Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Chrysler Town and Country owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I went to turn on my headlights, and they didn't come on. All the other lights work. Parking, dash, tail, and the high beam indicator. But no headlights. Also l read that people complained about windshield washer' not working. I tried mine and they also didn't work. I see there is a recall on same problem with the 2005 - 2007 Chrysler town and country limited and they are under a recall. Mine is a 2004 T & Country limited.it My mechanic has checked all the fuses and relay's and can't find anything wrong except for the lights and wind washers not working. I called my Chrysler dealership and they acted like they never heard of the problem. But that's O K with them because they don't have to drive a car without headlights.
This time I was heading down with my family from one of the highest spots at yellowstone national park. My speed was about 45 MPH and two lane road with lot of turns. No other traffic in front or behind me. I turned high beams on and there we go, headlights gone. I pulled quickly fog lights on to have some lights. No other options than continue to the next place where I could pull car to side of the road. When stopped I checked if knocking ECM works but it didn't, normally it does. I released four screws and pulled ECM out. Installed my spare ECM, no lights. I installed the old ECM module back and wiggled it and lights came on. I didn't check on the spot that would I have high beams. 1 hour later when we got to cottage we rented I wanted to know what happen this time when turning high beams on. Lights gone again. This time knocking ECM module helped. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chrysler Town and Country. The vehicle was parked when someone informed the contact that smoke was emitting from the vehicle. The contact attempting to open the door but it would not open and the alarm did not function. The fire department was called and the as the firemen broke the window to get into the vehicle, the driver side door became engulfed in flames. The fire was extinguished and the main cable cut to prevent any future fires. The fire marshall stated that "the fire was located behind the driver's seat in the b-post where electrical equipment failed causing the fire". The vehicle was towed to the local dealership where the door panel, seat belts, and driver seat were replaced. The vehicle was electrical but the dealer switched everything to manual after the fire. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated the vehicle caught on fire while sitting idle with the engine off. The fire department was contacted and determined the fire originated from under the rear driver's side sliding door panel. The dealer came out to take pictures of the damage and the vehicle was towed. The dealer was able to repair the vehicle however; the contact was unsatisfied with the quality of the repairs. The majority of the vehicle electrical components were no longer operable, such as the power locks and windows, and the air bag warning light was illuminated on the dashboard. There were no further repairs. The failure mileage was 126,000 and the current mileage was 127,000. Updated 8/4/10 updated 08/09/10
Takata recall the fule rail wiring harness melted down.the wiring harnes is installed right above the exhaust from the factory. The heat from the exhaust over time melted a 4 inch section of the insulation off of the wiring harness causing them to sort out. The van had 130000 miles when this happened. It left me and my family stranded on the freeway, it happened while I was driving. This was very unsafe to have the engine stall out on the freeway. Clearly there should be more than 2 inches between the wiring harness and the exhaust system. I had the van towed to my mechanic $150. Then they replaced the old harness $400 parts $435 labor total $985 dollars!
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while reversing at 5 MPH after refueling the vehicle, it stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but the failure was unable to be determined. The vehicle was not repaired but the failure recurred multiple times. The contact mentioned the last failure resulted in the vehicle being unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 144,963.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact started the vehicle was parked with the engine off when it caught fire. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The fire originated from the driver side sliding door panel. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. The dealer replaced the panel to the door and the driver's power seat. The door and driver seat were only able to be operated manually and not automatic. The failure mileage was 124,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.
I had taken the vehicle for repair on two occasions due to turn signals malfunctioning, power windows malfunctioning, and back sliding doors malfunctioning. On the first occasion malfunctions could not be enacted. On second occasion, a switch was replaced. On June 28, 2006 van was hit in rear pushed into another car and thrown into an 18 wheeler traveling 60 miles per hour and no airbags deployed.
I found last night when I was about to leave from home for some home depot shopping that my headlights didn't turn on. This is low and high beams. Fog lights, corner lights and indicators work just normally.
Where to begin? 1) wiring that run along passenger side door to control rear hatch, and back side sliding door severed by opening slider door. Car can no longer be locked because the power door look system controls were cut when the wiring was cut. 2) complete loss of displays and controls in the dashboard, with no warning that it was going to happen. Everything worked in the evening, and was lost the next morning. No wipers, lights, displays, etc. Car sat in driveway for 12 hours, from the time it worked, to the time that we discovered nothing worked. 3) problem w/ power steering. Car makes a wining noise and drinks power steering fluid. Several different websites report this as a common problem, and the dealer wants a $1200 repair. This should be a recall.
Electrical complaints in other Town and Country years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 Chrysler Town and Country?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 Chrysler Town and Country, 14% of the model year's 167 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Chrysler Town and Country electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2004 Chrysler Town and Country, though it has 1 recall 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 2004 Chrysler Town and Country electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 124,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 4 injuries to electrical system 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.