1989 Plymouth Voyager Problems and Recalls (164 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1989 Plymouth Voyager is Body / frame (16% of 164 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Body / frame — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 164 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 1989 Plymouth Voyager?

27 of 164 filings named Body / frame (16% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Transmission / driveline (26 reports).

There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Engine and Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1988 has 91 reports on file; this year has 164. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 1989 Plymouth Voyager

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 5 campaigns on file below.
  2. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  3. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  4. Seat belts. Check that every belt latches, retracts and that related recalls are closed.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Body / frame. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Body / frame 27 complaints · 16.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 19
  • Fires 10
  • Injuries 29
  • Deaths 2
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Body / frame (STRUCTURE) appears in 27 of 164 owner complaints (16.5%) in this vehicle snapshot. Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 27 complaints, 16.5% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 crash reports 27 · 16.5% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 26 complaints, 15.9% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 3 crash reports 1 fire reports 26 · 15.9% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 15 complaints, 9.2% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 3 crash reports 15 · 9.2% Engine (ENGINE): 13 complaints, 7.9% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 3 fire reports 13 · 7.9% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 6 complaints, 3.7% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 4 fire reports 6 · 3.7% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 6 complaints, 3.7% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 6 · 3.7% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 5 complaints, 3.1% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 crash reports 5 · 3.1% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 4 complaints, 2.4% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 4 · 2.4% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 3 complaints, 1.8% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 3 · 1.8% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 152 complaints, 92.7% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 18 crash reports 8 fire reports 152 · 92.7% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 27 16.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 26 15.9% 3 crashes · 1 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 15 9.2% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 13 7.9% 0 crashes · 3 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 6 3.7% 0 crashes · 4 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 6 3.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 5 3.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 4 2.4% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 3 1.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 152 92.7% 18 crashes · 8 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 1995; the first recall shown was reported in Dec 1989. 1995-Q1: 33 owner reports 33 1995-Q2: 35 owner reports 35 1995-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 1995-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 1996-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 1996-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 1996-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 1996-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 1997-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 1997-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 1997-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 1998-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 1998-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 1998-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 1998-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 1999-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 1999-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 1999-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2000-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2000-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2001-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 1989 Jan 2012 Recall campaign 89V237000 ◆ Recall campaign 89V237000 Recall campaign 91V053000 ◆ Recall campaign 91V053000 Recall campaign 95I001004 ◆ Recall campaign 95I001004 Recall campaign 95I001008 ◆ Recall campaign 95I001008 Recall campaign 08E033000 ◆ Recall campaign 08E033000 Investigation PE89036 ● Investigation PE89036 Investigation PE89170 ● Investigation PE89170 Investigation EA90011 ● Investigation EA90011 Investigation PE90079 ● Investigation PE90079 Investigation EA91010 ● Investigation EA91010 Investigation PE91026 ● Investigation PE91026 Investigation PE91062 ● Investigation PE91062 Investigation PE92027 ● Investigation PE92027 Investigation EA94005 ● Investigation EA94005 Investigation DP98003 ● Investigation DP98003
  • Campaign 95I001004 was reported 83 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 95I001008 was reported 83 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1995-Q1 Owner reports 33
1995-Q2 Owner reports 35
1995-Q3 Owner reports 10
1995-Q4 Owner reports 14
1996-Q1 Owner reports 12
1996-Q2 Owner reports 3
1996-Q3 Owner reports 10
1996-Q4 Owner reports 3
1997-Q1 Owner reports 3
1997-Q2 Owner reports 4
1997-Q4 Owner reports 4
1998-Q1 Owner reports 1
1998-Q2 Owner reports 4
1998-Q3 Owner reports 2
1998-Q4 Owner reports 4
1999-Q2 Owner reports 3
1999-Q3 Owner reports 1
1999-Q4 Owner reports 1
2000-Q1 Owner reports 1
2000-Q2 Owner reports 2
2000-Q3 Owner reports 2
2000-Q4 Owner reports 1
2001-Q1 Owner reports 2
2001-Q2 Owner reports 2
2001-Q3 Owner reports 1
2002-Q2 Owner reports 1
2003-Q1 Owner reports 1
2003-Q2 Owner reports 1
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2008-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 89V237000
Recall campaign 1 91V053000
Recall campaign 1 95I001004
Recall campaign 1 95I001008
Recall campaign 1 08E033000
Defect investigation 1 PE89036
Defect investigation 1 PE89170
Defect investigation 1 EA90011
Defect investigation 1 PE90079
Defect investigation 1 EA91010
Defect investigation 1 PE91026
Defect investigation 1 PE91062
Defect investigation 1 PE92027
Defect investigation 1 EA94005
Defect investigation 1 DP98003
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (5)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Engine and Seat belts.

  1. Recall campaign 08E033000

    Safety recall 08E033000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THE NUTS INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGING FOR THESE BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES ARE MISSING THE INTENDED PREVAILING TORQUE (SELF-LOCKING) FEATURE. IF THE INCORRECT NUT WAS TO BECOME LOOSE, THE JOINING MEMBERS MAY LOOSEN LEADING TO A SEPARATION OF THE BALL JOINT. THIS MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    FEDERAL MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 22, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL MOGUL AT 877-489-6659.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  2. Recall campaign 89V237000

    Engine

    Report date
    Component:
    Engine (ENGINE)
    Consequence:
    THE LEAKAGE OF OIL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD CAUSEA FIRE.
    Remedy:
    REPLACE GASKET COVER WITH REVISED COVER, AND RTV SEALANT WILL BE APPLIED IN PLACE OF A GASKET.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  3. Recall campaign 91V053000

