1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 1996 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH HE SMELLED AN ODOR OF GASOLINE AND THE VEHICLE ENGULFED INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE BEGAN UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN INSURANCE LOT. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 160,000. UPDATED 01/14/11*LJ

SMELL OF GAS AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 20 MIN. LEAD TO A POP SOUND FROM UNDER VEHICLE. SMOKE FILLED THE INSIDE OF THE VAN AND AFTER I BROUGHT IT TO A STOP ON A MEDIAN THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES BEFORE I MANAGED TO EXIT. AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE AND HAVING THE FIRE PUT OUT SOON ON WITH USE OF A FIRE EXTINGUISHER I NOTICED THE EVAP CANISTER HAD DROPPED ALL OF ITS CHARCOAL. POSSIBLE THAT GAS WAS BEING DIRECTED INTO THIS CANISTER AND WHEN IT POPPED THE FUMES AND GAS IGNITED FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. *JB

MY 1996 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER MINI-VAN 3.3 LITER V6 2 WHEEL DRIVE BROKE DOWN. APPARENTLY IN THE TRANSPORT, LOADING, OR UNLOADING OF THE VEHICLE ON MY TRAILER, ONE OF THE MUFFLER MOUNTS BECAME DISCONNECTED AND THE OTHER MUFFLER MOUNT THE BOLT INTO THE FRAME WAS PULLED OUT. THIS CAUSED THE MUFFLER AND EXHAUSE TO SHIFT. I DID NOT NOTICE THIS PRIOR TO OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE AFTER PERFORMING THE INITIAL REPAIRS THAT CAUSED THE BREAKDOWN (WATER PUMP / SERPENTINE BELT FAILURES). THE SHIFT OF THE MUFFLER CAUSED MY FUEL LINE AND GAS TANK TO MELT AND DEVOLOPED LEAKS. THE LEVEL IN THE GAS TANK WAS LOW ENOUGH THAT NO GAS WAS LEAKING; HOWEVER, THE FUEL LINE WAS SPRAYING GASOLINE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND ON THE HOT MUFFLER. I CONSIDER MYSELF FORTUNATE THAT I DID NOT HAVE A FIRE IN THE EVENT. I HAVE YET TO REPAIR EITHER OF THESE LEAKS, AND I INTENT TO TAKE PHOTOS PRIOR TO REPAIRS. I DID HAVE TO MOVE THE MUFFLER TO FIND THE LEAKS, AND THAT IS THE ONLY WORK I HAVE DONE AT THIS TIME AND I WILL NOT BE DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE LEAKS ARE REPAIRED. THIS COULD BE APPLICABLE TO OTHER GRAND VOYAGERS THAT PASS OVER A LARGE OBJECTS THAT COULD STRIKE THE MUFFLER (I.E ROCKS, CURBS, ETC.) *AK

THIS VAN HAS HAD THE FUEL RAIL LEAK RECALL DONE TO IT HOWEVER IT HAS NOW DEVELOPED A LEAK UNDER THEIR FIX. THEIR FIX DOES NOT WORK - I HAVE FUEL RUNNING OUT OVER THE TOP OF THE ENGINE, VALVE COVER AND ONTO THE EXHAUST. I FOUND THIS ON THE RECALL WEB SITE: THE FUEL INJECTION DELIVERY SYSTEM CAN LEAK FUEL FROM SOME OF THE SEALING O-RINGS OR FROM HAIR LINE CRACKS IN THE THERMOSTAT FUEL INJECTION RAIL. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE. 1,163,000 VEHICLES ARE AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL. 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. THEIR FIX DOES NOT WORK, I TOOK GREAT DETAILED PICTURES TO SHOW YOUR ENGINEERS. I JUST DROPPED OFF THE VAN TO GET FIXED, HOWEVER THEIR RECALL FIX DOES NOT WORK. I AM GOING TO DEMAND THAT THEY REPLACE EVERYTHING. *LA

THE VAN EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS APPLIED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP IMMEDIATELY, WHICH RESULTED IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE BRAKE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE REAR BRAKE CYLINDER BURSTING AND LEAKING FLUID. ALSO THERE WAS A GAS SMELL WITHIN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE HEAT WAS ON. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED IT WAS DUE TO A FUEL LEAK WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *JB

