Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-66
I bought my '96 grand voyager used, back in 2000. I've since taken it on two cross country trips, numerous weekend journeys and daily work commutes (I live in socal where the traffic is notoriously bad). I've had two transmissions put into it (one under warranty, one at my cost) and I also just had the output speed sensor replaced again. The van is now over 183,000 miles on it and I simply love this thing - the way that it drives, the way that I don't have to crouch down to get into it and the convenience of the sliding door right behind me that I can throw my stuff into with such great ease. I've never had the phantom electrical problems that everyone has talked about (knock on my wooden head) but I have replaced a power door lock unit and I do have some a/c issues. And these things are not the lightest so they do have a tendency to plow through brake pads relatively quickly. Overall I'd drive this for ten more years if I could, but sadly, I know that this thing won't last forever.
Dan.
The good points about our 98' Voyager with 122k miles :
Got it after it was a program car @ 12k miles, so it was pretty cheap, the horn works fine... that's about it.
The bad points about our 98' Voyager:
Goes through brakes like crazy
Timing belt (4x).
Serpentine belt (8x).
Tail lights fill up with water, so it won't pass inspection.
Coolant system - ongoing, continuing, never ending difficulties.
Wipers never worked right.
Every 60k miles, you can count on replacing the transmission. We are coming up on our 3rd transmission.
Wir conditioning never blew cold till we put in a new one.
Roof rack will not stop rattling.
Apparently it is Plymouth policy not to include rear seat head restraints.
Cruise control busted @ 40k miles.
The engine leaks oil like an old Saab.
That 3rd row seat is not exactly easy to remove - it's kind of heavy.
Radio comes and goes.
Rear door power locks don't always lock, so we have to check each door every time we leave the car.
Adjustable cup holder flips open all the time, spilling my coffee every time.
Power port (that's a cigarette lighter to anyone over 28) never heated up enough to light anything, and now it just plain doesn't work.
Check engine light comes on for no reason.
And finally, the point of purchase associates turn a deaf ear to all our complaints.
Oh yeah, it's ironic how everything under warranty breaks less than 100 miles after the warranty expires... ARGH!!!
I bought my 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE back in 2003 with 91,000 miles on it. It seemed to be fine, I thought it was the van I had been looking for. It had no problems except the check engine light kept on coming on, and every time I had it checked they couldn't find anything wrong with my van. At 109,000 miles on it the fuel pump went, got that replaced and now with 129,999 miles on it the transmission blew. It can't be rebuilt because it blew a hole right through the casing, so now I'm stuck trying to find a transmission. This is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, as the transmission's build year and month is very rare and is hard to find. I'm trying to find a used one because I can't afford the $1300.00 for a new one. I can't really complain because I have not had that many problems with this van. It's a pretty good van overall, just has its problems like any other vehicle does!
Whoooeee.. I must be one of the lucky ones. Bought our 96 Gran Voyager new and now has... 220k miles. Same transmission, only the seal was replaced $200. Rocker arm broke, $300 and other than normal maintenance (1 battery, brakes, etc) never had a problem.
Well, until yesterday when the turn signal quit working...
OH my goodness... where to start... I bought my 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE used on 2/14/97 and she now has 178k on her. I thought it was the greatest thing because I have a lot of children and no more fighting to get out of the car with the dual sliding doors. Two days after buying it the phantom wiper thing appeared at the drive-in theatre and the miss in the driving speed while on cruise control that would jerk your head off. Then we have the signal failure even after replacing the blinker combination switch and all of the modules in the fuse panel. The only thing that makes the blinkers work is to lay the barrage of bundled wires across the signal module in the fuse panel and put pressure with your foot on the wires to put pressure on the module then it actually works (sort of, anyway). I have had the transmission rebuilt twice, the water pump replaced, brake pads coming out of my ears, at last count;14 batteries, fuses and bulbs galore, a/c unit replaced, and now the resistor for the heater/ac blower motor is blown, the O2 sensor is shot, and the transmission needs replaced. Yes I have even had the phantom "nothing happens" when I turn the key, and I do mean nothing. Or I will get the van to start, but with no electrical accessories at all, and I do mean NONE. Oh and let us not forget about the clock spring that was recalled. I found out that it was under recall when my airbag deployed without warning at 70mph on the freeway. That was fun...NOT! The officers were amazed that I nor others were hurt or killed from that one as I kept my wits about me and safely slowed down and moved into the emergency stopping zone. Good thing the road was straight! I have taken her on a lot of long trips, most of which I returned unscaved, but some were most eventful. If I knew then what I know now, I would have never wasted my money.
