Steering complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
My son bought a Plymouth Breeze 2000 and only had it three and a half weeks. He noticed that power steering seemed to be a little harder to steer. I noticed h car smelled hot two nights before the fire. He drove the car to a basketball game and arrived about 7:20 pm. He parked and locked the car in the high school parking lot. Within less than 15 minutes they were announcing the owner of a car from g and g auto in merrill needed to report to the prinicipal. We did not yet have our new liscense plates yet. My son went out first to the parking lot and I followed a few minutes later when they were stilll announcing a problem. Apparently the engine area of the car started on fire and the custodians at the school noticed it and called both the police liason and the fire departmetn. They sent four trucks. They needed to extricate the hood since the car was locked. They extinguished the fire. …
Tl contact owns a 2000 Plymouth Breeze. The vehicle had been parked for less than one minute when the contact noticed smoke under the hood. The smoke then turned into flames. The contact used a blanket and a water hose to extinguish the fire. The vehicle sustained $1,900 worth of damages. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 00V191000 (steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections) three weeks after the fire. Plymouth sent a contractor to investigate the cause of the fire and concluded that the fire was not related to the safety recall. The vehicle was repaired by a mechanic. After repairing the vehicle, the mechanic discovered a leak from the high pressure power steering hose directly onto the exhaust manifold, which was the possible cause of the fire. …
Daves autosales owner dave malmfeldt [phone] or [phone] never informed us of a safety recall on e23 high power steering hose which resulted in a fire and total loss of 1999 Plymouth Breeze .the defect and recall information analysis safety assurance national highway traffic safety administration. Federal trade commission on final approval should be notified and all vehicles repaired within a 120 days after receiving the recall notice. Safety recalls compendium,motor vehicle and motor vehicle equipment in accordance switch title 49 of the united states code chapter 301 and supporting federal regulations. …
Drove the car to a restaurant for dinner. Parked the car and went into the restaurant. Approximately 15 minutes later I saw a fire truck in the area of my vehicle. After watching for a moment I realized there was smoke billowing out from under the hood. After the firemen opened the hood I could see that several components were melted as well as see some fire. After I got the vehicle towed to a secure environment I contacted a Plymouth dealership, who gave me the phone number of another party out of state. This party said that a letter informing me of the recall was mailed to me and that they no longer have anything to do with the problem. The dealership will not help with fixing the vehicle. They also state it is not their problem.
Visible white smoke coming from engine compartment. Damaged power steering pressure line was found after diagnostic care was provided. Checked for other known issues, found recall # 06V001000 describing my exact issue and falling under similar model of car, however my car "does not qualify for that recall" and all recalls have been completed on the vehicle.
Rack and pinion steering gear crunching noise. 45.000 miles due to lengthy research it appears that there are serious defects in the steering system of many daimler Chrysler vehicles. After 27 years of experience with 14 vehicles (mostly GM and Ford) I have never had as many drivetrain/suspension/steering failures as with this Plymouth Breeze. The real problem is that Chrysler does not take responsibility (financial responsibility) for potentially life threatening defects. They should issue a recall and pay for the parts and labor and then find suppliers who know what they are doing. I consider the Breeze unusable at highway speeds, such as anything over 30 MPH. For having such a beautiful design this situation is just sad. Please forward this to Chrysler as I am in the process of starting a small claims court case. …
The struts failed. The cause had not been determined. The part had been replaced three times within one year. There were engine problems, the spark plugs continued to get dirty, two sets of tires were lost, there was an odor coming from the ac, there was a leak coming from the main seal and left rear corner of the head, the heater fan only worked on high, there was a tapping noise coming from the engine compartment when the vehicle was first started then goes away, there was a clunking noise in the front wheels, the flash module caused the engine light to come on and the upstream #2 sensor was replaced, the steering rack had broken, the temperature gauge was inoperative, and the ac belt was cracked. The consumer has since traded the vehicle.
1996 Plymouth Breeze involved in accident due to equipment failure. The accident was the result of steering problems. Consume later received a safety recall notification from Chrysler that concerned the lower control arms and ball joints. Consumer's son sustained injuries. Insurance company declared the vehicle totaled. The head gasket was replaced prior to the accident. Driver was making a turn when he hear a clinking or popping sound. At the enid of the turn the steering wheel would not steer the vehicle. He hit the curb and heard a loud sound under the vehicle. He then hit the sign pole, which broke a the base and came through the windshield. He had to duck out of the way as the pole hit his headrest and then struck the wall. This is where he injured his neck and back, trying to avoid the pole. The air bags didn't deploy.
Related recalls (1)
Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Hose, piping, and connections
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.4 liter engines, the high pressure power steering hose May prematurely heat age and develop a leak.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the high pressure power steering hose free of charge. The the recall began on April 10, 2006. Owners May contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA investigations
Steering shaft binding
There is no summary currently available
Steering shaft binding
There is no summary currently available
Frequently asked questions
Which Plymouth Breeze years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1996 (20), 1998 (18), 1999 (16), 2000 (16) and 1997 (14) model years. Steering complaints make up 11% of all complaints for the 1996.
Is there a recall for Plymouth Breeze steering problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 06V-001 (hose, piping, and connections, Jan 5, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Plymouth Breeze steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 103,000 miles; 11% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the hydraulic power assist › hose, piping, and connections (20 mentions), followed by the linkages › tie rod assembly (13).
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.