2016 Chrysler Town And Country Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2016 Town & Country report transmission trouble and power sliding door lock problems far more often than anything else. Transmission complaints usually describe harsh or delayed shifting, revving without movement, or a stall that traces to the hydraulic pump, often in the 60,000-100,000 mile range. Sliding door complaints center on locks and actuators that buzz, stick, or fail to release, sometimes reported at low mileage.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission pump failure / harsh shifting and stalling

   • 183 complaints (35%)
   • median 82,000 mi at 4.7 yrs old (118 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 14 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe the van jerking, revving high, or refusing to shift into higher gears, and in many cases losing power or stalling while driving. Several owners say a shop diagnosed the transmission hydraulic pump as failed and recommended a transmission replacement; others describe solenoid or hydraulic pressure sensor repairs that did not resolve the problem. Some owners state they were told their vehicle identification number was not included in the transmission pump recall, so the repair was not covered. Mostly reported between about 55,000 and 120,000 miles, with a few at lower mileage and several past 150,000.

   Recall 16V4610002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the transmission fluid and pump have been serviced and whether any transmission work was done. On a test drive, watch for delayed or hard shifts, high revving before engagement, and any hesitation when accelerating from a stop.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving down city road came to stop. Pushed gas pedal RPM's increased but vehicle did not move. Undrivable had to have it towed. No problems since new purchase till that day. States per my vehicle make model year there is recall for transmission pump failure. But when I put VIN number in no recall pulls up.”

   NHTSA complaint #11365236, filed 2020-10, 64,000 miles

   “I was driving my car and lost power due to transmission not shifting or shifting hard. Engine will rev up to 4k rpms before it shifts into gear. The car does it from a stand still position to a moving state. It doesn't matter if it is city street or highway. I have been reading about a lot of these issues.”

   NHTSA complaint #11325407, filed 2020-05, 98,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Sliding door locks buzz, stick, or won't release

   • 180 complaints (34%)
   • median 60,250 mi at 4.5 yrs old (104 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 11 quotes)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners describe one or both power sliding doors buzzing loudly when locking or unlocking, then jamming so the door will not open from inside, outside, or by remote. Several say a dealer replaced the door lock actuator or latch, sometimes with the noise or failure returning afterward. Complaints frequently mention concern about passengers being unable to get out quickly. Spread from under 30,000 to about 100,000 miles, with many reports in the 55,000-75,000 mile range; some owners note it is worse in hot weather.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Cycle both sliding doors through lock, unlock, open and close several times and listen for buzzing or grinding. Ask whether any door actuator or latch has been replaced, and confirm the doors open manually with the power off.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Sliding doors started buzzing, days later the door was in the locked position and would not open with my children inside after I had returned from the store. I had to role the window down to get them out. What if that happened during an emergency? Faulty door actuators are a safety hazard. The correct action should be taken to fix this problem before something preventable happens.”

   NHTSA complaint #11307949, filed 2020-02, 65,310 miles

   “The lock actuator for the passenger side rear door stopped functioning properly. The door lock stuck in the locked position and the door could not be opened. A body shop got the actuator unstuck, but within a few days it was stuck again, this time in the unlocked position. I started researching the problem online and found a way to get the lock unstuck and I used that trick when it stuck in the locked position, but over time the actuator has also started buzzing. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11352081, filed 2020-08, 60,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults: warning lights, battery charging

   • 105 complaints (20%)
   • median 60,500 mi at 4.1 yrs old (61 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe all dashboard indicator lights coming on at once, the van then failing to restart, and the warning chime sounding after the key is removed. Some say a dealer could not find a cause. Other complaints describe charging or battery warning messages and door wiring problems. Mostly between about 60,000 and 75,000 miles in the sample, with some reports spread higher.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the battery and intelligent battery sensor have been checked, and whether any charging warning repairs were done. Look for aftermarket wiring or repairs around the doors and check that all warning lights go out after startup.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driver side sliding door stopped opening, stuck in lock position. I removed the plastic door panel and discovered that the rod from the lock switch was stuck, but I only had to wiggle it a bit from where it terminates (shown by the yellow arrow on the upper left of the image) to free it. Put the panel back in position, but now the door buzzes loudly for half a second everytime the car is locked or soon after driving (locks automatically soon after beginning a drive).”

   NHTSA complaint #11354319, filed 2020-09, 89,000 miles

   “My right side sliding door buzzes when I unlock my doors. Sometimes the door does not unlock and I am worried something might happen and we will not be able to get the kids out of the van.”

   NHTSA complaint #11388745, filed 2021-01, 72,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Stalling or misfire tied to engine cylinders and ignition

   • 119 complaints (23%)
   • median 88,247 mi at 4.8 yrs old (81 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,850 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Some owners report the engine cutting out while driving or at a stop, along with misfire codes, check engine light, and in one case a failed spark plug followed by a cylinder repair. Complaints also describe oil leaks from the oil filter housing area and, in one instance, a failed catalytic converter diagnosed after a check engine light. Reported from roughly 65,000 to 175,000 miles, with several between 65,000 and 100,000.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for maintenance records on spark plugs and ignition work, and check for oil residue or leaks around the oil filter housing. Have a scan tool check for stored misfire codes before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Well known issue with the Chrysler pentastar engine which results in left cylinder misfires causing dangerous stalling the vehicle stalls while in motion and while stopped. They extended the warranty on previous years but have refused to on later models. Chrysler is refusing to fix the issue or offer cost assistance.”

   NHTSA complaint #11405716, filed 2021-03, 64,076 miles

   “The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the catalytic convertor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,359.”

   NHTSA complaint #11424868, filed 2021-07, 134,359 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection focused on the transmission is worthwhile on this model year: check shifting behavior on a road test and ask for service records on the transmission and doors. Verify whether any open recalls apply to the specific vehicle's identification number, and test both sliding doors and their locks thoroughly.

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.