    Seat belts

    Report date
    Component:
    Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
    Consequence:
    FATIGUE FAILURE OF SAFETY BELTS IN A SUDDEN STOP ORACCIDENT CONDITION RESULTS IN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF INJURY TO SEAT OCCUPANT.
    Remedy:
    REPLACE FATIGUED STRAPS OR RETROFIT STRAPS WITH A REINFORCEMENT PLATE AND REMOVAL OF AN ANTIROTATION TAB TO PREVENT FATIGUE FAILURE.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  4. Recall campaign 95I001004

    Safety recall 95I001004

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    IF THE LIFTGATE LATCH OPENS, OCCUPANTS CAN BE EJECTED RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH.
    Remedy:
    CHRYSLER DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LIFTGATE LATCH WITH A NEW STRONGER LATCH ASSEMBLY WITHOUT CHARGE. CHRYSLER BEGAN NOTIFYING OWNERS DURING NOVEMBER 1995.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  5. Recall campaign 95I001008

    Safety recall 95I001008

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    IF THE LIFTGATE LATCH OPENS, OCCUPANTS CAN BE EJECTED RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH.
    Remedy:
    CHRYSLER DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LIFTGATE LATCH WITH A NEW STRONGER LATCH ASSEMBLY WITHOUT CHARGE. CHRYSLER BEGAN NOTIFYING OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES DURING JULY 1996.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 164 complaints · page 1 of 7
2012-01-20Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10444701
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF A 1998 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER. FOR THE MOST PART, WE HAVE LOVED THIS VEHICLE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE SERPENTINE BELT FALLING OFF WHENEVER IT RAINS. WE MOVED TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, SINCE THIS MOVE, THE BELT HAS FALLEN OFF THREE TIMES. WE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE BECAUSE WE LIVED IN AN AREA THAT DID NOT RECEIVE MUCH RAIN DURING THE YEAR. WE TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR AND ARE TOLD THIS SHOULDNT BE HAPPENING. OF COURSE, WE ARE CHARGED TO PUT THE BELT BACK ON THE CAR. WE AND OTHERS (OBVIOUSLY FROM THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE AND OTHERS) BELIEVE THIS IS A CAR DEFECT THAT DODGE/CHRYSLER SHOULD BE AWARE OF OR ARE AWARE BUT IGNORING THE PROBLEM. WE FOUND OUT THAT A KIT IS AVAILABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. FOR ONLY $500 WE CAN GET THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED. IT SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM TO BEGIN WITH. ALSO, MANY PEOPLE HAVE INDICATED THAT SOMEONE COULD BE KILLED IF THE BELT FALLS OFF SINCE THE POWER STEERING AND SEVERAL OTHER FUNCTIONS BECOME DISABLED. I GUESS SOMEONE HAS TO BE INJURED OR WORSE FOR THE CAR COMPANY TO ADMIT TO THE PROBLEM. *TT
2008-02-14Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10218364
CrashFireInjuryDeath
1989 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER CAUGHT FIRE ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE. *KB OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0015-90. *JB
2004-04-20TIRESUnclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10064883
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ALL 4 TIRES HAD AN INDENTATION IN THE SIDE WALL IN THE RADIAL DIRECTION. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THIS COULD CAUSE A BLOW OUT. *NM *SC *JB
2003-05-07Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10019345
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED. *NLM
2003-01-10Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10000922
CrashFireInjuryDeath
1989 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER VIN NO. [XXX] 3.0 L V-6 OIL LEAKING OUT OF CYLINDER COVER GASKETS IS DRIPPING ONTO HOT ENGINE. THIS VEHICLE'S PRODUCTION DATE FALLS WITHIN THE LIMITS OF NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 89V237000, HOWEVER THE DEALERSHIP I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO IN ORDER TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK DONE CLAIMS MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED IN THE CAMPAIGN. THIS SITUATION IS AN UNDER-HOOD FIRE HAZARD. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
2002-04-18Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 760856
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE NOISE IS COMMON WITH THIS VEHICLE NOW THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG. *AK
2001-08-06Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 893527
CrashFireInjuryDeath
VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH ENGINE RUNNING AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY WENT FORWARD. IT WENT THROUGH GARAGE DOOR AND HIT THE HOUSE. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WAS $ 500.00, DAMAGE TO HOUSE WAS $ 1500.00.*AK *SLC
2001-05-11Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 888076
CrashFireInjuryDeath
CONSUMER JUST PARKED VEHICLE AND A FEW MINUTES LATER VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT FIRE STARTED AT ENGINE.*AK *SLC
2001-04-20Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 886406
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHEN OPENING TAILGATE FOR ANY REASON DOOR WILL COME DOWN AND HIT HEAD JUST LIKE STATED IN RECALL 95 I 001 008. *AK
2001-02-07Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 740550
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I HAVE A 1998 VOYAGER VAN AND IT HAS ALREADY HAD 2 TRANSMISSIONS (BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER) PUT IN IT! WAS THERE EVER A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSIONS OR PARTS FOR THE TRANSMISSION FOR THAT YEAR? THIS IS NOT RIGHT! TWO NEW TRANS-SENSORS WERE JUST PUT ON...IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING BUT NOT CORRECTLY. I HAVE 3 SMALL BOYS AND AM ON MY OWN. I CAN'T AFFORD THIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. *AK

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1989 Plymouth Voyager?

Owners named Body / frame most often — 27 of 164 reports (16%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1989 Plymouth Voyager?

NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Engine and Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 1989 Plymouth Voyager?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources