2012 Chrysler Town and Country

Showing the 2012 Town and Country Touring-L. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

About every 2012 Town and Country

The 2012 Chrysler Town and Country has 634 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most for electrical system at 395. It gets 20 mpg combined and a 5-year fuel cost of $16,240 at U.S. average prices, and NHTSA gives it 4 overall stars. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns that may apply to this car, covering accessories, electrical system, suspension, and others.

Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.

Fuel economy
20 mpgcombined; city 17, highway 25; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$16,240U.S. average; Ohio $14,510 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
4 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
5over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
634filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2012 Town and Country. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 634 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Town and Country. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical system3953137
Engine100020
Unknown or other58043
Fuel/propulsion system56000
Power train36020
Structure331111
Service brakes20100
Air bags18507
Exterior lighting17010
Steering16100
Visibility/wiper16000
Seats12002
17 more parts
Vehicle speed control12000
Electronic stability control (ESC)9000
Visibility9000
Lane departure8010
Seat belts7001
Suspension7000
Wheels7000
Tires6000
Back over prevention4000
Engine and engine cooling4020
Equipment adaptive/mobility4000
Equipment2000
Fuel system, gasoline2000
Latches/locks/linkages2000
Service brakes, hydraulic2000
Forward collision avoidance1010
Parking brake1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2006486
  2. 2009707
  3. 20101,556
  4. 2011773
  5. 2012634
  6. 2013681
  7. 2014636
  8. 2015383
  9. 2016527

Every Town and Country year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2012 Town and Country over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Equipment adaptive/mobility: wheelchair restraints/securement

NHTSA campaign 25V876000 · reported Dec 17, 2025 · 86 vehicles potentially affected

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Electrical system

NHTSA campaign 14V234000 · reported May 7, 2014 · 644,757 vehicles potentially affected

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Equipment

NHTSA campaign 12V191000 · reported May 2, 2012 · 471 vehicles potentially affected

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Suspension: rear

NHTSA campaign 12V141000 · reported Apr 3, 2012 · 289 vehicles potentially affected

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 TOWN AND COUNTRY AND DODGE GRAND CARAVAN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 15, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 21, 2011. SOME VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH RIGHT REAR HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLIES THAT WERE NOT FULLY MACHINED.

Risk: THIS COULD RESULT IN A DECREASE IN DURABILITY, WHICH MAY LEAD TO WHEEL SEPARATION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE RIGHT REAR HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 27, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

NHTSA's record and documents

Engine and engine cooling

NHTSA campaign 11V487000 · reported Sep 29, 2011 · 667 vehicles potentially affected

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHRYSLER VEHICLES, INCLUDING 200 AND TOWN AND COUNTRY MODELS, DODGE VEHICLES, INCLUDING CHARGER, DURANGO, GRAND CARAVAN AND JOURNEY MODELS AND JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 31, 2011, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 13, 2011, THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH 3.6L ENGINES. THESE ENGINES MAY EXPERIENCE CONNECTING ROD BEARING FAILURE DUE TO DEBRIS INSIDE THE ENGINE BLOCK.

Risk: CONNECTING ROD FAILURE MAY LEAD TO ENGINE SEIZURE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE ENGINE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 18, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 188 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2012 Town and Country, the latest on Nov 18, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (53), equipment (53), structure (30), power train (28), engine and engine cooling (20).

NHTSA defect investigations

Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.

InvestigationPartOpenedStatus
Preliminary evaluation PE19014
Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment · covers 4 makes
SeatsSep 9, 2019Closed Feb 25, 2026
NHTSA's record and documents
Defect petition DP14004
Totally Integrated Power Module Failure · covers 4 makes
Electrical systemSep 25, 2014Closed Jul 24, 2015
NHTSA's summary names recall 14V530000, 15V115000
NHTSA's record and documents

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2012 Town and Country.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2012 Chrysler Town and Countrys for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: minivan. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Town and Country
Front-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cylAutomatic 6-spdRegular Gasoline or E8517 / 25 / 20

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data