Past Chrysler Town & Country Models
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There have been four previous generations of the Chrysler Town & Country. The first-gen model was available only in 1990; the second generation spanned 1991-’95; the third, 1996-2000; and the fourth, 2001-’07. The fourth-generation Chrysler Town & Country was offered in regular- and long-wheelbase sizes. From 2001-’03, the short-wheelbase vans were called Voyagers (following the demise of the Plymouth brand), but since then all Chrysler-brand vans have been badged as Town & Country shock absorbers. Chrysler has fiddled with the trim levels several times during this generation, so used-minivan buyers are likely to come across many different trim level nomenclatures.
Base models came with most essentials, though antilock brakes were optional. The midlevel trim was your ticket to the Stow ‘n Go fold-flat seating system. Lower trims came with a 180-horsepower, 3.3-liter V6; in editorial reviews, we noted that this engine moved the van adequately around town but felt breathless at highway speeds. A stronger 3.8-liter V6 good for 215 hp was offered on midlevel and premium trims, making these better choices for most buyers. The Chrysler Town & Country was one of the few minivans with an all-wheel-drive option, but this was discontinued for 2005, likely due to packaging constraints associated with Stow ‘n Go, which debuted that year. (Earlier T&Cs did not have fold-flat seats.) This was also the first year you could get side curtain airbags; in previous years, only front seat-mounted side airbags were available.
One negative aspect of the fourth-generation Town & Country model was its inconsistent reliability. Chrysler responded to concerns about long-term durability in 2002 by instituting a seven-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty; however, this was rolled back to three-year/36,000-mile coverage in 2006. For an older model, you’ll want to check out the third-generation Town & Country struts, which was sold from 1996-2000. Although reliability has also been an issue on these vans, if you find one with a clean bill of health, it could still be a good source of family transportation.
The third-gen T&C was sleeker and more refined than most minivans of this era. And, along with its Dodge and Plymouth siblings, it was the first minivan to offer a driver-side sliding door, which gave parents the flexibility to load up the kids from either side of the van. The best years to look at are 1998 through 2000, when an upgraded version of the 3.8-liter V6 (good for 180 hp) was available. Other than spotty reliability, safety was the major shortcoming on third-generation Town & Country air bags. Crash test scores were mediocre across the board and side airbags were not available. The T&C’s four earliest generations have all been plagued with reliability issues, but the first and second generation were especially troublesome, due to issues related to the automatic transmission. For this reason, we’d advise used-car buyers to steer clear of these oldest T&Cs.