1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager User Reviews

Complete And Utter Rubbish...but I Loved It. — I drove this van for a year as a campus shuttle at my college. It was horrendous in every way, yet I became inexplicably attached to it. So why did I hate this van? First, the power. 150hp just isn't enough for a vehicle this heavy. It was sluggish and unresponsive. The V6 delivered its power smoothly enough though. Second, the comfort. The suspension was too bouncy half the time, and too stiff the other half. I could never understand how this was even possible. The interior had soft fabric and supportive seats, but the design was purely utilitarian. Third, the steering. The wheel would turn about 15 degrees in either direction with no response whatsoever. The steering feel reminded me of those playgrounds with a ship's wheel that isn't connected to anything. On cambered roads you would have to hold the wheel at about 45 degrees off center to keep the van in a straight line. Lastly, there were some problems unique to this particular van. The headlights were so dim you could barely tell they were on, and the high beams were only marginally brighter. The interior perpetually reeked of alcohol and vomit. We referred to the heater as "the owl", because of the sound it made while it was running. The dashboard lights would intermittently shut off for minutes at a time, and the right turn signal blinked at double speed. Worst of all was the clunky transmission. The story behind that was quite entertaining: Many years ago one of the drivers was a man who had lost an arm, so a knob had been installed on the steering wheel to assist with turning. Once while he was driving the knob fell off and, unable to control the vehicle, the man drove it over a curb leaving it high-centered on the transmission. The repair was botched, and ever since then the van would lurch violently with every gear change. And yet, despite all that, I grew to love it. I began to appreciate the driving characteristics, and found the quirks and faults more endearing than frustrating. More than anything, I loved the time I spent driving it. I remember being constantly entertained by the antics of drunk passengers. I loved the thrill of driving in winter blizzards at night. My coworkers and I would challenge ourselves to brake smoothly on the icy roads without engaging the ABS. Occasionally we would get huge tips from passengers, even though it was a free service. Some of our passengers would board the van dressed in bizarre costumes for themed parties. Perhaps then, my attachment is more to that time in my life than to the van itself, but that worn-out old Plymouth Voyager will always hold a place in my heart.

Primary Use: Utility (towing boats, transporting cargo, etc.)

Comfortable, Great Cargo/people Hauler, But Build Quality Stinks — LOVE the van with the unbeatable combo of comfort and utility of this van, BUT just wish it was built better. Wish Chrysler would get painting right - this is the third minivan I've owned where the paint had died a horrible death. In this case, the entire roof and hood paint peeled off in giant chunks, all the way down to primer! A/C died and transmission has been replaced at least once before we got van and is headed for another trans breakdown soon as it slips often.

It Made It This Far.... — Not a RELIABLE car, exactly, and oddly, we like it very much. It is 11 years old, though, paid for, and still running. At 135000 miles, haven't replaced the transmission when it seems all other Chrysler vans need it. We have replaced the water pump every two years; the leak can cause the serp belt to slip off, which we have also had 3. Blown head gasket at 60,000 miles. Love all the features, the quad seating, great for kids and long trips, but the electrical is slowly failing, a/c compressor fell off last year. Would recommend getting any Chrysler minivan WELL inspected before purchase!

Owner for 7 years, 10 months

Miles Driven per Year:12,000