Drove through a puddle. Serpentine belt fell off, causing loss of power steering. Completed repair as per tsb 07-02-99. Did not correct issue. A known issue with 1996 - 2000 plymouth/dodge caravans 3.3l and 3.8l. Very dangerous, happens on wet/snow conditions. Bottom third of harmnic balancer is not guarded from road moisture. Chrysler redesigned in 2001. Gates after market kit solves problem gat 38379k, cost $120-$220 with out labor. Does this meet the criteria for a recall?
1998 Plymouth Voyager: loss of power steering
11 of the 320 complaints about the 1998 Plymouth Voyager describe loss of power steering.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 9 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Loss of power steering by model year
What owners say
The belt slips off in the rain causing power failure to everything running off the belt. No power steering, no cooling system, no electrical charging, no A/C, and I believe the brakes didn't work right.
While driving, the serpentine belt in the engine broke causing the vehicle to lose power steering. With great difficulty, the driver somehow got the vehicle to the side of the road without incident. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who replaced the serpentine belt. *jb
1998 plymouth voyager-serpentine belt comes off pulleys when run in wet conditions. This has occured three times in the past month. After first two times, the belt was simply put back in place by dealer stating this is a common occurence with this vehicle. On the last occurence, dealer informed me of tsb 07-01-99 dealing with the serpentine belt and replacing a bracket that keeps the belt in alignment. It will cost approximately $100.00 to replace. This obvious defect has serious consequences especially since the belt controls power steering and cooling of the vehicle. An obvious loss of steering control at high speeds can have disastrous consequences. The federal safety agency should require plymouth to retrofit all of these vehicles.
While driving power steering went out with any warning. Voltage regulator had overheated, and alternator was not charging. Serpentine belt got wet, resulting in belt coming off the pulley. This happens everytime serpentine belt gets wet. Please describe details.
Serpentine belt came off the pulley causing over heating and loss of power steering causing loss of control, third time in three year.
In rain or going through puddle of water at low or high speeds water will cause power assist belt to slip, causing loss of steering.
Under wet driving conditions the belt came off causing loss of power steering and overheating of the engine. Nlm
Consumer was traveling about 45mph on highway and it was raining. Water on the road, and water splashed up towards the tires that affected the pully, causing belt to come off, and vehicle just shut down. Dealership was aware of problem.*ak the coming off of the belt causes loss of power steering and power brakes.
Cause of loss of power steering support is accessory/serpentine belt coming off the drive pulleys. Has happened four times within 12 months, about every 2,000 miles. Tsb 07-01-99 by chrysler describes the problem, albeit making wrong assumptions regarding affected models and conditions triggering the incident (snow/moisture) . This is a serious safety problem that should be addressed by the federal safety agency. Chrysler's responsiveness to my complaints has been zero. My wife and children were lucky that an accident caused by the sudden loss of power steering could be prevented. With an attorney's help, I will start to seek remedy under lemon law protection this week.
Belt comes off when driving in wet conditions -- sudden loss of power steering
Service bulletins that may apply
- Pop/tick sound in steering wheel area
- Experiencing a pop/tick sound heard coming from the steering wheel area while the vehicle is in motion
- A condition where a click / rattle sound may be heard coming from the area of the steering wheel while the...
- A "honk" or squeal noise during parking lot maneuvers
- Discussion: containing after market steering column mounted anti-theft devices
- This bulletin involves intermittent popping on front end
- Concerns with "honk" noise during parking lot maneuvers
- Some vehicles experience a momentary loss of power assist for the steering when turning corners with the...
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1998 Plymouth Voyager power steering loss
Is loss of power steering a common problem on the 1998 Plymouth Voyager?
11 of 320 owner complaints about the 1998 Plymouth Voyager (3%) mention loss of power steering. The model year with the most reports is 1993.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1998 Plymouth Voyager?
There are 0 recalls and 9 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1998 Plymouth Voyager
Airbag light 28Headlights 15Transmission failure 13Wipers 12Adaptive cruise 10Loss of power 9Fire or smoke 8Brake failure 6Door locks 6Grinding brakes 5Overheating 5
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