Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Chrysler Town and Country owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving on street and brakes went out. Did not hit anyone but had to drive to shop do to no brakes very slow. Brakes line rusted out and had to replace brake lines used emergency brake to stop and go. All parts of van is rusting frame that holds motor in rusted and can not trade in do to dealer said it is a safety factor and it can not be repaired do to rust.
When applying brakes, pedal sank almost to the floor indicating a fluid leak. Brakes barely worked at all and limped to chysler dealer who found ruptured rigid brake line where it joins to a short braided flexible section. Two long rigid brake lines that run nearly the length of the vehicle were replaced and as requested old parts were returned to me. Only in the immediate area where the flexible line joins the rigid lines was there severe rust and corrosion. One of the lines had rusted through and ruptured at this point. The rest of the rigid lines were free of corrosion. The vehicle is 5 years old with 100,000 miles in a relatively low salt environment, there should not be severe corrosion at this time causing brake failure. The joint area between the flex line and the rigid line is a design fault that should be addressed. …
On this day I was siting in my van with the ignition in the on position resetting my clocks in the vehicle I rested my hand on the shifter when it released from park into reverse gear without the engine running there are no brakes because of power braking you cant stop on a dime so I quickly engaged the parking brake to stop the vehicle from rolling down my drive. I immediately contacted Chrysler who claims they are not responsible for this issue since they did not install this saftey feature on any Chrysler Town and Country van to date also I have an issue with when it rains the serpentine belt falls off the pulleys if water splashes up onto the belt itself causing loss of brakes and steering due to this defect Chrysler is aware of this issue but again refuses to recall the vehicles for a safer fix something needs to be done beofe they kill someone.
The vehicle was equipped with heated seats. The owner took the vehicle to the dealer to have the seats checked. The problem was not detected. Now, the passenger seats are over heating also. The owner had the seats replaced on two seperate occassions. Provide further details. The consumer stated that all four seats failed. Both front seats had burn holes in them. The consumer heard a noise coming from the front of the vehicle when going over bumps. The consumer was told that the strut tower went bad and had it replaced. The consumer complained that a vibration is felt while driving as if the vehicle drove on four flat tires. The consumer heard a whining noise when using the am radio which only happed when using the brake.
It had been raining but had stopped. I was making a right hand turn when my right tire went through approximately 2-4" of water in the gutter. I immediately lost control of the steering and veered into the opposite lane. Fortunately there were no cars in that lane. I had difficulty steering and the engine began to overheat. I was fortunate the garage was around the corner. The belt had slipped off the pulleys. The belt had not broken, only slipped off. They said I was the 3rd Town and Country that day that had to have the belt put back on due to the wet weather, and that it was a problem with model for many years. This is the 3rd time to send this report. When I hit "verify" everything goes blank.
My 17 year old son was driving the car; he applied the brakes while approaching a red light and the pedal went to the floor. He was driving slow enough and started braking soon enough that he was able to stop the car prior to the intersection by pumping the brake pedal vigorously. Both of the solid front brake lines had rusted out at the connection points with the flexible hoses... I had previously replaced the rear brake lines due to similar rusting problems (3 years ago), and did ask the dealer to inspect the front brake lines about a year ago prior to letting my son drive the 'old' minivan; the brake lines were given a clean bill of health...
Hit the brakes heavily to avoid a stopped vehicle. Four miles later, the brake pedal went to the floor while proceeding down a three mile mountain road. The vehicle was finally stopped by placing the transmission in low range, pumping the brakes and application of the emergency brake. Brake fluid was leaking from both metal brake lines just aft of the anti-lock control valve. The metal lines are severely corroded at the junction of the solid metal line and the braided stainless steel section. Search of the internet at "www.ripoffreport.com" revealed that mine isn't an isolated case. Report #153655 at that site reads identical to my experience.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that once the vehicle was started, the gears could be shifted without the contact depressing the brakes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where they advised him that the brake shift interlock was not placed in that particular year, make and model vehicle. Therefore, the failure was considered a normal characteristic of the particular vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. The current mileage was approximately 185,000.
Consumer was traveling 55mph on highway and there were deers in the middle of the road dancing. However, deers were far away, up the road. There was time for vehicle to stop. Consumer applied the brakes two times, but brakes didn't stop. Vehicle. Third time she applied the brakes, they grabbed a little bit. But, it was too late,vehicle ran into the deers. Vehicle suffered damage. Dealership was aware of malfunctioned brakes. There was air in brake lines. Rotors were heated because pads and rotors were blue, and pads and rotors were replaced.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Chrysler Town and Country. While the contact's daughter was approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal extended to the floor when it was depressed. The vehicle barely slowed down and glided through a red light. A mechanic stated that the brake light separated from the stainless steel to the solid steel. The current mileage was 100,020 and failure mileage was 100,001.
Brake complaints in other Town and Country years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1999 Chrysler Town and Country?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the brakes of the 1999 Chrysler Town and Country, 7% of the model year's 362 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chrysler Town and Country brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1999 Chrysler Town and Country, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Chrysler Town and Country brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 1 fire and 6 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.