NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
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
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition switch malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to turn off. The contact stated that after wiggling the ignition key in the ignition switch, the vehicle started. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall on the VIN related to a faulty ignition switch. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,288.
Vehicle randomly shuts off while driving. No warning lights are illuminated. Shutoff can occur at any speed and causes loss of power steering, braking etc. Shutdown requires immediate pull off to the side of the road. Once key is turned off and back on, car restarts.
Catalytic converter is reported to me as needing to be replaced. Check Engine light came on which indicated this error. It’s only at 84k miles. Followed by needing new O2 sensors if the catalytic converter is replaced. Another error was the thermostat which needs replacement. We are looking at over $5k in repairs.
My van will frequently lose power and die while I am driving it, with NO WARNING. I have to pull off and put it either into park or neutral then turn the key again to get it started again. This has happened more than 40 times over the last 15 monnths. My speeds have ranges from 25mpg in town to 65 mpg on the highway.Most recently on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
Couldn't reverse vehicle after buying the vehicle three days ago. My safety and my passengers safety wasn't safe I almost got hit from the front and back trying to reverse the vehicle to go. I can put the vehicle in any other gear and it works but the reverse. i called the vehicle repair shop and bring it in to the shop where I was told they were going to work on the vehicle for free since I only had it for three days. I paid for the warranty part and everything. This the second car I bought from Fett's city motors that been dangerous to operate on roads and highways.
The vehicle randomly shuts off while driving dash goes black and then randomly starts back up or I have to put it in (n) to start it back up while Im at a free role i lose control of the power steering and braking this is a dangerous for myself my children and grand kids also others Im the road this is seriously gonna get someone hurt this issue should not be occurring this is very dangerous
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the instrument panel turned black, and the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the failure had occurred temporarily, and the vehicle restarted independently. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and advised the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Our van's engine shuts down while driving. It has done it multiple times and our local auto mechanics can not figure out why it is doing it. We are concerned about our safety driving our van. Luckily, we have been able to brake and restart the van quickly to avoid a collision. We have now stopped using the van.
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the front driver's side head restraint deployed. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred immediately after the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed of an unknown recall repair with a similar failure; however, the contact was informed that the recall had expired. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
Has had some issues trying to turn on after sitting over night. It will just kill the battery but it just started to die while driving and the entire system shuts off. All the lights, the steering wheel locks up and gas goes out. All you can do is brake and hope that you can stop in a good spot before it dies fully. This has happened a few times with my kids in the car and now I just don’t dare to drive. The tipm needs to be recalled.
While in motion at various speeds, this vehicle has, on numerous occasions over the last year, abruptly lost power in the middle of traffic disabling the power steering and braking making stopping and steering out of traffic almost impossible. Most of the time the vehicle restarts after turning the key fob off and on. On the NHTSA website I have found numerous reports of the same or similar incidents reported with this vehicle. It is logical to the most casual observer that there is a problem with the ignition system, most probably, the key port and/or the ignition control module. How many of these incidents have to be reported before it is obvious to the experts in the agency to that there is a safety problem with these vehicles being left powerless in motion, in traffic? Or maybe a more appropriate question is: how many people have to be injured or killed before the "experts" and/or bureaucrats decide to do their job.
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town & Country. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Driver's seat active headrest deployed while vehicle was in motion with cruise control set at 35 MPH. Loud bang accompanied by the headrest hitting the driver in the back of the head causing the driver to jerk the steering wheel.
My car would randomly shut down while I am driving leaving me with no power steering. I took it to my mechanic who discovered it was a faulty ignition switch module and recommended I take it to a dealership. If I touch the key fob on my car or hit a bump while it is running, the car will shut down. No power steering. There are multiple recalls for faulty ignition switch modules but not on my particular vehicle (recall L25 is one of many I have discovered). I have been carefully driving the vehicle because I don't have $1500 to repair. Dealership will fix it at my expense because there is no recall on my particular vehicle.
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after approximately two attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the wireless ignition node module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shifting hard between gears and the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 184,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended, he detected smoke from the vehicle, which caught fire in the rear electrical compartment. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment or police report filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
I have a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country van. In 2021 I had brake calipers replaced on the rear end because they were leaking brake fluid. Again this year same problem. What is going on with brake systems on todays cars? I do not think this is normal wear. How often are consumers dealing with brake problems? Are manufacturers using poorly made parts? I think this needs to be investigated.
