CarComplaints.com Notes: What the heck happened here? A year after getting our "seal of pretty good" for the 2004, Chrysler turns around and delivers this crapwagon.

This minivan has problems ranging from rack and pinion steering failure to door locks that won't let you out. And trust me, you'll want to get out.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
95,148 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Chrysler Town & Country body / paint problems

body / paint problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2005 Chrysler Town & Country:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2005 Chrysler Town & Country Owner Comments

problem #16

Jan 012016

Town & Country

  • 130,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When the weather is 55 degrees or colder my back door on my minivan will not stay up and open. After it goes up it comes back down immediately. This van has a handicapped lift for a mobility scooter in it for inside the van. It is necessary for the back door to stay up and open to use the controls to bring the lift in and out of the minivan. The back door stays up and open in warmer weather but it immediately comes back down and closes in cooler weather. I purchased the minivan with the lift and scooter from a private owner 2 1/2 years ago. They used the minivan and lift in only warmer weather. How do I get the back door to stay up and open so I can use the lift for my scooter all year around" is there a recall on this problem" the minivan was in a stationary position on flat asphalt pavement and the minivan was turned off in all incidents. Unfortunately at this time I do not have a photo of the backdoor or lift but I can take pictures if needed.

- Rochester, NY, USA

problem #15

May 072014

Town & Country

  • 74,000 miles
Hi, I was other complaints regarding the 2005 Chrysler Town & Country mini van. The problem I am having is rust though on both sides of the fender wells in front of the rear tires. I have noticed this on many other minivans on the road and believe it to be a flaw in the manufacture. Pieces of the van fell off, this could be a safety hazard as these vans age.. are there any other complaints issued?

- Fall River, MA, USA

problem #14

Apr 132015

Town & Country 6-cyl

  • 300,000 miles
Sliding doors makes sound but does not open or close electrically. Sliding door locks does not work.

- Coral Springs, FL, USA

problem #13

Nov 212014

Town & Country

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I left my house & a mile at the most down the road. I heard a noise & felt the rear end slide to the right. I tried turning the wheel to straighten the van nothing happened. The steering wheel went side to side, but the wheels didn't turn. I wondered why the van had slide to the side. That is when I realized there was no steering B/C the direction didn't change & it was like the steering wheel was just there. I was coherent the entire time, I noticed at that time I was headed for the embankment across the other lane of traffic. (it is a two lane road.) I already knew there was no steering, so I grabbed the wheel with both hands, planted my feet to the floor board! I then asked god to forgive me. The van hit the embankment head on, flipped, vans top scrapped all the way down just on the edges where the frame is. Then it landed on the pass. Side & slid backwards into the embankment ( on the side of the road I was originally going down.) on the other side of the road. I tried to get out B/C I thought I saw smoke. It was the airbags, they had exploded.my shins looked like I got beat with a baseball bat, the seat belt got stuck, &the doors locked. I lifted the driver door up over my head. (van was on pass. Side).a man helped me get out & van was pulled onto all 4 tires. I had back surgery on 4-23-14. I went & had xrays taken. I filled an investigation w/Chrysler [xxx]#[xxx],[xxx]took pics. Of van, asks qts & sent to Chrysler.[xxx] w/cust. Claim resolution grp 248-512-2934 sent letter B/C van @ salvage 803-324-7510,980-8900 & tampered w/ no invest. Could be done. They have to go to the scene of wreck (standard procedure) & didn't.I contacted [xxx] & numerous others @Chrysler 800-247-9753 reason?.1.)4 blown tires removed 2.)fuses were gone. It was totaled! I faxed in pic.S from the scene & letter. Please help me! [xxx] called said the case is not reopened. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Rock Hill, SC, USA

problem #12

Mar 012014

Town & Country 6-cyl

  • 130,000 miles
Since about March of this year, our van headlamps will not turn on with the switch. It takes playing with the switch several times before they go on. Recently the headlights randomly go off as we are driving, we have to pull over and play with the switch to get the lights to go on. Also as we park and turn the car off, sometimes the headlights or the dash lights will go on by themselves. Currently we are having to jump the car often as if there is a drain on the battery. We took the battery to the location where it was bought and they tested the system, and battery and charging system passed all test. In other incidents which may or not be related our power sliding doors are not working properly. The left side does not function at all, and the right side closes and opens when the button is depressed. It takes two tries before it locks properly. When we take the van to the local dealer they know nothing of these issues, and have been quoted $300-600 to repair each incidents. We appreciate any and all assistance regarding these issues.

