Problems · NHTSA complaints
1997 Plymouth Breeze problems
Owners filed 160 complaints about the 1997 Plymouth Breeze with NHTSA between Mar 1997 and Mar 2018. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (83).
Complaints
160
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
9
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
8
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine and engine cooling83
- Service brakes, hydraulic16
- Steering14
- Suspension14
- Power train12
- Air bags9
- Electrical system8
- Fuel system, gasoline6
- Equipment5
- Seat belts4
- Visibility3
- Vehicle speed control3
- Exterior lighting2
- Tires2
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
6
15
21
28
30
14
15
14
8
3
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 6 |
| 1998 | 15 |
| 1999 | 21 |
| 2000 | 28 |
| 2001 | 30 |
| 2002 | 14 |
| 2003 | 15 |
| 2004 | 14 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Engine and engine cooling
83 reports3 fires
“ON JULY 17, 2006 MY BELT TENSIONER BROKE ON MY 97 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER SE. I HAD IT TOWED TO AN AUTO SHOP THE NEXT DAY WHERE THEY REPLACED THE TENSIONER AND PUT ON A NEW BELT. ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2006, (THE FIRST DAY DRIVING CAR IN THE RAIN SINCE REPLACING BELT & TENSIONER), WHILE DRIVING CAR IN THE RAIN 5 MINUTES, THE POWER STEERING WAS LOST AND THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON - THE BELT HAD COME OFF. RETURNED CAR TO REPAIR CENTER. THEY PUT BELT BACK ON AND COULD NOT FIND ANY REASON WHY THIS HAPPENED, OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT BELTS CAN FALL OFF MORE EASILY IN WET WEATHER. ON SEPT. 17, IT WAS NOT RAINING WHEN I WAS DRIVING CAR AT THE TIME, HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN AVERAGE SIZE PUDDLE THAT I DID DRIVE INTO AND AS SOON AS I DID I LOST MY POWER STEERING AND THE BATTER LIGHT CAME ON. PULLED OVER AND HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED. THIS TIME I TOOK IT TO A DEALER. THEY PUT THE BELT BACK ON AND COULD NOT FIND ANY REASON WHY IT WOULD HAVE COME OFF, OTHER THAN IT GETTING WET. I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD HEARD THROUGH A FRIEND THAT CHRYSLER VANS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM OF THE BELT COMING OFF IN WET WEATHER BUT THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF IT. THE ONLY 2 TIMES I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR IN WET…”
Service brakes, hydraulic
16 reports1 crash
“MULTIPLE OIL LEAKS AND BRAKE PROBLEMS. BOUGHT CAR WITH 14,000 MILES, REPLACED FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS AT 19,000 MILES, REPLACED CAM SEALS AT 32,000 MILES, HAD NEW BRAKES AGAIN AT 39,000 MILES, AND NOW AT 49,500 HAVING SPARK PLUG SEALS REPLACED. ALL MAJOR ENGINE WORK DONE AT NEWBURGH PARK MOTORS, NEWBURGH NY. THIS CAR HAS COST ME MORE IN MAINTENANCE THAN MY CRAPPY 1979 GMC PICK-UP WITH A BILLION MILES ON IT! THE DEALER JUST SHRUGS IT OFF AND SAYS THIS IS TYPICAL AND IT IS THE CUSTOMER'S RESPONSIBILITY. I SAY SHAME ON CHRYSLER FOR MANUFACTURING A SUB-STANDARD PRODUCT AND NOT STANDING BEHIND IT! YOU COWARDS!!!!! *LA”
Steering
14 reports
“RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR CRUNCHING NOISE. 45.000 MILES DUE TO LENGTHY RESEARCH IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE SERIOUS DEFECTS IN THE STEERING SYSTEM OF MANY DAIMLER CHRYSLER VEHICLES. AFTER 27 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH 14 VEHICLES (MOSTLY GM AND FORD) I HAVE NEVER HAD AS MANY DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION/STEERING FAILURES AS WITH THIS PLYMOUTH BREEZE. THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT CHRYSLER DOES NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY (FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY) FOR POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING DEFECTS. THEY SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND PAY FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR AND THEN FIND SUPPLIERS WHO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I CONSIDER THE BREEZE UNUSABLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, SUCH AS ANYTHING OVER 30 MPH. FOR HAVING SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DESIGN THIS SITUATION IS JUST SAD. PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO CHRYSLER AS I AM IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING A SMALL CLAIMS COURT CASE. IF YOU CAN FORWARD THIS TO CHRYSLER PLEASE TELL THEM THAT WE JUST WANT RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION, NOT HAVING OUR LIVES AT STAKE. YOU SEE - IF YOU HIT A TREE OR SOMETHING SOLID - ALL OF THE EVIDENCE AGAINST THEM IS GONE. WAKE UP CONSUMERS - READ THE VEHICLE REPORTS BEFORE YOU BUY. BEAUTY MUST BE MORE THAN SKIN DEEP.*JB”
Suspension
14 reports3 related recalls
“UPON ARRIVING HOME FROM WORK I BACKED THE VEHICLE INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND FOUND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE WAS RUBBING AGAINST THE UNDERCARRIAGE. INVESTIGATION AFTER REMOVING THE TIRE FOUND THE OUTER TIE ROD BALL JOINT HAD SEPARATED AND COLLAPSED. INSPECTION OF THE PART FOUND NO APPARENT LUBRICATION AND RUST APPEARED ON THE BALL SECTION. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANICS SHOP AND THE PART REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A NEW UNIT. I ASKED IF THE DRIVERS SIDE TIE ROD WAS ALSO IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT BUT INSPECTION BY MY MECHANIC APPARENTLY FOUND THE UNIT TO BE INTACT. THE REMOVED PART WAS DISCARDED UNFORTUNATELY BUT THE MECHANIC INDICATED HE'S SEEN THE SAME FAILURE ON OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MANUFACTURER [CHRYSLER CORP] *JB”
Power train
12 reports2 related recalls
“MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTER EASILY POPS OUT OF DRIVE .THERE IS NO LOCK TO HOLD IT IN DRIVE. NOT SURE IF IT WAS MADE THIS WAY ????? YOU CAN HIT IF FORWARD AND IT COULD GO IN TO REVERSE IM SURE. *TR”
Air bags
9 reports8 crashes1 fire
“WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH ON A DRY/SMOOTH ROAD SURFACE BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. NO INJURY TO REPORT. *AK”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.