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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  Best car Ive ever owned - 2000 Plymouth Neon
  By Crzy8 - May 19 - 12:30 pm

  Owned and driven for about 7 years; average daily commute of 70 miles. Purchased at 60,000 miles; now at 163,000 and going strong. Its had a chronic oil leak since around 90,000 - tried to have a couple different mechanics chase it down, but its deep in the engine and repair estimate was more than half the $4,000 I paid for the car. But it runs fine and I dont mind a little incontinence. Otherwise, it handles nice, always starts, and has been extremely low maintenance.

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  Great little car--surpasses reputation - 2001 Plymouth Neon
  By saramoor - May 18 - 3:56 pm

  This is a great little car! Ive had no problems with it (other than the typical brake pad change and new tires. I have 80,000 miles on it, so thats typical by this point. I had a Honda Civic SI previous to my Neon and it was TERRIBLE. I know people love Hondas, but this Plymouth Neon has been GREAT! Much better, at least in my experience, than my Honda. It feels solid, is comfortable and Ive had no problems. Nothing has ever broken or snapped off; its really been great.

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  Transmissions Suck & Eats Tires - 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Donewithchrysler - March 30 - 2:00 am

  We went through 3 transmissions in the first 75000 miles. Ive talked to several other owners and most or all have had transmission problems. Use one or more set of tires per year and their rated at 60k+ miles. Ive owned Chrysler mini-vans continuously since they came out in 1984. I wont buy anymore.

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  Huge Electrical Problems - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Band Mom - March 22 - 7:20 am

  I loved my Voyager until at around 90k all of the gauges stopped working, the interior lights began to flash on and off, the door signal kept ringing and the ABS and service lights came on. All of these things were intermittent, so the dealership couldnt nail down the problem. The diagnostics had so many error codes they couldnt figure it out from that either. It got worse over time. A dealer finally told me that electrical problems were notorious in this vehicle and it was probably caused by a defective body control module? Which is no longer available for this car and the used ones are mostly also defective. So now I have a car that will not pass inspection and I cant sell.

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  its all good, not great but good - 2000 Plymouth Neon
  By jmca1583 - January 31 - 10:00 am

  I heaerd all kinds of rumors that neons fell apart within a year after purchase, but Ive had mine for 3 years without a single major problem. ive done really well with maintenance aside from a few late oil changes, and the car has held up really well. Im up to 96,000 miles on the thing (i drive EVERYWHERE) and its been without a problem.

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  Same as any other used vehicle - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Cindy - January 24 - 3:16 am

  I LOVE the roominess of the van. I have a large family and needed the room and often haul bigger items in it. It has been GREAT for this. This is the 3rd Grand Voyager Ive owed. Ive replaced the transmission, the surpentine belt several times until I finally replaced the pully and solved that problem. When we replaced the battery, the interior lights started flashing and the cruise stopped working, the lights and the horn dont work. Like everyone has said, transmission and electrical is where you will sink your money into this used vehicle. But every used car has problems. Weve taken the rear seats out and had a nice bed when we drove from Idaho to Arizona twice with no problems.

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  Voyager - 1999 Plymouth Voyager
  By Mark Tomaselli - January 21 - 10:20 pm

  This is a good stable vehicle. I took a very long trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with no problem.

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  Dont drive thru puddles - 1999 Plymouth Voyager
  By mike - December 18 - 9:13 pm

  While I like the comfortable seats and the size of my 1999 Plymouth Voyager, Im really mad about the serpintine belt coming off every rainy season. The Belt hydroplanes off of the pulley assembly when you go thru standing water of 4" or more. So we try not to drive this van when it is raining. Chryster acknowledges the problem but does nothing for you except to re-install the belt. I am selling this van this week and am not looking at another Dodge again. Theres got to be a better way.

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  Great 1st car - 2000 Plymouth Neon
  By nimnut - December 11 - 4:30 pm

  This was my first car and I bought it with 23,000 miles on it. I had to replace the clockswitch within a year, but that was due to a poor repair job the first time. No other major repairs in 4 years after driving about 500 miles back and forth from college to home 4 or 5 times a year. My only complaints: brakes squeak a lot when wet or if not used in a couple of days even when brand new. No trunk latch! Its horrible to have to turn off the car to open the trunk. Paint has been cracked and peeling on the bumper for about 2 years. There is some vibration and noise from the engine that started about a year after purchase. Fabulous, cheap, first car purchase.

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  Transmission problems - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By DeanesMiniVan - December 7 - 2:26 pm

  I had always wanted a Mini Van w/a left side door ,we bought one( A Plymouth Grand Voyager) from a couple and it ran like a dream for a week then all of a sudden it would move in Reverse, but will not move in D 1 2 .Do you have any idea if its the filter ,bands, or what! It has approx 120,000 miles ,By the way the couple was not hard on this van ,they just got a newer one.