1996 Plymouth Voyager Problems & Complaints

Avoid2.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Voyager at the same age

Owners have filed 756 complaints about the 1996 Plymouth Voyager with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 2.5× as many as a typical Voyager model year at the same age, which makes the 1996 one of the Voyager years to avoid. The most reported problem area is the engine & cooling (137 complaints, typically around 95,000 miles). 9 recalls cover this model year.

756complaints
9recalls
35crashes
30fires
35injuries
1deaths

Most common 1996 Plymouth Voyager problems

Share of the 756 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Plymouth Voyager complaints by model year

199519961997199819992000336756346323273168
Owner complaints per model year, Plymouth Voyager. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Voyager years: 2000, 1999. Years to avoid: 1996. Compare all years →

1996 Plymouth Voyager recalls (9)

Air bags › Frontal

NHTSA recall 02V-293 · Nov 7, 2002 · 1,500,521 vehicles

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.

Fuel system, gasoline › Fuel injection system

NHTSA recall 00V-268 · Sep 13, 2000 · 1,163,000 vehicles

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

NHTSA recall 99V-216 · Aug 9, 1999 · 635,469 vehicles

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.

Child seat

NHTSA recall 98V-185 · Aug 6, 1998 · 157,000 vehicles

Vehicle description: Mini vans equipped with integrated child seats. The shoulder harness restraint on the integrated child seat can become difficult to extract when the safety belt latch plate becomes contaminated.

Remedy: Dealers will clean the latch mechanism. An extender will be added to the emergency release anchor for the child seat safety belts so that the release clips are more visible and accessible to the operator in the event…

Seat belts › Integrated child seat

NHTSA recall 96V-136 · Jul 18, 1996 · 200 vehicles

The bolts which secure the integrated child seat modules to the seat frame can break.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the integrated child seat module bolts.

Show 3 more recalls

Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline

NHTSA recall 96V-006 · Jan 11, 1996 · 40,000 vehicles

In certain vehicles, the engine cylinder head oil galley plug does not seal properly and engine cylinder head oil is not adequately retained.

Remedy: Dealers will install an expansion plug and retaining bracket over the cylinder head oil galley plug.

Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

NHTSA recall 95V-236 · Dec 8, 1995 · 80,000 vehicles

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.

Seats

NHTSA recall 95V-225 · Nov 28, 1995 · 20,000 vehicles

The bolts which secure the rear bench seats to the seat risers May be embrittled and fracture.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear bench seat to riser bolts.

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into 14 possible defects involving the 1996 Plymouth Voyager:

Integrated child seat belt lockup

NHTSA investigation SQ96016 · opened Sep 18, 1996 · closed Feb 4, 1997

Odi continues to receive complaints alleging latching/retractor mechanism problems.Chrysler's assessment of the problem indicates that owners of the vehicles are not adhering to the cleaning requirements for the seat.the seat appears to malfunction if crumbs of food or beverage residue accumulates on the latching tongue in thewell located between the child's legs.odi has 19 complaints of retract lockup.seven of…

Dc minivan fuel injector rail leak

NHTSA investigation RQ00008 · opened Mar 9, 2000 · closed Mar 18, 2002 · led to recall 00V-268

There is no summary currently available

Post-collision fuel system integrity

NHTSA investigation PE99010 · opened Feb 3, 1999 · closed Jun 11, 1999

There is no summary currently available

Fuel leaks from the gas tank

NHTSA investigation PE96051 · opened Aug 19, 1996 · closed Jan 31, 1997 · led to recall 99V-216

Analysis to date indicates that some of the subject vehiclescontinue to experience fuel leaks from the fuel tank at the sending unit interface.most often the leak involves the o-ring seal.

Sliding door latch failure

NHTSA investigation PE96038 · opened May 16, 1996 · closed Oct 15, 1996

Chrysler maintains that the common factor contributing to known sliding door opening incidents is prior incorrect dealer latch adjustment.Chrysler attributes this problem to an inaccurate service manual procedure - sliding door latch/lock control, removal and installation.Chrysler furnished information showing that six of its complaints, and two of odi's, involved vehicles that had undergone prior repairs to the…

Safety blt latch operation

NHTSA investigation PE96008 · opened Jan 25, 1996 · closed Jun 28, 1996

There is no summary currently available

Fuel leakeage from rollover valve

NHTSA investigation PE95053 · opened Oct 25, 1995 · closed Dec 22, 1995 · led to recall 95V-236

There is no summary currently available

Air bag clockspring

NHTSA investigation PE00032 · opened Aug 8, 2000 · closed Feb 21, 2001 · led to recall 02V-293

There is no summary currently available

Post collision fuel system

NHTSA investigation EA99013 · opened Jun 11, 1999 · closed Aug 10, 2001

Integrated child seat belt lockup

NHTSA investigation EA97003 · opened Jan 31, 1997 · closed Aug 19, 1998 · led to recall 97I-001

This investigation is closed.Chrysler corporation has submitted a defect information report identifying a safety defect and outlining the proposed remedy.recall number 98v-185 has been assigned to this safety recall.

