1998 Chrysler Town AND Country Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Town AND Country years
- Fewer complaints than other years 18th of 24 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 296 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Chrysler Town AND Country. That ranks 18th out of 24 Town AND Country model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (67 complaints, 23%), typically at around 84,566 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 20 fires, 11 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 6 defect investigations involving it.
- 296owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 6NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Chrysler Town AND Country problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 67 | 23% | 84,566 | “serpentine belt” (31%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 62 | 21% | 133,500 | “cruise control” (15%) | $990 |
| Air Bags | 45 | 15% | 85,525 | — | — |
| Power Train | 30 | 10% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 30 | 10% | 72,150 | — | — |
| Suspension | 18 | 6% | 98,125 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 16 | 5% | 131,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 15 | 5% | 120,124 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 4% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 3% | 86,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 9 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 8 | 3% | 69,400 | — | — |
| Equipment | 7 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 2% | 146,986 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 2% | 83,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 2% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 2% | 146,986 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 2% | 82,949 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 4 | 1% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 1% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 4,200 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 128,275 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 300,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 199,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 146,986 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Chrysler Town AND Country recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags
Problem: On certain minivans, the driver's air bag may become disabled due to a failure of the clockspring, which is located in the hub of the steering wheel.
Risk: This condition will manifest itself through illumination of the air bag warning lamp, and could eventually result in a driver's air bag open circuit, if the part is not replaced in a reasonable amount of time.
Fix: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly on all covered vehicles with 70,000 miles or less. For those vehicles with more than 70,000 miles, daimlerchrysler will offer an extended lifetime warranty under which it will replace the clockspring at no charge if it fails. Daimlerchrysler will also reimburse owners who have paid to have the clockspring replaced on their vehicles. The recall began on october 12, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: On certain mini vans, the clockspring assembly may have been wound incorrectly during the vehicle assembly process.
Risk: This condition will manifest itself through illumination of the air bag warning lamp, and could eventually result in a driver's air bag open circuit, if the part is not replaced in a reasonable amount of time.
Fix: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly on all vehicles with 70,000 miles or less. An extended lifetime warranty will also be placed on this component for all affected vehicles, regardless of mileage. Daimlerchrysler will also reimburse owners who have paid to have the clockspring replaced on their vehicles. Owner notification began november 18, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: On certain minivans, some trim material can loosen and drop into the rear outboard seat belt assembly, causing the seat belt to become inoperative.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the trim with foam blockers and inspect and replace all 3rd row seat belt assemblies. Owner notification began june 3, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system
Problem: Vehicle description: mini vans built with 3.3l and 3.8l engines have fuel rails with nitrole rubber o-ring seals that can degrade over time. Fuel leakage from the underhood fuel injection fuel rail could result, increasing the likelihood of a vehicle fire.
Risk: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a seal on the vehicle fuel rails to prevent external leakage of fuel from the fuel rail crossover tube, should the existing o-rings continue to degrade. Owner notification began on january 25, 2002. Due to the large quantity of vehicles involved in this campaign, the owner notification will be phased over the next several months. However, if a vehicle is leaking fuel from the o-rings, the vehicle should be taken into a dealer to have this repaired as soon as possible. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Child seat
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger minivans equipped with integrated child seats. The shoulder harness restraint webbing was incorrectly routed around the metal reinforcement bar on these seats.
Risk: The child seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a collision.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the routing of the shoulder belt webbing and any found incorrect will be properly routed.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Driver air bag clockspring failure (EA04013) — opened Jun 4, 2004, closed May 25, 2005, led to recall 04V480000.
- Driver air bag clockspring failure (RQ04001) — opened Jan 28, 2004, closed Jun 4, 2004.
- Air bag clockspring (EA01007) — opened Feb 21, 2001, closed Nov 22, 2002, led to recall 02V293000.
- Dc minivan fuel injector rail leak (RQ00008) — opened Mar 9, 2000, closed Mar 18, 2002, led to recall 00V268000.
- Post collision fuel system (EA99013) — opened Jun 11, 1999, closed Aug 10, 2001.
- Post-collision fuel system integrity (PE99010) — opened Feb 3, 1999, closed Jun 11, 1999.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
This vehicle has stalled while driving on the highway with my kids in the car leaving me with no power no brake had to quickly turn off to the shoulder and try to restart it is happening on a daily basis and is very dangerous i had a recall part replaced by dealer and still nothing something has to…
While driving in snow and rain for one day the steering wheel froze up, the battery light went on, and i was no longer able to drive. I was on a flat street and in motion when it occurred.
Complete failure of the brake system due to a rupture of a brake line. Lucky for us we were on a flat section of road and drifted to a stop. If we had been three seconds later we would have crashed into cross traffic.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chrysler town and country. The contact stated that another vehicle rear ended the contact and the seat belts failed to secure the front driver and the front passenger. A police report was filed. The front driver and the front passenger both sustained back injuries that…
Vehicle continues to turn off when slowing down and must restart vehicle while approaching a light or going up a hill. Vehicle taken to repair shop prior and could not find anything wrong with vehicle, repair shop confirmed issues. Have report from shop indicating concern for safety while driving…
Other Chrysler Town AND Country years
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Chrysler Town AND Country?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, electrical system, air bags problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 67 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Chrysler Town AND Country?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Chrysler Town AND Country a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Town AND Country model years, the 1998 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.