1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager

DT: CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING AT 35-40 MPH ALL PANEL LIGHTS WENT OUT, AND THERE WAS NOT INDICATION OF SPEED. CURRENTLY, THE PANEL LIGHTS NO LONGER CAME BACK ON . HOWEVER THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WERE STILL WORKING. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW THE NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES BECAUSE THERE WERE TOO MANY. *AK UPDATED 12/27/2005 - *NM

1998 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER TRANSMISSION IMPLOSION. WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED SOME GEARS FROM THE 4 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PUNCHED OUT OF THE HOUSING CAUSING COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND LOSS OF POWER. PUSHED VEHICLE TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY, BUT WAS LEFT STRANDED IN MIDDLE OF NIGHT WITH SMALL CHILDREN AND FULL TERM PREGNANT WIFE. ALTHOUGH CHRYSLER WAS AWARE OF THIS COMMON PROBLEM THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT AS ~10000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY - $3000 REPLACEMENT OUT OF POCKET COST. SECOND TRANSMISSION FAILED ~38000 MILES LATER, 2000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY AND CHRYSLER REFUSED AGAIN - $2100 REBUILD COST. BESIDES THE MASSIVE COST, TOTAL MECHANICAL FAILURE IS VERY DANGEROUS IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AND IF IT LEAVES YOU STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. *JB

MAY 29, 2004 ON A STATE HIGHWAY AND TRAVELING AT 55 MPH WHEN WE FELT A "THUMP" UNDER OUR VAN. UPON PULLING OVER, SAW AN OIL SLICK LEFT ON ROAD FROM VEHICLE. TRANSMISSION HAD A HOLE PUNCHED THROUGH FROM INSIDE. BOTH CHRYSLER DEALER AND TRANSMISSION SUPPLY SAID THEY SEE MANY LIKE IT EVERY MONTH, WHERE A SET PIN LETS GO AND A SMALL SHAFT SLIPS OVER FAR ENOUGH TO CONTACT TRANSMISSION CASE AND DESTROYS IT. VEHICLE HAD 49564 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT A COST OF $2004.29. I HAVE OLD CASE AT HOME. *JB

THE SERPENTINE BELT COMES OFF THIS VEHICLE, LEADING TO A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. SO FAR, THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE ON THE ENTRANCE RAMP TO A FREEWAY, WHILE DRIING IN LIGHT CITY TRAFFIC, AND WHILE IDLING AT A BANK (PRIOR TO TAKING A HIGHWAY TRIP WHICH HAD TO BE CANCELLED). IN ALL CASES THE DRIVER WAS FEMALE AND HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE. IN ALL CASES THIS WAS DURING WET WEATHER. AFTER THE SECOND CASE, WE HAD THE DEALE INSTALL A GUIDE PLATE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO KEEP THE BELT ON, BUT IT CAME OFF ANYWAY. WE HAVE NOW LEARNED THAT THERE APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE MOUNTING BRACKET FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP, LEADING THIS PART TO BEND UNDER NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR SUCH THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT WILL JUMP OFF IN WET WEATHER. IN OUR VEHICLE, THERE WAS ANOTHER WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN AT THE SAME TIME, AND THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS ON BACKORDER WITH 18 CUSTOMERS WAITING. THIS CLEARLY SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW AS THIS VEHICLE IS BECOMING NOTORIOUS FOR THIS PROBLEM AMONG MECHANICS, WITH SEVERAL DISCUSSION THEADS TO BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES POWER STEERING AT A CRITICAL TIME, THEREBY LOSING COTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND LEADING TO A FATAL ACCIDENT. INDEED, I WOULD BE SURPRSIED IF THIS HASN'T ALREADY AHPPENED. A RECALL MUST BE ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM.

I SEE THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION ON DODGE CARAVAN AND GRAND CARAVAN, PLYMOUTH VOYAGER AND GRAND VOYAGER AND CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY AND VOYAGER MINIVANS FROM THE 2001 AND 2002 MODEL YEARS. OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ARE FLICKERING, DIMMING AND PERIODICALLY SHUTTING DOWN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE PROBLEM HAS LED TO THE MINIVANS BEING TOWED IN SOME CASES. I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU CAN ADD MY YEAR MINIVAN. I HAVE A 1998 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. I AM NOT ABLE TO GET IT FIXED BECAUSE THE MECHANIC CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THIS. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO ADD MY VEHICLE TO THIS SAFETY INVESTIGATION??? THE HEADLIGHTS ARE FLICKERING ON AND OFF, THE DASH LIGHTS DO THIS AT THE SAME TIME. SOMETIMES THE HEADLIGHTS JUST STAY ON.

THERE IS NO PARTICULAR EVENT THAT TRIGGERS THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER / CONTROLLER IS DEFECTIVE. THE GAUGES FAIL CONSTANTLY. THE ABS LIGHT STAYS ON WHICH I BELIEVE IS RELATED TO THE CLOCK-SPRING RECALL, AND THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, TACHOMETER,FUEL GAGES STOP WORKING. I READ AN ARTICLE IN A FORUM THAT SAID DISCONNECT THE BATTERY BECAUSE IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ECU. IT SEEMS RESETTING THE ECU DID FIX THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY. SO EACH TIME IT HAPPENS THAT HOW I FIX IT. A RECALL FOR THE DEFECTIVE ECU MAY BE IN ORDER. I HAVE READ MANY ARTICLES WITH PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. (2) THE LEDS FOR THE A/C, HEATING AND REAR WIPERS DON'T WORK. THEY JUST BLINK. I HAVE FOUND THAT IF YOU DRIVE LONG ENOUGH, THEY START WORKING USUALLY NON-STOP DRIVING FOR OVER AN HOUR.