Fuel tank leaks

NHTSA investigation EA97002 · opened Jan 31, 1997 · closed Feb 10, 1998

This engineering analysis was opened on January 31, 1997 based on information gathered during preliminary evaluation (pe), pe96-051. The pe was opened on August 19, 1996, to investigate allegations of fuel leakage from the area where the fuel pump/sending unit joins the fuel tank.for brevidy, this area will be referred to as the pump/tank interface.these allegations were first received by odi on August 2, 1996 while…

Sliding door latch failure

NHTSA investigation EA96025 · opened Oct 15, 1996 · closed Jul 30, 1998

Analysis of known incidents indicates a declining trend over the last five calendar quarters.extensive testing of incident vehicles has failed to reproduce occurrences of full latch disengagement.no failure mode which could cause a properly latched door to lose full latch engagement while driving has been verified as a causal factor in any of the known incident vehicles during this investigation.a safety-related…

Air bag clockspring

NHTSA investigation EA01007 · opened Feb 21, 2001 · closed Nov 22, 2002 · led to recall 02V-293

There is no summary currently available

Defective air bag crash sensor

NHTSA investigation DP96014 · opened Nov 14, 1996 · open

Cfas sent a follow-up letter on December 12, 1996, to change the intent of the petition to airbag aggressivity and deployment variability.NHTSA received the letter on 12/12/96; accordingly, the petition due day was changed to April 12, 1997.cfas petitioned the agency to conduct an investigation to determine whether the airbag crash sensor and/or deployment systems for the 1991-92 Chevrolet corsica/beretta, 1990-92…

What 1996 Plymouth Voyager owners say

Engine & cooling all 137 →

Tl* the contact owns a 1996 Plymouth Voyager. When starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal snapping noise heard from the vehicle. The contact shifted into drive; however, the vehicle would not move forward. When the shifter was placed in reverse, the vehicle would only move backwards but not forward. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to take the vehicle into the dealer for an estimate. The dealer advised the contact that they could not diagnose the vehicle over the phone and would need to inspect the vehicle to determine the exact cause of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000. Ma 09/22/15 the consumer also experienced a problem with the radiator and fan relay. Updated 09/24/15

170,000 miles · Jun 2013

My husband was driving his 1996 Plymouth Voyager van when the engine started racing. He was pulling into a parking spot, and when he tried to stop the van, the brakes could not stop it, and it hit a car in front of it. He put it into reverse, and it kept going forward and hit the car harder. He took the van to a mechanic who ran a diagnostic test on it, and they could not find the cause of the problem.

Engine · 128,000 miles · Dec 2008 · crash

Air bags all 134 →

Tl* the contact owns a 1996 Plymouth Voyager. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated while driving and the cruise control and horn failed to function. In addition, when making a turn, there was a flapping noise in the steering wheel that caused the clock spring to fail. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.

109,000 miles · Oct 2016

I completed a recall on the air bag component of my 1996 Plymouth Voyager in July 2003. I was involved in a t-bone collision on January 26, 2004 where I hit the other car in his driver door going approx. 40 MPH. Neither of my air bags opened.

177,000 miles · Jan 2004 · crash · 1 injury

Electrical system all 114 →

There was no events leading up to the failure. I have had no proablems with the vehicle. I parked the van in the yard and it started on fire under the hood. The fire inspector said the fire was from the wiring. My insurance totaled the vehicle. I have contacted daimlercrysler and I am still waiting for a response.

Wiring › Front underhood · 66,000 miles · Dec 2004 · fire

There was no events leading up to the failure. Parked vehicle in front yard and engine caught on fire. Fire inspector said fire was due to electical failure. Insurance totaled vechile. Called daimlerchrysler still waiting for response.

Wiring › Front underhood · 66,000 miles · Dec 2004 · fire

1996 Plymouth Voyager engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
2.4L 4-cyl3-speed automaticFWD18 / 24 / 20
2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automaticFWD16 / 23 / 19
3.0L 6-cyl3-speed automaticFWD17 / 23 / 19
3.3L 6-cyl4-speed automaticFWD16 / 22 / 18
3.8L 6-cyl4-speed automatic4WD/AWD14 / 20 / 16

EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 1996 Plymouth Voyager a good car?

Based on 756 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1996 Voyager rates avoid: 2.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Voyager at the same age. It is one of the Voyager years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.

What is the most common problem with the 1996 Plymouth Voyager?

The engine & cooling — 137 complaints, 18% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › gasoline. Next are the air bags (134) and electrical system (114).

How many recalls does the 1996 Plymouth Voyager have?

There are 9 recalls for the 1996 Plymouth Voyager, the most recent from November 7, 2002 (frontal). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.

What are the best and worst years of the Plymouth Voyager?

The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2000 and 1999. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1996. See the full Plymouth Voyager years comparison.

At what mileage do 1996 Plymouth Voyager problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 100,000 miles; 10% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.