The contact owns a 2010 Chrysler Town & Country. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly lost motive power. The failure caused a loss of power steering and power braking. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was turned off and restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V373000 (Electrical System, Air bags); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.
Chrysler Town and Country power steering loss problems
376 of the 13,494 owner complaints about the Chrysler Town and Country describe loss of power steering, most of them for the 2010 model year.
- owner complaints
- 376
- worst model year
- 2010
- typical repair cost reported
- $700
- typical mileage
- 80,000
Is there a fix? There are 5 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Loss of power 185Stalling 96Brake failure 17Key fob 14Check engine light 13Wipers 12Overheating 12Won't start 8
What owners say
While driving at highway speed, 65mph, the 2013 Town and Country shut down. The dash instruments and all internal lighting shut off, the radio shut off and the blower fan for heat shut off. I lost the ability to steer and brake (power steering went out) but managed to maneuver the vehicle to the right lane. The car would not respond to any acceleration attempt. I tried turning the key while coasting down the highway, the vehicle did not restart. I then put the vehicle into neutral and tried turning the key and it did not restart. I then turned the key to the off position and then tried to restart and it successfully started. My dash instruments illuminated, the radio and heat blower came back on and I was able to regain control of the vehicle.
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.
while driving my kids to school going on a curve about 15 mph, the car shutdown and loss control of power steering and the braking. Findings upon inspection and diagnostics review, it was determined that the Wireless Ignition Node (WIN) Module is faulty. This component is critical to vehicle ignition and operation. The failure of the WIN module causes the engine to complete shut down while the vehicle was in motion on the highway. The shutdown resulted in an immediate loss of power steering and power breaking functions, leaving the driver with severely reduced control of the vehicle. Such a malfunction poses a significant safety hazard, as the driver is unable to maintain proper handling or safely maneuver the vehicle during operation. The WIN Module has fail and must be replace immediately. Continued operation without repair could result in repeated engine shutdowns, increasing the risk of a crash or serious injury. Need replace the WIN Module with an OEM or certified equivalent part. Reprogram/ reinitialize the module as per manufacturer specifications. Test drive post-repair to ensure reliability and safety.
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 2013 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. Additionally, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving uphill on a very narrow street. The contact was able to shift the vehicle into park, while using both feet to depress the brake pedal. The vehicle was stopped, and the contact turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that her four-year-old granddaughter was a passenger in the vehicle and the situation was very scary. The contact waited for several minutes, before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times and the vehicle had been taken to an independent mechanic several times; however, the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
The vehicle randomly loses all power, which means no power steering and no brakes. It happens randomly and after searching online it appears others have the same issue faced back to the wireless ignition node being faulty. However the previous recall doesn't cover the vehicle I have which is experiencing the exact same symptoms. My wife has already had a close call as she is unable to steer the vehicle without power steering and the brakes don't work at all.
Started the vehicle and traveled maybe about 50 feet. Noticed loss of power steering. This was due to the engine stalling out. The vehicle would not start and there was a strong odor of fuel fumes in the vehicle cabin. Exited the vehicle and observed a large puddle of oil running downhill from the vehicle. The puddle also smelled of gasoline. I had the vehicle towed to a repair shop. The issue was determined to be a cracked oil filter housing assembly and the clip on the fuel return line had failed causing fuel to be sprayed onto the engine. The repair cost will be just over $800. It is fortunate that the engine was still cold and that the loss of oil caused the engine to shut off. If the engine had been hot enough to ignite the fuel, this could have had tragic results with a potential loss of my family's life. The oil filter housing assembly is a known issue with the Pentastar V6 3.6L engine. Chrysler so far has failed to take responsibility for this issue. I recently had to have repairs due to a faulty fuel pump relay. There appears to be related Chrysler TIPM recalls on almost every other model but the 2013 Town and Country. This issue appears to cause the vehicle to not start or allow the fuel pump to remain running after the vehicle is shut down. My Town and Country would not start and it produced strong fuel fumes. As noted, there are multiple safety issues noted with this model of vehicle that remain unresolved. It is a 2013 model but the issues are ones that have existed since the production of the vehicle and Chrysler has yet to assume responsibility. I will add a copy of the repair invoice shortly.
We have had multiple times when we are driving, and our vehicle shuts off and we lose power steering and power brakes. When the van does come to a stop, we are able to restart it and continue on. There is no warning that the van is going to shut off, it just does it. This is our family vehicle. I have found multiple forms online with customers complaining of the same issue with no positive results from the dealerships.
The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, he slightly touched the ignition key, and the vehicle shut off inadvertently. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving on a bumpy road surface. The contact was able to pull to the side of the roadway and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly while driving and caused the headlights to turn off and the vehicle to lose power steering functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Wireless Ignition Node (WIN) module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN and the year vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V373000 (Electrical System, Air Bags) . The failure mileage was approximately 115,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Related recalls
Steering: column
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2011dodge journey, jeep wrangler, chrysler 200, chrysler 200 convertible, dodge avenger, dodge nitro, jeep liberty, dodge caliber, jeep compass, jeep patriot, dodge grand caravan and chrysler town & country vehicles. Some of these vehicles may have been built with a missing or incorrectly installed steering column pivot rivet.
- Risk
- A missing or incorrectly installed rivet could compromise the ability of the steering column to support the occupant loads in the event of a frontal crash, decreasing the effectiveness of the frontal impact safety system. As a result, the condition may increase the potential for injury in a frontal crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect for rivet presence and alignment and repair the steering column pivot as required, free of charge. The safety recall began on july 4, 2011. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 11V315000 · Recall details
Steering: hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Power steering fluid leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in an under hood fire.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 04V386000 · Recall details
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: mini vans equipped with 2-spoke luxury wheels manufactured july 1992 through june 1993; or equipped with 4-spoke sport wheels manufactured from july 1992 through september 1993. The steering wheel armature stamping can crack and separate from the center hub attachment to the steering column.
- Risk
- If the steering wheel separates from the center hub attachment to the steering column, loss of control can occur increasing the risk of an accident.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the steering wheel for cracks and any wheels with cracks will be replaced. All other vehicles will have a reinforcement plate installed to prevent steering wheel separation in the event cracking occurs.
Recall number 00V305000 · Recall details
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
- What is wrong
- The steering wheel armature stamping can crack and separate from the center hub attachment to the steering column.
- Risk
- If the steering wheel separates from the center hub attachment to the steering column, loss of control can occur increasing the risk of an accident.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the steering wheel for armature cracks in the center hub attachment area. Any steering wheels showing cracks will be replaced. All other vehicles will have a reinforcement plate installed to prevent steering wheel separation in the event cracking occurs.
Recall number 96V229000 · Recall details
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
- What is wrong
- The zinc plating operation performed on the upper steering column shaft coupling bolt caused hydrogen embrittlement and breakage of the bolt.
- Risk
- Fractures of the upper steering column shaft couplingbolt result in a lack of coupling load on the shaft and loss of steeringcontrol.
- Remedy
- Replace the zinc plated bolt with a phosphate plated bolt.
Recall number 92V015000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chrysler Town and Country power steering loss
Which Chrysler Town and Country years have loss of power steering problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2010 (65 complaints), 2008 (48 complaints) and 1996 (25 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix loss of power steering on the Chrysler Town and Country?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $700 (median of 21 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Chrysler Town and Country?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history