Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Chrysler Town and Country owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Don't get me wrong I love my Chrysler t&c lx stow and go. I only have 4 problems with it. This one is for the transmission and it scared the living crap out of me! Last night on my way home on the highway I went to pass a semi and got about half way around it and my check engine light came on and I heard a loud whinning noise and next thing you know my RPM were full blown and I was not gaining speed I was stuck and no where to go as car was approching a head on collision I had to slam on my brakes and pray no one was coming up behind us and get back behind semi!! He was blowing his horn and I was freaking out. I mad it safely behind semi with seconds to spare before me and my 2 daughters would have been dead or smashed into trees. …
When braking rather hard to slow/stop quickly, transmission hesitates to downshift so when starting to accelerate again, engine revs up but transmission does not engage. Then it will engage suddenly with a hard jerk which can be dangerous. Also, when braking hard to slow quickly and because the transmission does not disengage as it should, the engine sometime kills when I have slowed. In an instance when that happened, I was making a turn and, of course, lost power steering so barely avoided hitting a vehicle waiting on the street into which I was turning since steering was very heavy to accomplish. Brought this up to a technician who said, "yes those vehicles are known for their transmissions failure to disengage and occasional slippage on starting and then suddenly engaging with a very hard jerk". Updated 5/10/2015
Tl contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact shifted into park and left the vehicle idling in the driveway. When she returned, the vehicle had rolled forward and was lodged between a tree and another vehicle. The passenger side fender and exterior light were damaged. The other vehicle was not damaged. No police report was filed. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The current mileage was 68,000 and failure mileage was 67,800. Updated 12/30/08. Updated 01/05/09.
Unstable dash, warning lights, cut off while idling, traction control circuit. As described in many postings from other customers as far back as 1996. As described in the post. These problems are well known to Chrysler and their dealerships but you receive no help in solving these problems without spending $$$$ and still no relief. Http://forum.chryslerminivan.net/showthread.php/22167-2005-Chrysler-Town-amp-Country-w-instrument-cluster-flickering-amp-electrical-mayhem.
My car was put into drive with out there being any key in the ignition rolled forward I tested it again to see if there was something I did not do and again on a flat serface no key in the ignition not foot on the brake I was able to get it into drive.
1-reported vibration in steering wheel between 20-50 MPH [2-possible exhaust leak, I was getting sleepy after 20-30 min drive time, I use recycle mode on A/C due to having asthma [ 3-reported noise from the muffler/exhaust area[4- A/C compressor makes a laboring noise [5-vibration and a growling noise in rear suspension, axle or transmission[6-transmission seems to slip or jerk into and out of gear between 15-45 MPH. Service department could not duplicate any of my concerns but by the same token my mileage out was the same as my mileage in so I'm not sure it was even driven. …
Complete failure of vehicle safety systems while vehicle in motion time: about 3:45 pm place: long meadow elementary school in rochester hills, mi 48309 vehicle: 2005 Town & Country - [redacted] mileage 11,700 1. After arriving in the school parking lot, my wife slowed down to take a turn to park in a spot. 2. The vehicle completely stalled and stopped. 3. She turned off the ignition and then restarted the engine. The engine started. 4. She tried to turn and park at the same spot on left side. The steering did not respond and vehicle kept moving in straight direction. 5. She tried to stop the vehicle by applying the brakes repeatedly with no response. 6. She also tried to steer vehicle towards empty space with no result. 7. She put the transmission in parking; it made some loud noise but did not stop the vehicle. 8. …
I was the second owner of a 1998 Town and Country and thought everything was great until my 2 year old climbed into the driver seat, pulled the vehicle out of park and into neutral. Had the back sliding door not been open for me to jump in and put the van into park it would have coasted into the neighbors front porch. On another occurrence I was loading the van with some items from the rear when I realized my daughter again got into the drivers seat to pretend drive. I realized that she was there and went to the front but was too late. She pulled the vehicle out of park (no keys...they were in my pocket) and ran into the another neighbors fence and trash cans. I was furious that the dealer I spoke to said the shift interlock was not installed until 2000 and refused to help so I traded it in for a 2005 with one previous owner. …
Started with erratic jumping of instrument needles synchronous with electrical popping in sound system and flickering of all lights. Has gotten progressively worse to now, killing the engine suddenly while under power conditions, leaving vehicle without power steering and necessitating shifting to neutral while at full road speed, and restarting the engine to regain operative control, all while in operation on the road in traffic. This has happened on four occasions during the past three weeks to this date. Vehicle also has electrical "hiccups" resulting in disengagement of transmission under operating conditions, which has so far (six incidences) re-engaged within ten seconds pursuant.this morning, July 11, 2013, while awaiting a traffic light, the engine killed and the entire system locked up for several minutes, including inability to move shifter, no response to key in ignition; …
My 2005 Chrysler Town/Country came to a complete stop on a residential street after my hand/purse ran into the key in the ignition. I coasted to a stop. Luckily, since it was on a side street with no one behind me I was able to remain calm, put it into park and started the vehicle back up with no problem. There has not been a problem since then. I have made sure to lighten the load on my keychain, only having 2 keys and nothing else. I can not imagine what would have happened had I been on the freeway going 70 MPH!!! That is why I am submitting this complaint. The key surely should have a safety feature built into it that would not allow it to turn the vehicle off while it is being driven and in gear (drive). A simple bump should not make that key move into a non-drivable position. I think a defect like this could indeed cause a fatal crash and needs to be fixed. …
Transmission complaints in other Town and Country years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2005 Chrysler Town and Country?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2005 Chrysler Town and Country, 4% of the model year's 857 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Chrysler Town and Country transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2005 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 2005 Chrysler Town and Country transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.