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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  Enjoyable, Fun - 2000 Plymouth Breeze
  By SCSI4u2 - December 31 - 10:00 am

  It was a fun car to drive, lasted over a year before an side impact crash totaled it. Baught as a used fleet car, had a few minor problems, but as it was still under warrenty they were fixed. Would recomend, it fit me well and im 65".

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  Happy Van - 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By FEN1959 - November 5 - 5:33 pm

  I bought my 99 Grand Voyager new. Its been very reliable. While under warranty I had a problem with rear wheel bearings and with the overdrive sensor in the transmission. At about 80,000 miles, had a problem with the headlight switch. Still looks good at 151,000 miles and I plan to run it for a while yet. The 3.3 engine is very reliable and Ive not had problems with the transmission that seem to plague others.

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  Good Purchase - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By BillF - September 25 - 2:00 am

  This has been a very good vehicle for us. I have only replaced normal things and we have over 100,000 miles on the vehicle. It has started using oil. I now use one quart every 1,000 miles. I believe the oil is leaking, not being burned. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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  Best car Ive ever owned. - 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Alan B. - September 4 - 3:10 am

  Ive been driving for 44 years and owned maybe a dozen cars. This is by far the best of all. I have 210,000 miles on this van in 10 years. Its been tuned up only twice, the last time being 3 years ago. Just last week it passed DEQ/EPA emissions testing with flying colors. Not one major component has ever failed up to this point although it appears the starter may need to be replaced soon. Ive driven 4,000 mile trips and enjoyed every minute of driving. On one trip in 2008 I drove 1070 miles in 17 hours in a single day. A week later I made the retun trip in a single day. At no time was I uncomfortable or fatigued. Maybe I own the exception rather than the rule but I love it.

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  Realiable - 1999 Plymouth Voyager
  By rbroga - June 7 - 10:00 am

  On my second Voyager 4-banger, I put over 100,000 on my 94 and have 42,000 on my 1999 and have NEVER had to go back to the dealer for anything! Enough said! I cant figure why anyone would buy a suv..

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  pretty decent car - 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By gcmart - June 2 - 2:00 am

  really good, reliable for most part, unfortunatly trans went at 87000, thet was a big disappointment ans $2,000 to fix, garage said mopar trans. are not good.

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  Good Van - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By MiniVan - May 20 - 7:20 am

  Overall good van. One problem was 2 yrs ago AC compressor blew up - would not have been too expensive except Chrysler was too cheap to install an in-line screen on the ac lines, thus metal exploded into ac lines. My mechanic tried in vain to flush, but ended up replacing compressor, etc. He probably spent 2 weeks - on / off trying to fix - labor was probably 2 grand, but he only charged me 2k w/ all parts & labor. Also front headlights stink - plastic covers have discolored over time - but these lights never illuminated greatly. Other than that van has run 10.5 years w/out too much of a problem. Would I buy again yes.

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  Best Bang for Your Buck - 1999 Plymouth Voyager
  By Minivan Mama - April 5 - 5:20 am

  Not a flashy car but its not ugly either. I bought my Voyager for a steal from a private owner when it was 2 yrs old w/almost 89,000 miles on it (former fleet car). Fast forward 2008: it now has over 178,000 miles on it and its still going strong. Other than the normal tire, brake and fluids replacements, Ive had no major problems with it. It was only last year the ty rods & wheel bearings had to be replaced; yesterday I replaced the spark plugs/wires (to be expected given its age and use). It will be a sad day indeed when my minivan kicks the bucket.

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  Good to go - 1999 Plymouth Voyager
  By Pat & Bill - March 21 - 12:36 am

  Have had no trouble with this van. Had bad EGR valve and dealer repaired. Just regular maintenance. Have pulled a small tent trailer with no problem, hauled many people and with seats out, much junk. Its our "truck" with lots of seating for people and especially for our grandchildren, who have loved the built in child seats. This has been a reliable, versatile van.

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  The long hauler - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Grocery Getter - February 24 - 2:00 am

  As far as comfort goes, the grand caravan fits the bill. The captain chairs are comfortable, and I love the arm rest. I have driven 12 straight hours in this van and never been uncomfortable. The twin bench seats gives my 3 kids plenty of room for sitting and napping. The dash is very well laid out, and stereo is a breeze to operate (even my wife can use it). The only mechanical problem so far is a quirky transmission. You have to nearly floor the pedal to get it to downshift, and at slow speeds it tends to occasionaly slip and bump. The AC compressor bumps the motor enough to be annoying.