AI Damage1996 Plymouth Breeze: common problems
Owners of the 1996 Plymouth Breeze filed 182 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 182
- involving a crash
- 16
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 52% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 4% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 95 complaints (52% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 25 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 22 complaints (12% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 20 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 14 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 182 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 95 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 22 | 3 | 0 |
| Steering | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 11 | 10 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 4 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I was coming home one evening from town, and my brakes failed to stop. The brake pedal went all the way to the floorboard and never once slowed me down and I crashed into another vehicle. It was a pretty bad wreck and luckily no one was seriously injured.
While parked on a slight incline with no keys in the ignition, the gear shift of the floor console was able to be moved. The vehicle rolled and hit a house. The vehicle had a child inside at the time that sustained minor head injuries. The owner received a recall notice one year later.
1996 plymouth breeze involved in accident due to equipment failure. The accident was the result of steering problems. Consume later received a safety recall notification from chrysler that concerned the lower control arms and ball joints. Consumer's son sustained injuries.
While traveling on highway another vehicle made a sudden stop in front of consumer's vehicle, and it hit the other vehicle from behind. Upon impact, dual airbags didn't deploy. Dealership was aware of problem.
While driving at any speed there was vibration. Also, vehicle lurched forward, resulting, in a crash. Deaelr could not determine cause. Vibration occurs both on driving and while stopped.
Engine has been leaking oil again since 7/98. Dealer maintains that I will have to repair because out of warranty. Oil light does not work to warn when oil is low. Constantly adding oil to keep at proper level. Parking brake has been adjusted several times but does not stay long. Fuel gauge gives inaccurate reading.
The vehicle was rear ended, and driver's seat belt did not retract. The driver sudstained minor injuries.
Oil pan design defect caused initial report ..see odi 701385..reported nov 1998 when oil pan wore thru and developed slow oil leak and oil pressure warning light failed resulting in engine seizingnecesitating rebuild at aprx $3700..
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 2,225 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Breeze has 96 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 182, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Plymouth Breeze?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain, service brakes. Total complaints: 182. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: oil leak or consumption (20%), vibration (5%), knocking, grinding or other noise (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 Plymouth Breeze?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1996 Plymouth Breeze from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1996 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.