1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about engine belt and cooling problems, electrical faults that take out gauges, lights and the airbag warning, and transmission failures. Many complaints come from vehicles in the 50,000-110,000 mile range, and several describe failures that happened while driving rather than during routine service. A recurring theme is that owners found a matching service bulletin or recall but were told their vehicle was not covered.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Strut tower rust-through

   • 20 complaints (7%)
   • median 95,178 mi at 8.0 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2011

   Owners describe severe corrosion on the front strut towers, in some cases found before the strut pushed through the metal, with water apparently collecting in the area. Complaints say body shops were reluctant to take on the repair and that the work involved welding in new metal. Several owners reference a service bulletin on strut tower corrosion but report being told there was no recall covering their vehicle. Reported from as little as 10,000 miles up to about 172,000 miles, with several owners noticing rust within the first five years of ownership.

   What to check: Open the hood and inspect the tops of both front strut towers for rust, bubbling paint or holes, and check for water pooling nearby. Ask a body shop to assess the towers before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own two chrysler minivan that have rusted strut towers, and I took them to my favorite body shop. I have been told that almost every chrysler mini van has had this, and to go to the dealer due to a recall. There is no such recall, and was told by the dealer it has been a issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #10239857, filed 2008-08, 92,356 miles

   “Strut tower is corroded and 4 body shops said they would'nt attempt to fix. The following info was obtained by a GM dealership when we told them our problem. He did look up on the computer about bulletins issued regarding your problem. There was one issued on october of 2002 titled: suspension/body -strut tower corrosion #23-044-02. This means chrysler acknowleges they have a problem! Brief history, I am 36 with a wife and two boys who are 11 and eight. Both my wife and I graduated from michigan state university where I also got my mba. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10086205, filed 2004-08, 113,850 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Instrument panel and lights cut out, battery drains

   • 40 complaints (14%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 7.6 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2019

   Owners report gauges, the speedometer and odometer suddenly stopping, panel lights going dark, and headlights or interior lights flickering on and off even with the ignition off until the battery drains. Several complaints link the behaviour to a corroded power distribution block or the connector on the back of the instrument cluster. Owners describe temporary fixes such as disconnecting the battery or reseating the plug, and mechanics unable to identify a definite cause. Reported from low mileage up to about 170,000 miles, with several owners noting the problem was intermittent and worse in wet or humid conditions.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: With the engine running, watch the gauges and lights for flicker or dropouts, and check for corrosion or moisture around the power distribution block and battery terminals. Ask whether the cluster or distribution block has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager. It has 168,900 miles on it. For the past 13 months, we have had numerous occasions when as we are driving, all gauges will suddenly stop functioning. This includes the speedometer. When our gauges go out, the airbag warning light comes on, indicating that system will not function properly in the event of an accident. Are other voyager owners experiencing a similar problem?”

   NHTSA complaint #10047354, filed 2003-11, 131,000 miles

   “When car is off, my front and back headlights constantly click on and off. I here a clicking sound in the fuse box. With the constant on and off, my battery dies. I am taking my vehicle to the shop today but was wondering is this an electrical problem. I often heard that the vehicles always usually has electrical problems. I never noted a recall or complaint before but would like a response to whether this problem is common.”

   NHTSA complaint #10078363, filed 2004-06, 88,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag light on, horn and cruise control dead

   • 56 complaints (20%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 6.7 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2019

   Owners describe the airbag warning light staying on while the horn and cruise control stop working, which several complaints attribute to the clock spring in the steering wheel hub. Some also report gauges or interior lights failing at the same time, or the airbag deploying without a crash. According to the complaints, some owners were told their vehicle was not included in a recall covering the same symptom, while others had the part replaced at their own cost. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 176,000 miles, often appearing without warning and persisting until the part is replaced.

