Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Chrysler Town and Country owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, steam was coming from the radiator. The temperature gauge failed to indicate that the engine had overheated. The contact pulled over and discovered that the coolant had leaked out. The contact added water to the coolant reservoir and then drove the vehicle to the residence where the coolant hose was replaced. The dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and the contact was informed that he needed pay for a diagnostic test to determine the cause of the temperature gauge failure to indicate that the engine had overheated. The temperature gauge was not replaced. The failure mileage was 59,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed to make a left turn, and the vehicle shut-off without warning. She exited the vehicle and flagged down two fellow motorists for assistance. While they attempted to push the vehicle, the contact was able to restart the vehicle and resumed normal driving. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 152,669.
T & C 2008 VAN UNINTENDED SUDDEN ACCELERATION happened 2x. Service dept. Of the dealer says no problem found but it happened again. Today I am at dealer service again.Hope they solve the problem, cause several incident like this occured aluready.04
Multiple times the van will intermittently stall while driving down the road or stopped in traffic. First the dash lights flicker, speedometer and rpm gages go to 0, and warning lights such as esp, traction, abs, airbag, battery etc flicker on and off and occasionally hear almost a spark through radio speakers, then everything shuts off, both electrical and mechanically. When that happens I lose power steering and cannot get my hazards or brake lights to work. One time I could barely press the brake pedal, or steer and it was at night which means the vehicle was completely dark with no kinds of lights at an intersection with my 2 children and myself inside. So very scary! It gives me the worst anxiety to drive it and I'm too scared to sell it as I feel I would be knowingly selling a very unsafe vehicle. Occasionally the sliding side doors do not operate properly. …
Unknown. Vehicle abruptly shuts off. Usually before full operating temperature is reached. It has happened dozens of times. It most recently happened today. Always when you remove your foot from the throttle at lower speeds. You can watch the tach go to 0 when your foot comes off. No warning, no consistency. It has never occurred while accelerating. Most events happened going around a curve, occasionally while slowing to turn into a lot or at an intersection. No problem at highway speeds. The most challenging time though is taking your foot off the gas going around a curve and it quits. Response is to rapidly slip the transmission into neutral and turn the key to start. It usually fires right back up. If you have no situational awareness however this could lead to a really bad outcome. This has been going on for over 100,000 miles. Have 192 now but the problem is getting worse. …
The vehicle died while driving six times. One additional time the vehicle died after being stopped at home. Each time the vehicle lost all power functions, steering and breaking. It just came to a stop, dead. On two of the occurrences a tow was required to move the vehicle to the dealership for repair. On five of the occurrences the driver was able to restart the vehicle. On three occasions the vehicle was evaluated by repair facilities and they could not reproduce the stoppage. One time at QualTech Automotive Service in Austin and two times at Nyle Maxwell in Austin. The vehicle did pass the Texas Safety inspection in November 2021. The stoppage problem occurred over the last nine months with the latest stoppage being on 12/23/21.
I was leaving my place of residence and was navigating a 90 degree left hand turn while in drive at approximately 10mph. As I began to attempt to straighten the wheel and accelerate out of the turn I realized I had no steering and the car wouldn't accelerate. The engine had stalled and the steering wheel was locked while turned to the left. No warning lights or messages were present even after I started the vehicle back up. I feel incredibly lucky this happened at a low rate of speed instead of at highway speed. It has never done anything like this before and we cannot figure out what caused the engine to stall or why there was no steering when it happened.
I was driving in Chattanooga Tn when it happened the first time. But the van just shut off so I made it to a parking lot turned the switch off then it started right back up and it happened again on my way home. It has happened multiple times. The the Ecm light came on so I had it replaced now the engine won't do anything at all
The van would stop at low speeds with loss of steering and braking power. No codes would be triggered, it was as if the ignition was just turned off while driving. The electrical power would still be on like the radio and instrumentation panel but the steering and braking would tighten up; very scary feeling. It has happened to my wife driving the kids eight to ten times and myself two times. The dealer said the ignition recall would take care of the problem but I think it is something else (took dealer 6 months to get the part in after our first incident). It got so bad that my wife would have me warm up and drive the van around before she would use it. After my experiences with the issue my procedure to her is to place the transmission in neutral while the van is still rolling and restart the car (this is only in the case of possibly being rear ended). …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country. While driving 30 MPH, the contact noticed smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that she had to refuel the vehicle with fuel approximately every ten minutes as the fuel gauge continued to display empty. In addition, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent auto shop where it was diagnosed with a failure in injector number four that needed replacement. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and repaired. The independent mechanic test drove the vehicle after the repairs, but the failures persisted. The independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle as having a misfire in cylinder four. The vehicle was not repaired and the contact was advised that it was not safe to drive. The independent mechanic suggested that the vehicle be taken to a dealer. …
Engine complaints in other Town and Country years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2008 Chrysler Town and Country?
NHTSA has 248 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2008 Chrysler Town and Country, 13% of the model year's 1,939 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Chrysler Town and Country engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2008 Chrysler Town and Country, though it has 7 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 2008 Chrysler Town and Country engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.