AI Damage1997 Plymouth Voyager: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Plymouth Voyager filed 346 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 346
- involving a crash
- 14
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 18% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 16% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 64 complaints (18% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 56 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 55 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 44 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel system: 37 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 3.3 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 346 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 64 | 5 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 56 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 55 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 44 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 31 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 30 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 17 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 9 | 0 | 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 traveling 25-30 vehicle ran off road and hit a pipe with left front wheel. Air bags did not deploy.
On the 6th belt I lost conpleat power steering and ripped olner nerve in elbow wile turning.
Upon impact, neither airbag deployed and seat belt didn't retract. Took vehicle to the dealer. They found a short in the heater control module, which caused computer failure in the body control module, disabling the air bags.
When vehicle was reared ended at a complete stop, driver's seat and passenger's seats reclined. Manufacturer stated that the seats were designed that way. Seats will be repaired. Please provide any further information.
Her seatbelt didn't restrain her; she struck her head twice (1-on windshield, 2-on dash). Airbag opened *after* she fell back in seat. Airbag & seatbelt operated defectivel
Hehicle was involved in an accident with another vehicle, with another vehicle, impact approx. Of 25-30 mph. Consumer vehicle air bag did not deploy. Manufacturer notified.
When driving at approximately 65-70mph the engine cuts off and causes the power steering and the abs brakes to become inoperable. The dealer cannot duplicate the problem because it happens intermittently. An accident has occurred as a result of this problem, no injuries were sustained.
Brakes went to the floor of vehicle. Owner was involved in a collision due to brake failure. Dealer is repairing vehicle.
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 1,168 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Voyager has 251 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 346, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- 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.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
- Voyager 19834 sources
- Voyager 198422 sources
- Voyager 198531 sources
- Voyager 198653 sources
- Voyager 198784 sources
- Voyager 198891 sources
- Voyager 1989165 sources
- Voyager 1990226 sources
- Voyager 1991520 sources
- Voyager 1992701 sources
- Voyager 1993615 sources
- Voyager 1994529 sources
- Voyager 1995336 sources
- Voyager 1996756 sources
- Voyager 1998323 sources
- Voyager 1999273 sources
- Voyager 2000168 sources
- Voyager 999916 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Plymouth Voyager?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, powertrain. Total complaints: 346. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (10%), transmission slipping (5%), rust, corrosion (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.