- San Diego, CA, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #11

Aug 202014

Town & Country 6-cyl

  • 54,525 miles
The electric door lock/unlock actuator on the driver's side door stopped unlocking that or any of the other locks. Several days later the actuator began to work again then a few days later again stopped working. This has repeated several times now. This problem occurred before several months after we had bought the vehicle used in mid 2012. At that time, a mechanic replaced the driver's side door actuator which seemed to solve the problem until it recurred this August. At all times, even when the driver's side door actuator did not function, the lock/unlock function on the remote has always worked. The safety issue is that in the event of an accident, the driver cannot unlock the passengers' doors.

- Tamarac, FL, USA

problem #10

Apr 032014

Town & Country

  • 180,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Town and country. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, a vehicle crashed into the contact head on. The air bags deployed and a metal plate fell from behind the steering column and crushed the contact's legs. The contact was unable to depress the brake pedal and rolled down a hill until she shifted to park. The contact sustained major cuts and bruises to the chest, knee injuries, and puncture wounds on the stomach. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was 180,000.

- St. Joseph, MO, USA

problem #9

Oct 182010

Town & Country 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Town and country modified van for disabled wife. The contact stated that the fuel tank was in the rear of the vehicle and after seeing a manufacturer's recall on the news for other Chrysler vehicles, he felt his vehicle was also unsafe. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis but no repairs were made. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure...updated 08-07-13

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #8

Oct 012005

Town & Country

  • 5,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Town and country. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced brake failure numerous times. The most recent failure occurred while driving through an intersection at approximately 25 mph and the brakes failed to engage. The contact was able to coast the vehicle into a parking area and was able to stop buy engaging the emergency brake. The brake pad and tires were replaced at 18,000 miles, the strut was replaced at 5,000 miles, and the rotors were replaced at 28,000 miles however, the failure was not corrected. The steering wheel made a grinding noise and was hard to turn. In addition, the doors could not be unlocked automatically or manually and sometimes the doors opened independently while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and stated that the brake master cylinder exhibited oil consumption therefore, the vehicle was unsafe to drive and they could not complete the vehicle inspection. The failure mileage was 5,000 and the current mileage was 48,800.

- El Dorado , AR, USA

problem #7

Jun 292012

Town & Country 6-cyl

  • 158,022 miles
At approximately 11:30pm on June 29, 2012, our 2005 Chrysler Town and country that we purchased on June 11, 2012 from a dealership was parked in our driveway when we heard a loud explosion outside the house. Upon investigating, we found the rear windshield of the minivan was shattered and had exploded out. Assuming it was vandalism, we notified police to file a report, but the police would not file a report because they were certain the window blowing out had been caused by pressure change due to temperature. The high temperature on June 29 was 94 degrees Fahrenheit in northeast Ohio. The van was parked in the shade all day until approximately 8:30pm, when I drove it with the front windows down, thereby causing the interior temperature to cool to match the outside temperature, which was 75 degrees F at that time. At about 9pm, I parked the minivan in the driveway with the windows up and at around 11:30, the explosion happened with the temperature at 69 degrees Fahrenheit. There is no evidence of vandalism or break-in. We begun investigating immediately after we heard the explosion of the windshield. The primary hole in the window was in the upper right region, with the entirety of the pane shattered and pieces were still in place though shattered. The edges of the entire window were bulging, as if some kind of pressure had forced the glass outward. There was small glass fragments all over the driveway and rear storage, including some in the child seats in the rear of the vehicle.

