Most common 1997 Chrysler Town and Country problems
Share of the 388 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chrysler Town and Country complaints by model year
Best Town and Country years: 2004, 2007, 2003. Years to avoid: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2005, 2009. Compare all years →
1997 Chrysler Town and Country recalls (5)
Air bags › Frontal
On certain Mini vans, the clockspring assembly May have been wound incorrectly during the vehicle assembly process.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly on all vehicles with 70,000 miles or less. An extended lifetime warranty will also be placed on this component for all affected vehicles, regardless of mileage.
Seat belts › Rear/other
On certain minivans, some trim material can loosen and drop into the rear outboard seat belt assembly, causing the seat belt to become inoperative.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the trim with foam blockers and inspect and replace all 3rd row seat belt assemblies. Owner notification began June 3, 2002.
Fuel system, gasoline › Fuel injection system
Vehicle description: Mini vans built with 3.3l and 3.8l engines have fuel rails with nitrole rubber o-ring seals that can degrade over time. Fuel leakage from the underhood fuel injection fuel rail could result, increasing the likelihood of a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install a seal on the vehicle fuel rails to prevent external leakage of fuel from the fuel rail crossover tube, should the existing o-rings continue to degrade. Owner notification began on January 25, 2002.
Child seat
Vehicle description: Mini vans equipped with integrated child seats. The shoulder harness restraint on the integrated child seat can become difficult to extract when the safety belt latch plate becomes contaminated.
Remedy: Dealers will clean the latch mechanism. An extender will be added to the emergency release anchor for the child seat safety belts so that the release clips are more visible and accessible to the operator in the event…
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
The master cylinder rear seal, between the hydraulic fluid and the vacuum reservoir, May not seal adequately allowing hydraulic fluid to be drawn into the power assist vacuum reservoir.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder on all affected vehicles. Addendum (4-14-97): vehicles inspected per Chrysler recall no.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 6 possible defects involving the 1997 Chrysler Town and Country:
Integrated child seat belt lockup
Odi continues to receive complaints alleging latching/retractor mechanism problems.Chrysler's assessment of the problem indicates that owners of the vehicles are not adhering to the cleaning requirements for the seat.the seat appears to malfunction if crumbs of food or beverage residue accumulates on the latching tongue in thewell located between the child's legs.odi has 19 complaints of retract lockup.seven of…
Dc minivan fuel injector rail leak
There is no summary currently available
Post-collision fuel system integrity
There is no summary currently available
Post collision fuel system
Integrated child seat belt lockup
This investigation is closed.Chrysler corporation has submitted a defect information report identifying a safety defect and outlining the proposed remedy.recall number 98v-185 has been assigned to this safety recall.
Air bag clockspring
There is no summary currently available
What 1997 Chrysler Town and Country owners say
Air bags all 84 →
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Chrysler Town and Country. While the vehicle was parked, the driver and passenger side air bags deployed without warning and smoke filled the vehicle. The contact was able to safely exit the vehicle with minor injuries to the hand. The manufacturer was not notified. The dealer was notified. The contact was afraid to drive the vehicle. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was aware of NHTSA campaign number: 02V293000 (air bags) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 175,000.
Electrical system all 78 →
On ignition the vehicles dash gage instrument panel lights (odometer, gas gage, warning lights) do not turn on with ignition, vehicle runs 2-3 seconds and shuts off, with no sputtering or knocking. Searching online for problems of a similar nature many sites indicate the error May stem from an incorrectly soldered instrument display panel, specifically the ground return on the instrument circuit board.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Chrysler Town and Country. While driving various speeds, the instrument panel gauges failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to the electrical grid. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Engine & cooling all 53 →
Nar 06/19/2003. Soon after the consumer purchased the vehicle he noticed the parking brake did not work. The vehicleh had a flat tire before entering the interstate. The car was taken to the service dealer to have the brakes repaired, but it was evident that the parking brake was defective. Along with the parking brakes several other problems existed with the vehicle. A belt tensioner and tune up was needed. There were two recalls were issued for the fuel rails and clocks springs. However the dealership failed to recognize other malfunctions like the parking brakes in which the consumer felt a recall needed to be issued. Please investigate and give prompt response. The consumer was told the reason the parking nrake did not work was because the vehicle needed disc pads, brake shoes rotors and drums because they were glazed and could not be resurfaced. …
The most recent brake failure was the most potentially deadly. Without warning, we had total brake failure due to rear wheel cylinders seizing up. We contacted Chrysler, offered to send them the defective parts. After numerous calls to customer service and the recall center, we were told Chrysler was not interested. Chrysler contacts were very rude. We pulled up a recall from NHTSA id number 96V215000. Our concern was the remark in the corrective summary. The master cylinders in 1997 minivans made in st. Louis were defective. Our minivan was manufactured in st. Louis. According to Chrysler recall center, the recall was on vehicles with traction control. We have traction control. People at customer service will not talk to us about the recall notice to help us. Our van is handicap accessible. Safety for our family and out disabled son is of utmost concern. …
1997 Chrysler Town and Country engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Chrysler Town and Country a good car?
Based on 388 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Town and Country rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Town and Country at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Chrysler Town and Country?
The air bags — 84 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the electrical system (78) and engine & cooling (53).
How many recalls does the 1997 Chrysler Town and Country have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1997 Chrysler Town and Country, the most recent from November 7, 2002 (frontal). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chrysler Town and Country?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004, 2007 and 2003. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2005 and 2009. See the full Chrysler Town and Country years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Chrysler Town and Country problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 97,000 miles; 12% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.