Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
AT CERTAIN TIMES THE SERPENTINE BELT WILL SLIP OFF OF THE PULLEYS AND QUIT POWERING THE ALTERNATOR, WATER PUMP, AND POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS CAN BE WORSENED BY RAINY CONDITIONS. CHANGING BELT TENSIONER WORKS FOR A YEAR OR TWO.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN THE HOOD WAS OPENED, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE DRIVING BELT WAS OUT OF THE PULLEY. THE BELT WAS PLACED BACK INTO POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000.
I PURCHASED VEHICLE USED AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A SQUEAKY SERPENTINE BELT. PUT A LITTLE BELT DRESSING ON IT AND THAT WAS AS FAR AS THE ISSUE WENT. THEN ON A DARK RAINY NIGHT, WENT THROUGH A RAIN PUDDLE-VERY SLOWLY, AND INSTANTLY, STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. THE WORST PART OF THIS EXPERIENCE THIS NIGHT WAS TRYING TO PUT BELT BACK ON PULLEYS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE IN THE DARK AND NO IDEA HOW TO ROUTE IT. THANK GOODNESS THERE WAS A DIAGRAM IN ENGINE. WITH NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS WAS A VERY WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES IT WAS QUITE A SURPRISE. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE, AND READING ALL OF THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR!! FATAL ACCIDENTS!! THERE HAS BEEN MORE THAN ENOUGH INFO SUBMITTED AND DOCUMENTED TO WARRANT A RECALL AND HAVE THE MANUFACTURER TAKE CARE OF THIS. OH-BUT GUESS WHAT? ANOTHER COMPANY 'GATES" HAS COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT APPARENTLY HAS HAD POSITIVE REVIEWS. MY ORDER IS IN AND I AM AWAITING MY RETROFITTED TENSIONER BELT COMPONENT KIT SO THAT I WILL FEEL SAFE ENOUGH TO BE OUT ON THE ROADS AND THAT I WILL NOT BECOME A HAZARD TO OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD WITH ME. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMES TO THE AID OF A BIG COMPANY LIKE CHRYSLER (PLYMOUTH) EVEN WHEN IT IS MORE THAN OBVIOUS THAT THEY ARE BUILDING SUBSTANDARD CARS. THIS IS NOT A MAJOR REPAIR, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY A PROBLEM THAT COULD VERY EASILY CAUSE SERIOUS BODILY INJURIES TO MANY PEOPLE FROM JUST ONE INCIDENT! IT HAS NOW BEEN FOURTEEN YEARS SINCE THIS CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. HOW MANY YEARS OF COMPLAINTS DOES IT TAKE TO GET SOMEONE TO NOTICE AND TAKE ACTION? IS THERE SOMEONE ABOVE YOU THAT WE HAVE TO BEG, PLEASE HELP US! THE LITTLE GUYS. WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO BEG, "PLEASE DON'T LET MY CAR BE THE ONE THAT IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE."MAKE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE-BE RESPONSIBLE! THANK YOU (I THINK). *TR
WE OWN A 1998 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER WITH A 3.3 LITER ENGINE. ON FRIDAY,OCTOBER 1,2010, MY WIFE DROVE SLOWLY THROUGH A PUDDLE AND THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND OTHER SYSTEM POWERED BY THE SERPENTINE BELT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO HER ONCE BEFORE AND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. MY WIFE USUALLY ENJOYS DRIVING HER VAN BUT NOW HAS LOST ALL CONFIDENCE IN IT. SHE STATES IT'S A VERY SCARY SITUATION, NOT TO MENTION DANGEROUS. WITH ALL I HAVE READ IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL TO HAVE THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION CORRECTED. *TR
STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHILE MAKING A TURN. DEALER HAS INSPECTED, AND WILL REPAIR VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE INFORMATION.*AK
WHEN VEHICLE GOES THROUGH PUDDLES OF WATER SLOWLY LOSES ALL POWER STEERING. CONTACTED DEAALER, AND DEALER STATED IT WAS GOING TO USE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF BELT.*AK
WHILE DRIVING IN 4 INCHES OR MORE OF WATER THE POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY FAILS. THE BELT CAN BE HEARD SLIPPING AND THEN RE-ENGAGES. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TIGHTENED THE BELT ONCE BUT AFTER THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT THEY STATE NOTHING ELSE CAN BE DONE EXCEPT FOR THE DIRVER TO "GO SLOWER". ALSO, REAR BRAKES DO THE SAME.*AK
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME WAS 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. AN EXCEPTIONAL AMOUNT OF RAIN HAD FALLEN AND MANY ROADS HAD STANDING WATER ON THEM. WHILE NEGOTIATING ONE SPOT (APPROX. 6-12 IN) ALL POWER STEERING ABILITY WAS LOST. ASSUMING THE BELT WAS WET CONTINUED TO DRIVE UNTIL WARNING LIGHT AND SIGNAL SHOWED OVERHEATING. DISCOVERED THAT SERPENTINE BELT HAD FALLEN OFF. DEALER REPLACED AND INFORMED THAT INCIDENT HAD BEEN REPORTED TO PLYMOUTH. TODAY SAME PROBLEM. ATTEMPTING TO NEGOTIATE SEVERAL INSTANCES OF WATER, LESS THAN 25MPH AND SUDDENYL, NO POWER STEERING. PERSONALLY REPORTED TO PLYMOUTH AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD NOT HEARD ANY INSTANCES OF THIS FAILURE. QUESTIONED DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD SEEN IT HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES. INITIAL PROBLEM: TENSION PULLY HAS NO EDGE TO HOLD BELT ON IF WATER GETS BETWEEN PULLEY AND BELT. PULLEY IS ALSO SMOOTH WHICH CAUSES BELT TO SLIP. RESULT: LOSS OF POWER STEERING, LOSS OF CHARGING TO BATTERY, LOSS OF POWER TO DRIVE HEADLIGHTS/WIPERS/AIR CONDITIONING. DANGEROUS RESULT: LOSS OF CONTROL/VISIBILITY. SOLUTION(?): REPLACE SMOOTH PULLEY WITH ONE THAT HAS EDGES AND PUT GROOVES OF SOME SORT ON THE PULLEY TO ALLOW WATER TO BE SHEETED OFF IF IT COMES BETWEEN THE PULLEY AND THE BELT.
UPON ACCELERATION ON SMALL INCLINE OR DECLINE, THE ENTIRE COLUMN AND STEERING WHEEL HAS A SHARP SHUDDER VIBRATION, THIS WAS NOTICED ON INITIAL TEST DRIVE AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NORMAL(OWNER NEVER DRIVEN A VAN PRIOR) - IT HAS CONTINUED TO GET WORSE.
THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING,A/C,AND THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.ALSO, ENGINE BELT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. DEALER HAS REPLACED ENGINE BELT 3 TIMES. THE PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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