1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about transmission problems (rough shifting, shuddering, or complete failure) and about the engine's accessory belt coming off, which takes out power steering. Airbag warning lights and non-deployment reports are also frequent, along with instrument panel and wiper faults. Many complaints come in at moderate mileage, but a large share appear well past 100,000 miles, so some of what owners describe reflects an older van rather than something specific to the year.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Instrument panel and gauges cut out, wipers run on their own

   • 24 complaints (9%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 8.1 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2015

   Complaints describe the instrument cluster going dead and coming back, with all gauges dropping to zero, warning lights flashing, and lights dimming, sometimes accompanied by stalling. Separately, owners report windshield wipers starting by themselves or stopping when switched on, and repair shops pointing to wiring or a body control module. Some link the two and describe chasing intermittent electrical faults without a lasting fix. Mostly reported between about 65,000 and 165,000 miles, described as intermittent and often worse at night or in motion.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: With the engine running, watch whether the gauges flicker or drop and whether the wipers park correctly; ask about any cluster or body control module replacement and look for prior wiring repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When car is slowing to make a turn, the windshield wipers come on. The service engine light stays on. When a diagnostic test was performed, the code which came up indicated a problem did not exist. It was determined a short caused the windshield wipers and engine light to stay on. When the computer was reset, the light came back on in a matter of minutes. I do not think this problem is due to age of the car. Many of my friends who have these same autos have the same problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10010410, filed 2003-03, 65,000 miles

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10267188, filed 2009-04, 145,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, hard shifting, or failure

   • 40 complaints (15%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2015

   Owners describe hard vibration when pulling away, harsh or delayed shifts, a shudder that feels like a manual transmission about to stall, and in some cases the van dropping out of gear or rolling back as if in neutral. Several complaints mention rebuilt or replacement transmissions failing again within a few thousand miles, and shops describing converter shudder as the recurring symptom. Some say a dealer or shop told them transmission repair is common on these vans. Reported from roughly 55,000 to about 165,000 miles, with several cases in the 70,000-100,000 mile range.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: On a test drive, feel for shudder or hesitation under light and moderate acceleration and check whether shifts are smooth when warm; ask for transmission service records and whether the unit has been rebuilt.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have problems with my wipers going on and right back off since the month I bought this vehicle in 2000 . I cant get it fixed because noone knows why it does it . Just this week I had my fan relay module replaced , only to learn my transmission is now not worknig it stops at 3rd gear only to drop to 1 gear . While trying to get that fixxed they told me my water pump is leaking (which is ok and expected of most vehicles , ) I have had to have my dash light computer reset because all my AC dfrost and wiper lights were blinking continuously. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10071012, filed 2004-01, 132,000 miles

   “I just had my third mopar rebuilt transmission installed two weeks ago in my 97 Plymouth Grand Voyager--3 speed automatic--3.0 litre. I bought this 97 ply Grand Voyager with 30k miles from a reputable dealer. This original trans went at 75k. I then had the first mopar rebuilt installed and replaced within 3,000 miles due to a flatly torque converter. The second, and third were replaced, at 85k and 97k, respectfully, due to the same problem. This torque converter, shuttering , problem is the main symptom. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10005112, filed 2003-02
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Accessory belt comes off, loss of power steering

   • 17 complaints (7%)
   • median 132,000 mi at 9.0 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2018

   Owners report the serpentine belt slipping off, shredding, or breaking, which leaves them without power steering and sometimes without charging, requiring a tow. Several say it happens more readily in rain or after driving through water, and that replacing brackets, tensioners, and belts has not stopped it. Some complaints note the belt taking out wiring or causing a stall when it lets go. Reported from about 65,000 up to nearly 200,000 miles, with multiple repeat failures on the same vehicle and several mentions of wet conditions.

   What to check: Inspect the belt, tensioner, and pulleys for wear or misalignment, ask whether the tensioner or bracket has been replaced, and check the belt after driving in rain if you can.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was in my way to work when it was raining ever time it rains the belts comes off this is very dangerous. I had no power steering at all when this happen with muscle I managed to pull over onto the shoulder of the road. Once water hits the tension wheel belt it knocks it off which makes it slide off every time.”

   NHTSA complaint #10760181, filed 2015-08, 147,000 miles

   “Since purchasing this van used last year 2011, my van has a high pitched squealing noise. Dealership (3rd party) stated it was only a wet belt and would stop once the belt dried. This noise never stopped. My teen driver was alone when the belt snapped causing her to loose control of the steering. Seeing other post of similar or worse case scenarios I am looking into further action. Neither the mechanic at the dealership or any other mechanic ever stated to me that this issue is common in this vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10472450, filed 2012-08, 147,613 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light on, horn and cruise control out

   • 44 complaints (17%)
   • median 105,000 mi at 7.2 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2016

   Owners describe the airbag light staying lit while driving, often together with a horn that does not sound and cruise control that stops working. Several say a mechanic identified the clockspring assembly as the cause, and some mention having the part replaced. Others report the light simply coming on intermittently with no other symptom. Reported across a wide mileage range, from vehicles with no mileage listed up to about 95,000 miles, often noticed at startup.

   Recall 02V293000

   What to check: Turn the key on and confirm the airbag light goes out after the bulb check, and test the horn and cruise control; ask whether the clockspring has been replaced under the recall.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I got in the van in my driveway and turned the ignition switch on then I noticed that the air bag light was on. So I turned the ignition switch off waited a minute then turned it back on and the light was still on. I thought it was a fuse so I proceeded to my destination. As I arrived at my mom's house I tried to blow the horn, then I found out that my horn did not work. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10909497, filed 2016-09, 95,000 miles

   “Daimler chrysler refuses to reimburse us for clockspring for a 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager. We replaced the part before we had knowledge of the recall. We submitted the required information for reimbursement and chrysler said that we would not get reimbursed because we replaced the part ourselves after the recall was announced. We were not aware of recall until after replacement when we received another recall notice. We never received the first ones. I feel it should not matter if we replaced the part ourselves after the recall. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10025841, filed 2003-07, 105,000 miles
5. 5
   Steering

   Rust-through at the front strut towers

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report rust perforation at the upper front strut towers, sometimes found during routine checks when the metal crumbles, and in one case a bracket failure that led to a blowout. Several cite a Chrysler service bulletin covering this area on these minivans and note that repairs were not covered once the vehicles were older. Complaints describe the damage as hidden under the hood until it is advanced. Reported from about 87,000 to 190,000 miles, on vehicles well into their service life.

   What to check: Open the hood and inspect both strut towers closely for bubbling paint, dimpled metal, or holes, including the sides of the towers, and probe gently with a screwdriver if rust is suspected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The drivers side strut tower is rusting out, but not on the top like most of them do. 3/4 of the side of the tower is rusted and gone. The passenger side still looks good. I have gone to several shops but no one can help me. The vans 3.3l engine and trans are still in good shape so I need to find someone or something to fix this”

   NHTSA complaint #10863840, filed 2016-05

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10257570, filed 2009-02, 190,000 miles

Buying note. Check the transmission carefully on a test drive, inspect the strut towers for rust, and confirm the belt, tensioner, and clockspring recall work are up to date, since these come up repeatedly in owner reports. Service records matter more than mileage on a vehicle this old.

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.