1999 Plymouth Breeze Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year cluster around two things: engine fires that owners say started under the hood, often shortly after the car was parked, and head gasket leaks on the 2.4L engine reported at low mileage. Owners also describe the floor shifter slipping out of park with the key removed, and airbags that did not deploy in frontal impacts.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Engine compartment fire after parking or while driving

   • 29 complaints (25%)
   • median 96,000 mi at 8.9 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 23 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2010

   Owners describe smoke and flames coming from under the hood, frequently within minutes of parking the car, and in some cases while driving at low speed. Several say the fire department attributed the cause to an electrical failure; some mention the battery area or wiring as the apparent origin. A number of owners link their fire to the power steering hose recall on this vehicle and note they had not had the recall work done at the time. Reported from roughly 47,000 to 180,000 miles, across all model years of ownership, most often minutes after the vehicle was shut off and parked.

   Recall 06V001000

   What to check: Ask whether recall 06V001000 (power steering pressure hose) was completed, and have a shop inspect under-hood wiring, the battery cables and the power steering hose for heat damage or leaks before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 1999 Plymouth Breeze caught fire under the hood while sitting idle at a fast food drive thru. A bystander ran up to my window to advise that my car was on fire, he saw flames coming out of exhaust pipe. I then proceeded to get my 2 year old and sister out of the car. Firemen came to put the fire out in the car and stated it was some type of electrical fire. I had no warning of this no warning lights inside the car whatsoever.”

   NHTSA complaint #10102654, filed 2004-12, 92,000 miles

   “I drove my car for about half an hour to a interview for a job, it took me maybe 20 minutes to get there and 20 minutes to get back home. I parked my car in the driveway went in to the house 5 to 7 minutes after I returned home the car was on fire. Thank god I wasn't in it when it caught fire. I called the fire department they put the fire out. I called the manufacturing company that made the car and they sent someone out to the location where the car was left burnt to a crisp. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10321901, filed 2010-03, 111,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Head gasket leak on the 2.4L engine

   • 18 complaints (15%)
   • median 61,501 mi at 4.7 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • owner-quoted repair $665 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2006

   Owners report being told at routine oil changes that the head gasket was leaking, with repair quotes ranging from several hundred to over a thousand dollars. Some describe coolant and oil loss, and several mention the repair being needed well under 60,000 miles. Complaints describe dealers declining goodwill help once the warranty period had passed; some owners also report cooling system failures and a temperature gauge reading incorrectly. Frequently reported between about 39,000 and 80,000 miles, with some cases above 100,000 miles.

   What to check: Check the coolant level and condition, look for oil or coolant seepage at the head-to-block seam, and ask whether the head gasket has been replaced and at what mileage.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My Plymouth Breeze completely shut down as I was driving it. My daughter was in the car with me and we both could have gotten seriously hurt. Also, I just spent $700 on a blown head gasket. Something really needs to be done about these vehicles.”

   NHTSA complaint #10155893, filed 2006-04, 58,002 miles

   “My son, richard scott bradley, owns a 2000 dodge stratus. A second son, robert brian bradley, owns a 1999 dodge intrepid. I own a 1999 Plymouth Breeze. My two sons and I have each had a cooling system failure, and have been told that it will cost approximately $1200 to repair the malfunction. It seems more than coincidence that each of us would experience similar defects in the vehicles' air conditioning systems. In the not so distant future, each one of us will be in the market for a new car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10086092, filed 2004-08, 47,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Shifter moves out of park with key removed

   • 10 complaints (9%)
   • median 60,950 mi at 4.7 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2009

   Owners describe the floor shifter coming out of park with no key in the ignition, sometimes after a light bump, letting the car roll. Complaints also describe the key being removable while the shifter was not in park, and in some cases the vehicle rolling into a street, tree or wall. Dealers reportedly replaced shifter pins or ignition tumblers, and a recall covering the interlock exists for this vehicle. Reported at mileages from about 12,000 to 126,000 miles, typically noticed while the car was parked and unattended.

