1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager: common problems

Owners of the 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager filed 569 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 569
involving a crash: 10

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 18% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
3 Fuel system 17% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
5 Air bags 16% of all complaints
6 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
7 Visibility 9% of all complaints
8 Structure 7% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Powertrain: 103 complaints (18% of all).
Electrical system: 99 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Fuel system: 96 complaints (17% of all).
Engine and cooling: 91 complaints (16% of all).
Air bags: 90 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 569 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

airbag warning light54 · 9%
fuel system, fuel smell39 · 7%
stalls while driving29 · 5%
A/C or heater26 · 5%
smoke, burning smell, fire26 · 5%
door locks, latches, handles25 · 4%
steering or power steering problems25 · 4%
warning lights, check engine25 · 4%
transmission slipping23 · 4%
rust, corrosion16 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	103	0
Electrical system	99	1
Fuel system	96	0
Engine and cooling	91	0
Air bags	90	2
Service brakes	57	2
Visibility	50	1
Structure	42	0
Vehicle speed control	37	0
Steering	30	2
Equipment	26	0
Suspension	23	0
Child seat	20	0
Latches, locks, linkages	19	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 got in an accident going 60 mph and the air bags did not deploy! If I would not have turned the wheel left when I did and hit the other vehicle dead on I would have been seriously injured due to the air bags not deploying.
Air bags · crash · 2003-04-09 · NHTSA complaint #10014215
Upon impact, air bags did not deploy. After vehicle was repaired air bag light came on unexpectedly most of the time, and consumer was concerned.
Air bags · crash · 2001-01-09 · NHTSA complaint #877758
Had a complete blowout on right rear in july 2000. Because the tire was destroyed, I assumed the blowout was due to road hazard. The tires are not "branded" firestone. The second blowout occurred with 35psi cold pressure (I had checked them before we left on the trip) after 100 miles of driving at 60-70 mph.
Tires · crash · 2000-10-19 · NHTSA complaint #733647
A truck hit me from the rear and knocked me into the car in front of me. My head hit the steering wheel breaking a small bone in my nose and brusing it and my upper lip and gums. I hit my left inside knee which was bruised and hurt. Xrayed, both mouth and knee and neck. The belt did not restrain me.
Seat belts · crash · 2000-06-23 · NHTSA complaint #723525
Vehicle was rearended. Upon impact, the middle bench seat was dislodged from tracks and anchors. Manufacturer has inspected the vehicle.
Seats · crash · 1998-07-31 · NHTSA complaint #826109
Vehicle would momentarily lose power steering during sharp left turns.
Steering · crash · 1997-08-13 · NHTSA complaint #522622
While driving car intermittently stalled, once resulting in an accident, when stalling occurs all operations are non-functional, including the brakes.
Electrical system · crash · 1996-11-15 · NHTSA complaint #805113
Affected component: body control module the bcm controls the following: wipers, fuel pump, vehicle power and much more. During a rainy day in oregon ciry oregon, the bcm failed. The car was moving into a parking lot at less than 20 mph. In the parking lot was a police vehicle.
Service brakes · 2019-01-11 · NHTSA complaint #11166547

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

199616
199756
199843
199980
200087
200190
2002109
200342
200426
20054
20063
20073
20083
20094
20101
20141
20151
20191

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 630 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Voyager has 128 complaints (19 years in the data). This year has 569, above average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, electrical system, fuel system. Total complaints: 569. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (9%), fuel system, fuel smell (7%), stalls while driving (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager?

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 Grand Voyager 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.