1996 Plymouth Breeze problems & reliability
182 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1996 Plymouth Breeze, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
9 complaints report injuries (17 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 95 | 52% |
| Power Train | 25 | 14% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 22 | 12% |
| Steering | 20 | 11% |
| Suspension | 14 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 11 | 6% |
| Structure | 8 | 4% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 7 | 4% |
| Visibility | 6 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“1996 plymouth breeze had something break from the vehicle. The consumer stated the vehicle stalled and caught fire after coming to a rest on the shoulder. *kb the cause of the fire was undetermined. (ohio traffic crash report)*jb”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Oct 24, 2007
“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. *jb”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 29, 2006
“The plastic adjustments on the seat belts have fallen off 2 of the seat belts, therefore, I assume, they are no longer safe to use. *nm”
Seat Belts · filed Jul 27, 2006
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AUTO TRANS IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK
Engineering Analysis EA03011 · opened Jul 17, 2003 · closed Jan 30, 2004 · led to recall 04V021000
Technical service bulletins
77 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1996 Plymouth Breeze. The 10 most recent:
Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the correct test equipment for testing batteries and charging systems, and also warranty reimbursement when battery…
08-049-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 2020
Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.
3100519 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
3100319 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.
3100619 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
31-003-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.
31-006-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Valve Body. These may cause over drive cycling.
R2118796A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2016
Child Seat Tether Anchor Installation This bulletin describes procedures to install Child Seat Tether Anchors based on Customer Request. Retrofits are subject to part availability. Vehicles in the following list that…
23-014-15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 23, 2015
Seat belt cinch bar service for various models including 2004 models. *tt
0801003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 25, 2003
Flash programming failure recovery. *slc
1802002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2002
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1996 Plymouth Breeze has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1996 Plymouth Breeze?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.