessories and both sliding doors.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.