1998 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER Complaints

WHILE CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD, THE RIGHT STRUT TOWER APPEARED TO HAVE AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF RUST ON TOP. A CRACK WAS THEN NOTICED. MECHANIC STATED IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL. THE ORIGINAL PART WAS PAINTED AND RUSTED DUE TO FAILURE OF PAINT. NEEDS TO BE TOTALLY REPLACED WITH NEW KIT THAT CORRECTS THE PROBLEM. FAILURE OF THIS PART MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND INABILITY TO STEER THE CAR. POOR ENGINEERING CITED BY MECHANIC. PRIOR MODELS DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND MANUFACTURER SHOULD STEP TO PROVIDE THIS REPAIR UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SINCE IT IS A VERY EXPENSE REPAIR AND PART SHOULD NEVER HAVE CRACKED IN THE FIRST PLACE. *JB

1998 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER 3.3L ENGINE HAS A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE METAL BELLOWS ON THE ENGINE CROSSOVER PIPE. THE BELLOWS IS MEANT TO ABSORB ANY THERMAL MOVEMENTS CREATED WHEN THE EXHAUST PIPING HEATS UP MORE THAN THE ENGINE. EITHER ASSEMBLY ISSUES, FATIGUE DESIGN OF THE BELLOWS OR A SUSCEPTIBLE MATERIAL HAS CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FAILURES ON THIS PART. SO MANY SO THAT I HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY PROCURING THE PART FROM THE MANUFACTURER. UPON FAILURE THE BELLOWS DEVELOPES A CRACK THAT PROPAGATES ALL THE WAY AROUND IT. EXHAUST GASES THEN LEAK OUT AND AT SLOW SPEEDS APPEAR TO BE PULLED INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE CAR'S VENT SYSTEM. I'VE TRIED TO PATCH THE REPAIR BUT I'VE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. OUR LOCAL DEALER WON'T PERFORM EXHAUST WORK. I BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. THE FAILURE NUMBER IS BASED UPON A NUMBER OF BACKORDERS THAT I WAS TOLD THE MANUFACTURER HAD ON THIS PART.

CONSUMER INQUIRING ABOUT RECALLS ON HIS 1998 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER MINIVAN, THE HORN OFTEN FAILED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT WORK. *NM *JB

CONSUMER NOTICED OIL SPILLS FROM UNDER THE CAR. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR SERVICE, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE LEAK WAS A CRACKED HEAD GASKET.*AK

OIL LEAKED ON THE RIGHT REAR CORNER OF THE HEAD GASKET. NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED.*AK

THIS IS A COMPANY VEHICLE. IT WAS USED ON TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK WITHOUT PROBLEM. THURSDAY IT WAS USED AGAIN, AND THE COWORKER WHO USED IT THIS TIME FOUND THAT THE BRAKES WERE JUST BARELY ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP FROM A SLOW ROLL. FORTUNATELY, HE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY RETURN TO THE PARKING LOT WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHEN I CHECKED ON THE VEHICLE LATER THAT DAY I NOTED A PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID ON THE GROUND UNDER THE REAR AXLE. THINKING THAT POSSIBLY SOME ROAD DEBRIS HAD PUNCTURED A BRAKE LINE, I TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP, A DODGE DEALER. THERE THEY FOUND THAT ONE BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH. ALSO, THEY NOTED SIGNIFICANT RUST ON OTHER PLACES IN THE LINES. I HAD THE SHOP GIVE ME THE OLD LINES AFTER THE NEW ONES WERE INSTALLED. I HAVE THEM AVAILABLE FOR PHOTOGRAPHING OR PHYSICAL ANALYSIS. IT APPEARS TO ME TO BE A CASE OF DISSIMILAR METAL AND / OR CREVICE CORROSION AT THE LOCATION WHERE THE SOLID TUBE MEETS WITH THE WIRE MESH PORTION OF THE LINE. I THINK THIS REPRESENTS A TRUE SAFETY HAZARD, PARTICULARLY SINCE THIS IS A 1998 VEHICLE ON WHICH SUCH A PROBLEM SHOULD NEVER BE ANTICIPATED. THANKS FOR INVESTIGATING. BY THE WAY, THEY ALSO SAID THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE SNOW AND/OR WATER HAS RUSTED UP ONE OF THE REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. THIS ALSO SEEMS LIKE AN ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. BUT I DON'T CONSIDER IT TO BE AS GREAT A SAFETY CONCERN. I THINK THAT A REASONABLY OBSERVANT DRIVER SHOULD HAVE PLENTY OF WARNING IF A BRAKE IS DRAGGING, UNLIKE DRIVING OFF SOME DAY WITH ALMOST NO BRAKES WHATSOEVER BECAUSE OF A RUSTED OUT LINE. *NM

VEHICLE WAS SHOOTING SPARKS FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THEN, THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF. MECHANIC HAD TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF BY DISCONNECTING OR TOUCHING A WIRE. *AK THE SES LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE HORN STOPPED WORKING. THE BRAKE LIGHT BECAME STUCK AND THE BRAKES FELT SPONGY. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE REAR DOOR LOCK WOULDN'T WORK WITH THE KEY. THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARINGS WERE NOISY. ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES HAD CORD SEPARATION. *NM

GASOLINE ODOR/EXHAUST FUMES WERE COMING INTO THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE HEATING VENT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THIS WAS DUE TO A FLEX CROSS OVER TUBE LOCATED BETWEEN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. DEALER WAS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS UNAVAILABLE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING SRS AIR BAG LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON AND THE HORN FAILED TO COME ON WHEN APPLIED. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SC

FIRST WHEN I BOUGHT THE VAN AND HAD TO REPLACE HAD GASKET WHICH I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VAN, YET THERE IS NO RECALL. THEN ON OCTOBER 13TH 2003 I WAS IN A AUTO ACCIDENT WHEN I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT I WAS HIT FROM THE REAR BY A WOMEN DOING 30-35 MPH I HIT PEOPLE IN FRONT OF ME AND THE VAN WAS TOTALLED BUT YET THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I STILL HAVE THE VAN, MY WIFE AND I WERE BOTH HURT. CAN YOU TELL ME IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING.*AK