1998 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER Complaints

MAY 29, 2004 ON A STATE HIGHWAY AND TRAVELING AT 55 MPH WHEN WE FELT A "THUMP" UNDER OUR VAN. UPON PULLING OVER, SAW AN OIL SLICK LEFT ON ROAD FROM VEHICLE. TRANSMISSION HAD A HOLE PUNCHED THROUGH FROM INSIDE. BOTH CHRYSLER DEALER AND TRANSMISSION SUPPLY SAID THEY SEE MANY LIKE IT EVERY MONTH, WHERE A SET PIN LETS GO AND A SMALL SHAFT SLIPS OVER FAR ENOUGH TO CONTACT TRANSMISSION CASE AND DESTROYS IT. VEHICLE HAD 49564 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT A COST OF $2004.29. I HAVE OLD CASE AT HOME. *JB

THE SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF THIS VEHICLE, LEADING TO A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. SO FAR, THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE ON THE ENTRANCE RAMP TO A FREEWAY, WHILE DRIING IN LIGHT CITY TRAFFIC, AND WHILE IDLING AT A BANK (PRIOR TO TAKING A HIGHWAY TRIP WHICH HAD TO BE CANCELLED). IN ALL CASES THE DRIVER WAS FEMALE AND HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE. IN ALL CASES THIS WAS DURING WET WEATHER. AFTER THE SECOND CASE, WE HAD THE DEALE INSTALL A GUIDE PLATE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO KEEP THE BELT ON, BUT IT CAME OFF ANYWAY. WE HAVE NOW LEARNED THAT THERE APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE MOUNTING BRACKET FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP, LEADING THIS PART TO BEND UNDER NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR SUCH THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT WILL JUMP OFF IN WET WEATHER. IN OUR VEHICLE, THERE WAS ANOTHER WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN AT THE SAME TIME, AND THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS ON BACKORDER WITH 18 CUSTOMERS WAITING. THIS CLEARLY SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW AS THIS VEHICLE IS BECOMING NOTORIOUS FOR THIS PROBLEM AMONG MECHANICS, WITH SEVERAL DISCUSSION THEADS TO BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES POWER STEERING AT A CRITICAL TIME, THEREBY LOSING COTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND LEADING TO A FATAL ACCIDENT. INDEED, I WOULD BE SURPRSIED IF THIS HASN'T ALREADY AHPPENED. A RECALL MUST BE ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM.

I SEE THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION ON DODGE CARAVAN AND GRAND CARAVAN, PLYMOUTH VOYAGER AND GRAND VOYAGER AND CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY AND VOYAGER MINIVANS FROM THE 2001 AND 2002 MODEL YEARS. OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ARE FLICKERING, DIMMING AND PERIODICALLY SHUTTING DOWN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE PROBLEM HAS LED TO THE MINIVANS BEING TOWED IN SOME CASES. I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU CAN ADD MY YEAR MINIVAN. I HAVE A 1998 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. I AM NOT ABLE TO GET IT FIXED BECAUSE THE MECHANIC CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THIS. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO ADD MY VEHICLE TO THIS SAFETY INVESTIGATION??? THE HEADLIGHTS ARE FLICKERING ON AND OFF, THE DASH LIGHTS DO THIS AT THE SAME TIME. SOMETIMES THE HEADLIGHTS JUST STAY ON.

THERE IS NO PARTICULAR EVENT THAT TRIGGERS THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER / CONTROLLER IS DEFECTIVE. THE GAUGES FAIL CONSTANTLY. THE ABS LIGHT STAYS ON WHICH I BELIEVE IS RELATED TO THE CLOCK-SPRING RECALL, AND THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, TACHOMETER,FUEL GAGES STOP WORKING. I READ AN ARTICLE IN A FORUM THAT SAID DISCONNECT THE BATTERY BECAUSE IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ECU. IT SEEMS RESETTING THE ECU DID FIX THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY. SO EACH TIME IT HAPPENS THAT HOW I FIX IT. A RECALL FOR THE DEFECTIVE ECU MAY BE IN ORDER. I HAVE READ MANY ARTICLES WITH PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. (2) THE LEDS FOR THE A/C, HEATING AND REAR WIPERS DON'T WORK. THEY JUST BLINK. I HAVE FOUND THAT IF YOU DRIVE LONG ENOUGH, THEY START WORKING USUALLY NON-STOP DRIVING FOR OVER AN HOUR.

STRUT TOWERS RUSTING OUT. NOTICED THIS CONDITION APPROX. 2 YEARS AGO WHEN VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD. RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, IT SEEMS MANY OTHER PLYMOUTH VOYAGER AND DODGE CARAVAN OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. FOUND TSB#23-044-02 WHICH REFERS TO THIS PROBLEM. SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE STRUT TOWER COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING AND/OR SUDDEN STOPPING FORCE APPLIED ON ONE SIDE OF VEHICLE AS A TIRE IMPACTS A WHEEL WELL.

INTERMITTENT WIPER FUNCTION CEASED WORKING CORRECTLY. WOULD WIPE A COUPLE TIMES THEN QUIT. TURNING IT ON AND OFF CAUSED IT TO WORK A COUPLE MORE TIMES THEN QUIT. DANGEROUS, SINCE ONE RELIES ON THE INTERMITTENT FUNCTION TO CONTINUE TO WORK. PROBLEM CAME AND WENT. MORE NOTICEABLE IN WET WEATHER (WHEN OF COURSE YOU ACTUALLY NEED THE WIPERS) THEN IN THE DEALERS DRY SHOP. FINALLY DEALER REPLACED THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH. WORKED BETTER FOR A WHILE, THEN SAME PROBLEM RETURNED. DEALER CANNOT FIND ANYTHING ELSE WRONG. REFUSED TO CONSIDER CLOCK-SPRING PROBLEM.

OUR 1998 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER HAS AN EXHAUST LEAK IN THE CROSSOVER PIPE. OUR NINE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER CONTINUALLY GETS HEADACHES IN THE CAR, AND UNBEKNOWNST TO US, THERE IS CARBON MONOXIDE LEAKING INTO THE VAN. IT IS NOT REPAIRABLE, AND THE PARTS ARE ON A "NATIONWIDE BACKORDER" ACCORDING TO CHRYSLER AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE. IN THE MEANTIME, WE ARE NOT WILLING TO SUBJECT OUR CHILD TO THIS, AND BELIEVE WE ARE BEING FORCED INTO PURCHASING A DIFFERENT VEHICLE, WHEN WE ARE NOT READY TO DO SO, WITH ANOTHER DAUGHTER IN COLLEGE. WE BELIEVE THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD CRUNCHING NOISE FROM THE FRONT END. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER AND PROCEEDED TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS SO SHE APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE SHE LEARNED THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH OR MORE THE ABS AND THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHTS ILLUMINATED SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE CONDITION CAUSED THE INSTRUMENT GAUGES AND THE POWER DOOR LOCKS TO BE INOPERATIVE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THEY REPLACED THREE DIFFERENCE SENSORS AND A MODULE AND THE PROBLEM KEEPS RECURRING. *JB *SC

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. IN THE PROCESS, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THEN, VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO, IN RETURN, TOWED THE VEHICLE BACK TO CONSUMER'S HOME NOT REPAIRED. THE DAMAGES SUSTAINED FROM THE COLLISION WERE NOT REPAIRED BECAUSE CONSUMER ONLY HAD LIABILITY INSURANCE. *AK