I own a 1996 Plymouth voyager. Transmission went at 30,000 60,000 and 154,000. Clock spring had to be replaced, strange noises are now coming from the front end, the emergency break no longer works, the radio turns off and on at it's own will, the door light stays on (bash board) even though all doors are closed. I am the original owner of the vehicle, bought new. Integrated car seats worked well until the kids figured out how to put the belts around their arms causing more of a hazard. Chrysler send plastic clips as a 'fix' What else... too many others to even think about. Would never purchase another Plymouth or Dodge Product again.
All I can say is that I am not the only with ALL these problems! We made a big mistake in leasing a used one, yes used. We will be done payments in 2008. We are just going to pay it all out this year by the summer.. It has been a cursed van. When it rains or snows the serpentine belt comes off each time, my husband had to learn how to fix it instead of taking it in each time. We live where there are only gravel roads and the struts have repeatedly been replaced, the electrical is always shorting and the radio only worked the day we got it and quit after that. It has been nothing, but a financial drain on us. It is always overheating even though we replaced the radiator and the back door will not open! We are just stuck until we pay it off.
That's very interesting. I own a 96 grand voyager that I bought in 2000. It had about 80k miles on it. The wiper thing surprised me the day after I got it home. some of the things that are being mentioned such as brakes and the like, to me, seem to be normal maintenance. The air conditioner isn't a necessity (no mine doesn't work.) I have had to put 2 power steering pumps in it, but, other than that and a small leak, I have 160k miles and I am considering all new brakes, front and rear, another set of tires, a couple of seals and gaskets (to stop that leak I mentioned) and trying to get another 150k miles out of it. Maybe I got the only one that is any good, but I have hauled a bed full of drywall, plywood, 2x4's and my boat numerous times and never been stranded. If the wiper thing is my only gripe, I guess I can deal with that. This baby gets me and the kids where we need to go.
I also own a 96 grand Voyager with a 3.3 with 150 000 miles. I found the phantom wiper thing to be a lot of carbon buildup on the park switch in the wiper motor. To fix it I had to remove the wiper motor, open up the cover and found the disk with a slot in it to have a carbon trace where the contact for the park switch touches. I used CFC free electrical contact cleaner and Q tips to clean it off and now it works just fine again.
It amazes me how many folks "hate" their Plymouth Voyagers! We have a 96 Grand Voyager SE, 3.3 engine, and we LOVE it!.
Bought it as a used rental vehicle from the local Chrysler dealer here in PA. Had 30,000 mile in the spring of 97, now has close to 240,000. It has taken us everywhere! All over New England, Pennsylvania, Virginia...thousands of miles loyally.
It has PLENTY of power, handles great, and is very comfortable! I would have a fleet of these if I was able!
It's funny now, but six years ago, the repair shop said we were in need of a total transmission rebuild. However, another dealer simply replaced a "solenoid", and it has been going strong since! ALWAYS get a second or even third opinion. You will pay a minor diagnostic fee, but in doing so, likely save Hundreds of dollars. I always wonder how many of these transmissions that I read were replaced maybe were just LOW on fluid! Or better yet, were allowed by owners to get too low!
Years ago, I burnt up a VW transmission that way.. I never checked the fluid! I could have easily gotten mad a said I'll never buy another VW, but it was my own error and stupidity!
The secret to these vehicles in my opinion is continued and tenacious MAINTENANCE! In other words; "stay ahead of the game"! I check oil level every couple of days, along with transmission fluid. As soon as the engine oil gets black, it gets new oil and a "premium" oil filter! Like clockwork every so many miles, new coolant, new transmission filter and fluid, new plugs, new brake fluid, power steering fluid etc.. I always choose "synthetic" fluids where possible... SO much better.
Another secret is that I always use synthetic engine oil!! No carbon sludge, runs cooler, way less wear. Makes a world of difference!
At 240,000 miles in a "trouble" vehicle, I've proven my point! A critical point here is to NEVER use anything except ATF 3 (or 4) in these transmissions, and have it changed with a new filter minimum every two years!
Chrysler gets a bad rap when people don't maintain their vehicles properly and never change fluids and filters.. It also amazes me when people get so mad and say they will never buy a certain brand again ever! Well, I have news, ALL brands are not without similar problems!
Honda had major minivan transmission problems as well, a friend had a bill for $1700.00 in theirs recently (an Odyssey), Toyota has been dealing with major "engine sludge" in may of their newer cars including Camry! I had a Honda Civic that only lasted to 100,000 when the entire engine went, the entire clutch had to be replaced at only 49,000 miles..
No matter WHAT make or model, when the mileage starts adding up, things like alternators, water pumps, belts, relays, bulbs start to go, some sooner, some later. It's just the way it works.
