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Chrysler Town and Country transmission failure problems

245 of the 13,494 owner complaints about the Chrysler Town and Country describe complete transmission failure, most of them for the 2016 model year.

owner complaints
245
worst model year
2016
typical repair cost reported
$3,078
typical mileage
74,200
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below

By model year

Often reported together

Check engine light 32Stalling 19Loss of power 15Slipping 13Wipers 12Whining noise 12Jerking 10Won't shift 8

Trouble codes mentioned

P0944 2P0868 2P083B 2P1790 1P0792 1P076A 1P0760 1P0745 1P0740 1P0735 1

What owners say

Filed Feb 11, 2026 · Transmission · 98,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2015 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a transmission flush was performed; however, the failure persisted, and the vehicle started stalling after the repair. An independent mechanic was informed about the failure, and the contact was informed that the transmission fluid flush would take a while to take effect. The contact was informed to monitor the issue to see if the failure continued or worsened. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, who diagnosed it with transmission failure. After negotiating with the mechanic about what to do with the vehicle, the mechanic suggested that replacing the torque converter would repair the transmission. The contact agreed to replace the torque converter. Less than a week after the repair, the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, and DTC: P0868 (Transmission Fluid Pressure Low) was retrieved. The vehicle was taken back to the original mechanic, and the mechanic was informed about the fault code. The contact was then informed that the transmission oil cooler hose assembly needed to be replaced, and the contact had the part replaced. While the contact's husband was driving home after the repair, the vehicle stalled upon approaching a stop sign. The driver continued driving, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the local mechanic, and DTC: P0868 was retrieved. Upon investigation, the contact discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V461000 (Power Train); and associated the recall with the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Filed Dec 11, 2025 · Transmission · CA

After the Chrysler dealer in Glendale CA completed Recall S44 – Transmission Oil Pump on my 2016 Chrysler Town & Country in October 3 2025, the transmission began to malfunction and eventually stopped shifting completely. The dealer drained the transmission fluid, removed both front axles, removed all transmission components, and replaced the transmission oil pump, seals, bolts, and torque converter as required by the recall. The transmission is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: The vehicle became unsafe to drive when the transmission began shifting erratically and then failed to shift at all, causing sudden loss of acceleration in traffic and posing a risk to myself and others. Diagnostic Codes: Before the recall, the vehicle had code P06DE (Engine Oil Pressure Control). Chrysler has a documented TSB for P06DE requiring a PCM software update, but the dealer did not perform this update during the recall. After the recall, the vehicle developed new code P0760 (Shift Solenoid C Malfunction), which was not present prior to the recall and appeared only after the transmission was reassembled. Inspection and Confirmation: The dealer confirmed P0760 but refused further inspection or repair, stating it was “not related,” despite the failure occurring immediately after major recall-related transmission work. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. The failure is reproducible: the transmission will not shift. Reason for Complaint: This failure happened shortly after the S44 recall, which involved complete transmission disassembly. The combination of new post-recall transmission codes, the absence of a required PCM software update, and the sudden unsafe failure raises concern that the recall work may not have been performed correctly. I request the federal safety agency review whether Recall S44 repairs are causing secondary failures or being improperly completed

Filed Nov 28, 2025 · Transmission · 133,000 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed in traffic, the vehicle stalled. The contact shifted to neutral(N) and was able to drive to the intended destination. The contact stated that while driving and attempting to stop the vehicle, the vehicle required to be shifted to neutral(N) repeatedly. In addition, the contact stated that on another occasion, the vehicle independently accelerated, prompting the contact to immediately depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. In addition, the check engine warning light later illuminated. The contact used a fuel treatment to clean the fuel; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with thermostat and transmission failure. The contact was provided DTC: P0128 with DTC Severity of 2 of 3. The contact was informed that the thermostat and transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that only the thermostat was being replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not associated with any recall. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description, but the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

Filed Jun 3, 2025 · Transmission · 120,000 miles · MO

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission pump had failed, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V461000 (Power Train). The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Filed May 29, 2025 · Transmission · WA

I purchased a used 2016 Chrysler Town & Country in February 2017 at 33,000 miles. At 77,000 miles, the transmission failed and had to be replaced, just beyond the 65,000-mile warranty. The second transmission has now failed again just beyond 100,000 miles. In addition to the repeated transmission failures, this vehicle was manufactured without a transmission dipstick, which Chrysler made proprietary. Multiple mechanics confirmed that checking or maintaining transmission fluid requires special tools or dealer-only service, making regular maintenance nearly impossible for owners. This design flaw contributes to premature failure of the transmission and creates a safety and reliability risk. Chrysler must be held accountable for releasing a vehicle with limited serviceability and repeat major component failures. I am requesting the federal safety agency investigate this issue for safety, design defect, and potential recall.

Filed Apr 29, 2025 · Transmission · 64,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2015 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while her husband was driving uphill at an undisclosed speed, the transmission failed to properly shift into a higher gear, and the engine was revving abnormally. The contact pulled over the side of the road 1,000 ft away from the residence and added transmission fluid to the vehicle. The contact stated that while following her husband in another vehicle, she observed leaking fluid underneath the vehicle. The contact’s husband stopped the vehicle and the contact noticed that transmission reservoir was empathy. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission fluid was leaking from the bell housing, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to another independent transmission mechanic but had not yet been diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

Filed Apr 22, 2025 · Transmission · TX

The transmission failed. There were no lights on on the dash, vehicle started making a whining noise and within 12 hrs of the onset the transmission started to fail. The van would lose the ability to accelerate and put my family and other in danger because it happened on the highway and our vehicle was stopped in traffic. The check engine light did not come on until a few hours AFTER the transmission failed, but there were no light indicators prior to this happening. The transmission has been replaced after the damaged transmission was inspected by our mechanic and he stated that with less than 100k miles on the vehicle, based on the amount of metal and debris in the transmission pan, there must have been an issue with it during manufacturing. The original transmission will be returned shortly for a core refund, so will not be available for additional inspection after that. The van was test driven by our mechanic and the issue was replicated while he was driving, ie, it would not accelerate after about 5 minutes of driving.

Filed Mar 17, 2025 · Transmission · RI

Transmission failed while driving in the highway. There’s a recall S44 but my vin is not included in the list while my car has the same symptoms that the cars included in that recall.

Filed Feb 28, 2025 · Transmission · 19,800 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town & Country. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH or more, the transmission jerked before shifting gear. Additionally, while driving 35 - 40 MPH, there was a grinding metal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle vibrated abnormally, without warning. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V461000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 198,000.

Filed Nov 12, 2024 · Engine · VA

The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while the vehicle was at the independent mechanic for transmission replacement, the contact was informed that the plastic oil filter housing had melted. The contact was informed that the oil filter housing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Related recalls

Power train: automatic transmissionReported June 24, 2016 · 26,298 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles manufactured July 31, 2015, to April 18, 2016, 2016 Dodge Journey vehicles manufactured August 17, 2015, to January 29, 2016, and 2016 RAM ProMaster vehicles manufactured August 15, 2016, to April 15, 2016. The transmission pump may seize causing a loss of hydraulic pressure.
Risk
If the transmission loses hydraulic pressure, the vehicle may lose motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission pump, free of charge. The recall began on August 18, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S44.

Recall number 16V461000 · Recall details

Questions about the Chrysler Town and Country transmission failure

Which Chrysler Town and Country years have complete transmission failure problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2016 (45 complaints), 1996 (39 complaints) and 2001 (28 complaints).

How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the Chrysler Town and Country?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $3,078 (median of 31 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

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