Most common 1998 Chrysler Town and Country problems
Share of the 296 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 →
1998 Chrysler Town and Country recalls (5)
Air bags
On certain minivans, the driver's air bag May become disabled due to a failure of the clockspring, which is located in the hub of the steering wheel.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly on all covered vehicles with 70,000 miles or less. For those vehicles with more than 70,000 miles, daimlerchrysler will offer an extended lifetime warranty under which it…
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: passenger minivans equipped with integrated child seats. The shoulder harness restraint webbing was incorrectly routed around the metal reinforcement bar on these seats.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the routing of the shoulder belt webbing and any found incorrect will be properly routed.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 6 possible defects involving the 1998 Chrysler Town and Country:
Driver air bag clockspring failure
Complaints report air bag warning light illuminates, and this May be accompanied with a non-functioning horn and/or cruise control (if equipped).this is indicative of an open-circuit clockspring failure (results in non-functioning driver's air bag), similar to the failure condition that was the subject of daimlerchrysler's recall of model year 1996-1998.5 minivans (recall no.
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
Driver air bag clockspring failure
The driver air bag clockspring can develop an open-circuit condition resulting in nonfunctional driver-side frontal air bag, horn, cruise control (if equipped), and/or steering wheel radio control (if equipped).in its October 5, 2004 letter to NHTSA, daimlerchrysler stated that it will conduct a safety recall and replace the clockspring assembly on all my 1998.5-2000 daimlerchrysler minivans, built between March…
Air bag clockspring
There is no summary currently available
What 1998 Chrysler Town and Country owners say
Engine & cooling all 70 →
While driving 30-35 MPH the vehicle caught fire under the hood. The consumer was able to pull over until the local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. How the fire got started was not determined.
The car was brought to david ellis for a brake repair on 8/21/00. The car made a noise while driving and a loud noise when braking. Also the pedal did not feel right. They replaced the front pads, rotors, wheel cylinders and the master cylinder. They had to repalce the master cylinder twice while they had it under repair. The morning after I picked up the car, it wouldn't accelerate, it was revving very loud and with very high rpms and then it began to smoke and smell. When I got out of the car I observed flames shooting out of the front wheel. Chrysler has inspected and says they do not know the cause of the fire. They are willing to fix the fire damage but they cannot "fix" the cause of the fire because they do not know what the cause is. I do not feel the car is safe to drive unless they can pinpoint the cause and have it repaired or replaced. …
Electrical system all 62 →
I just started driving my car this morning, when I noticed white smoke coming out from under the hood. None of my engine warning lights were on, and the temperature gauge was in the normal range. I pulled over and called for help, but had to get out of the car when the flames started coming out from under the hood. Entire front end of minivan was on fire, engine/battery melted, front windshield cracked/melted, hood melted. Fire department called and put out fire.
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 this is a common factor and eventually will cause a major accident
Air bags all 45 →
This vehicle had two clock spring failures with the air bag warning light staying on. The first occurred at 3000 miles. The second failure caused cruise control to cease working. With power steering complaint, the vibration and grumbling in the steering at slow speeds was a cause of concern. After the steering rack was replaced, and longer steering hoses placed on the vehicle, the vibration continued in the steering, although somewhat subdued. The steering pump flow control valve was worn. When the fluid reached operating temperatures, the vibration increased and became more noticeable when driving for several hours. The steering felt non-responsive going into turns at slow speeds. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while starting the ignition, the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated. The failure recurred when driving various speeds. Additionally, the horn and cruise control became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. There was a recall associated with the failure under NHTSA campaign id number 04V480000 (air bags) however, the contact's VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000. Updated 05/19/14 ma the consumer repaired the clockspring. The consumer stated the failures all occurred before 118,000. The vehicle needed to be repaired when it was purchased. Updated 06/04/2014
1998 Chrysler Town and Country engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 22 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Chrysler Town and Country a good car?
Based on 296 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Town and Country rates average: 39% fewer complaints than 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 1998 Chrysler Town and Country?
The engine & cooling — 70 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › gasoline › belts and associated pulleys. Next are the electrical system (62) and air bags (45).
How many recalls does the 1998 Chrysler Town and Country have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1998 Chrysler Town and Country, the most recent from October 6, 2004 (air bags). 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 1998 Chrysler Town and Country problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 97,000 miles; 8% 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.