Last year, when I purchased this used minivan, it stalled at highway speed 2 hours after purchase on my way home. This random stalling at highway speed continued for at least six months. Then, it began having problems starting. The dealer said I needed a new computer, which I spent nearly $1,000 to get. The stalling at speed continued. It is now getting worse again and seems related to the vertical movement of the key fob in the ignition. Here's what I don't understand: You issued a recall for, what, the 2008-2010 version of this minivan, yet I can also find comments on here and elsewhere online that the problem is still happening. I drive with my grandkids in this minivan. How many people will have to die before another recall is issued? Chrysler did not fix the problem at the manufacturing stage. Please be a government and protect us. Please force them to fix it in a recall. BTW, you leave space for only a single date and speed. It happens all the time at any speed, including startup. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that the vehicle was consistently unable to be started. The vehicle was jumpstarted and operated as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated before the failure occurred. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
The fuel pump relay has failed. The relay is part of the TIPM and the cost to repair at the dealer is well over one thousand dollars.
Passenger side head rest deployed while the vehicle was sitting in my driveway.
While taking turns or going over bumps/ potholes the vehicle will turn off and need to be restarted. All systems shut down including power steering, dash, and engine. The driver and occupants are put in life threatening danger due to the total shutdown of the vehicle and all of its accessories. The vehicle has not been taken to a dealer or service center but instead a independent auto mechanic. Through their research they found there was similar recalls on Mopar vehicles on earlier year models. The vehicle has NOT been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were NO warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.
Car shut down twice while driving. Then car crank but don't start. Alternator, starter, fuel pump, battery changed and still having same issue.
Engine stalled at roughly 20 miles per hour, thankfully, I was stopped. Restarted and drove off, but vehicle now has a check engine light on.
The driver's side sliding door became inoperable suddenly. The locking mechanism was stuck in the locked position and would not release via key, manual, fob, or buttons. A buzzing noise occurred when trying to lock or unlock. This exit door being inoperable caused a safety concern to be able to exit the vehicle on the driver's side. It does now allow for quick, easy escape from the vehicle. If the danger was on the passenger side then the only exit is everyone climbing through the driver's door. This issue was verified by Dishman Dodge (Spokane Valley, WA) service team on 8/8/23. The lock actuator was the issue. They have replaced it at my expense. (This is the same issue referenced in: Chrysler TSB 23-017-20) There were no warnings or symptoms prior to this lock failing. We were on a trip July 22 when we first noticed the issue.
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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the speedometer and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact had assistance from another driver, who disconnected and reconnected the battery to correct the failure. The contact related the failure to a faulty electrical system; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
The TIPM is malfunctioning and causing the fuel pump to never turn of on the car. the only way to turn it off is to pull the fuse.
My van has 57382 miles and is wheelchair accessible, we only use it for store or doctor appt. It has been shutting off / stalling while driving. It spits & sputters then boom stalls it takes 4 or 5 time to restart but does restart for now. Does not do it every time but when it does we are on highway usually when coming to stop or slowing down to turn which has become a safety issue for all. Had it to garage multiple times, Garage can't seem to find problem, No check engine light comes on No code are thrown just stops / stalls. Last incident occurred 6-6-23 but has been ongoing for months and getting worse
The Flexplate/Flywheel cracks every 4 years for us, this is our second repair same part. Dealership says now there is a reinforcement plate. That we have to buy, Seriously, give us a break with a broken Flexplate that is either to thin or made of a inexpense product. IDK. Dealership told my Mechanic they keep a lot on hand because they know it’s a problem. Help Please At least give us the reinforcement plate, for Heavens sake!!! Then come up with a Fix to this ongoing Problem, Please and Thank you... God Bless/SAVE America again, in NC a Jesus name!!!
The contact owned a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while making a right turn, another vehicle struck the passenger side of the contact's vehicle, causing several damages to both vehicles. All air bags deploy, but the front passenger and driver-side air bags did not deploy. The contact suffered several injuries and sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed totally lose by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 138,000.
Vehicle has repeatedly died while driving on the highway. After sitting approximately 1 hour it will start again.
Fuel pump relay not working and caused van to stall while driving. Then van wouldn’t start due to not getting fuel. Vehicle is not safe to drive due to possibility of stalling while driving.
passenger side rear sliding door, this door is currently stuck half-way open (or closed). nothing works to open/close it. not by any button or manually. tried to reset and to disconnect battery. I push a button, it moves 3-4 inches and stops. i shutter to think if someone vulnerable like my wife was stuck in her wheelchair, trapped inside and it was zero outside. well i guess the fire department will be able to remove the door and lift her out. no response from either dealer, chrysler or accessible van. door seem to have open and closing issues when this cold or on any slight incline, but always worked manually. i don't understand why a sliding door with yearly inspections and maintenance does not always work manually, at least????
