Problems · NHTSA complaints

1998 Plymouth Breeze problems

Owners filed 181 complaints about the 1998 Plymouth Breeze with NHTSA between May 1998 and Dec 2019. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (68).

Complaints
181
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
21
Reported by owners
Fires
11
Reported by owners
Injuries
20
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling68
  2. Power train24
  3. Steering18
  4. Electrical system13
  5. Air bags13
  6. Service brakes, hydraulic13
  7. Suspension9
  8. Vehicle speed control8
  9. Fuel system, gasoline6
  10. Equipment5
  11. Visibility5
  12. Seats3
  13. Seat belts2
  14. Structure2

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 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19989
199916
200027
200123
200220
200320
200427
20057
20069
20074
20082
20091
20104
20114
20121
20131
20141
20152
20161
20171
20180
20191

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.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

68 reports1 crash2 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 PLYMOUTH BREEZE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN HE NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT ONE OF THE HEAD GASKETS WAS BLOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 79,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 22, 2011Engine and engine coolingODI 10436706

Power train

24 reports4 crashes1 fire2 related recalls
“VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR RECALL FOR IGNITION INTERLOCK, AND WAS NOT REPAIRED CORRECTLY. TOLD THE SERVICE ADVISOR THE IGNITION INTERLOCK WAS INOPERATIVE. THEY INSTALLED THE INCORRECT PART, WHEN ACCORDING TO THE RECALL, IF THE INTERLOCK WAS INOPERATIVE, THE SHIFTER WAS TO BE REPLACED. THEY DID NOT INSTALL THE SHIFTER, RATHER THEY INSTALLED THE LOAD LIMITING PUSHROD WHICH DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE OF THE INTERLOCK. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 1, 2010Power trainODI 10333985

Steering

18 reports3 crashes
“VISIBLE WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DAMAGED POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE WAS FOUND AFTER DIAGNOSTIC CARE WAS PROVIDED. CHECKED FOR OTHER KNOWN ISSUES, FOUND RECALL # 06V001000 DESCRIBING MY EXACT ISSUE AND FALLING UNDER SIMILAR MODEL OF CAR, HOWEVER MY CAR "DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THAT RECALL" AND ALL RECALLS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 16, 2019SteeringODI 11289359

Electrical system

13 reports7 fires
“ON 11/22/2017 A FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DASHBOARD RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE BURNING TO A TOTAL LOSS OF THE VEHICLE. WAS TOWED AND KEPT BY THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR AFTER WE RELINQUISHED THE TITLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 25, 2017Electrical systemFire reportedODI 11048345

Air bags

13 reports9 crashes1 fire
“WHILE DRIVING,THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY. THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD AND NECK INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TOTALED OUT BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY BURNED BEYOND RECOGNITION EVERYTHING WAS DESTROYED. ONE DEATH AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER NOW WALKS WITH A LIMP. ACCIDENT HAPPENED AROUND SPRING 1999 *TC”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 1, 2004Service brakes, hydraulic, Air bagsCrash reportedFire reportedODI 10091487

Service brakes, hydraulic

13 reports1 crash1 fire1 related recall
“RIGHT REAR BRAKE PROBLEM. BRAKE WOULD COME ON BUT NOT RELEASE. THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BY THIS WEBSITE AND INFORMATION FROM ANOTHER PERSON'S COMPLAINT, SEE BELOW. THE FLEX LINE GOING TO THE WHEEL HAS A BRACKET ATTACHED AND THIS WAS CRIMPED TOO TIGHT, PINCHING OFF THE LINE. BRAKE FLUID WAS GETTING THROUGH ENOUGH TO APPLY THE BRAKE, BUT NOT FLOWING BACK TO RELEASE THE BRAKES. THE PROBLEMS WERE MANY AND THE FOLLOWING HAD TO BE REPLACED; EXCESSIVE HEAT DESTROYED THE WHEEL CYLINDER, THE WHEEL BEARING, THE SHOES, THE SPRINGS AND HOLD DOWN KIT AND BRAKE DRUM. ANOTHER PERSON'S COMPLAINT IS BELOW. COMPLAINT NUMBER: 10161903 SUMMARY: MY FATHER IN LAW SAID HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE BRAKES ON HIS 1998 PLYMOUTH BREEZE. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE MASTER CYLINDER IN WAS ALMOST EMPTY. WHEN I PULLED THE FRONT WHEELS THE LEFT PAD WAS WORN A GOOD BIT MORE THAN THE RIGHT. WHEN I PULLED THE REAR WHEELS THE RIGHT SHOES WERE CRACKED AND THE LEFT WHEEL CYLINDER WAS LEAKING. I MADE ALL THE REPAIRS BUT I COULDN'T GET A PROPER BLEED ON THE REAR BRAKES. FURTHER LOOKING SHOWED THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE WAS LOCKING UP THAN SLOWLY RELEASING. LOOKING EVEN CLOSER I FOUND THAT THE REAR BRAKE HOSES ON…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 9, 2006Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10165018
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.