   Recall 04V021000

   What to check: Confirm recall 04V021000 was performed, then test that the shifter will not leave park with the key out and that the key cannot be removed unless the shifter is in park.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 3 1/2 year old son was getting in the car and bumped the gear shift while the car was off, no foot on the brake and no keys in the ignition and it rolled backwards across the street and hit the neighbors tree resulting in $3100 in damage to trunk and bumper. My insurance had to pay even though I reported it all the way to the attorney general. Chrysler stated we should have done routine checks and would not pay to fix the defect or damages. Recently there was an alert in consumer report and there have been many incidences of the same nature. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10086415, filed 2004-08

   “Vehicle was switched out of parked gear and rolled with consumer's 3 year old son in the driver's seat. Transferred to ovsc. There were no keys in the ignition. The vehicle rolled backwards across a street and hit a tree. The child was not injured. The consumer feels that the vehicle interlock system failed causing this accident.”

   NHTSA complaint #10042626, filed 2003-10, 67,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slipping, sensor and cooling line problems

   • 14 complaints (12%)
   • median 84,000 mi at 6.7 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2016

   Owners describe the transmission failing to downshift when braking, then quitting with fluid leaking, and in other cases sensor failures that left them without warranty coverage for the repair. Complaints also mention stalling, deceleration from highway speed with no warning, and repeated no-start conditions where the shop suspected the shifter cable, then the powertrain control module. Some repairs were reported as incomplete or repeated. Reported from roughly 50,000 to 182,000 miles, often described as gradual difficulty shifting before a loss of drive.

   Recall 04V0210002 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a test drive, check for delayed or harsh downshifts and slipping, and ask whether the transmission fluid and lines have been serviced or replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When the gear shifter was put into reverse, the vehicle suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed and stopped when it crashed into a deck. The consumer's foot was depressed on the brake pedal when this occurred. Prior to the incident, the vehicle had an on going problem with the shifter jumping out of gear. The floor shift ignition-park interlock 04v021000 recall was performed a year ago. The vehicle is currently at a collision shop being serviced. The cause of the failures has yet to be determined.”

   NHTSA complaint #10119040, filed 2005-04, 100,000 miles

   “1999 Plymouth Breeze shut down & would not start, had towed to archer dodge, first told the problem might be shifter cable. & that there was a recall. Then told this was not the problem, they needed to run diagnostic test. Then told the PCM was the problem. Called & was told the car was fixed, went to pick it up & car would not start, still the same as it was when towed. Car stayed in shop. Called 2 days later & was told car was fixed, went back to archer dodge to pick up car, car would not start, same as it was when car was towed again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10132493, filed 2005-08, 68,000 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying in frontal impacts

   • 7 complaints (6%)
   • median 64,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2006

   Owners report frontal and side impacts at speeds from about 25 to 45 mph in which none of the airbags deployed, while other vehicles involved in the same collision did deploy. Some describe occupants striking the steering wheel or sustaining head, neck and facial injuries, and seat belts being in use. Complaints say the dealer referred them to NHTSA rather than diagnosing the system. Described across a range of mileages, mostly in impacts during ordinary driving rather than at start-up.

   What to check: Ask for any record of airbag system diagnostics, and have the airbag warning lamp checked to confirm it illuminates briefly at start-up and then goes out.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving 45 MPH an accident occurred consumer's vehicle rear-ended another vehicle. Upon impact, air bags on either side did not deploy. Consumer sustained a broken nose from hitting her face on the steering wheel. Contacted the dealer, and was told to contact NHTSA.”

   NHTSA complaint #10111505, filed 2005-02

   “Consumer states while traveling at 25 to 30 MPH another driver pulled in front of consumer and consumer was hit mid driver side, consumer states none of the vehicle airbags deployed. The other driver airbags did deploy. There was one injury.”

   NHTSA complaint #8008915, filed 2002-05

Buying note. A 1999 Breeze is old enough that service history matters more than mileage: confirm the two open recalls (power steering hose and shifter interlock) were actually performed, and budget for a head gasket repair on the 2.4L engine if there is no record of one. A pre-purchase inspection focused on under-hood wiring, cooling system leaks and transmission behavior is worth the cost.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.