1985 Plymouth Voyager: common problems

Owners of the 1985 Plymouth Voyager filed 31 complaints with NHTSA, most often about latches, locks, linkages and structure. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 31
involving a crash: 4

What fails most often

1 Latches, locks, linkages 26% of all complaints
2 Structure 26% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
5 Suspension 10% of all complaints
6 Equipment 6% of all complaints
7 Parking brake 6% of all complaints
8 Seat belts 6% of all complaints

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

Latches, locks, linkages: 8 complaints (26% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 8 complaints (26% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (13% of all).
Electrical system: 3 complaints (10% of all).
Suspension: 3 complaints (10% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
2.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 3-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 31 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion2 · 6%
seat belts2 · 6%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 6%
door locks, latches, handles1 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 3%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 3%
rollaway, parking brake1 · 3%
stalls while driving1 · 3%
unintended acceleration1 · 3%
warning lights, check engine1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Latches, locks, linkages	8	1
Structure	8	2
Engine and cooling	4	0
Electrical system	3	0
Suspension	3	0
Equipment	2	0
Parking brake	2	0
Seat belts	2	0
Seats	1	1
Tires	1	0
Visibility	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.

While driving down the street and making a left hand turn into a parking lot another vehicle traveling at 45mph, hit the car behind consumer's, which then hit the consumer's vehicle, causing the driver seat to detach from the track, and was pushed forward against the steering wheel.
Seats · crash · 1999-10-21 · NHTSA complaint #851347
Emergency parking brake cable, located underneath the vehicle, freezes frequently. May cause the emergency parking brake not to work properly. .et.
Parking brake · 1999-01-06 · NHTSA complaint #833086
Radiator fan froze causing overheating and shorted out electrical system resulting in burning of wiring.
Engine and cooling · 1998-10-20 · NHTSA complaint #510915
While driving the vehicle, noticed smoke and discovered the wires were on fire under the hood around the emission control area, the vehicle is not being repaired at this time.
Electrical system · 1997-08-19 · NHTSA complaint #815480
Owner states that while making a turn her motor mounts broke, owner also notes that she was glad this did not happen while on the highway.
Engine and cooling · 1997-03-07 · NHTSA complaint #809801
Radiator fan locked up, causing power surge/wiring harness to catch fire.
Engine and cooling · 1996-11-06 · NHTSA complaint #509595
Failure on the liftgate latch, consumer had the recall work preformed after the work was done. The vehicle liftgate will not open from the inside. Interior lights come on and hatch rattles.
Latches, locks, linkages · 1996-09-24 · NHTSA complaint #802073
Also built in car seat does not fit properly the seat belt in the vehcile are not long enough.
Latches, locks, linkages · 1996-08-07 · NHTSA complaint #800616

When owners complained

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

199517
19967
19973
19982
19992

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 6,740 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Voyager has 251 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 31, below average.

What to check before buying

Latches, locks, linkages. Door, hood and tailgate latches, especially near the impact.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1985 Plymouth Voyager?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: latches, locks, linkages, structure, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 31. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (6%), seat belts (6%), smoke, burning smell, fire (6%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1985 Plymouth 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 1985 Plymouth 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 1985 models

Plymouth Reliant 1985

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.