1994 Dodge Spirit recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Engine and engine coolingFire

  1994 DODGE SPIRIT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE. CONSUMER STATES HE PULLED OVER WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS THEN IT CAUGHT FIRE. *KB THE POLICE REPORT STATED THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT# 10-0372-91

  Apr 25, 2008
• Power train › Automatic transmission

  SINCE WE BOUGHT THIS USED CAR FROM A DEALER IN 1999, THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SLIP. WE COMPLAINED, BUT NOTHING WAS EVER DONE. IN 2001, WE TOOK THE CAR TO YET ANOTHER DODGE DEALER. AT THIS TIME, THE CAR HAD 80,000 MILES ON IT. THEY SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED A COMPLETE OVERHAUL. IF MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, THE PRICE THEY QUOTED WAS $1,800. SO NOW, WE DRIVE A CAR WITH A HORRIBLE TRANSMISSION THAT SLIPS UPON TAKE OFF AND HARD ACCELERATION WHILE PASSING. *LA

  May 31, 2001 · 80,000 miles
• Suspension › Rear › Axle › Non-powered axle assembly

  FOR OVER A YEAR, WE KEPT HEARING A METAL ON METAL THUNKING NOISE. NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE IT. TWO DAYS AGO, WHEN RETURNING HOME, WE HEARD A LOUD METALLIC THUNKING NOISE THAT WAS MUCH WORSE THAN PREVIOUSLY HEARD. IT SOUNDED LIKE WE WERE DRAGGING A TAIL PIPE OR MUFFLER. YET, WE FOUND NOTHING UNDER THE CAR. WHEN WE GOT HOME, WE JACKED UP THE CAR TO SEE IF WE WOULD FIND THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE. THE DODGE SPIRIT IS A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE THAT USES A SOLID REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY THAT CONSISTS OF A METAL "V" SHAPED CHANNEL CROSSMEMBER WITH A TORQUE TUBE THAT RUNS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF IT. THE TORQUE TUBE IS RIGIDLY WELDED TO END PLATES AND IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE AXLE ASSEMBLY AND…

  Nov 26, 2003 · 116,000 miles
• Structure › Body

  WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF OUR PURCHASE OF THIS USED CAR IN 1999, THE PAINT WENT VERY FLAT AND THE CLEAR COAT STARTED FLAKING OFF IN LARGE CHUNKS. THE CAR APPEARS TO HAVE LEPROSY. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THE DEALER "DETAILED" THE CAR FOR SELLING AS THE PAINT WOULD NOT HAVE FAILED FOR US THAT QUICKLY. IN FACT, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THE TIMING WAS "JUST ABOUT RIGHT" TO SUPPORT "DETAILING" OF THE CAR. WE CONTACTED THE DEALER RIGHT AWAY AND WERE TOLD THAT SINCE WE ARE NOT ORIGINAL OWNERS, THEY COULDN'T HELP US. EVEN IF WE WERE ORIGINAL OWNERS, THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON PAINT OR FINISH. YET, EVERY DODGE SPIRIT THAT WE HAVE SEEN SINCE SUFFERS THE SAME PROBLEM. ANY DEALER SERVICE…

  Oct 1, 1999 · 49,000 miles
• Fuel system, gasoline › Fuel injection system

  FUEL SMELL SEEPS ONTO THE CAR WHEN HEAT IS ON. DEALER STATES THAT THE FUEL INJECTOR IS LEAKING, BUT REFUSES TO REPAIR PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

  Dec 11, 2001 · 50,000 miles
• Air bags › FrontalCrashFire

  CONSUMER STATE WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH IN RESULT OF A VEHICLE CRASH CONSUMER AIR BAG DEPLOY AND CAUGHT PASSENGER COAT ON FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. PH

  Dec 9, 2002
• Unknown or other

  THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PEELING PAINT FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. SOMETIMES IN SMALL SPOTS BUT RECENTLY HALF THE ROOF OF THE CAR ROLLED OFF OVERNIGHT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY 2 BODY SHOPS & BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT MARSHALL DODGE IN COVINGTON, KY WHERE I NOW GO FOR SERVICE THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURERS PROBLEM WITH THE PAINT. I WAS ADVISED BY MARSHALL DODGE TO SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE. I DID THIS & IT CAME BACK REFUSED WITH NO REASON GIVEN. I THEN WROTE TO THE COMPANY & AGAIN IT CAME BACK THAT THEY'D HAVE TO UPHOLD THE ORIGINAL DECISION BASED ON THE FACTS. NO ONE EVER LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE OR CALLED TO QUESTION ME ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE ROOF IS STARTING TO RUST IN PLACES & I NEED TO…

  Oct 31, 2002
• Suspension › Rear

  WHILE DRIVING HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM REAR AXLE, AND THERE WAS A POPPING SOUND. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK *YH

  Aug 15, 2002

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• STEERING COLUMN SEPARATIONClosed

  MR. LARRY A. SACKEY SUBMITTED A PETITION TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) BY LETTER DATED APRIL 18, 2003, REQUESTING THAT NHTSAFURTHER INVESTIGATE THE DEFECTIVE COLLAPSIBLE STEERING SHAFT SYSTEM ON 1987-1995 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY THE DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION.IN PART BECAUSE OF 49 CFR ? 30120(G), NHTSA HAS DECIDED TO LIMIT THE SCOPE OF THE PETITION VEHICLES TO 1993-1995 MODELS, EXCLUDING THE 1993 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND 1994-1995 DODGE RAM SERIES TRUCKS THAT WERE RECALLED (93V210 & 96V230) FOR STEERING COLUMN FAILURE.IF THE ANALYSIS OF THESE VEHICLES HAD IDENTIFIED A POTENTIAL PROBLEM, THE SCOPE COULD HAVE BEEN EXPANDED IN AN INVESTIGATION.A REVIEW OF ODI'S DATA BASE SHOWS NO RECENT COMPLAINTS AND A LACK OF A COMPLAINT TREND CONCERNING THE SUBJECT ISSUE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS A WHOLE OR BY INDIVIDUAL MODELS.THEREFORE, THE PETITION IS DENIED.FOR…

  DP03002 · opened May 7, 2003 · closed Jul 22, 2003
• SAFETY BLT LATCH OPERATIONClosed

  There is no summary currently available

  PE96008 · opened Jan 25, 1996 · closed Jun 28, 1996