1997 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER Complaints

SERPENTINE BELT FALLS OFF ALL THE TIME IT PULLS INWARD TOWARD THE ENGINE SLIGHTLY ANY WHEN IT GETS JUST A LITTLE WET IT SLIPS OFF. THE TENSIONER PULLEY LOOKS LIKE IT NEEDED TO BE COCKED UPWARD JUST THE SLIGHTEST LITTLE BIT AND THEN IT DON'T MOVE GATES AFTERMARKET PRODUCT WORKS PERFECT FOR ALL WHO USE IT CHYRSLER SHOULD BE THE ONES PAYING TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED NOT US THIS IS WAY TO COMMON OF A PROBLEM . *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER. THE CONTACT STATED THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL INTERMITTENTLY FAILED AND ALL OF THE GAUGES DROPPED TO 0. THE VEHICLE ALSO INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE AT A STOP SIGN AND WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 164,000.

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED GOING OFF AND ON. WHEN IT WOULD GO OFF THE ABS LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THEN THE ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT WOULD COME ON, DURING THIS TIME EVERY THING WENT OUT. THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, GAS AND TEMPERATURE GAUGES WENT OUT. I WOULD HIT THE DASH AND IT WOULD WORK CORRECTLY. I FINALLY HAD TO REPLACE IT AND THAT ONE LASTED ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF. SO KNOW I HAVE PUT ANOTHER ONE IN AND AT THIS TIME HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING IT TO FUNCTION. I SEE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET, BUT NONE ON NHTSA WEBSITE. *TR

DODGE CARAVAN STRUT TOWER RUST PERFORATION - SIGNIFICANT RUST PERFORATION ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT HAND STRUT TOWERS SEVERELY WEAKENS THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THESE MAIN LOAD PATH MEMBERS. FAILURE OF THE STRUT TOWERS WOULD LEAD TO UNCONTROLLED DISPLACEMENT OF THE UPPER END OF THE STRUT RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. SINCE THE POSSIBILITY OF FAILURE EXISTS AT ANY TIME WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, SHOULD IT OCCUR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, SERIOUS BODILY INJURY AND DEATH ARE LIKELY. *TR

DISCOVERED SEVERE RUST-THROUGH OF THE FRONT LEFT-SIDE STRUT TOWER WHILE DOING ROUTINE FLUID LEVEL CHECKING. THE DAMAGE IS UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE, AND INITIALLY APPEARED AS DIMPLED METAL WITHOUT ANY HOLES OR GAPS. THE METAL CRUMBLED IN MY HAND, AND REVEALED THE RUST THROUGH AS I PICKED AWAY THE PIECES. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, AND FOUND MANY IDENTICAL PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS THE TSB FROM CHRYSLER: 2304402 (NHTSA 10000317). SEVERAL OF THE REFERENCES HAD PICTURES THAT LOOKED JUST LIKE OUR VEHICLE. AS THE TSB NOTES, THERE IS A SPECIAL REPAIR KIT CREATED AND SUPPLIED BY THE MANUFACTURER JUST TO CORRECT THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE. ALTHOUGH OUT VEHICLE HAS NOT HAD ANY COLLAPSE OR OTHER CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, SEVERAL OF THE OWNERS HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERE PROBLEMS AS A A RESULT OF THIS STRUCTURAL FLAW. THE DEFECT WAS DESCRIBED MANY TIMES AS A RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING DETAIL, WHERE TWO SINGLE PIECES OF METAL WERE LAYERED TO BUILD THE STRUT TOWER. THE SEAM BETWEEN THESE TWO LAYERS OF METAL WAS NOT PROPERLY SEALED, AND AS A RESULT, MOISTURE WAS ALLOWED TO ENTER THE SEAM AND CORROSION INSIDE THE PLATE SANDWICH BEGAN. WITH THE PROBLEM INSIDE THE METAL STRUCTURE ESSENTIALLY HIDDEN FROM VIEW, THE METAL DECAY COULD CONTINUE TO ADVANCE WITHOUT EASY DISCOVERY. THE TSB IS DATED NEARLY 2 YEARS AFTER THE LAST VEHICLE DATE, WITH WARRANTY COVERAGE ALREADY EXPIRED. THIS IS A SERIOUS STRUCTURAL AND SAFETY PROBLEM, AND CHRYSLER IS NOT OFFERING TO RECOGNIZE THE DEFECT AND FIX THIS EXCEPT AT OUR COST. THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT, AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE UNUSUAL DAMAGE PATTERN AS WELL AS THE SPECIAL REPAIR KIT NEEDS A SAFETY RECALL TO SUPPORT OWNERS AND CORRECTLY ASSIGN FAULT. *TR

