1996 Plymouth Voyager problems & reliability
756 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1996 Plymouth Voyager, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. 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.
24 complaints report injuries (36 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1996 Plymouth Voyager vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 136 | 18% |
| Air Bags | 134 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 114 | 15% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 99 | 13% |
| Power Train | 88 | 12% |
| Visibility | 80 | 11% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 57 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 48 | 6% |
| Structure | 38 | 5% |
| Steering | 33 | 4% |
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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 100,000 miles (middle 50% between 70,100 and 121,500 miles), based on 79 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 plymouth voyager. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated while driving and the cruise control and horn failed to function. In addition, when making a turn, there was a flapping noise in the steering wheel that caused the clock spring to fail. The vehicle…”
Steering · filed Feb 2, 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 plymouth voyager. When starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal snapping noise heard from the vehicle. The contact shifted into drive; however, the vehicle would not move forward. When the shifter was placed in reverse, the vehicle would only move backwards but not forward. The vehicle…”
Power Train · filed Jul 14, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 plymouth voyager. The contact stated the engine oil leaked excessively from the vehicle, which required oil to be added to the reservoir every four days. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 96v006000 (engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline) however, the manufacturer informed…”
Engine · filed Dec 28, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING
Engineering Analysis EA01007 · opened Feb 21, 2001 · closed Nov 22, 2002 · led to recall 02V293000
- AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING
Preliminary Evaluation PE00032 · opened Aug 8, 2000 · closed Feb 21, 2001 · led to recall 02V293000
- DC MINIVAN FUEL INJECTOR RAIL LEAK
Recall Query RQ00008 · opened Mar 9, 2000 · closed Mar 18, 2002 · led to recall 00V268000
- POST COLLISION FUEL SYSTEM
Engineering Analysis EA99013 · opened Jun 11, 1999 · closed Aug 10, 2001
- POST-COLLISION FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY
Preliminary Evaluation PE99010 · opened Feb 3, 1999 · closed Jun 11, 1999
- INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT BELT LOCKUP
Engineering Analysis EA97003 · opened Jan 31, 1997 · closed Aug 19, 1998 · led to recall 98V185000
- FUEL TANK LEAKS
Engineering Analysis EA97002 · opened Jan 31, 1997 · closed Feb 10, 1998
- DEFECTIVE AIR BAG CRASH SENSOR
Defect Petition DP96014 · opened Nov 14, 1996 · open
Technical service bulletins
142 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1996 Plymouth Voyager. 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
Snow/water ingestion into rear brake drum. *kb
0500106A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 23, 2006
Snow/water ingestion into rear brake drum. *tt
0500305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2006
Snow/water ingestion into rear brake drum. *tt
0500204 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 21, 2005
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 Voyager has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 Voyager?
- · 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 100,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.