Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Plymouth Voyager owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Vehicle had been to dealer twice , would not start, bought new battery. Next day dead again. Dealer said headlight stayed on that caused battery to be drained. Next night vehicle was burning, flames and smoke from under the hood. Fire department had to cut open hood to get to engine, left side of engine was melted. Vehicle at dealers since then.
Dt: headlight lens gets very cloudy over a period of time. Can not be replaced unless you buy the whole unit at about $250.00. Can not get lens from anywhere because all of the lenses are cloudy for that model. Does effect visibility at night. Manufacturer will not do anything to help.
In March my airbag light stayed on and then the windshield wipers failed to work. I then a burning odor came out of the heating unit. I brought it into a Chrysler dealership to get fixed. This is the work needed to repair the car. Switch multifuntion, clockspring for airbag. Complete replacement of the BCM due to the airbag malfuntion and wiper malfunction., replaced the multifunction switch. BCM recontroller reprograming and replaced clock spring to repair air bag lamp coming on. The final cost with labor totaled $843.44 I called Chrysler to see if this malfunction would be covered and I was told no. The service department said it is rare that the system fails in a car with my milage. Chrysler was very nasty on the phone and said they would not consider any responsibility towards the payment of the defect. …
1996 Plymouth grand Voyager se, headlamp lenses turn opaque when they age until they reach a point where it is dangerous to operate the vehicle at night. I called a dealer and he said they are made of plastic and it is up to the consumer to replace them at a cost of $558.00 ($279.00 each). I consider this a safety defect - the lenses should be made out of a material that does not degrade significantly with age.
Efective components include: spark plug wires/ sliding door motor/circuit board//door handles/battery/ignition switch/multifunction switch, door lock motor/ windshield motor/ latch door lift gate, and rear shock absorber and rear struts. Please attach a description of each of these defects and copies of any work you have had performed on the vehicle regarding these defects.
The headlight lenses on my 1996 Plymouth Voyager van are deteriorating. You could say they are fogging up. I looked at them with a magnifying glass and it looks like there are tiny cracks. It is degrading the light emanating from the lenses to such an extent that night driving is really dangerous. My brights are dimmer than most cars' low beams.
When turning on left signal front windshield wipers will come on. Sometimes rear windshield wipers will also come on. Took vehicle to dealer about 5 times. Each time they said that they had fixed it, but problem reoccurred. This is unsafe because while driving on freeway and windshield wipers coming on, it will distract the driver.
Windshield wiper problem has been fixed at least 2 times by dealer. Problems continue on an intermittent basis. We never know when they will activate by themselves. Park in middle of windshield. Recently problem developed on an intermittent basis. Headlights will not always turn on. Also dashboard displays goes blank on intermittent basis
Rear left passenger's side power window stopped operating. Also, whenever left turn signal was used it caused the windshield wipers to operate. Vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop, and unable to correct the problem. Dealer was not contacted at this time.
In 1999, interior lights failed. 10/2001 horn failed, and airbag lights go on/off :apparenlty it is the modular that control all these items and more such as milege, etc. Called dealer. Said Chrysler has recall on airbag but not for my year.
Headlight complaints in other Voyager years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 1996 Plymouth Voyager?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the lights of the 1996 Plymouth Voyager, 3% of the model year's 756 complaints. The component named most often is turn signal › switch (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Plymouth Voyager headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 1996 Plymouth 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 Voyager headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 115,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to lights 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.