   Recall 04V480000Recall 02V293000

   What to check: Turn the key to accessory and confirm the airbag light goes out, then test the horn and cruise control. Ask whether the clock spring has been replaced and whether the vehicle was included in the airbag clock spring recalls.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Clock spring problem: my 1998 Grand Voyager had the same symptoms and problems subject to the recall but the dealer and chrysler insist my vechicle not covered by recall. I explained that maybe the problem is more widespread than they admitted, as I can see from your site ,at least 109 others agree with me.”

   NHTSA complaint #10062635, filed 2004-03, 54,000 miles

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10106743, filed 2005-01, 97,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission pin failure destroys case

   • 36 complaints (13%)
   • median 58,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2009

   Complaints describe a thump or grinding while driving followed by a loss of power and transmission fluid pouring out, with shops finding a pin or set pin had come loose and damaged the transaxle housing from the inside. Owners report full transmission replacement, and some say a second unit failed later. Others describe delayed or no engagement when cold and a grinding noise in reverse. Mostly reported between about 38,000 and 80,000 miles, several at highway speed and some in cold weather on first start.

   What to check: Check transmission fluid level and colour, look for leaks or a replaced transmission, and drive from cold to feel for delayed engagement or harsh shifting. Ask for service records showing transmission fluid changes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The pin (about 1" dia) in the transaxle broke, travelling at about 60mph, and locked up the front wheels of the vehicle. The lockup occured because the pin exited through the housing of the transaxle and lodged itself in between the bell housing and torque converter. The transaxle had three different holes smashed in its side from the failure. I have pictures of the damage which I can email. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10070430, filed 2004-01, 66,961 miles

   “My 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager went through several quarts of transmission fluid in the past winter. When I took it to my mechanic he said he had worked on several other vehicles of the same model. He warned that the transmission could go out any time and that it is a manufacturer's defect. A pin is coming loose in the transmission. As there was never a puddle under my vehicle it took the van failing to engage into p r d n 1 2 to notice the problem. The fluid was spraying out as I was driving.”

   NHTSA complaint #10078315, filed 2004-06, 80,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine cooling

   Serpentine belt jumps off or shreds repeatedly

   • 23 complaints (8%)
   • median 87,000 mi at 10.6 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • filed 1998–2015

   Complaints describe the drive belt coming off the pulleys, squealing, or tearing apart, sometimes after driving through water, and in a few cases leaving the vehicle without power steering. Owners report replacing the belt and tensioner several times and being told the pulleys or tensioner alignment is the underlying problem. According to the complaints, dealers often did not acknowledge a misalignment. Some owners also describe engine stalling without warning. Reported from roughly 20,000 to 170,000 miles, with several owners saying the belt failed about once a year and more often in hot weather or after water splash.

   What to check: Ask how often the serpentine belt and tensioner have been replaced and whether the belt has ever come off while driving. Inspect the belt, tensioner and pulley alignment, and check for squealing at cold start.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The info I just provided was the most recent.I bought the van used with 22,000 miles and since then I have lost 6 serpentine belts and nobody will help me with the problem.I have spent over 1,000$ in the attempts to get the problem fixed and this last time I just did it myself is why the cost is so low.I have been told by two top mechanics in my area that the belt is not lined up right and there is no adjusting it.the problem is from the factory they tell me.nobody will help me though because it is not a recall. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10069758, filed 2004-01, 22,000 miles

   “We purchased our Grand Voyager with about 14,000 miles on it. It now has about 67,000 miles on it and we have been through approximately 6 serpentine belts and 4 belt tensioners. We have been through 1 belt per year at least since we bought the vehicle. The dealership never acknowledged that there was a defect in the engine that kept causing the belt to become mis-aligned, start squeaking, and eventually rip apart. The problem is more severe in hot weather and we have about 5 months of 90 degree weather where we are. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10019017, filed 2003-05, 20,000 miles

Buying note. Check the strut towers and the airbag clock spring first, since both are corrosion or wear items that owners report paying for themselves, then drive the van from cold to judge the transmission. Service records for belt, tensioner and transmission work are worth asking for on a vehicle of this age.

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.