2002 Chrysler Town and Country problems & reliability
404 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 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.
20 complaints report injuries (26 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Chrysler Town and Country vehicles were involved in 34 fatal crashes with 27 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 76 | 19% |
| Air Bags | 67 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 60 | 15% |
| Power Train | 40 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 31 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 24 | 6% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 23 | 6% |
| Equipment | 19 | 5% |
| Structure | 19 | 5% |
| Suspension | 17 | 4% |
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 55,925 miles (middle 50% between 32,813 and 88,152 miles), based on 266 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2002 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an abnormal sound was heard coming from the vehicle, and a fuel odor was detected. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the serpentine belt had fractured and severed the…”
Engine · filed Mar 10, 2022
“The contact owns a 2002 Chrysler Town & Country. The contact stated while the vehicle was running, the engine would misfire. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be inspected. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure…”
Engine · filed Nov 16, 2021
“The contact owns a 2002 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly jerk and hesitate. Also, the speedometer failed to operate as needed. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to immediately stop with the pedal extended to…”
Electrical System · filed Nov 3, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION
Engineering Analysis EA05009 · opened Jun 1, 2005 · closed May 2, 2006
- HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION
Preliminary Evaluation PE05004 · opened Feb 2, 2005 · closed Jun 1, 2005
- POWER LIFTGATE LATCH
Engineering Analysis EA04031 · opened Nov 22, 2004 · closed Apr 7, 2005 · led to recall 05V134000
- SPEAKER FIRE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE
Preliminary Evaluation PE04049 · opened Jul 7, 2004 · closed Nov 5, 2004 · led to recall 04V531000
- POWER STEERING HOSE FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE03012 · opened Apr 9, 2003 · closed May 29, 2003 · led to recall 04V386000
- FUEL TANK LEAK
Preliminary Evaluation PE02068 · opened Sep 24, 2002 · closed Oct 9, 2002 · led to recall 02V274000
Technical service bulletins
111 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 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
Disinfectant Solution Recommended for COVID-19
23-015-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 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
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 2002 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 2002 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 55,925 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.