Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Plymouth Voyager owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Dt: the contact stated vehicle stalls when idling followed by the engine dying. The vehicle restarts after several attempts. He took the vehicle to an independent repair shop. The repair shop cleaned the throttle body and the fuel injection system. This did not correct the problem. No further repairs have been made at this time.
Consumer letter regarding a head on collision involving a Plymouth Voyager and a Chevrolet SUV.** answer required*** the consumers vehicle failed to negotiate a turn and continue straight into the north bound lane. The consumers vehicle progressed and struck another vehicle head on.
Consumer states: was driving and cruise contral accelerated on its on even though it was turned off. Kept pushing brakes while going up a hill, got it down to 30mph and kept shifting down to 3rd gear. This was going uphill in 1st gear and jammed into park right before the stop.
On the morning of sept 28, 2001, I started my '97 Plymouth Voyager to begin a vacation trip. After a few minutes with the engine running, I noticed that the air bag warning light stayed illuminated. During the trip, I also discovered that neither the horn nor the cruise control worked. These symptoms appear similar to recall #01V153000..
Problems started with windshield wipers not functioning properly, then the back up lights didnt work, then the horn quit, then the cruise control and the airbag light came on all the time, now the lock on the side door passenger side is being tempermental. I took it in to dealer today. Kunkels in export, pa.
Consumer stops, puts vehicle in a reverse mode, steps on gas pedal, vehicle is stuck,. Needs to reapply pressure on gas pedal repeatedly. Suddenly it will reverse. Dealer replaced tranmission. Claims cannot find problem. Now vehicle jerks repeatedly in the reverse mode, loss of power.
When the air conditioner and the cruise control are activated while driving the vehicle stalls unexpectedly, which almost caused an accident. Been to dealer 4 times. Cause unknown. Dealer cannot determine problem. Please provide details.
Clock sping component failed causing deactivation of air bag, horn, and cruise control. I believe this is a design defect and a safety issue and this part should be recalled and the manufacturer should repair free of charge to the consumer.
While applying brakes to slow down vehicle suddenly accelerated, and took off into traffic. Consumer slammed brakes hard and shifted vehicle into neutral to gain control. Feel free to provide any further information.
The specific failure I am experiencing is this: intermittently and randomly (about 50% of my driving time) the airbag light on this instrument panel goes on, the horn won't work, and the cruise control won't work.
NHTSA investigations
Dc minivan fuel injector rail leak
There is no summary currently available
Acceleration complaints in other Voyager years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1997 Plymouth Voyager?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1997 Plymouth Voyager, 9% of the model year's 346 complaints. The component named most often is cables (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Plymouth Voyager acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 1997 Plymouth Voyager, though it has 6 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 1997 Plymouth Voyager acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 130,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration 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.