1996 Chrysler Town And Country Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 1996 Chrysler Town and Country most often describe fuel leaks around the fuel rail and fuel tank, stalling or random shutdowns with electrical symptoms, transmission failures, air bag/horn/cruise control problems traced to the clockspring, and rusted front strut towers. Many of these reports come in at higher mileage, but transmission and air bag complaints also appear under 100,000 miles; some problems (fuel rail leaks, strut tower rust) are described as progressing gradually over years.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel leaks at the fuel rail or fuel tank

   • 126 complaints (13%)
   • median 81,285 mi at 7.5 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 13 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $700 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 1995–2011

   Complaints describe gasoline leaking at the front fuel injection rail, sometimes dripping onto the valve cover and exhaust area, and leaks at the fuel tank or its seams. Some owners say a dealer replaced the fuel rail, others report the tank itself cracked or the sending unit gave a false reading after the tank sagged. Several owners report that a recall repair (clamps/seals on the fuel rail) was performed and later leaked again, and some say the vehicle was excluded from a fuel-related campaign. Reported from about 11,000 to 230,000 miles, with most complaints between roughly 65,000 and 190,000 miles; several describe the leak worsening over time.

   Recall 00V268000Recall 99V216000Recall 96V002000Recall 95V236000

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel rail seal and fuel pump recalls were completed, and look for fresh fuel smell or wet spots under the van and around the fuel rail. Have the tank and lines inspected for cracks, especially on high-mileage examples.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “There is fuel leaking in a drizzle out of the end of the front fuel injection crossover tube/ injection rail assembly onto the valve cover where it accumulates into a puddle of gas on the valve cover. Lip then spills onto the exhaust header. Huge huge fire hazard. This must be recalled. Called my Chrysler dealer and they say there is no known recall on this and would not honor a fix for this problem. How many lives and vehicles must be lost before someone forces Chrysler to recall and fix this. This will be the last Chrysler I own. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10006954, filed 2001-10, 76,000 miles

   “I have a 1996 Chrysler Town And Country with the 3.8l engine that has had the fuel rail recall done. The recall involved putting a clamp type seal around the fuel rail in two places. These seals have both failed and fuel is actually dripping from one of the seals. I have taken the van to the local dealer for repairs I have not heard yet what they will do to resolve this. My concern is that the repair provided by the recall is not sufficient and will fail again in a short time. This is of grave concern to me for the safety of my family. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10146703, filed 2006-01, 121,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Stalling and electrical shutdowns while driving

   • 93 complaints (10%)
   • median 95,000 mi at 7.9 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2019

   Owners describe the engine quitting or all electrical power cutting out while driving, sometimes leaving them without power steering or power brakes until the van restarts or coasts to a stop. Many report no start or just a click when the key is turned, sometimes with a jumping speedometer or intermittent gear engagement. Dealers reportedly serviced the vehicles repeatedly without finding a cause in several cases, and a body control module was mentioned as taking out the electrical system in one report. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 190,000 miles; several owners describe it happening at ordinary road speeds, and one notes it only during coasting through left turns.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the battery, cables, grounds and charging system have been tested, and whether any stalling episodes have been diagnosed. A test drive that includes coasting turns and a check of the body control module and electrical connectors is worth doing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My minivan has been not wanting to start, the speedometer has been jumping all over the place . I had my fuel pump and filter replaced in december 2014 due to it not starting. Now within the last 2 weeks or so it started to act like it was going to die as I would be driving and sometimes it would jump out of gear. All this last week it has been giving me problems with starting and every time I would get out of the van it would smell like somethings burning. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10694304, filed 2015-03, 247,424 miles

   “On a few seperate occasions while driving my 1996 Chrysler Town And Country my daughters seatbelt has just released without any warning. During 3 sudden stops the seatbelts have unlatched by themselves and one time while driving down the road my seatbelt came undone after I adjusted myself in my seat. We just bought this van 2 months ago. Also, without warning the body control module took out my entire electrical system, including my radio. There should be a sensor that it is going bad before it actually goes. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10122473, filed 2005-05, 117,500 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission failure and harsh shifting

   • 101 complaints (11%)
   • median 91,075 mi at 7.6 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,700 (median of 11 quotes)
   • filed 1996–2015

