Chrysler Town and Country 1996–2000
3rd generation minivan (NS) · Chrysler NS
NHTSA data through 13 August 20263,217 complaints, 833 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 833
- Median of reported failures
- 90,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Engine and its cooling system (12.9%)
- Recalls
- 0
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 58,823 and 130,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Chrysler Town and Country 1996–2000 · 833 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 88 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 24 complaints (2.9%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 40,000
- 25%
- 58,823
- Median
- 90,000
- 75%
- 130,000
- 90%
- 162,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 24 | 2.9% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 9 | 1.1% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 15 | 1.8% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 23 | 2.8% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 52 | 6.2% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 88 | 10.6% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 76 | 9.1% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 63 | 7.6% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 62 | 7.4% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 73 | 8.8% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 51 | 6.1% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 41 | 4.9% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 47 | 5.6% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 50 | 6.0% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 28 | 3.4% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 36 | 4.3% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 23 | 2.8% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 14 | 1.7% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 16 | 1.9% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 18 | 2.2% |
| 200,000+ | 24 | 2.9% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 3,217 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996–2000 Chrysler Town and Country, and 833 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 58,823 and 130,000 miles. The median is 90,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the engine and its cooling system (12.9% of complaints, typically around 86,000 miles), the electrical system (11.6% of complaints, typically around 111,000 miles), the airbag system (10.8% of complaints, typically around 85,000 miles).
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 1996–2000 Chrysler Town and Country last?
Half of the failure reports on the 1996–2000 Chrysler Town and Country were filed by 90,000 miles and 90% by 162,000 miles — figures drawn from 833 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
24 reports (2.9%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Town and Country reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 1996–2000 Town and Country: the 3-minute check
Generated from 833 mileage-tagged complaints, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Check transmission on 1996–2000 cars. 41TE / A604 Ultradrive failure: solenoid pack and clutch pack wear producing harsh shifts, limp-in mode (2nd gear only) and complete loss of drive. Highly sensitive to using non-ATF+4 fluid.
- Check body on 1996–2000 cars. Power sliding door latch, cable and motor failures; doors opening in motion or refusing to latch.
- Check engine on 1996–2000 cars. 3.3L/3.8L V6 head gasket and intake plenum gasket leaks at higher mileage.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 59,000 and 130,000 miles, with a median of 90,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the engine and its cooling system and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The engine and its cooling system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 86,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Chrysler Town and Country 1996–2000
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Transmission and driveline339 reports70,00055,000–95,000Transmission and driveline: 339 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 55,000 to 95,000 miles.
- Airbag system347 reports85,00059,000–101,000Airbag system: 347 reports, median 85,000 miles, middle half 59,000 to 101,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system414 reports86,00058,000–122,000Engine and its cooling system: 414 reports, median 86,000 miles, middle half 58,000 to 122,000 miles.
- Steering192 reports89,00056,000–141,000Steering: 192 reports, median 89,000 miles, middle half 56,000 to 141,000 miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit190 reports92,00057,000–112,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 190 reports, median 92,000 miles, middle half 57,000 to 112,000 miles.
- Fuel system247 reports107,00067,000–139,000Fuel system: 247 reports, median 107,000 miles, middle half 67,000 to 139,000 miles.
- Electrical system374 reports111,00068,000–150,000Electrical system: 374 reports, median 111,000 miles, middle half 68,000 to 150,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and its cooling system | 414 | 12.9% | 86,000 | 58,000–122,000 |
| Electrical system | 374 | 11.6% | 111,000 | 68,000–150,000 |
| Airbag system | 347 | 10.8% | 85,000 | 59,000–101,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 339 | 10.5% | 70,000 | 55,000–95,000 |
| Fuel system | 247 | 7.7% | 107,000 | 67,000–139,000 |
| Steering | 192 | 6.0% | 89,000 | 56,000–141,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 190 | 5.9% | 92,000 | 57,000–112,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 155 | 4.8% | 70,000 | 50,000–86,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 148 | 4.6% | 96,000 | 68,000–133,000 |
| Suspension | 132 | 4.1% | 101,000 | 76,000–127,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Chrysler Town and Country 1996–2000 · 833 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 25% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 49% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 69% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 97%: the remaining 2.9% of reports (24) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
25% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 58,000–122,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 59,000–101,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 55,000–95,000 mi
- Steering — middle half 56,000–141,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 57,000–112,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Electrical system — middle half 68,000–150,000 mi
- Fuel system — middle half 67,000–139,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
49% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 58,000–122,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 68,000–150,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 59,000–101,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 55,000–95,000 mi
- Fuel system — middle half 67,000–139,000 mi
- Steering — middle half 56,000–141,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 57,000–112,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
69% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Airbag system — median 85,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 70,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 92,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 58,000–122,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 68,000–150,000 mi
- Fuel system — middle half 67,000–139,000 mi
- Steering — middle half 56,000–141,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 90,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 12.9% of complaints (414 reports, 124 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 86,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 58,000 and 122,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 11.6% of complaints (374 reports, 116 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 111,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 68,000 and 150,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 10.8% of complaints (347 reports, 81 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 85,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 59,000 and 101,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 10.5% of complaints (339 reports, 72 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 55,000 and 95,000 miles.
The fuel system accounts for 7.7% of complaints (247 reports, 29 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 107,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 67,000 and 139,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 6.0% of complaints (192 reports, 50 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 89,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 56,000 and 141,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 1996 model year drew the most — 1,411 complaints — while 2000 drew the fewest at 378. The median year sits at 485.
That makes 1996 an outlier: roughly 2.9 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 3,217 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 145 (4.5%)
- Fires
- 183
- Injury reports
- 104
- Fatality reports
- 13
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Transmission 1996–2000
41TE / A604 Ultradrive failure: solenoid pack and clutch pack wear producing harsh shifts, limp-in mode (2nd gear only) and complete loss of drive. Highly sensitive to using non-ATF+4 fluid.
Body 1996–2000
Power sliding door latch, cable and motor failures; doors opening in motion or refusing to latch.
Engine 1996–2000
3.3L/3.8L V6 head gasket and intake plenum gasket leaks at higher mileage.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1,411 | 130 |
| 1997 | 546 | 120 |
| 1998 | 397 | 144 |
| 1999 | 485 | 226 |
| 2000 | 378 | 213 |
What owners reported
The vehicles plastic tank collapsed on the inside. This resulted in incorrect fuel level reading. *Nlm the dealer replaced the pump at no charge but the sending unit in the tank has the same reading. The dealer had the fuel tank down, and stated that the tank was sagged, and possibly caused the false reading. Chrysler…
1996 · 42,000 miles · Fuel system
On numerous occasions the vehicle will intermittently fail to shift into o/d. It may drive fine for days and then lock in second gear. Manually changing the gearshift does not override the failure. The onboard computer does not log the failure. It does capture the manual shifting event. The only way to correct the…
1996 · 50,000 miles · Transmission and driveline
I have read all the complaints about the 1996 Town and Country. I find it interesting how the complaints are exact to one another. Different owners, same problems. Chrysler takes no responsibility for the problems of this vehicle. I have owned mine since 1999 and have experienced every single one of these claims that…
1996 · 62,000 miles · Body structure
Three failures between 40000-69,500 miles! Windshield wipers are erratic. Some times operate by themselves, won't return to normal position, etc. Paid dealer to repair defective switch the first time, 'defective' motor the second time, and now have exact same problem again. I refuse to pay for repairs third time.…
1996 · 70,000 miles · Visibility equipment
Built from 833 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page