Most common 2012 Chrysler Town and Country problems
Share of the 634 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chrysler Town and Country complaints by model year
Best Town and Country years: 2004, 2007, 2003. Years to avoid: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2005, 2009. Compare all years →
2012 Chrysler Town and Country recalls (5)
Equipment adaptive/mobility › Wheelchair restraints/securement › Latch/anchor
Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram Promaster vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints.
Remedy: Rollx will work with Q'Straint to inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact Rollx's customer service at 1-800-956-6668.
Electrical system
Chrysler Group, LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, through October 31, 2013. The affected vehicles may experience overheating of the vent window switch in the driver's door armrest.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vent window switch with a newer version, free of charge. The owner notification letter was issued and the remedy campaign launched on on December 31, 2014.
Equipment
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2012 town and country and Dodge grand caravan vehicles, manufactured from March 9, 2012 through March 12, 2012. Some vehicles May be equipped with a right side liftgate pinch sensor that does not function properly.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the right side liftgate pinch sensors, free of charge. The safety recall began on May 18, 2012. Owners May contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Suspension › Rear
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2012 town and country and Dodge grand caravan vehicles manufactured from November 15, 2011, through November 21, 2011. Some vehicles May be equipped with right rear hub and bearing assemblies that were not fully machined.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right rear hub and bearing assembly, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 27, 2012. Owners May contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Engine and engine cooling
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2012 Chrysler vehicles, including 200 and town and country models, Dodge vehicles, including charger, durango, grand caravan and journey models and Jeep grand cherokee vehicles manufactured from August 31, 2011, through September 13, 2011, that are equipped with 3.6l engines.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners and replace the engine free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about November 18, 2011. Owners May contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2012 Chrysler Town and Country:
Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19014 on September 9, 2019, to investigate 128 consumer complaints alleging that the Active Head Rest (AHR) inadvertently deployed without the occurrence of a crash or other rear impact event in model year (MY) 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles.When ODI opened the investigation, ODI was aware of thirteen alleged injuries.A small number of Early…
Totally Integrated Power Module Failure
In a letter dated August 21, 2014, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a defect investigation of alleged failures associated with the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) installed in Chrysler SUV?s, trucks, and vans beginning in the 2007 model year.
What 2012 Chrysler Town and Country owners say
Electrical system all 395 →
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving 45-60 MPH, the rear passenger side sliding door started smoking and caught on fire. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact immediately veered to the side of the road and assisted his four children out of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle burned significantly down to the metal frame. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. The contact was unsure whether a fire department report was filed. The contact stated that two of his children were occupying the second-row seats while the other two were occupying the third-row seats. The contact stated that his son, who was sitting close to the rear passenger sliding door, sustained soot on his face. The contact sustained a sore throat, cough, chest pain, and breathing issues. …
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle surged. The ABS warning light and the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that as she continued to drive, the RPM's revved up. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned on the hazard lights. The vehicle then lost electrical power. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact took the battery to a local Pep Boys where the battery was charged and advised the contact that the battery was operative. However, the vehicle would not start. The contact replaced the battery herself. However, the alternator started smoking and the contact could smell an electrical burning odor. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V634000 (Electrical System). …
Engine & cooling all 104 →
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the A/C was blowing out hot air. The contact stated that smoke began emanating from the engine compartment and the vehicle started smoking and it caught fire. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road where the hood was opened and the fire was out by a passenger. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine and engine cooling system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue but stated that the parts to complete the repair have been discontinued. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The contact stated that the battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle started jerking while the transmission was shifting between gears. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that there was a burning odor coming from the vents while driving in hot weather. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Several unknown dealers were notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 189,000.
Fuel & propulsion system all 58 →
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that the vehicle would not immediately start. The contact was able to start the vehicle after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel pump relay had failed and needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic also advised the contact that the manufacturer had made a bypass kit for the failure. The fuel pump relay was bypassed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
Fuel Relay System Failure When searching online apparently this is such an extremely common issue there is a special bypass part that was made, and part of a recall for durangos and jeeps but not the town and country, even though this part is failing all the time in this vehicle as well. Before it went completely dead, it did fail once when I was driving, which is a huge safety issue. I was lucky it started again and that I wasn't going very fast. I didn't know at the time that is was the fuel relay system failing until it finally stopped working and my car no longer started. Once bypassed with the bypass part it started immediately, however I had to buy the bypass part to confirm. This should be a recalled issue though, since it is an extremely hazardous issue if it causes failures while driving
2012 Chrysler Town and Country engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Chrysler Town and Country a good car?
Based on 634 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Town and Country rates use caution: 1.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the Town and Country at the same age. It is one of the Town and Country years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chrysler Town and Country?
The electrical system — 395 complaints, 62% of all complaints for this model year, most often about propulsion system › fuses, relays, contacts, and shunts. Next are the engine & cooling (104) and fuel & propulsion system (58).
How many recalls does the 2012 Chrysler Town and Country have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2012 Chrysler Town and Country, the most recent from December 17, 2025 (latch/anchor). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chrysler Town and Country?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004, 2007 and 2003. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2005 and 2009. See the full Chrysler Town and Country years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Chrysler Town and Country problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 33% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.