Total Complaints
2 filings
DODGE ARIES · model year
1981 DODGE ARIES
2 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1981DODGEARIES carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1981 ARIES is suspension:front:control arm:lower arm with 1 filings, followed by structure:frame and members (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 20 investigation files overlapping the 1981 ARIES, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000822STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
20000731SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
RIGHT LOWER CROSS SUSPENSION IS CORRODED, TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY INSTALLED AN ATTACHMENT REINFORCEMENT BRACKET.*AK THE VEHICLE HAD SAFETY RECALL (89V-052) ON CORROSION OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION CROSS MEMBER DUE TO ROAD SALT USED FOR SNOW REMOVAL. BUT THE CUSTOMER SAYS CORROSION OCCURED DUE TO A/C WATER DISCHARGING ON TO REAR PIVOT MOUNTS. *YH
Compare 1981DODGEARIES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1981 DODGE ARIES have?▼
The 1981 DODGE ARIES has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1981 DODGE ARIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 1981 DODGE ARIES is SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS.
Is the 1981 DODGE ARIES safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1981 DODGE ARIES; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.