OVER A YEAR AND 1/2, HAD MULTIPLE (AT LEAST 10) INCIDENTS OF VEHICLE STALLING WHILE SLOWING DOWN, AT TURNS OR TRAFFIC LIGHTS. RESULTED IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING, BRAKES, AND TEMPORARY LOSS OF CONTROL ONTO NEXT LANE; LUCKILY, NO ACCIDENTS. MULTIPLE TRIPS TO PLYMOUTH DEALERSHIP, ALL INSPECTIONS AND COSTLY EMPIRICAL REPAIRS ARE FRUITLESS, UNTIL AIS (AUTOMATIC IDLE SPEED) MOTOR REPLACED (THROTTLE BODY CLEANED, ALSO). THE MECHANIC STATED HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM IN HIS OWN PLYMOUTH! THIS FAILURE HAS NOT RECURRED IN THE 3 YEARS SINCE MAKING THE AIS MOTOR THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS IS SIMPLY A FOLLOW-UP, HOPEFULLY OF SOME USE TO DRIVERS AND MECHANICS. *LA

THERE ARE TWO PROBLEMS WHICH ARE OCCURRING ALL THE TIME: 1. THE VAN SMELLS OF GAS EVERY ONCE IN WHILE. THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF RECALLS REGARDING THIS MATTER AND THEY HAVE BEEN PERFORMED ON THE VAN. STILL THE FUEL SMELL IS THERE. HAVE WRITTEN TO CHRYSLER, THEY ONLY HAVE ONE ANSWER FOR THIS: YOU HAVE EXCEEDED THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENT FOR WARRANTY. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND CHRYSLER SHOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. WHY DO THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEBODY TO GET HURT BEFORE THEY WILL PAY UP? PLEASE HELP. 2. WINDSHIELD WIPERS: THESE HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I BOUGHT THE VAN. THEY COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES THEY COME ON WHEN I AM USING TURN SIGNAL, TURNING ON RADIO, OR JUST DRIVING. THEN THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE VARIOUS SPEEDS STOP WORKING, AND THE WIPERS ONLY WORK AT HIGH SPEEDS. WARRANTY WORK WAS PERFORMED A FEW TIMES DURING WARRANTY PERIOD. SINCE THEN, LAST FALL THE WIPERS STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY CHANGED THE BODY MODULE UNIT AND IT COST ME $650 TO FIX IT. IT WORKED FINE FOR A MONTH BUT SINCE THEN THE WIPERS ARE DOING THE SAME THINGS AS MENTIONED EARLIER, EXCEPT THEY HAVEN'T DIED YET. ONCE AGAIN CHRYSLER GIVES ME A STANDARD RESPONSE. THEY KNOW WIPERS ARE A PROBLEM, AND THEY WON'T FIX THEM.*JB

BOUGHT MINI VAN IN 09-14-02, CLOCKSPRING WAS BROKE PAID TO HAVE FIXED 10-12-02, FOUND TWO RECALLS ON VEHICLE THAT WERE NEVER TAKEN CARE OF TIL I PURCHASED SAME THEY RECALLED VANS WITH LESS THEN 70,000 TO FIX CLOCKSPRING BUT I PAID MYSELF AND FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN RECALL BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE THAT ALREADY PEOPLE BUYING USED SHOULD HAVE RIGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO RECALLS I'M SINGLE AND MY VAN COST ME $7,500 RIGHT PAYING OFF NOBODY NEVER CONTACTED CHRYSLER TO LET THEM KNOW THEY NO LONGER HAD VAN SO IT WENT FROM HAND TO HAND TIL I BOUGHT IT THEN I CHECKED RECALLS AND FOUND TWO WITH GAS LINE HAVE THREE KIDSTEENAGERS THAT'S WHY NEED VAN BUT DON'T NEED PROBLEMS REAR SLIDING DOOR ON PASSENGER SIDE WILL NOT OPEN DOOR ONCE LOCKS HAVE BEEN ENGAGED TO OPEN ARE THERE RECALLS ON THIS TOO AND IS IT POSSIBLE FOR COMPANY TO GIVE ME HISTORY ON THIS VAN FOR MY KNOWLEDGE OF PAST OWNERS. THANK YOU GLORIA DT