Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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).
This is the 2nd incident for the same problem. First complaint #10468365. I was stopped at an intersection. I crossed the street and my tires splashed water that was running down the street gutter. The water was 2-4" deep. I once again immediately lost steering and the engine began to overheat. I was able to muscle the steering wheel enough to pull it off to the side of the road. I looked under the hood and found the belt had slipped off again. I had to have it towed to the garage. The mechanic checked out the belt and the tensioner and said they were OK, and they reinstalled the belt. The first time this happened I was turning a corner, and the van went into the opposite lane. I guess I can be thankful for the draught these past few months. This is a serious problem. It makes me afraid of driving when it is raining or with any water on the road. …
Driving van in the rain, noticed the steering became extremely difficult. I also noticed that the lights ad power started to dim. In that case, I pulled over to see what the issue was. I noticed that the serpentine belt had come off the pulleys. I have had other Mini-vans especially dodges and have noticed they all seem to do the same thing when it comes to rain, snow, ice. You would think they would resolve this issue as it is a safety issue. I've learned from my previous Dodge caravans how to put the serpentine belt back on, but it really is a safety issue as this could leave you stranded and very costly (money and time wise) if you don't know how to put it back on. As a consumer, I will not be purchasing another Dodge or Chrysler minivan again due to this issue!
Consumer 1999 Town & Country minivan steering interlock did work. Vehicle rolled down the driveway nearly crushing passenger. *** no answer required*** the consumer's one year old son was able to move the gear shift out of park although the consumer had the key in his pocket. The vehicle rolled down the consumer's driveway before striking a tree. An investigator came to the consumer's home to inspect the vehicle. The investigator took the vehicle to the dealer who determined that the steering interlock was not functioning. The manufacturer denied any responsibility because the consumer had not used the parking brake. The manufacturer then closed the file because the van had 3 outstanding recalls. The consumer has not moved since purchasing the vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact was driving in rainy weather at approximately 55 MPH when she traveled over a puddle of water and the steering wheel seized. The battery warning light and the key icon illuminated. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and the contact moved to the side of the road where the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.
I drove through a puddle today traveling at about 30 MPH when I lost my steering. Luckily I was bout .5 miles from home. By the time I got within .25 miles my temperature warning light had come on. When I got to my driveway I noticed that the serpentine belt was dragging. This same thing happened to my daughter about 5 weeks ago. My vehicle is a 1999 Chrysler Town & Country and I understand this is a habitual problem. My service person repaired the vehicle. He said I was lucky it happened on a residential street and not on a highway.
Major problem is serpentine belt coming off and causing a loss of steering. It was not until this last repair that a bracket was installed from a service bulletin dated 7-2-99. Only the first repair was prior to this date. This is a major problem, fortunately for me every time the belt came off I was in a parking lot.
1999 Chrysler t&c with 80,000 miles. Tie rod loose $200, alternator tension rusted $200, strut covers rusting $900. These and the general poor quality rating of this vehicle has cost me thousands in trade-in value and placed my family in jeopardy.
I own a 1999 Chrysler Town & Country van. Major problem is serpentine belt coming off and causing a loss of steering. Every time it rains my serpentine belt comes off which causes extremely hard steering. I have replaced tensioners twice in the and belt 4 times. Thank god I was not on the free way or a street with alot of traffic or this could kill me or an other person. I have looked on the internet and this has happened to 100s of people. On the internet it state that the factory recommended repair ( the replacement of the idler pulley and the pulleys retaining bracket.) in the TSB I read, Chrysler's engineers have decided that on some models the idler pulley is misaligned by .08 inches. Chrysler should recall this and fix there problem before someone gets killed. Get involved and make Chrysler fix this problem.
Within a few months of buying this vehicle brand new a loud noise developed while steering at low speeds that was later ascribed to a loose belt. A few months later, while spouse was driving at approx 45-50 MPH, the speedometer went dead and the transmission got stuck in 2nd or 3rd gear. The vehicle slowed down and would not go much faster than about 35 MPH. This was latter determined to be due to some faulty sensor. Just a few months after that, with the vehicle barely 2 years old, the battery went dead for no apparent reason. New battery was needed. Now I have this humming noise in the rear brakes with barely 31K miles on the vehicle. What's next? This thing (so-called vehicle) has already cost us much lost time (taking it to the dealer) and the associated money in lost wages!
Ltr fm (ct) concerned about the safety of his daughters defective 1999 Chrysler Town and Country, the tie rod fell off. The consumer stated most automobile manufacturers have eliminated the grease fittings that most tie rod ends use. Apparently, there was a crack in the rubber grommet that enclosed the ball and road surface water leaked in and corroded the ball and enclosure. After the ball and socket had experienced sufficient reduction, it finally slipped out of the enclosure and dropped to the ground.
Steering complaints in other Town and Country years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1999 Chrysler Town and Country?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the steering of the 1999 Chrysler Town and Country, 7% of the model year's 362 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist system (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chrysler Town and Country steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 109,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to steering 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.