2005 Chrysler Town And Country Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2005 Chrysler Town and Country most often describe electrical faults that leave power door locks, dashboard and exterior lights inoperative, and air bag warning lights tied to front sensors. Complaints also describe headlights that flicker or switch off while driving, power steering noise and rack-and-pinion leaks, and an engine that stalls shortly after refueling. Many reports come in at moderate mileage, and several owners say dealers could not reproduce the problem when the vehicle was brought in.

1. 1
   Exterior lighting

   Headlights go out or flicker while driving

   • 194 complaints (23%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 6.6 yrs old (173 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $750 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2024

   Owners describe headlights that fail to come on, flicker, or extinguish while driving and then return after the switch is cycled several times. Some say interior and dashboard lights are affected at the same time. According to complaints, dealers often could not duplicate the fault, and replacing bulbs or the headlight switch did not resolve it. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 225,000 miles, often noticed on night drives.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the headlamp switch or lighting wiring has been replaced, and test high and low beams plus the switch at night before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 2005 Chrysler Town And Country and have been having issues with the headlights going out or not turning on. I have had it checked but it only happens on occasion so they can't find anything wrong. My wife has been driving home at night and the light just went out and then she couldn't see. From looking online I have seen numerous people have this issue and it needs to be fixed. Thanks.”

   NHTSA complaint #10409285, filed 2011-06, 70,000 miles

   “I have a 2005 Chrysler Town And Country that from the day we got it the head lights and interior lights flicker. Each time we take it in the dealer can't find a problem. Now the head lights and interior lights flash on and off but not continuously. Again, the dealer can't find the problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10297695, filed 2009-12, 59,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light and front sensor faults

   • 148 complaints (17%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (112 state mileage)
   • 31 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $350 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2022

   Complaints describe the air bag warning light staying lit, and in several cases air bags that did not deploy in a collision. Owners who had the vehicle diagnosed were told a front impact or air bag sensor had failed, and some report the van was outside the coverage of an air bag sensor recall. Others describe a clockspring in the steering column being identified as the cause. Reported from about 40,000 to 190,000 miles, sometimes appearing after rain or a bump in the road.

   Recall 10V008000Recall 07V1920002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that the air bag light goes out after start-up, and ask the dealer to confirm by VIN whether the front air bag sensor recalls were performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Front air bags on 2005 Chrysler town & country do not work due to a corroded sensor in the front of the car. Chrysler is refusing to fix this under warranty although the vehicle is less than two years old, and they are replacing corroded switches on other years and models.”

   NHTSA complaint #10191551, filed 2007-05, 48,000 miles

   “Did a little survey on your site (odi) and found the following ref. The # of complaints per year model for air bag related failures (category air bags-airbags frontal - air bag sensor) year 2001. 52 complaints year 2002. - 51 complaints vehicles recalled and repaired by Chrysler . Year 2003 - 14 complaints year 2004 - 2 complaints sounds like the problem is fixed ????? Year 2005 - 91 yes 91 complaints for the airbag system namely the clockspring. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10332558, filed 2010-05, 65,008 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Power door locks stop working

   • 78 complaints (9%)
   • median 70,126 mi at 5.2 yrs old (67 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2020

   Complaints describe power door locks that quit locking or unlocking at random, sometimes restored for a short time by pulling the 20A IOD fuse or disconnecting the battery. Owners report that after a few lock cycles the locks fail again, and note that doors may remain unlocked while the van is moving. Dealers reportedly reprogrammed modules or replaced switches, with the fault returning. Reported from about 30,000 to over 215,000 miles, in vehicles of various ages.

   What to check: Cycle the locks several times with the key fob and the door switches and confirm each door responds; ask whether the fuse box or body control module has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2005 Chrysler Town And Country it started with my locks stopping working I disconnected it and than it worked for a couple of weeks than it would go out again. Now my ABS and traction control light came on and quit working for a week now the light went out and works I tried the battery thing again but did not work. I'm afraid the computer may stop working when diving. I only have 48,000 miles on it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10312476, filed 2010-02, 30,000 miles

   “2005 Chrysler Town And Country power door locks & radio/dvd player inoperative. The power locks have stopped working at different intervals. Pulling the 20a iod fuse and reinserting it after 10 minutes or pulling the cable off of the battery for 10 minutes ***has not*** fixed the problem so far. Van is currently in shop and we were told it was the fuse box module.”

   NHTSA complaint #10546584, filed 2013-10, 215,000 miles
4. 4
   Steering

   Whining and leaks from steering rack

   • 116 complaints (14%)
   • median 55,500 mi at 4.2 yrs old (94 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $900 (median of 25 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2019

   Owners report a hum or whine under the hood that grows louder, especially when turning the wheel, and dealers identifying a leaking rack-and-pinion assembly that needs replacement. Some also had the power steering pump replaced. A few complaints mention loss of steering assist when the engine stalled. Mostly reported between about 35,000 and 75,000 miles, with some at higher mileage.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Listen for whine or groan while turning at low speed and look for fluid seepage at the steering rack boots and hoses.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Van was making horrible noise when turning. Took vehicle to the mechanic. Had to replace rack and pinion. Had power steering pump replaced also. This van has been nothing but a money pit. I see many others with this complaint. I also filed a complaint a while back having major electrical issues. I see the rack and pinion is a major issue also. It was very expensive to fix as well as my electrical problems. Recall on anything????”

   NHTSA complaint #10436624, filed 2011-11, 74,000 miles

   “I purchased a 2005 Chrysler town & country touring edition brand new in july of 2005. During december of 2007, I noticed a slight hum under the hood during startup. This sound eventually kept getting louder and lasting longer. This sound is more drastic during turning of the steering wheel. I had the vehicle inspected by a Chrysler dealership service center. They said it was due to a leak in the rack of the rack and pinion system. They said that the whole rack and pinion assembly needs to be replaced ($800+). …”

   NHTSA complaint #10225618, filed 2008-04, 35,500 miles
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Engine stalls after refueling

   • 87 complaints (10%)
   • median 85,000 mi at 8.6 yrs old (82 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $850 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2019

   Complaints describe the engine stumbling or stalling within the first few minutes after filling the tank, with loss of power steering and braking assist as the engine quits. Some owners report repeated dealer visits and parts replacement without a lasting fix, and others mention a strong fuel smell or a drop in fuel economy. Mostly reported above about 50,000 miles, typically right after refueling.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel tank and vapor canister service bulletin work was done, and check for a fuel smell around the filler neck and under the van.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Everytime I fill my 2005 Chrysler town & country with gas. As soon you leave start to move car shuts off. Then you have to put car in park restart hold gas pedal down until some gas is used up. After about five min. The car is fine & never happens again until fill up.”

   NHTSA complaint #10285743, filed 2009-09, 70,000 miles

   “After filling up the gas tank my Chrysler Town And Country stalled on the road. All the electronic functions of my mini van I.e. The brakes and the steering wheel were disabled and I had to pull it on the side. It was thanksgiving day so there was light traffic on the road. I immediately put on hazard lights to avoid any collision from the car that was driving behind me. The next day took the vehicle to Chrysler dealer and they did several things that costs total of $700. But next time I filled up the tank it happened again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10555188, filed 2013-12, 139,000 miles

Buying note. Give this year a careful electrical and air bag check before purchase, since locks, lighting and sensor faults come up often in owner reports, and confirm by VIN which recalls and service bulletins were completed. A pre-purchase inspection focused on the steering rack, charging system and fuel system is worth the cost on a van of this age.

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.