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2003 Chrysler Town And Country Problems and Recalls

Owners filed 245 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Chrysler Town And Country, most often about the steering (21% of complaints, typically around 54,500 miles). It is 15th of 17 Town And Country model years by number of complaints and has 2 recalls.

Complaints245
Recalls2
Crashes reported15
Fires reported7
Injuries reported282 deaths reported

Most common 2003 Chrysler Town And Country problems

  1. Steering

    52 complaints · 21%

    Half of these problems showed up before 54,500 miles. Parts named most often: hydraulic power assist, rack and pinion, hydraulic power assist system, column.

    Events leading up to failures on 2.28.07, I purchased a 2003 Chrysler town & country lxi with 56,000 miles from arlington acura in palatine, il after a carchex inspection & test drive. Upon driving home to minnesota that day on interstate expressways, I encountered two major mechanical problems: failure, consequences…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 56,250 miles
    In march of 2006 we noticed that our town & country mini van was steering sloppy, lose and had loud noises coming from the area of the steering rack. After having the car inspect, it was determined that the steer rack had failed with only 53000 miles on it. We contacted Chrysler and was told that it is out of warranty…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2008, at 53,000 miles

  2. Electrical

    40 complaints · 16%

    Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: wiring, 12v/24v/48v battery, alternator/generator/regulator, instrument cluster/panel.

    Tl contact owns a 2003 Chrysler Town And Country. The contact stated that the brakes squeaked and pulsated when depressed. All of the brakes and rotors were replaced. The air conditioner compressor made a grating and scraping sound and was replaced, along with the alternator. The contact was afraid to remove the key…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2008, at 80,000 miles
    Electrical issue with multiple items like, wipers, door locks, windows, automatic doors, dome lights, dash lights etc... Vehicle has had several issues with intermittent electrical shorts at different times. I have taken it to the dealer on several occasions and spent thousands of dollars but the problem keeps…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2008, at 78,000 miles

  3. Transmission

    28 complaints · 11%

    Half of these problems showed up before 58,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, axle assembly, driveline.

    - the contact owns a 2003 Chrysler Town And Country. The contact stated that the transmission shifted when engaging the second gear, and it slipped back into first. The vehicle jerked harshly each time trying to shift gears, it eventually shifted gears. The contact was told by the customer care center on more than one…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 58,200 miles
    Both the rack and pinion steering and transmission went out at 58,000 miles on my 2003 town & country made by Chrysler. This is unacceptable for a van with so few miles on it.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 58,651 miles

  4. Engine

    25 complaints · 10%

    Half of these problems showed up before 75,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, cooling system.

    Dash board instrumentation failure and additional engine issues. Fuel gauge pegged. Tachometer and other gauges fluctuating, engine falters and stalls, all warning lights illuminate, radio becomes intermittent. Car alarm activates and will not shut off. Low voltage to dashboard cluster circuit board. Instrument error…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2011, at 75,000 miles
    The contact owns a 2003 Chrysler town & country. The contact stated that accelerating from a traffic stop the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact mentioned that he was able to restart the vehicle after unplugging the battery for several hours. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the ECM was…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2012, at 75,000 miles

  5. Air bags

    25 complaints · 10%

    Half of these problems showed up before 90,500 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.

    While driving at 35 MPH vehicle was involved in frontal collision. Upon impact, front air bags did not deploy. Driver sustained minor injuries.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2004, at 90,000 miles
    On july 10, 2008 we noticed that our airbag light would come on when we took a corner, but it would go off as we drove straight. It kept doing this for about three weeks and then the air bag light stayed on continually and the horn stopped working. We had it checked out and was tolded it was the air bag clock spring.…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2008, at 91,000 miles

  6. Lights

    17 complaints · 7%

    Half of these problems showed up before 78,000 miles. Parts named most often: headlights, turn signal, brake lights.

    Headlights would go out and stay out for 30-90 seconds at a time. Happened 3 or 4 times on the way home. Leading up to this,the lights had been flickering or dimming once or twice a week. We contacted Chrysler, and several dealers, and all of them claim no knowledge of this problem.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 75,000 miles
    I was driving home at work at 10pm and my headlights went out then back on then out again and back on again. This was a scary situation to me.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2009, at 81,000 miles

  7. Visibility and wipers

    17 complaints · 7%

    Half of these problems showed up before 70,500 miles. Parts named most often: glass, side/rear, power window devices and controls, defroster/defogger/hvac system, windshield wiper/washer.

    The drivers side and passenger side windows in my 2003 Chrysler Town And Country have fallen into the door multiple times without warning or during use. The first time was the driver's side as I was leaving work and it was 15 degrees out. The window fell into the door. The second time was the passenger window and it…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2005, at 61,000 miles
    Dt: 2003 Chrysler Town And Country ex. Shortly after purchasing the vehicle the consumer took it back to the dealer because the drivers side rear window did not seal correctly. When passenger's rode in the back seat the could hear whistling noise. The salesman pushed in on the window and thought this fixed the…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2005, at 60,000 miles

  8. Body and structure

    15 complaints · 6%

    Half of these problems showed up before 38,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.

    While driving hatchback intermittently opened. No warning light shown before or after the incident. Dealership was notified, reprogramed the lift-gate module did not resolve the problem. A new latch mechanism was installed a week ago and the problem has not re-occurred.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2004, at 38,000 miles
    On 2 separate occasions hatchback popped open by itself. The second time this failure occurred hatch back hit a brick wall in a parking lot. The rear windshield and windshield wipers broke. The dealership was contacted, but didn't provide any assistance.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2004, at 31,000 miles

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

2003 Chrysler Town And Country recalls

  1. Doors and locks: lock

    NHTSA 05V134000 · April 6, 2005 · 70,235 vehicles

    Risk: In the event of a crash, an unbelted passenger could be ejected from the vehicle.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the power liftgate control module free of charge. The recall began april 26, 2005. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

    Full defect summary

    On certain minivans, the power liftgate (plg) latch may not engage the striker allowing the liftgate to open while driving.

  2. Steering: hose, piping, and connections

    NHTSA 04V386000 · August 5, 2004 · 681,000 vehicles

    Risk: Power steering fluid leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in an under hood fire.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the upper power steering cooler hose. This recall began on september 27, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

    Full defect summary

    On certain minivans equipped with 3.3 or 3.8l v-6 engine, the upper power steering cooler hose may split and cause a fluid leak.

Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.

NHTSA defect investigations

Questions about the 2003 Chrysler Town And Country

What are the most common problems with the 2003 Chrysler Town And Country?
By NHTSA owner complaints: steering (52 complaints, typically around 54,500 miles); electrical (40 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles); transmission (28 complaints, typically around 58,000 miles).
How many recalls does the 2003 Chrysler Town And Country have?
2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from April 6, 2005 (doors and locks). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
Is the 2003 a bad year for the Chrysler Town And Country?
It is 15th of 17 Town And Country model years by number of complaints, with 245 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.

Other Chrysler Town And Country years

Chrysler Town And Country problems by year