- Akron, OH, USA

problem #6

Dec 152011

Town & Country

  • 88,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Town and country. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and she opened the rear lift gate. The door did not remain open and swung downward, striking the contact. Both the dealer and manufacturer were notified, but denied assistance with repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 88,000.

- Edenton, NC, USA

problem #5

Sep 302008

Town & Country 6-cyl

  • 40,000 miles
Power locks quit working. Vehicle acts like it was locked up when pressing the remote (horn beeps, lights flash) but locks don't lock. Power doors also quit working causing potential pinch-points. When the doors act up and bounce back open, they sometimes try to re-close but the interference sensor doesn't stop the door from closing on a body part. Can temporarily make it better by removing and replacing the iod fuse, but the problem returns a short time later. Problem began right after warranty expired. Dealer wants 300-800 to attempt to fix the problem but can't guarantee that either component will positively correct the problem. Hundreds of similar complaints on the web with the same issue and no positive corrective action.

- Belmond, IA, USA

problem #4

May 182011

Town & Country 6-cyl

  • miles
I noticed some minor rust on the passenger side between the sliding door and the front door about 1 - 2 years ago, earlier this year around may it was more noticeable and had progressed. In September 2011 I noticed a hole beginning and in October I started poking around and removed about a 8 inch by 3 inch piece of completely rusted metal (it crumbled). It was wet on the inside, it hasn't rained in 4 to 5 days, plus it appears that the inside is sealed, so how could water get in? upon reviewing other complaints from other people, I see that this is a problem that Chrysler is aware of due to cracked welds where water runs down behind the supports and enters this cavity. What a major disappointment that they did not do anything about this, because the rest of the vehicle has no rust and has been otherwise a good car, but now I understand that these rusted welds are not only causing rust but they are a safety concern!

- Sterling Heights, MI, USA

problem #3

Nov 032008

Town & Country 6-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
Roof welds on both sides of the van above sliding doors are cracked! major structural hazard. It's also allowing water to enter the inner body panels and is running down inside the window supports/pillars between the doors all the way down to the rocker panels (which are now rusting through from the inside out). It turns out this is a major problem on these vans. forum.chryslerminivan.net/showthread.php/18635-small-crack-in-the-roof Chrysler also knows about it, and it turns out most of the vans with the issue were made in the same plant, including mine! here is a discussion of the issue with pictures: dodgeforum.com/forum/Dodge-Caravan/87668-2001-to-2006-grand-Caravan-roof-crack-at-seams.html. all vehicles with a VIN with the 12th digit of R, which were made in the windsor plant have this issue. I had brought the rust to the attention of a Chrysler dealership while it was still under warranty, and they claimed it was salt corrosion and not covered because it was not an outer body panel. It turns out that the issue was actually because of these roof cracks, and the rust was from the inside out because of all the water running down into the rockers. This is affecting the structural safety of the vehicle, and should not be happening on a vehicle barely over 5 years old (I had noticed the rocker rust at the 3 year mark).

- Hermantown, MN, USA

problem #2

Sep 222008

Town & Country

  • 97,822 miles
Front hood edge has started to bubble up with rust (2005 Chrysler Town and country van) my 2001 Dodge Caravan has the same problem but is rusted through. I see this condition on other Chrysler vans in this area (many vans). I am told that this is not covered under warranty and will cost $1071.85 to repair. There is no damage on the external hood that would cause this (dents, paint nicks, etc.). I called Chrysler customer service and was told "I have no recourse" but to pay to get it repaired.

- Sheffield Lake, OH, USA

problem #1

Jan 152007

Town & Country 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 49,999 miles
- the contact stated that the 2005 Chrysler Town & Country wp special edition, hds no louvers to cover the radiator. The contact stated that while driving a rock could pop up into the radiator. This could cause damage to the condenser, and that bugs and all types of material could get through to the radiator. The contact stated that there was an after market accessory that could be purchased to go behind the bumper to protect the section behind the grill, but that the bumper would have to be removed to cover the grill.

- Pantego, NC, USA

Not what you are looking for?