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 1998 Plymouth Voyager owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The 1998 Plymouth Voyager passenger van was involved in a two vehicle collision on a public highway. Cause of the collision was due to the other involved vehicle, that being a 2011 Kia soul, failing to stay within its travel lane. The Kia crossed over into the path of the Plymouth Voyager, with both vehicles colliding, front/left vs front/left. Speeds of both vehicles estimated at approximately 40 miles per hour. Both air bags in the Kia deployed, as did the front/passenger airbag in the Plymouth Voyager. The driver's airbag in the Plymouth Voyager failed to deploy, unknown why. Both drivers sustained injuries in the collision. The collision was investigated by the montgomery township police department, phone [phone], police report #2016-00578.
First when I bought the van and had to replace had gasket which I was told that this is a common problem for this van, yet there is no recall. Then on October 13th 2003 I was in a auto accident when I was stopped at a light I was hit from the rear by a women doing 30-35 MPH I hit people in front of me and the van was totalled but yet the airbags did not deploy. I still have the van, my wife and I were both hurt. Can you tell me if there is a recall on the airbags not deploying.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Plymouth Voyager. While driving at 45 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated and the cruise control failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 140,000. The VIN was not available.
Dt*: the contact stated there were several problems with the vehicle that would be considered a manufacturer defect. The first component of concern was the belt tensioner which had to be replaced by the dealer because it was observed to be dismantled. The second component was identified when the vehicle was taken in for a regular oil change. The independent mechanic determined there was a major leak coming from the pump seal on the transmission. Once the transmission was taken out of the vehicle, a crack was observed in the torque converter. The transmission had to rebuilt because a transmission for replacement could not be found. The dealer determined the transmission problem was due to a pin drop which has been common in vehicles of this year, make and model. …
Tl contact owns a 1998 Plymouth Voyager which was purchased in 2000. He received a recall letter from Chrysler and did not have any failures on the vehicle at that time. NHTSA campaign id number: 02V293000, air bags frontal. After the contact received the letter, the airbag warning light illuminated on the warning panel and the horn failed to operate normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs per the above mentioned recall; however, he was told the clock spring assembly part was on backorder and would not be available for a month. The failure and current mileages were 183,000. The VIN was not available.
The airbag sensor light continued to stay on and horn the was inoperative. The dealer stated the air bag clock spring had failed. A recall was issued, however the vehicle identification number was outside of the remedy scope. The valve cover gasket leaked oil while the vehicle was still under warranty. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who claimed they couldn't find a leak. The vehicle was taken to two other technicians who both agreed that there was a leak. The serpentine belt cracked at 90000 miles. The transmission cooler line clamps were replaced.
I own a 1998 Plymouth Voyager minivan (VIN #[redacted]) and have experienced a clockspring failure which resulted in my driver's side airbag, horn and cruise control not working. Even though there is a current recall for this problem on this model year vehicle, the manufacturer stated I was not covered since the build date was two days after the end of the covered period. This seems very unreasonable to me and indicates that maybe the recall was too narrow.
The horn assembly sounded off and on intermittently, which caused a short through the vehicle. While pressing the horn there was one minute communication. At times it stayed on for 30 seconds to a minute. The problem was diagnosed for a cost of $350. When the dealer diagnosed it, the cost went up to $1000. As a result of the problem being in the steering unit which housed the air bag. Dealership disconnected the horn. There was a recall regarding the clock spring which was replaced.
While driving 45mph another vehicle made a "u" turn without warning. Voyager hit other vehicle which pulled over to the right, rearending vehicle. Driver's side was damaged. Upon impact, neither air bag deployed. 2 rear passengers were thrown forward into the bucket seats, even though both were buckled in. Neither shoulder belts restrained the 100lb child or the 70lb child. Paramedics arrived on scene & treated everyone. Driver in hospital next day for torn ligaments & in need of therapy.
The Chrysler dealer has not been able to fix the clockspring on my minivan because the part that Chrysler will pay for is not in stock. [redacted]. I have had my minivan in the dealer multiple times since jan 15 and they have not fixed the airbag to deploy if needed. It seems to me that Chrysler is limiting parts to fix a safety recall.
Related recalls
Air bags
On certain minivans, the driver's air bag May become disabled due to a failure of the clockspring, which is located in the hub of the steering wheel.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly on all covered vehicles with 70,000 miles or less. For those vehicles with more than 70,000 miles, daimlerchrysler will offer an extended lifetime warranty under which it…
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.
NHTSA investigations
Driver air bag clockspring failure
Complaints report air bag warning light illuminates, and this May be accompanied with a non-functioning horn and/or cruise control (if equipped).this is indicative of an open-circuit clockspring failure (results in non-functioning driver's air bag), similar to the failure condition that was the subject of daimlerchrysler's recall of model year 1996-1998.5 minivans (recall no.
Driver air bag clockspring failure
The driver air bag clockspring can develop an open-circuit condition resulting in nonfunctional driver-side frontal air bag, horn, cruise control (if equipped), and/or steering wheel radio control (if equipped).in its October 5, 2004 letter to NHTSA, daimlerchrysler stated that it will conduct a safety recall and replace the clockspring assembly on all my 1998.5-2000 daimlerchrysler minivans, built between March…
Airbag complaints in other Voyager years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 1998 Plymouth Voyager?
NHTSA has 59 complaints about the air bags of the 1998 Plymouth Voyager, 18% of the model year's 323 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Plymouth Voyager airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-480 (air bags, Oct 6, 2004); NHTSA recall 02V-293 (frontal, Nov 7, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1998 Plymouth Voyager airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 0 fires and 12 injuries 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.