Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Chrysler Town and Country owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
1996-2000 Chrysler and Dodge Mini vans. Could be any model of the van within each divisions lineup. Not every van has this problem but many many do and Chrysler has dropped the ball not picking up the tab for the repairs of hundreds of thousands of these Mini vans. Chronic rusting of the strut towers in these vans. Especially the drivers side (like mine). I have found this is a very prevalent problem in these vans due to improper manufacturing and sealing of the strut tower after doing some extensive research on the internet. If not repaired the strut tower completely rusts/rots through allowing the strut assy to collapse through the support tower and potentially causing a loss of control or crash of the vehicle. Chrysler made available (at customers cost for the repairs) a support cap that addressed the problem if it was caught in time. A band aid solution at best. …
I have a 2000 Chrysler Town and Country van with rusting strut towers. The drivers side has more than the passengers side. The drivers side is about to push through and go into the hood. I asked my dealer about any safety recalls or modifications, they said no. I have seen the Chrysler service letter and asked my dealer about it and they said that the work should be done when working in that area under warranty to in stall the Chrysler update kit. I had my struts replaced back in 11/2004 and asked about the rust and loss of metal then and they said it would not be warranty. I have also been told by a former service advisor at that dealer that they have performed this work under warranty or policy. This is a serious safety concern, the Mini van is a family vehicle which my wife and kids ride in daily. I am one person and I need help with the large carmaker please. …
While vehicle was having over $1000.00 in unexpected repairs for defective parts (shattering drive plate, $550.00 exhaust crossover pipe) it was discovered that both strut towers have rust perforation and are structurally unsafe. I have been told that this is a common problem that all Chrysler minivans manufactured between 1996 and 2000 experience. I have owned this vehicle since new and it has always been well maintained, garaged, and well cleaned and waxed. I am always particular about washing road salt off the underside of my vehicles frequently. I am particularly upset that Chrysler knows about this problem, and has the nerve to charge me over $1000.00 to fix the defect in their vehicle. Without this repair my vehicle is dangerously unsafe to drive. I am just thankful that I was alerted to the problem before it killed my family.
Driving through small puddle of water (drainage from waterhose run off not storm type drainage). Serpentine belt comes off rendering the vehicle unusable. Happens in all weather conditions. I have replaced the water pump, the tensioner, the idler pulley. I've had the alignment of the pulleys checked, all have had no effect on the serpentine belt. It still comes off going through any form of moisture. This has been ongoing now for over a year, I have gone through 4 different belts trying to see what could work. The first time it happen was early in the morning (approx. 3 am) while my wife was on her way to work, with the sudden loss of power steering she ran into a curb. The only damage was to the vehicle front bumper and bottom valance.
Normal use of the vehicle has LED to strut towers rusting and separating under the hood, causing a potentially dangerous loss of control while driving the vehicle. Repair shop told me to repair with a "strut tower repair kit". They then explained this is a very common defect in Chrysler/Dodge minivans from 1996-2000 and there is a technical service bulletin #23-044-02 about the condition and repair. If left undiagnosed and un-repaired, this could cause a vehicle owner to lose control of the vehicle while driving. Due to the # of incidents & repairs, this seems to be a product design defect. Chrysler refused to pay for the kit. I don't understand why a recall would not be issued...because no one has died yet?
As I backed out of my downward sloping driveway the brake pedal went to the floor and it was necessary to apply emergency brake to prevent entry into the street. Visual inspection of the rear brake lines revealed rust/corrosion on both sides of the flexible stainless steel segments which are located about 1 foot to the rear of the ABS module. One of these sections had ruptured causing the loss of braking. I have removed the line from the ABS module and cut it about a foot from the rupture. I have pre-removal pictures of these areas and the affected parts are available. Repairs will be made to both the ruptured line and to the other rear brake line as it looks that one will fail shortly if used.
Consumer complained about seat belts located in the middle which secured child safety seat. When the driver made a sudden stop the seat belt, which secured the child seat positioned behind the driver's seat, became unlatched and as a result the seat hit the back of the driver's seat. The child was not injured. The consumer had the buckles checked at two different dealership and both times the consumer was told that the buckles were fine. The front brake pads and rotors were replaced. The driver's side tail light cover fell off. The sliding door handle came off.
The shock tower mounting which holds the strut wheel and steering assembly has corroded due a design defect and has allowed the strut and wheel assembly to become disconnected to the vehicle causing an unsafe /catastrophic condition to exist. This design defect was noticed during an unrelated inspection. The defect was reported to Chrysler dealer on 7/23/08. The service dept. Was aware of this recurrent problem and stated that a service bulletin had bee issued to dealers in 2002 but owners had not been notified via a vehicle recall notification.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that he had to use force in order to open the liftgate. He stated that the bolts that attach the gas struts had failed and was related to NHTSA campaign id number 99V123000 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls on the vehicle. He has not called the dealer and no repairs have been made. The current and failure mileages were 190,000.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Chrysler Town and Country. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed rust on the strut tower underneath the hood. There were no prior warnings to this defect. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the strut tower needed to be replaced at an auto body shop. At this time, the vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 118,000 and current mileage was 119,000. Updated 08/15/08.
Body complaints in other Town and Country years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2000 Chrysler Town and Country?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the body & structure of the 2000 Chrysler Town and Country, 7% of the model year's 306 complaints. The component named most often is frame and members (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Chrysler Town and Country body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2000 Chrysler Town and Country, though it has 2 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 2000 Chrysler Town and Country body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 99,000 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.