Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (air conditioning, heater, defroster, HVAC controls).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving down the interstate doing about 70 MPH I heard a loud noise. Looked at speedometer and it registered 0. I had no power. Barely managed to get van off the road. Got out and looked under it, there was transmission fluid everywhere. Had it checked out by personal mechanic. He then told me that there have been numerous complaints about this year of Plymouth Grand voyagers. I only have 86,000 miles on it. Also the sliding door locks have failed, windshield washers have failed, A/C has failed, not to mention the airbag light, fuel line and all of the numerous other recalls it has had on it.
Failure of dealer to fix recalled airbag clockspring recall #b24 issued on November 14th. Dealer refused to fix the recall because my van windows have chalk on them to tell the public the problems I have had with this vehicle.
Comsumer complainined about having problems with the evaporator that is made for the air conditioner. Consumer did contact the dealer, and stated that they did not have any recalls on the vehicle.
I have received a recall notice for a radiator fan relay, which is not mentioned on your site. Today, I found a new leak of transmission fluid, the red lights are again flashing on and off, there are power surges in the control panels, the engine chokes and shudders. Oh, and the A/C is out again. We won't even mention the windhield wipers which have continually gone on and off since we have owned this car, or the airbag alarms, or the incredible amount of money we have put into this maintained car. My 20,000 car has become a 40,000 lemon. There is simply no excuse for this, mileage or not. I have attempted to keep this car because I wanted a "safe" car for my teenagers to drive. Now, it appears I have them driving the pinto of the 1990's. I thought I was keeping my kids safe!! …
I bought my 1996 used two winters ago and was told by the dealer that the ac worked (and it did blow cold air at the tiem, it was only 6: c outside!!)along came a hot day in June and no ac. I took it into a shop who pressure tested it, said it was OK and recharged it. It lasted 3 hours into our vacation. On my return they checked it out again and said these vans were known to have defected and leaky ac systems. They found a few small holes in the condenser. Summer was over so I let it sit until this summer where I replaced the condenser and took it back for another $150 pressure test and refill. This time it lasted 3 weeks and again died on our vacation. On my return he found more leaks around the compressor and said that the evaporator is also probably leaking because they do just that quite often on this type of van.so far I've invested $500 and have no ac. …
The windshield wipers go on whenever they want to, and the windshield wiper speed varies when set on low or medium, this has been a problem since the day we purchsed this car. The windshield wiper switch has been replaced 3 times. 2 times the car was under warranty this last replacement Chrysler paid for the part as goodwill, and the dealer charged me $68.00. The wiper speed still varies (the problem has not been fixed). We have also had the weather stripping replaced 3 times and it is still falling off. The blower motor for the fan does not work on all speeds the fan motor was replaced once under warranty and again on 11/24 for which Chrysler paid for the parts and the dealer charged me $102.00. Both sliding doors can not be opened from the inside. …
Although we got our vehicle in June '96, we've had repeated electrical problems. The most serious were the dashboard lights failed several times, the electrical locks on the sliding doors failed several times, the windshield wipers failed seven times!!!, the radio was replaced, the water pump was replaced, the battery was replaced, the body module was replaced 20aug97, sliding doors had to be adjusted to open properly 07oct97 mileage 9502, power distribution center was replaced 11dec97 mileage 10360, had to hold turn signal stalk down to keep high beams on at night due to faulty muti-function switch on several occasions, heater hose had to be replaced 24feb99 mileage 18494.
Transmission slipping, could not merge safely into traffic because of slip. Would work o.k. Whole van was cold, then would slip and stay in low gear when van warmed up./a.c. Leaking freon causing inadequate cold air. Dealer replaced rear discharge hose only to have it leak out agian, which tells me they didn't even check it. When the compessor finally gave out and after an estimate of allmost $900.00, I had an independent shop tell me the evaporator was leaking. The dealer agreeded they had some bad evaporators and fixed the whole system for $450.00.
I would like to know if there is a recall on the paint on the vehicle, because I have notice on some of the other minivans the paint is fading out on the top of vehicle and sides of vehicle.(1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager) I would like to know if this is a recall? Thank-you. Dt
Heater core is leaking coolant at the front and back fittings and at the couplings where hose lines hook up, only in cold weather. Dealer contacted and is aware of the problem. Stated a design defect. Problem still exists. Provide further information.
AC & Heater complaints in other Grand Voyager years
Frequently asked questions
How common are ac & heater problems on the 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the a/c & heater of the 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager, 4% of the model year's 569 complaints. The component named most often is appliance › air conditioner (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager ac & heater problems?
No. NHTSA lists no a/c & heater recall for the 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager ac & heater problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles.
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.