THE STRUT TOWERS ARE CORRODING ON 1996-2000 TOWN & COUNTRY/VOYAGER/CARAVAN MINI VANS. CHRYSLER HAS ADMITTED THIS IN TSB # 23-044-02. I THINK THE PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD. ANYWAY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, IF THE STRUT TOWER FAILS DURING OPERATION, THE RESULT CAN BE DEVASTATING. THERE ARE MANY YOUNG CHILDREN RIDING IN THESE VEHICLES, SOCCER MOMS ETC. I FIND IT INCREDIBLE THAT THERE IS NOT MORE VISIBLE INFORMATION ON THIS. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF MY 1997, AND AT THE SAME PHONE AND ADDRESS AS WHEN I BOUGHT IT. I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. I ACCIDENTALLY RAN INTO THIS WHILE RESEARCHING FOR NEW STRUTS FOR THE VEHICLE. I LOOKED AT MY VEHICLE AND SURE ENOUGH, ONE OF THE STRUT TOWERS IS FAILING. I CALLED THE DEALER, THE REMEDY IS $500 PER STRUT TOWER. IF THIS ISN'T A CLASSIC DESIGN FLAW (THAT IS POTENTIALLY LETHAL), I'M NOT SURE I COULD FIND A BETTER EXAMPLE. TWO THINGS NEED TO BE DONE. (1) INFORMATION NEEDS TO GET OUT, IT'S NOT HAPPENING. (2) CHRYSLER NEEDS TO ABSORB OR AT LEAST SHARE IN THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. I BELIEVE IF #(1) ABOVE WERE HAPPENING ADEQUATELY, # (2) WOULD HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED. WE NEED TO SET ASIDE THAT THE AUTOMAKERS ARE IN TROUBLE, AND STOP FAVORING THEM AT THE EXPENSE OF CHILDREN'S LIVES. *TR

ENTIRE DASH BOARD INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DIES WITHOUT ANY NOTICE, COMES BACK ON ITS OWN AND DIES. SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN RUNNING FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES WHEN THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE. SOON AFTERWARDS, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS FAILURE ON PLYMOUTHS WITH A DIFFERENT SIZE ENGINE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE, RECALL NUMBER, AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER. WHILE DRIVING 10-15 MPH, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY FILED A REPORT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,948 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,946.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ERRATICALLY. THE HOOD WAS OPENED AND GAS WAS SEEN STREAMING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND A FIRE ENSUED. THE CONTACTS ARMS WERE BURNED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND FILED A REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. DAIMLER CHRYSLER STATED THAT THEY WOULD SEND AN INVESTIGATOR TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE, BUT NO ONE EVER ARRIVED. THE DEALER SENT A LETTER FROM THE CUSTOMER CLAIMS RESOLUTION GROUP INSTEAD, WHICH STATED THAT THE INVESTIGATION HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND THE CLAIM WAS DENIED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V268000 (FUEL SYSTEM: GASOLINE: FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM) WAS REFERENCED. THE PURCHASE DATE AND MILEAGE INFORMATION WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 4/7/08 *CN AURORA FIRE DEPT REPORT 04/08/08 *TR