Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
In 2005 while entering onto the highway going home from some personal appointments a small car hit our full size van from behind and caused us to flip over and roll over 8 times and slide at least 2 city blocks before it stopped. We were not even doing the speed limit when we were hit. The front window shattered and glass was in our eyes but our airbags did not deploy. We were stuck upside down my seat belt was stuck and my husband had to pull me out of the driver side window. I had to treat for tmj problems, stress and trauma in my neck and back for a few years and I still have some issues. Do we have a claim against the manufacturer?
I got in the van in my driveway and turned the ignition switch on then I noticed that the air bag light was on. So I turned the ignition switch off waited a minute then turned it back on and the light was still on. I thought it was a fuse so I proceeded to my destination. As I arrived at my mom's house I tried to blow the horn, then I found out that my horn did not work. So I turned the van off and I called a friend who is a mechanic and he asked me if the air bag light stayed on even after I turned the van on and off I said yes then I explained everything to him. He told me that I needed to try my cruise control. And if it did not work then my clockspring is gone. Well cruise control did not work. And the airbag light is still on.
Daimler Chrysler refuses to reimburse us for clockspring for a 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager. We replaced the part before we had knowledge of the recall. We submitted the required information for reimbursement and Chrysler said that we would not get reimbursed because we replaced the part ourselves after the recall was announced. We were not aware of recall until after replacement when we received another recall notice. We never received the first ones. I feel it should not matter if we replaced the part ourselves after the recall. Especially knowing that this failure affected the driver side airbag.
When van was hit by another vehicle, on the passenger's side at a high rate of speed, there was no deployment of the passenger's front air bag. Also, horn does not work, remote entry on driver's side door does not work, air bag warning light stays on, fuel gauges does not work, A/C heater blink on and off,inside dome light blinks on and off, steering column freezes, cruise control works on and off.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager. While driving 10-15 MPH, the driver and passenger side air bags deployed without impact. The vehicle was able to be driven. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle was examined by the manufacturer and they filed a report. The current mileage was 89,948 and failure mileage was 89,946.
The seems to have a lot of problem shifting to a lower gear when on the road. Often we can feel a jitter when the car is in motion and shifting the gear. The air bag light comes on often for no reason. Check engine light comes on and stays on for a few hours and goes away.
On approximately 10/15/2001 while sitting in the driveway, I noticed that the air bag light was on. At that same time, I tried to use the horn to let someone know that I was there to pick them up. The horn did not work. Since I did not want to pay the $70 fee to have the dealership "diagnose" the problem (without having any of that money go towards the actual payment of the repair), I decided to take it to my mechanic. He said that he would not work on any component related to the air bag because of the high cost of replacing the air bag in the event it accidentally deployed. He also said that since the airbag light was on, it could either not deploy in an accident when I needed it, or that it could deploy while I was driving and did not need it. He considered it a safety issue. He recommended taking it to the dealer. …
The dashboard indicator for the airbag came on and wouldn't go out. I took into the dealer and they diagnosed it as a failed clock spring. The horn and cruise control also were not working. In researching this on this site and the others it seems to be a fairly common part failure. It also seems that when it does fail the airbag will no longer function. If one doesn't realize the problem exists there could be a false sense of security. The dealer who replaced the part said that it wasn't covered under any warranty due to it being a passive restraint system part. I found a few mentions on the internet of recalls for this problem. Is this correct?
In early June, my air bag dash light came on. I took the car to the dealer for repair. The charge for diangosis and replacement of this part (clock spring) was excessive. The diagnostic effort took less than 15 minutes, for which I was charged $99. Labor and parts were another $182. Out of curiosity I sought info on the web and found the ntsa site, where I learned that many other owners experienced the same gouging and that one owner had actually disassembled the clock spring and found that there was a clear problem with the internal wiring. First, Chrysler is making a very handsome profit on the part and second, the repair costs were outrageous.
I used to be a machanic, I have taken the defective clockspring assy apart and found that the wiring harness that is suppose to wind & unwind--I found an area that was bending/kinked instead so it was just a matter of time till turning the steering wheel enough the wires would break. In my opinion this is a defective part and since it plys a part in the proper function of the airbag system and horn this is related to a safety item.. I did see on your web site that there is an investigation on this right now.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal
On certain Mini vans, the clockspring assembly May have been wound incorrectly during the vehicle assembly process.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly on all vehicles with 70,000 miles or less. An extended lifetime warranty will also be placed on this component for all affected vehicles, regardless of mileage.
Airbag complaints in other Grand Voyager years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the air bags of the 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager, 18% of the model year's 261 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 02V-293 (frontal, Nov 7, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries and 1 death to air bags 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.