Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
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
On a family trip to north carolina, the transmission of our 1996 Plymouth Voyager lost third gear traveling in heavy traffic along I-95 south of richmond, va. Luckily my son was able to pull off the side of the road and travel a few miles without third gear to a Chrysler repair shop. Since the shop was closed we had to rent a van to complete the trip and return on Monday to find out what happened. The repairs were not covered under a warranty because Chrysler gave me a 6 year/100,000 mile warranty. Although it has been 7 years since the purchase, the 57,300+ miles on the product does not reflect the 'minimum' mileage the transmission is good for. …
I am one of the many many customers that are experiencing complete failures with the Chrysler 41te ultradrive transmissions. In my case I hade a complete transmition replacement at 79,000 miles. At 123,000 miles while pulling into traffic the vehicle stopped moving and the engine started revving very high. I hade the vehicle towed to the dealer that had installed the first transmission. I was informed that the transmission was over its 36,000 warranty and needed to be replaced. I have declined the $2900 estimate and I am currently getting a second opinion on the repair. My concern is that while I was researching the problems of this transmission, I found that most owners of the 41te transmission will experience similar problems at an average of 80,000 miles. …
1996 Plymouth Voyager ;when ignition key is switch to on.front windshield wiper will turn on for a brief period and power door lock makes like a grinding noise.note the engine has not been crank and started yet and all the switches has been off and not touch at all.eventually a few days after incident some switches to the HVAC fan has not been working and the factory stereo eventually malfunction.you cannot tune the am/fm tuner it stays in 1 station.the automatic transmission at times wont shift and other times will shift without problem.the minivan has 48.500 miles only.I brought it to the dealer at mall chysler and they recomended transmission fluid replacement and replace clock spring,and repair fluel rail-injection.there is no change in the transmission shift,it still occasionally refuses to shift at times noticing the tach needle going at 4,000rpm with speed of only 30-40mph.the …
Tl contact owns a 1996 Plymouth Voyager. Since November of 2003, the transmission has been replaced three different times. After purchasing a brand new transmission, it failed again the very same day and needed to be replaced again. The contact has had the top half of the engine rebuilt. The vehicle is stuck in drive and will not hold fluid. The front windshield wipers activate without a power surge in the vehicle. In addition, the rear bolts keep coming out of the shocks. The contact has taken the vehicle to have the bolts tightened three or four times. The engine is ticking and smoking. The serpentine belt slips off if it gets even slightly wet from snow or rain. The check engine light sporadically flashes on and off or constantly remains illuminated. The air conditioner was completely serviced; however, it cannot be used because of the transmission failure. …
I own a 1996 Plymouth Voyager and on this min van the wipers act very erratic. They work when they want. Sometimes they won't shut off and other times they will not come on at all or stop right in the middle of your view. I also have an issue with the serpentine belts popping off the drive line leaving you with no power steering or power brakes and completely disables the vehicle. I also experience issues with the rear shocks. The bolts come loose and detaches the rear shick from the van leaving it quite uncontrollable while driving. All 3 issues happens on many occasions. All 4 of these defects make this van very dangerous to drive or travel with. Currently my van is sitting in my drive with a bad transmission. I have owned the van for 5 years now and in 5 years I have blown 3 transmissions.
1.) 1996 Plymouth grand Voyager transmission failed at 49,000 miles while driving to work. 2.) had to pull over to the side of the road. 3.) had Voyager towed to Chrysler dealership in ypsilanti. Replaced transmission at the cost of $1700. Was told by person towing that he tows several voyagers a week for premature transmission failure. Transmission repair shop said that daimer- Chrysler has a kit that they send out to repair these transmissions. This transmission problem should have been recalled and repaired by daimer-Chrysler.
5 days after purchasing from dealership with 70000 miles, drove 400 miles since purchase and while driving on freeway vehicle started jerking and slowed to 10 MPH. Revved engine and transmission making clunking noises. Dealership says they can't find anything wrong with van. Test drove 15 miles in city/freeway. Cannot duplicate problem. Only code they pulled was from a misfire. Couldn't explain the clunking noice from transmission. Forward has problems but reverse worked perfectly fine.
Transmission failed at 119382 km (about 75,000 miles). Completely stopped working after a few days. Dealer indicated this is a common problem with Chrysler minivans. Would not fix, since parts not available. I had to got to another garage to get it fixed. I am asking for re-imbursement of my costs to fix the transmission.
Consumer states of having problems with the transmission and it was replaced at the consumer expense, the consumer feels a major component like the transmission should last longer than 80000 miles and that the manufacturer should have offered some assistance with the cost of the repairs. Mr
Transmission complaints in other Voyager years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1996 Plymouth Voyager?
NHTSA has 88 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1996 Plymouth Voyager, 12% of the model year's 756 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (66 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Plymouth Voyager transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries and 1 death to transmission & drivetrain 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.