MOVING STALL Complete shutdown of the vehicle without warning while driving. Dash dials completely blank, loss of power steering, brake assist and engine power. Presumed loss of airbag function also. The issue first happened a few weeks ago but started to re-occur multiple times in recent days. Last occurrence captured on video (see attached GIF). Fortunately it was possible to bring the vehicle to a stop without incident in each case, but the potential for a injury is obvious. Prior to the issue a worsening problem over previous year or so was observed in that while in Accessory position, the slightest touch of the inserted key fob would sometimes cause similar shutoff ('off ' position).
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. Both the contact nor his son did not seek medical assistance. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
WIN Module...car goes int ACCY mode while driving and when car is turned off. Engine shuts off at random times, Can not restart car...says key not present. All kind of other electrical warnings keep coming up as well.
Starting in 2019 our 2012 Chrysler Town and Country had stalled out while driving. The entire engine cut out with no warning, losing all power steering, and even braking seemed hard. The vehicle would not start and would only crank over. The only solution was to disconnect and reconnect the battery and the vehicle would start. Problem did not happen again until June of 2022 when my wife along with her mother and our two children were traveling to Los Angeles, CA from Wyoming and the vehicle died while driving on the interstate putting them in situation which could have been deadly. Vehicle would not start again after that and only fix was to disconnect and reconnect the battery and vehicle started again. This has happened another 3 times since June of 2022. Our vehicle has approximately 138,000 miles on it and has had no other issues. From reading other complaints it sounds like this is related to a faulty TIPM. However since it never throws a code, no one can tell what is causing the issue since it cannot be replicated and happens randomly without warning. Latest incident occurred around Oct 1, 2022.
Van engine dies while driving. Has happened four times at high rate of speed— once on the expressway going 65 mph. Dash lights come on when driving and engine dies. Power steering and brakes go out. No codes. I coast to a stop on side of road. When trying to restart, van will have power, but will not turn over. After about 45-60 minutes, starts and runs normally. Could not replicate problem at auto repair shop. Had it towed first time. Three times since it restarted after sitting an hour. Almost was rear-ended on expressway overpass the last time it died. Children were in the car. Also died in the rain at dusk on county highway. Unsafe location. No warning prior to the failure. Also happened to another driver. First event May 2022. Again June 2022. Again July 2022. Again September 2022.
My town and country will shut off while driving, this is very concerning to me I have 4 children with me at all times. I can be going 10 miles down the road and it will shut off atleast 5 times. I live in the mountains so getting it out of the road is an challenge at most times. The other day I was going thru a green light and it shut off. Luckily it had just enough roll to get it out of the intersection and kinda off the interstate. It just does it no warning at all shuts off I loose breaks steering everything! IT IS VERY DANGEROUS!!!
Confirmed cylinder number 2 misfire. Performed relative compression test and intake trace pull. Confirmed that number two has low compression and is directly affecting cylinder number fives intake pull. removed spark plug and did a compression test on cylinder 2 it had 90psi of compression and the rest of the cylinders were at 148psi of compression. used a bore scope and found cylinder damage in video attached vehicle needs a new engine to correct customers concern. When going up a small incline at 30-45mph engine would stall out. I have 3 little kids and I drive a lot for my job and want to be safe on the road! Also my blind spot detectors have constantly been on since about 75,000 miles. It’s kind of a distraction when you are driving at night.
Vehicle has shut off, while driving, multiple times over the past year and a half. The first instance was Summer 2021. Coming to a stop from a highway exit ramp and the van shut off for no reason. I was eventually able to restart and drive within a few minutes. A few days later, the van would shut down, or try to shut down, every time I would slow to a stop during a 2 hour trip. A few months ago, while driving approximately 35 mph, the van dashboard lights shut off, windshield wipers turned on and all other lights and power steering / brakes shut down temporarily. Luckily we were driving in a straight line because I had no power brakes or steering at that moment. Most recent issue occurred 8/27/2022. Driving van on highway, shut off at a light at bottom of exit ramp. We do not feel safe driving this van.
The can has issue starting due to tipm malfunctions effecting the fuel pump. Also causes battery to die from fuel pump not shutting off when car sure off. The car has shut off on me. A few times. Most recently on the highway while being in the left lane. It was very dangerous. And hard for me to get it somewhere safe.
I kept getting a message that the blind spot system was unavailable. Once removed it smelled of burnt plastic and looked to be water damaged. Upon research I have learned that this could cause a fire and or damage other electrical components of the car
El motor se apaga inesperadamente como si se cortara la corriente del switch
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). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
Rear drivers sliding door constantly opens and closes, luckily not when the car is in drive. Had a new key fob made with no satisfied results. Chrysler dealer tech found codes loosing signal. Also key fob will not open or unlock car doors, needed to use a key to operate. [XXX] E-mail: [XXX] Thank you for any info on this problem. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026