1997 Chrysler Town And Country Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year report a wide mix of problems on a vehicle that is now decades old, most of them electrical or mechanical wear items rather than a single dominant failure. The most common themes in complaints are dashboard gauges dropping out, the accessory belt coming off (which takes power steering and cooling with it), and a recurring airbag/horn problem linked to the clockspring. Several complaints also describe rust around the front strut mounts and transmission failures.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Dashboard gauges and instrument panel quit

   Mentioned in 9 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the speedometer, fuel gauge and warning lights going dead or dropping to zero, sometimes intermittently while driving and sometimes not coming on at startup; in a few cases the engine then stalls shortly after starting. Check engine and ABS lights often come on with the gauge failure. Complaints mention mechanics pointing to a body control module, an instrument circuit board solder joint, or a wiring connection, with some owners reporting parts were replaced without solving it. Reported from roughly 40,000 to 200,000 miles, at no clear pattern of age or weather.

   What to check: On a test drive, watch whether every gauge and warning light comes on at key-on and stays working; ask whether the instrument cluster or body control module has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I turned on the ignition and I have no instrument gauges working on the dash also the service engine light and ABS lights are on. I went to a service tech and had the dash display replaced, the computer and the transmission control module replaced and still have the same problem. Can you help?”

   NHTSA complaint #10282937, filed 2009-09, 158,000 miles

   “1997 Chrysler t&c van repeatedly loses all dash gauges so you can not tell how fast you are going etc.. Abs light and service engine soon light come on. No remedy as of yet . Had one mechanic tell me it was the body control module but it would cost over $900 to replace{and that might not fix the problem!}. Also lost wiper function, I have to use the wash function to clear windshield when it's raining or snowing. Mechanic said that is related to the bcm also.”

   NHTSA complaint #10254499, filed 2009-01, 190,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbag light on, horn and cruise control out (clockspring)

   • 91 complaints (23%)
   • median 73,850 mi at 6.5 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 10 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2015

   Owners report the airbag warning light staying on together with a dead horn, and sometimes inoperative cruise control or turn signals that behave oddly. Complaints describe the clockspring assembly as the part replaced, occasionally more than once, and a few mention payout requests or questions about reimbursement after the repair. Mostly reported between roughly 40,000 and 110,000 miles; one complaint cites deployment while parked at about 180,000 miles.

   Recall 02V293000

   What to check: Check that the airbag light goes out after the self-test and that the horn works; ask whether the clockspring recall (campaign 02V293000) was completed for this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I went to dmv to have my car inspected and was given a report that stated several parts on my vehicle were recalled. I am trying to find out if vehicle can be serviced for free from dealer because of the defects or will I have to pay for them? Parts listed under recall were rc-j25-09 emissions recall j25 mopar value line catalytic converters my car failed for emissions problems b24-clockspring safety recall - lifetime warranty 895- safety recall fuel rail seals.”

   NHTSA complaint #10475511, filed 2012-09, 195,045 miles

   “Purchased as used vehicle with the premium warranty offered by dealer. Air bag light remains on, warning horn does not work and cruise control is inoperative. Took the vehicle to Chrysler dealer this morning and seemed to me the other three customers at the counter had the same complaint all echoed my problem. While discussing it another customer chimed in I had mine fixed last week- under warranty. Got called 2 hours later to inform me it needed the clock spring replaced to the tune of $227.60. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10007056, filed 2002-06, 73,850 miles
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Serpentine belt slips off, losing power steering

   • 58 complaints (15%)
   • median 86,500 mi at 8.9 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2011

   Complaints describe the accessory belt coming off the pulleys, often more than once, in several cases during rain or after driving through water. When it goes, power steering assist is lost and the temperature gauge climbs, and owners report the wheel becoming very hard to turn. Several say a repair shop identified a worn belt tensioner as the underlying pattern, and one notes the tensioner needs replacing every few years. Spread across the mileage range, with a cluster of reports under about 130,000 miles; several specifically note rainy or wet conditions.

   What to check: Inspect the belt and tensioner condition and ask whether the tensioner has ever been replaced; a spare belt and knowledge of the routing is useful on an older van.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Last december 2004 while driving, my steering wheel locked up and I was unable to make a turn. I looked under hood and found s belt had slipped off. I was able to have it fixed. I do not know what caused this. Today 5/9, again, the belt came off as my sister was about to go down an incline. Should she have been in the process of descending, she would have had an accident, because of a sharp turn in the road. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10120727, filed 2005-05, 64,789 miles

   “I have 1997 dodge Town And Country van and every time it rains the serpentine belt pops off. Dodge told me that this is a known problem and there is no sure way of resolving it. This is very dangerous because there is no power steering once the belts pops off.”

   NHTSA complaint #10224288, filed 2008-04, 100,000 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Rust at front strut towers and mounts

   Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe corrosion around the front strut towers and their attachment points, found while cleaning or during front-end work, with owners saying shops replaced or capped the affected area. Some link the rust to poor drainage near the strut mount and report handling changes such as wandering or a tapping noise from the front end. Reported mostly between about 85,000 and 180,000 miles, on vehicles showing corrosion rather than a specific weather pattern.

   What to check: Look under the hood at both strut towers and the surrounding sheet metal for bubbling paint or perforation, and ask whether that area has been repaired.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The strut housing on my 1997 Chrysler town&country are both rusting and will soon render my van inoperatable. The passenger side is the worst and there both getting worse. I will be in danger if I continue to drive it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10360316, filed 2010-10, 130,000 miles

   “There is a technical service bulletin issued by Chrysler on oct. 14,2002 (TSB 23-044-02) on the problem and it covers all minivans build from 1996 until 2000. My 1997 Chrysler Town And Country mini van has rusting front strut tower assembly's . My mechanic that if this condition is left as is , it will result in the front struts failing by premature failure of the chassis to hold them in place. This will result in the loss of steering . This could easily lead to an immediate accident. This is a know defect for 1996 to 2000 mini vans. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10162820, filed 2006-07, 85,000 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slips out of gear or fails

   • 29 complaints (7%)
   • median 86,000 mi at 7.6 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2009

   Owners describe the van jumping to neutral or dropping out of gear while driving, then refusing to shift past second, or a transmission that shifts when it wants. Complaints mention metal debris found in the fluid and, in some cases, a replacement transmission; one owner reports the failure was not covered by warranty. Reported from very low mileage up to about 97,000 miles in the sample, with failures often noticed in traffic or at highway speed.

   What to check: Check the transmission fluid condition and service history, and drive the van through all gears including a highway upshift to confirm it holds each gear.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While in traffic the car jumped to neutral. I pulled off the road and tried to put the car into drive, but it although I could move the lever to drive, the transmission would not shift out of second gear. When stopped it would start in second gear and not shift into third. I crept in traffic with emergency blinkers on to a transmission shop where I left it. Being new years day it was closed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10104902, filed 2005-01, 4 miles

   “During service had transmition oil & filter changed at 69,000 miles. No silver sparkles in old oil noted. At 86,000 compleat trans failure. When pan removed from trans. Chunks of metal noticed in oil!!!!! Warranty did not cover $3,700 to replace trans. Regardless of temp, trans shifts when it wants to and will stall engine in a minute for no reason.”

   NHTSA complaint #10005591, filed 2003-02, 86,000 miles

Buying note. This is an old vehicle, so condition and service records matter more than any single known problem; have an independent shop inspect the front strut towers, the belt and tensioner, and the transmission before buying. Confirm whether open recalls (airbag clockspring and fuel rail seals) were completed for the specific vehicle.

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.