2011 Chrysler Town And Country Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2011 Chrysler Town and Country most often describe electrical problems: the van shuts off or fails to start, sometimes while driving, and many complaints point to the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) and its fuel pump relay. Power sliding doors that stick, lock, or fail to open are the second recurring theme, and some owners report front-end brake vibration and oil leaks from the engine's oil filter housing. Reports span a wide mileage range, most commonly from roughly 50,000 to 150,000 miles.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   TIPM failure: no start, stalling, fuel pump relay

   • 212 complaints (27%)
   • median 86,500 mi at 6.7 yrs old (184 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,101 (median of 37 quotes)
   • filed 2014–2026

   Owners describe intermittent no-start conditions, stalling while driving, and gauges or warning lights behaving erratically. Many complaints identify the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) as the diagnosed cause, and some note that the fuel pump relay inside it is not separately replaceable, so the whole module is replaced. Several report the fuel pump continuing to run after the key is removed, draining the battery; others say dealers could not duplicate the failure or did not find an open recall for their vehicle. Reported across a broad range, most often between about 70,000 and 150,000 miles, with a few cases well under 50,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the TIPM or fuel pump relay has been replaced and keep any receipts; check that the fuel pump stops running after the key is removed and that the van restarts reliably after sitting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Our tipm failed ..causing us to not be able to start the car and also fuel pump was constantly running even when engine was off and away from car... We paid over 3000.00 to get repaired.....we found out that this could cause the auto to start on fire ...and endanger our house when parked in the garage...why wasnt there a recall for this part ?”

   NHTSA complaint #11405211, filed 2021-03, 96,638 miles

   “I was driving the vehicle and all the gauges stopped working. A day later my wife went to crank the car and it will not crank or turn over at all. Dealer says the tipm. I have seen that this is a common problem with this vehicle and my concern is with the gauges not working while my wife is driving or the car to stop running.”

   NHTSA complaint #10683894, filed 2015-02, 57,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Van shuts off or loses all electrical power while driving

   • 315 complaints (41%)
   • median 84,650 mi at 6.3 yrs old (170 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,175 (median of 24 quotes)
   • filed 2011–2026

   Complaints describe the engine and electrical system cutting out without warning at highway and city speeds, sometimes with all dashboard lights flashing before the van goes dead. Owners report losing power steering and power brakes along with engine power, and that the van may or may not restart afterward. Several say no fault codes were stored, and dealers or the manufacturer reported no open recall for their vehicle. Mostly reported between about 100,000 and 190,000 miles, often at highway speeds.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask about any history of sudden shutdowns and whether the battery, alternator, ignition module, or TIPM have been replaced; a scan for stored codes before purchase is worthwhile.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car shut down while driving. There was no lights or power. It started on a jump, but began smoking. We replaced the battery, but it starts smoking every time you run it and the battery light stays on. I had it towed, as it isn't safe to drive. The mechanic checked the alternator, but it is good the mechanic says it must be the computer and said it would have to be towed to the dealership/”

   NHTSA complaint #11361066, filed 2020-09, 140,000 miles

   “Car stalls and shuts off, car cranks but will not start this has happened numerous times in the past 24 hours, while driving it will unexpected shut off, this is a problem related to the tipm which has been recalled in other 2011 model vehicles such as the jeep grand cherokee and dodge durango. I have read forums where other 2011 town and countrys also had this same issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11387315, filed 2021-01, 104,000 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Power sliding doors stuck, locked, or not latching

   • 77 complaints (10%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 5.0 yrs old (59 state mileage)
   • 12 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,300 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2025

   Owners report sliding doors that will not open from inside or outside, doors that lock themselves and cannot be released manually, and doors that stop short of fully latching unless pushed closed by hand. Some describe grinding or buzzing noises from the door when opening or closing, and repairs often involve the door latch actuator or the door control module. Complaints note concern about rear passengers being unable to exit through an affected door. Reported from roughly 75,000 to 200,000 miles, appearing gradually rather than after a specific event.

   Recall 14V234000

   What to check: Open and close both sliding doors several times with the power buttons and the handles, and confirm each door latches fully and can be unlocked and opened manually from inside.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The driver side door of my Chrysler Town And Country has suddenly seized and refuses to open. I have researched the problem and it appears to be a faulty actuator. In my research I found many others with similar problems and thought it a safety concern. If my child or anyone needed to exit the vehicle quickly this would be impossible. If the other door were to seize up at the same time then there would be no wait to exit the rear of the vehicle safely. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11307823, filed 2020-02, 115,000 miles

   “Rear passenger sliding doors will not fully close and lock when pushing close button. Doors have to be manually pushed closed from the outside to close the last quarter inch and to have the door close mechanism engage. This present a safety risk to 2nd row passengers as the doors are not fully secured.”

   NHTSA complaint #11309166, filed 2020-02, 115,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Intermittent no-start and starting problems

   Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the van cranking but not firing, or not cranking at all, sometimes after a battery drain and sometimes with no warning. Repairs described include battery, alternator, starter, wiring harness, and ignition module replacement, with the problem sometimes returning. Some dealers report being unable to duplicate the failure. Reported from about 46,000 to 170,000 miles, often intermittently over weeks or months.

   Recall 11V3150003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Start the van several times cold and warm, listen for starter drag, and ask whether the battery, starter, ignition module, or key fob electronics have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The wireless ignition node receiver on our 2011 chysler town & country broke in october 2019 (with under 100,000 miles). This is where our key is inserted to start our minivan. The minivan stills starts and shuts off, but the key won't stay in the ignition. Unfortunately, we don't have the $400-500 needed to replace the ignition receiver. The dangerous part of this is that the key pops out at random times, while we are driving. The key pops out and lands on the floor underneath our feet while we are driving. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11374951, filed 2020-11, 95,000 miles

   “Wife was driving. Then engine went to full throttle, would not slow down. She rode the brakes all the way home, switched from neutral to drive, van would jump into gear when she would shift back to drive, felt like brakes were not working well enough (probably glazed). Almost wrecked, could hardly stop. Very dangerous situation.”

   NHTSA complaint #11330337, filed 2020-06, 153,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase electrical inspection matters most on this model year: have a shop scan for stored codes and check the TIPM, fuel pump relay, battery, and charging system, then test both sliding doors and the brakes. Records showing recent electrical or ignition repairs are worth asking for, and budget for possible module work.

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.