Overview & Reviews

In its day, Plymouth was one of the best-selling and most beloved brands in the U.S. Owned first by Chrysler and then by DaimlerChrysler, the marque existed for more than 70 years before being discontinued in 2001.

The Plymouth Motor Corporation was born in May of 1928 as a marketing subsidiary of the Chrysler Corporation, with Walter Chrysler as its president. The first Plymouth, the Plymouth 4, followed soon thereafter, cruising into showrooms in 1929. The car was based on a Chrysler model, the Chrysler 4. Its low price and solid quality established Plymouth as the brand to beat for consumers seeking affordable transportation.

The 1930s saw Plymouth investing in the development of a new vehicle; the Plymouth PA was launched in 1931. Featuring then-innovative rubber engine mounts, the car was a hit, and helped Plymouth sail past more established brands like Buick to nab the 3rd-place spot in national car sales, behind Ford and Chevrolet. By 1939, more than 3 million Plymouths had been built, and its name had been officially changed to the Plymouth Division.

In the years following World War II, Plymouth introduced models like the Cambridge, Suburban and Cranbrook. The look of the vehicles was a departure from the prevailing aesthetic of the time. They were chunky and tall whereas the most popular vehicles were long, lean and low. V8 engines and automatic transmissions were also new additions to the Plymouth brand in the '50s. By the time the decade drew to a close, more than 12 million Plymouths had been built.

The '60s saw the birth of the pony car, and Plymouth was at the forefront of the movement with its legendary Barracuda, which was initially based on the Valiant compact when it was introduced in 1964. As the years went on, the Barracuda offered a range of powerful V8 engines and a choice of body styles, including a convertible. The decade also saw the introduction of a pair of muscle cars based on the midsize Belvedere: the bare-bones Road Runner and the more luxurious GTX. The psychedelic era also gave rise to the brand's potent 426 Hemi V8 engine.

The fuel crisis of the mid-1970s spelled trouble for Plymouth, as high fuel prices caused poor sales for its larger models. Plymouth saw some success with its Valiant, Duster and Volare compacts. But the lone shining star on the sales charts was the subcompact Horizon. Otherwise, the company suffered slow sales due to an aged and dwindling lineup. Things didn't get much better for Plymouth during the '80s. In spite of the debut of the popular Voyager minivan and a couple of other new models like the Caravelle and Sundance, the brand continued to struggle.

By the time the '90s rolled around, Plymouth was no longer a full-line make. Chrysler had plans to reinvigorate the brand with the introduction of new models, but all that changed after the company's merger with Daimler at the end of the decade. At the close of the '90s, Plymouth's lineup had been reduced to just five vehicles: the Voyager and Grand Voyager minivans, the Breeze sedan, the Neon compact and the Prowler sports car. DaimlerChrysler soon decided to pull the plug on the long-neglected brand, with the last Plymouths being made in model-year 2001.

User Reviews:

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  Mini Van - 2000 Plymouth Voyager
  By n2deeptn - December 15 - 2:00 am

  Bought new. My wife drives this van 50,000 in two years. Replaced water pump, brakes,battery, and tires. Not too bad

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  Neon # 2 - 2000 Plymouth Neon
  By pyro498 - August 8 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Neon. The first was a 1995 that I purchased brand new. I was able to get the mileage up to 189,000 before a dumb mistake roasted the engine. The 2000 Neon is styled nicely. The windows take getting used to. The interior is improved as is the space. The engine is a little easier to work on, except the jack point ins not really in a great area. Overall the Neon is a good starter car or just a runner.

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  The truth - 1999 Plymouth Voyager
  By markoregon1986 - June 18 - 3:08 pm

  The engine is over powered for this transmission. it has a recall for the airbags and the cruise control. so if you get one bring it into a Chrysler dealership. I bought this car for 1,200.00 and you get what you pay for in older cars. the dealer was honest but didnt mention the common problem with this vehicle at the time which was the transmission/clutch. the computer system is notorious for failing and not registering the proper codes for when there is a mechanical issue such as a transmission issue. so yes the computer system isnt reliable. the transmissions on these vehicles are not equipped to handle that 3.3l engine and are prone to falling apart. constant maintenance and upkeep.