   Complaints describe units that stopped shifting, lost gears or would not move, sometimes with a loud noise or a hole in the case, and one owner reports a violent downshift at highway speed. Several say the transmission was replaced or rebuilt, in some cases more than once, and a replaced unit failed again within days. Shops and dealers frequently replaced the whole unit rather than repairing it, according to the complaints, and one owner was told the electrical system was contributing. Reported from as little as 3,000 miles up to about 140,000 miles, with many failures clustering between roughly 60,000 and 110,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check transmission fluid condition and service history, and ask whether the transmission has been rebuilt or replaced. Drive it through all gears including a highway downshift and listen for noises or delayed engagement.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Consumer called complaining about transmission problems. In a time frame of two years transmission has been replaced twice. Manufacturer was contacted, and stated that there was nothing they could do, and advised consumer to call the NHTSA to place a complaint. Also, dealer contacted, and advised consumer to call the manufacturer.”

   NHTSA complaint #10037799, filed 2003-08, 80,783 miles

   “Transmission failed at 74,000, putting a big hole through the transmission case. Transmission was a604. (at 64,000 the transmission cooler lines were replaced because they were leaking. A month later noticed some leakage but dealer couldn't find anything and told us to keep an eye on it, didn't notice anything until leakage and failure at 74,000) also A/C has leak somewhere, would be very expensive to find and fix.”

   NHTSA complaint #10028719, filed 2003-07, 74,200 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Air bag light, horn and cruise control loss (clockspring)

   • 127 complaints (14%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 8.3 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2006

   Owners report the air bag warning light staying on, then finding the horn and cruise control also not working, which some were told points to a damaged clockspring. In some cases the horn was inoperative without warning, and one owner described the steering wheel coming loose when turning left. A few owners say a dealer would not perform the clockspring recall or did not have the parts. Most reports fall between about 39,000 and 132,000 miles, often appearing gradually after the air bag light first stays on.

   Recall 02V293000

   What to check: Confirm the clockspring recall (02V293000) was performed. With the key on, check that the air bag light goes out and test the horn and cruise control before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 1996 Chrysler Town And Country minivan and for over a month the air bag light began to stay on. I didn't worry about it as I believed that it was likely that my air bag still worked, but I was certainly wrong about that. My cruise control was and still is operating erratically. Yesterday I discovered that the horn did not work. I also was told that all three problems were likely caused by a broken or damaged clock spring. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10006964, filed 2002-06, 132,000 miles

   “The clockspring has failed in my 1996 Chrysler town & country rendering the air bag useless, the horn useless and the cruise control useless. I am scared to use this vehicle to transport my family.”

   NHTSA complaint #10154149, filed 2006-03, 39,000 miles
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Front strut tower rust-through

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe front strut towers rusted through, with owners finding the metal holding the weight of the vehicle cracked or perforated; one owner reports the front wheel separating from the suspension after ball joint pins rusted and broke. Several say dealers or shops were aware of the pattern, and one reports the manufacturer supplied a repair kit. Owners describe discovering it during routine inspection or noticing it after handling changes. Mostly reported on vans over about 65,000 miles, with several between roughly 85,000 and 150,000 miles; described as a condition that develops over years.

   What to check: Open the hood and inspect both front strut towers and the surrounding sheet metal for rust, cracks or soft spots, and have a shop check ball joints and the front suspension on a lift.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Rt front strut tower rusted through rotted. Not safe can cause a accident lose control of steering,from what I have reading and talking to several car dealerships this problem has been going on for years and Chrysler is not doing anything I have talked to Chrysler dealers and some say they get it covered and some don't,please lets do something.”

   NHTSA complaint #10229631, filed 2008-06, 70,000 miles

   “I just returned from a family trip and on a routine under the hood inspection I discovered to my horror that the right strut tower on my 1996 Chrysler minivan had rusted right through and was holding the entire weight of the vehicle by a thread. I quickly looked at the internet to see if this was a recurring problem and found that thousands of other Chrysler minivan owners have the same problem. Considering that there are millions of these mini vans on the road this problem must affect tens of thousands of minivans . …”

   NHTSA complaint #10100599, filed 2004-11, 112,000 miles

Buying note. On a 1996 Town and Country, the practical concerns are fuel leaks, occasional stalling and electrical dropouts, transmission condition and front strut tower rust, so a pre-purchase inspection focusing on those areas and the recall history is worth the cost. Service records for the fuel rail/pump recalls and any transmission work help show how well a specific van has been maintained.

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.