YearToAvoid

2012 Chrysler Town and Country Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

50/100

#5 most-complained of 9 Town and Country years

The 2012 Chrysler Town and Country has a Complaint Index of 50 and ranks 5th-worst out of 9 model years, earning a Caution verdict. NHTSA logs 634 complaints, 5 recalls, and 16 fire reports, with Electrical System issues making up 64% of complaints.

Complaints
634
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
7 / 16
Injuries / deaths
24 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
20
17 city / 25 hwy

Top 2012 Chrysler Town and Country problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System403 (64%)
  2. Engine112 (18%)
  3. Other63 (10%)
  4. Fuel System58 (9%)
  5. Structure & Body45 (7%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain36 (6%)
  7. Brakes31 (5%)
  8. Visibility & Wipers25 (4%)
  9. Airbags18 (3%)
  10. Steering16 (3%)

What owners report

  • Wires connected to the power outlet burned and smoke seeped from the vents, sometimes traced to added accessories.
  • The vehicle shut off at highway speed with the steering wheel locking and the brake pedal becoming hard to press.
  • Blind spot sensors failed due to water intrusion and corrosion inside the sensor housing.
  • The driver door caught fire after the window switch problem tied to a recall.
  • The van shut off repeatedly while in motion, including once while driving on a road at 45 mph.
  • Airbags failed to deploy during a crash despite significant vehicle damage.
2012 Chrysler Town and Country complaints: complaints filed per quarter922012 Q12014 Q12016 Q12018 Q12020 Q12022 Q12024 Q12026 Q1
842 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2015 Q1 (92).

2012 Chrysler Town and Country recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 25V876000Dec 17, 2025Other86 vehicles

    Equipment adaptive/mobility:wheelchair restraints/securement:latch/anchor:

    Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram Promaster vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. Please refer to Rollx's recall report for specific model year information. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.

    Risk: An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Rollx will work with Q'Straint to inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact Rollx's customer service at 1-800-956-6668.

  2. NHTSA 14V234000May 7, 2014Electrical System644,757 vehicles

    Electrical system

    Chrysler Group, LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, through October 31, 2013. The affected vehicles may experience overheating of the vent window switch in the driver's door armrest.

    Risk: An overheated switch may result in a vehicle fire.

    Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vent window switch with a newer version, free of charge. The owner notification letter was issued and the remedy campaign launched on on December 31, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P25.

  3. NHTSA 12V191000May 2, 2012Other471 vehicles

    Equipment

    Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2012 town and country and dodge grand caravan vehicles, manufactured from march 9, 2012 through march 12, 2012. Some vehicles may be equipped with a right side liftgate pinch sensor that does not function properly. As a result, increased force may be required in order to stop the power liftgate during final closing stages.

    Risk: The power liftgate door may close on an appendage, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the right side liftgate pinch sensors, free of charge. The safety recall began on may 18, 2012. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

See all 5 recalls for the 2012 Chrysler Town and Country →

2012 Chrysler Town and Country fuel economy and fuel cost

City
17 MPG
Highway
25 MPG
Combined
20 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,250
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Gasoline or E85
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2012 compared with other Town and Country years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100201020112012201320142015201620172018
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Avoid1001,556519
2011Avoid75773320
2012Caution50634520
2013Caution63681420
2014Avoid88636420

All Chrysler Town and Country years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Chrysler Town and Country reliable?
Compared with other Town and Country model years, 2012 is rated Caution. It has a Complaint Index of 50 and ranks 5th-worst among the 9 model years with data.
What is the main problem with the 2012 Chrysler Town and Country?
Electrical System complaints dominate, accounting for 403 of 634 complaints (64%), with a median failure mileage of 71,000 miles and 13 fires reported.
Does the 2012 Town and Country have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2012 Town and Country, covering areas including the electrical vent window switch, a liftgate pinch sensor, right rear hub and bearing assembly, and an engine replacement recall.
How does 2012 compare to other Town and Country years?
2012's Complaint Index of 50 is better than 2010 (100), 2011 (75), and 2014 (88), all rated Avoid, but worse than 2015 (25) and 2016 (38), both rated Good.
Are there fire risks with the 2012 Town and Country?
NHTSA records 16 fire reports for this model year, several tied to electrical issues like the vent window switch and power outlet wiring.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.