Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
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).
Affected component: body control module the BCM controls the following: wipers, fuel pump, vehicle power and much more. During a rainy day in oregon ciry oregon, the BCM failed. The car was moving into a parking lot at less than 20 MPH. In the parking lot was a police vehicle. When the BCM failed, the vehicle lost fuel pressure and therefore engine power then power braking, power steering and the wiper control went erradic. I managed to get the vehicle stopped, narrowly missing the police vehicle. I had no power brakes, no power steering, and the wipers stopped. The BCM was to blame. Had this occurred at highway speeds, I don't like to think what May have happened!!!
Smell of gas after driving for about 20 min. Lead to a pop sound from under vehicle. Smoke filled the inside of the van and after I brought it to a stop on a median the vehicle was engulfed in flames before I managed to exit. After exiting the vehicle and having the fire put out soon on with use of a fire extinguisher I noticed the EVAP canister had dropped all of its charcoal. Possible that gas was being directed into this canister and when it popped the fumes and gas ignited from the exhaust system.
Tl contact owned a 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager. While driving in reverse approximately 1 MPH he smelled an odor of gasoline and the vehicle engulfed into flames. The fire began underneath the hood of the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the flames. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an insurance lot. The failure was not diagnosed and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 160,000. Updated 01/14/11
This van has had the fuel rail leak recall done to it however it has now developed a leak under their fix. Their fix does not work - I have fuel running out over the top of the engine, valve cover and onto the exhaust. I found this on the recall web site: the fuel injection delivery system can leak fuel from some of the sealing o-rings or from hair line cracks in the thermostat fuel injection rail. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire. 1,163,000 vehicles are affected by this recall. Dealers will install a seal on the vehicle fuel rails to prevent external leakage of fuel from the fuel rail crossover tube, should the existing o-rings continue to degrade. Their fix does not work, I took great detailed pictures to show your engineers. I just dropped off the van to get fixed, however their recall fix does not work. …
Over a year and 1/2, had multiple (at least 10) incidents of vehicle stalling while slowing down, at turns or traffic lights. Resulted in loss of power steering, brakes, and temporary loss of control onto next lane; luckily, no accidents. Multiple trips to Plymouth dealership, all inspections and costly empirical repairs are fruitless, until ais (automatic idle speed) motor replaced (throttle body cleaned, also). The mechanic stated he had seen this problem in his own Plymouth! This failure has not recurred in the 3 years since making the ais motor the likely cause of the problem. This is simply a follow-up, hopefully of some use to drivers and mechanics.
The van experienced brake failure while driving at 45 MPH. The brake pedal went to the floor when it was applied. When this occurred, the vehicle failed to stop immediately, which resulted in extended stopping distance. The brake failure was caused by the rear brake cylinder bursting and leaking fluid. Also there was a gas smell within the cabin of the vehicle when the heat was on. The dealership indicated it was due to a fuel leak within the engine compartment.
Engine stalled numerous times without warning after slowing from high speed. In each incident, stalling occurred while slowing after driving at highway speeds for extended periods (1 hr or more) during hot weather (80deg of higher). One incident involved stalling on I-95 during rush hour. Traffic slowdown caused speed decrease from approx 60mph to approx 40mph when engine stalled suddenly and without warning. Van was immediately put into neutral in attempt to restart while coasting.engine started right up but then stalled again immediately. Had to coast across two lanes of heavy traffic to get van off road. Waited several minutes to restart. Engine restarted OK. Kept foot on gas to prevent restalling. After 2-3 minutes, engine ran fine again. Latest incident involved engine stalled just after entering turn at approx 15-20mph. …
Following recall of fuel pump o ring we noticed a stong gas odor following each filling of the tank to capacity. Thought it was just from overflow. Finally took to dealer. Dealer reported vent breather tube cracked on top of tank. Had to replace entire tank due to the tube being molded into the tank. I agreed to have tank replaced, and then kept the old tank. Checked top of tank and could see that leakage occured, but not how. Vent tube was removable contradictory to what dealer stated. Tube not cracked. I filled tank and tipped it to put pressure on the vent tube. No leakage occurred. I'm worried that the problem wasn't fixed by replacing the tank. Now there is a new recall on fuel rail system. Mechanic at dealership said the new tank had a redesigned vent system on the top of the tank. …
There are two problems which are occurring all the time: 1. The van smells of gas every once in while. There have been a couple of recalls regarding this matter and they have been performed on the van. Still the fuel smell is there. Have written to Chrysler, they only have one answer for this: you have exceeded the mileage requirement for warranty. I think this is a safety issue and Chrysler should take care of it. Why do they have to wait for somebody to get hurt before they will pay up? Please help. 2. Windshield wipers: these have been a problem since I bought the van. They come on intermittently. Sometimes they come on when I am using turn signal, turning on radio, or just driving. Then there are times when the various speeds stop working, and the wipers only work at high speeds. Warranty work was performed a few times during warranty period. …
My 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager Mini-van 3.3 liter v6 2 wheel drive broke down. Apparently in the transport, loading, or unloading of the vehicle on my trailer, one of the muffler mounts became disconnected and the other muffler mount the bolt into the frame was pulled out. This caused the muffler and exhause to shift. I did not notice this prior to operation of the vehicle after performing the initial repairs that caused the breakdown (water pump / serpentine belt failures). The shift of the muffler caused my fuel line and gas tank to melt and devoloped leaks. The level in the gas tank was low enough that no gas was leaking; however, the fuel line was spraying gasoline on the underside of the vehicle and on the hot muffler. I consider myself fortunate that I did not have a fire in the event. I have yet to repair either of these leaks, and I intent to take photos prior to repairs. …
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Fuel injection system
Vehicle description: Mini vans built with 3.3l and 3.8l engines have fuel rails with nitrole rubber o-ring seals that can degrade over time. Fuel leakage from the underhood fuel injection fuel rail could result, increasing the likelihood of a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install a seal on the vehicle fuel rails to prevent external leakage of fuel from the fuel rail crossover tube, should the existing o-rings continue to degrade. Owner notification began on January 25, 2002.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Vehicle description: minivans. Fuel can leak from the fuel tank at the interface of the fuel pump module attachment.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module attaching nut with a nut that includes tighter design tolerances. The sealing o-ring will also be replaced.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Filler pipe and cap
A static electric charge can build up on the ungrounded metal section of the fuel filler tube.
Remedy: Dealers will install a ground strap for the fuel filler tube.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
The fuel tank rollover valve can allow fuel to pass into the vapor canister resulting in the potential for fuel leakage.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel tank filler tube with a filler tube that has an additional rollover valve. The associated rollover valve vapor hoses will be rerouted.
NHTSA investigations
Post-collision fuel system integrity
There is no summary currently available
Post collision fuel system
Fuel System complaints in other Grand Voyager years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager?
NHTSA has 98 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager, 17% of the model year's 569 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (61 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 00V-268 (fuel injection system, Sep 13, 2000); NHTSA recall 99V-216 (fuel pump, Aug 9, 1999); NHTSA recall 96V-002 (filler pipe and cap, Jan 16, 1996). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 142,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system 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.