Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Plymouth Breeze owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Dt: consumer states that 1999 Plymouth Breeze caught on fire and burned completely. Consumers parked the car and turned off the engine, and 5 minutes later consumer was notified that vehicle was on fire. The fire started under the hood around the engine compartment. The battery was severely burned and it looked like the fire May have started there. A week earlier NHTSA recall 04V021000 repairs were done. The fire department came and extinguished the fire. Fire and police reports were issued.
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.
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.
While parked, with the key out of the ignition, slightly bumped the shifter and knocked it out of the 'park' position. Vehicle rolled backward and torn the front passenger door against wall. Ref ie03013
1999 Plymouth Breeze high pressure steering hose defect. The consumer believed the fire and the accidents that occurred, were due to a direct result of the two recalls that were issued. An inspector was sent to examine the vehicle and concluded the problems were not a result of the recalls. Updated 01/7/14 updated 02/26/14
Vehicle was parked and not running. Then, transmission jumped out of gear and accelerated backward. The passenger door unexpectedly opened, and passenger was dragged down the hill and hit a parked car. The passenger sustained injuries, and was transported to the hospital. Vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection.
The key could be taken out of ignition when the gear shifter was in any position. The consumer removed the key from the ignition, but failed to place the vehicle in park and did not engage the emergency brake, and the vehicle rolled backwards. The dealer stated a pin in the shifter popped out. Ref ie03013
Radio expired before warranty July 2000--no replacement by Chrysler transmission sensors at 52,000 April 2001-- no replacement or help of any kind from Chrysler, head gasket now at 76,000, January 2003 no help or replacement from Chrysler, was told not their problem since warranty expired.
I supposedly had a gasket put on my vehicle but I still have a water leak. I see there were recalls on heads or gaskets. I also had brakes and rotors put on my car which I still have problem with . I have paid over$400 to get that gasket put on. When I use my air conditioner the power of my engine weakens and I hear valves rattling. I do not know the owner of the vehicle every get these things fix when there were a recall for them or not. I also had to put a transmission sensor on the vehicle. It is one thing after another for this vehicle. I thought maybe because of the age of the car. But after looking at the recall of the vehicle. I basically have to restore the vehicle. The dealer where I took my car told me that I had a recall on my brakes but I do not think they did anything about. Then I was also told that I needed work for the startling and power of my vehicle. …
I have tried to resolve the numbers of recalls that are still pending on my car. The three pending recalls are 843, c45, and e23. I have been to the dealer and I was served and told that they were going to order the parts. The dealer never call to tell me about the status of the parts. I called to check and the parts never arrived. The dealer have not take any action to repair my car.
Related recalls
Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Floor shift
On certain passenger vehicles, the floor shifter ignition-park interlock May fail and allow the shifter to be moved out of the park position with the key removed. An inoperative interlock May also allow the key to be removed when the shifter has not been placed in the park position.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new load-limiting push rod into the floor shifter lever of the affected vehicles. Owner notification began on June 14, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA investigations
Auto trans ignition-park interlock
Three of the manfacturer complaints and two of the manufacturer crashes reported above were duplicates of odi reports.the majority of crashes occurred after operators parked the vehicle without engaging park gear position; a non-functional ignition-park interlock system subsequently failed to prevent key removal before the operators exited the vehicle.most of the crashes were minor and involved minor property…
Auto trans ignition-park interlock
The manufacturer reports above are based on daimlerchrysler?s (dc) analysis of model year (my) 1998 (population = 356,384) and 1999 (population = 486,948) ja, jx and lh family subject vehicle data (earlier mys excluded).the population number includes all mys.the precise number of duplicates between odi and dc reports cannot be determined due to missing or incomplete information.the fatality incident involved an…
Transmission complaints in other Breeze years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1999 Plymouth Breeze?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1999 Plymouth Breeze, 17% of the model year's 117 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Plymouth Breeze transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-021 (floor shift, Jan 13, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1999 Plymouth Breeze transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.