What breaks most · 1990 to 2002 model years
Dodge Spirit problems by year
Owners have filed 424 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Dodge Spirit across model years 1990 to 2002. Three years stand out: 1991 for engine and cooling complaints, 1994 for seat belts complaints and 1993 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 1995, 1992 and 1990.
- Years to check closely: 1991, 1994, 1993
- Fewest complaints: 1995, 1992, 1990
- Complaints on file
- 4241990 to 2002, all trims
- Worst year
- 199195 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 3827 fires · 38 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 68kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 7Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | 7 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (17) | |
| 95 | 8 | 3 | Engine and cooling (25) | |
| 58 | 4 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (16) | |
| 81 | 8 | 0 | Engine and cooling (17) | |
| 87 | 9 | 1 | Seat belts (14) | |
| 38 | 2 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (8) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Wheels (1) |
What fails on the 1991 Dodge Spirit
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 26% |
25 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1991 Dodge Spirit |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 16% |
15 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 14% |
13 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1991 Dodge Spirit |
| Air bags | 13% |
12 | 4 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 8% |
8 | 2 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 7% |
7 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 1991 Dodge Spirit |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 5% |
5 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 1991 Dodge Spirit |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 5% |
5 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 1991 Dodge Spirit |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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*ohio traffic crash report* the vehicle started to hesitate. Consumer noticed smoke and flames and pulled off the road. Functional damage was sustained to the engine and under carriage areas. *jg *jb
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Automatic transmission: bought car february 94, had new transmission put in in 1996. Currently, when driving along it down shifts on its own and sometimes it will pop back into gear, and sometimes it just goes into second and will not go back into gear. *ak
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Consumer states the vehicle started to stalls intermittently at 75,000 mile during damps weather condition. Vehicle been to the dealer on three occasion and was unable to locate the problem. Feel free to provide any further information.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Dodge Spirit years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1991, 1994, 1993 carry the most filings on the Dodge Spirit. The 1991 alone has 95 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Dodge Spirit problem?
On the 1991 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 25 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Dodge Spirit problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Dodge Spirit complaints that include mileage is about 68,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.