1998 Chrysler Town and Country problems & reliability
296 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Chrysler Town and Country, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
9 complaints report injuries (11 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Chrysler Town and Country vehicles were involved in 4 fatal crashes with 4 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 67 | 23% |
| Electrical System | 62 | 21% |
| Air Bags | 45 | 15% |
| Power Train | 30 | 10% |
| Steering | 30 | 10% |
| Suspension | 18 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 16 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 15 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 97,000 miles (middle 50% between 69,700 and 140,000 miles), based on 111 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“This vehicle has stalled while driving on the highway with my kids in the car leaving me with no power no brake had to quickly turn off to the shoulder and try to restart it is happening on a daily basis and is very dangerous I had a recall part replaced by dealer and still nothing something has to be done as I see…”
Service Brakes · filed Jun 13, 2017
“While driving in snow and rain for one day the steering wheel froze up, the battery light went on, and I was no longer able to drive. I was on a flat street and in motion when it occurred.”
Engine · filed Dec 13, 2015
“Complete failure of the brake system due to a rupture of a brake line. Lucky for us we were on a flat section of road and drifted to a stop. If we had been three seconds later we would have crashed into cross traffic.”
Service Brakes · filed Sep 12, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- DRIVER AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA04013 · opened Jun 4, 2004 · closed May 25, 2005 · led to recall 04V480000
- DRIVER AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING FAILURE
Recall Query RQ04001 · opened Jan 28, 2004 · closed Jun 4, 2004
- AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING
Engineering Analysis EA01007 · opened Feb 21, 2001 · closed Nov 22, 2002 · led to recall 02V293000
- DC MINIVAN FUEL INJECTOR RAIL LEAK
Recall Query RQ00008 · opened Mar 9, 2000 · closed Mar 18, 2002 · led to recall 00V268000
- POST COLLISION FUEL SYSTEM
Engineering Analysis EA99013 · opened Jun 11, 1999 · closed Aug 10, 2001
- POST-COLLISION FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY
Preliminary Evaluation PE99010 · opened Feb 3, 1999 · closed Jun 11, 1999
Technical service bulletins
134 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Chrysler Town and Country. The 10 most recent:
KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not…
9004275 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2020
KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not…
9004275 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2020
Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the correct test equipment for testing batteries and charging systems, and also warranty reimbursement when battery…
08-049-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 2020
Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.
3100519 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
3100319 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.
3100619 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.
31-005-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
31-003-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.
31-006-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Wiper If Mopar OE wipers are unavailable, the below alternatives can be offered instead. 05066964A$ = WBRW0011A$ 05066973A$ = WB000019A$ or WBF00019A$ 05096134A$ = WB000027A$ or WBF00028A$ 55154762A$ = WB000013A$…
9003623 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 16, 2016
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1998 Chrysler Town and Country has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Chrysler Town and Country?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 97,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.