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  TOTAL TRASH - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By 12 years of horror - October 19 - 12:10 pm

  Worst car I ever owner(Ford Taurus a close second)I purchased this van new and have always taken it back for service every 3000 mi and did what ever the maintenance called for.Needless to say I have had constant problems from day one with this van.It has been towed more times than I want to remember.Over the years I have just about replaced everything-transmission,starter, generator, steering column,ignition switch 2x,AC parts,wheel cylinders, sway bushings 4x,computer module parts,radiator,gaskets..+++++ Everytime it was repaired I thought that would be it..but problems never stoped.Now that the second trans went again I finally gave up the ship @155K.Toyota/Honda/Subaru, here I come

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  Head Gastket Woes - 1999 Plymouth Voyager
  By broke one - December 26 - 10:00 am

  This is the 4 cyl. van. Leaking head gasket needing replacement to the tune of $1,600.00! Vehicle has only 41, 000 miles on it! This will be my last American made vehicle. My 2 Toyotas have not given one ounce of trouble, both with over 100,00 miles.

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  DEAD after five years - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By ellieirish - October 9 - 10:00 am

  I purchased our 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager in 1999. In 2000, the head gaskets blew which was an extremely expensive repair for a car just miles past the warranty. After a letter to Chrysler, we were reimbursed for 1/3 the cost of the repair. At 86,000 miles and after consistentr outine maintenance, the drive belt dropped off and the pistons cracked. The diagnosis: not worth the $3,000. to repair it. I had nine months left on my loan and got only half of what I owed for trade in. I wont go with another domestic van and have opted to go with the 2003 Mazda MPV after much research and comparison shopping.

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  Cant wait to get rid of it - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By taximom - September 25 - 10:00 am

  It seemed fine the day we took it for a test drive. After we purchased it and put about 1800 miles on it the transmission started to have a clunk and jerk when you we were slowing down to 5 mph. It also feels like there is a slip in the transmission when you come to a stop sign and then take off.

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  good car - 1999 Plymouth Voyager
  By good car - January 15 - 11:33 pm

  I had this cars since 2003 and it is a good car. Of course I changed like every pipe and wire on it because they were all burned and broken.

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  Solid, quiet - but many mechanical issue - 2000 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Caseybea - October 5 - 3:53 pm

  I have owned since I got it new in 1999. For those considering buying one used - I recommend caution. Overall, the van is reasonably solid, and the seats are all heavy and mostly comfortable (way better than current stow-and-go). Quality/reliability is a concern - the alignment went bad after about 80,000 miles and theyve never been able to fix it right since. Front suspension on driver side is rusting through the body. Went through two transmissions. A/C compressor blew at only 34000 miles. Many other failures that have become expensive. If you can find one of these with low miles, its a good van for long trips. Highway mileage not terrible, but city mileage is low.

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  Hey, its a van -- dont dream big - 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Me - June 8 - 10:40 am

  Hand-me down from a family member. 99k miles. Engine and ride are nice, although the 3.3 liter is weak at passing speeds and gas mileage is miserable - Edmunds says 18 mpg city, 24 mpg hwy. Ive yet to break 21 mpg, and thats even driving 100% freeway on a few tanks. City gas mileage is 15-16 mpg. No, I dont hammer the gas pedal.FYI, reliablity not promising - previous owner had to pay 1k transmission fix that was under extended warranty, but the warranter went bankrupt (go figure) - meaning owner paid for warranty, but ended up paying for fix anyway. One more reason why I dont believe in extended warranties. But hey, I got this van for free, so why the heck am I complaining?