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 2001 Chrysler Town and Country owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Chrysler Town and Country. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the steering tightened when the contact attempted to make a left turn. The contact added power steering fluid to the vehicle and noticed fluid leaking under the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN provided was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 270,000.
Steering wheel locked up while driving, with engine running, car went off road, almost hit tree. After stopped , with engine still running ( it never stopped) I had to pull back and forth on the steering wheel, suddenly the wheel was free to turn and has acted normal since. Drove home fine , but scared it May happen again ! Kids were in van !
After reading all the complaints on the 2001 Town and Country I decided to report my own as well. About 3 years ago I replaced my whole power steering unit. It began becoming stiff and impossible to turn mostly in the morning when is was a little cold...then it began at any start up and sometimes only when I was trying to make a right turn. I took it to my mechanic who replaced the fluid and it was fine for a short amount of time and then began doing the same thing. I took it back to my mechanic who then replaced the whole power steering unit. It worked much better. Then about 6 months ago it started whining I thought it May have been a belt but now I am sure it is the power steering again. This could have caused more wrecks then what I would like to admit and I am shocked that Chrysler is not recalling this problem. I also had to replace my air conditioning unit at 48,000. …
Back in early 2005 we had a problem with the sway bar, sway eliminators & sway bushings having to be replaced on our 2001 Chrysler Town & Country lx with only 31,000 mile on it (purchased new in 2001). We contacted Chrysler with the problem & this was resolved promptly by Chrysler. Same car 1 1/2 years later and now with only 40,000 miles on it a "thunking" noise in the front end again. Upon taking it to a local Chrysler dealership for a routine oil change the mechanic told us that the rack & pinion steering needed to be replaced at a cost of approximately $900. A representative of the Chrysler dealership informed me to contact Chrysler about this problem since it seemed to possibly be a premature failure. We immediately had the rack & pinion steering replaced by our mechanic because we didn't know what would happen if it failed while driving. …
Power steering boost has failed on three occasions. All were low speed, less than 10 MPH. There were no accidents or other consequences other than extreme difficulty in steering. I have taken the car to my Chrysler dealership, and they report that they cannot replicate the events I've reported. They further state that they can find nothing wrong with the power steering system. Nevertheless, these events are exactly as I have reported to the dealers service department. I am an experienced driver and vehicle owner. My concern now is when and where will it happen again, and will there be an accident! I frequently drive on snow and ice (vehicle is all-wheel-drive), and any steering failure could lead to an accident. Needless to say, I am very unhappy with the Chrysler dealership in question, and no longer feel safe driving this car. …
I feel good now that companies are repairing their defective automobiles, a process that saves consumer lives and money. One would assume that regulators are controlling the automobile companies and protecting the public, but this assumption is not true. The public spends billions on defective products that department of transportation does little about defective American cars. My power steering fluid leaked out of my Chrysler Town and Country. I entered Chrysler power steering problems and received 6,480,000 responses. Then I realized that Chrysler is unable to produce a workable power steering system, or they plan for it to fail. I believe their power steering system has been a component of their planned obsolescence for the last quarter of a century. I owned a 1987 Chrysler fifth avenue and the power steering system failed in that car. …
The vehicle made a knocking noise in the front end. The dealer replaced the front suspension strut, strut mount, front sway bar and sway bar link. The rear end of the vehicle also made noise. The dealer replaced the transfer gear set. The vehicle also experienced a whining noise in the steering wheel. The dealer replaced the spring clock along with the shroud stabilizer. Power steering fluid due it being clog and caused the steering to whine when turned. The rear lift gate would not open with the remote. Faulty front rotors squeaked when applied. The drivers side window would not go up due to a faulty regulator. The cruise control would not disable when the brakes were applied and the brakes would not work when the cruise control was engaged. The rear windshield wipers were inoperative. The engine made noise when started. …
Vehicle has electrical problems including but not limited to power windows, wipers, stereo, headlights, and ac controls. Problems include headlights flickering on and off, wipers/stereo does not function when you first turn on the car and then comes on by itself anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 days later. No pattern can be determined which makes me to believe that the whole electrical system of this vehicle is defective. According to the dealership they cannot duplicate the problem, or if they cannot determine the cause of the problem, therefore it isn't their problem. I have spent countless trips to the dealerships and paid for them to look at it only to be told that they can't duplicate it. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Chrysler Town and Country. While parked, the contact activated the low beam headlights and noticed that the driver's side headlight had not illuminated. When the contact activated the high beam headlights the passenger side headlight did not illuminate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact replaced the headlight bulbs but the failure continued. Also, while driving approximately 10 MPH in rainy weather, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver and the battery warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle regained power steering independently. The failure continued intermittently. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for further diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.
2001 Chrysler Town & Country limited 3.8l v6. I have had suspension problems from the start. Knocking noises, etc. Replaced tie rods, sway bars, lower control arms and bushings, but done it piecemeal. Many of these items have been repeatedly replaced. Now it has gotten worse--from strictly annoying to downright dangerous. The van jerks approx 6-8 feet left and right into another lane or shoulder in a second. Replaced the lower control arms and reduced the jerks to only 6-8 inches but still drifts. I am again replacing rack & pinion, inner and outter tie rods along with the new control arms. Hopefully this will alleviate the problem--but this repeated repairs has cost more than the van is worth. Not to mention the rapid wear of tires (seem to replace every 10K miles).
Steering complaints in other Town and Country years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2001 Chrysler Town and Country?
NHTSA has 52 complaints about the steering of the 2001 Chrysler Town and Country, 11% of the model year's 462 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Chrysler Town and Country steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2001 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 2001 Chrysler Town and Country steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 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.