Trust me, as a mechanic, and a salesman, I hear gripes about ALL the brands. Bottom line is that you either get a bad one or a good one in anything. But a better bottom line is that the better you maintain, and the easier you drive a vehicle, the happier you will be!
Just had the transmission rebuilt in my 1996 Grand Voyager. This is an ongoing problem for Chrysler for more than 2 decades now. The guy at the transmission shop said that if it weren't for Chrysler he would go out of business. I got to looking around his lot and have to agree. Of the 14 vehicles he had lined up to work on, there was one Ford, 3 Chevy's and the rest were all Chrysler products. I'll never, never, never own a Chrysler again. I've had 4 of them and the only one that was worth driving off show room floor was a '86 Dakota. Awesome little truck, the rest were vans and they all had transmission problems within 30,000 miles.
My first Chrysler minivan was an 89 2.5L 5sp (rare find!). Reliable transport but burned oil from early on. Rebuilt the engine at 145k when it started plugging the Catalytic. Could not keep a head gasket after that, then it got NY rusty, but most things still worked to the end. Sad to see it go at 220k. Not much electronics to fail...
Most of what fails on these is what we neglect, like letting tranny go low on oil or using wrong oil. Some is what we get from the design or random selection. The 89 was great except I could never keep the valve cover from leaking - clean and lock-tite the screws but they still come loose unless you over-torque them and distort the steel...
The 96 Grand Voy 3.0V6 - Plenty of space, nice engine, but mystery wipers, occasional brake light stuck on etc. are all caused by bad body computer design in my opinion. Common ailment related to poor board and/or firmware design of the BCM. Mine is better since I grabbed another from a local Pick-a-part for $20. Local dealer mechanic even said "We could charge you lots of money and not fix that" at least he was honest.
Many of these posts are electrical in nature - a dealer should have expertise in this area, but often does not. Also hard to diagnose something that is working, as noted above.
The factory manuals are expensive but very thorough, good procedures, but then it says to hook up the DRB-II and you are stuck.
Comments about repeat failures are unfair - once it fails, drive or tow it home, then get it fixed or don't blame it when it fails again. Never say never unless you like crow.
The 96 3sp tranny was leaking at 100k and eventually at 180k did the classic "spin the spider shaft, chew hole in bell housing" trick, probably due to some period with low oil. Leak their fault or just age, low oil my fault. Just putting rebuilt tranny back in, expect many more miles. TIG welded the case, cleaned lot of chips out, replace lots of parts and good to go again.
As for Saabs, my '78 99 engine was perfect to 200k miles when the body gave up, no leaks, factory stock compression all the way.
I own a 97' Plymouth Voyager with 128,000 miles on it. Received it as a repo and it turned out to have transmission problems. It had problems going into gear and shifting gears. I was told by a friend who had a 97' Voyager that I could try changing the transmission fluid & filter to solve the problem. I took it to a transmission shop to have the transmission fluid and filter changed. The transmission shop said the transmission oil smelled burnt and recommended a transmission overhaul for $2400.00-$3800.00. I said go ahead and change the fluid & filter for $150.00 and I want to visually watch you do it and see the pan bottom and filter when your finished. They agreed. The pan had a little copper and aluminum in the bottom, and metal filing on the pan magnet. After words the van was drivable! But when I went on the freeway it wouldn't shift up into drive. Otherwise, everything else is OK! Does anyone have any ideas on fix this problem?
I bought a 96 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE 3.3 used in May 2000 with 14,300. It was placed in service on August 1995. These are the things I fixed over the years: (1) AC clutch, coil and pulley - August 2001 (2) Starter - May 2002 (3) Transmission died at 49K miles, and got a re-manufactured one - June 2003 (4) tranny solenoid valve fell off and has to be replaced - May 2004 (5) AC compressor replaced - June 2005 (6) AC condenser replaced - June 2006 (7) Serpentine belt slipped once and replaced - Dec 2002 (8) Radiator replaced - Feb 2008.
It has 86,100 miles as of 09/06/08. Current problems as Sept 2008 includes AC (again) not holding a charge. And one of the rear speakers quit working. I figured for a 13 years old van (other than the transmission problems), the repairs are normal wear and tear, and its not that bad. Fortunately, 1 purchased an extended warranty that helped for repairs 1 thru 6 above.
I have Chrysler Voyager SE 1996 2.4.. It's a real car with all that a man can ask.. no problem at all..
Everything went well until one month ago, when the car started to be weird, when a man was driving it slowly. It seems like something was going wrong.
I changed the spark plugs, as I understand when a vehicle goes like this, any how I am a real satisfied with my great Voyager.. no big deal.. when something goes wrong just for one time.. be cool and enjoy the life.