Total Complaints
20 filings
DODGE ARIES · model year
1987 DODGE ARIES
20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987DODGEARIES carries 20 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1987 ARIES is engine and engine cooling:engine with 3 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 20 investigation files overlapping the 1987 ARIES, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
20
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040616FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
WHILE DRIVING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT FUMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL RAIL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
20040227POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS TRANSMISSION WENT INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. THIS NEARLY CAUSED A CRASH. ALSO, THE 4 BOLTS THAT HELD TRANSMISSION IN PLACE FELL OUT WHILE DRIVING. *AK
Mileage: 62,000
20040217ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TWO OF THE FRONT LOWER MOTOR MOUNTS WERE MISSING, AND THE OTHER TWO WERE LOOSE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO VIBRATE. *AK
Mileage: 59,900
19991015STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
MOM HANDED THE CAR OVER TO ME WITH 58,000 MILES AND SAID SHE ALWAYS HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING THE CAR OUT OF PARK ESPECIALLLY ON AN INCLINE. I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS AS WELL AND HAD THE CABLE REPLACED IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROBLEM WITH DODGES AND SUGGESTED I APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEFORE I PUT IT INTO PARK. AT $160. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM SOLVED UNTIL IT STARTED AGAIN, THIS TIME STRANDING ME IN A PARKING LOT SEVERAL MILES FROM HOME. THE REPAIR THIS TIME WAS DONE AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. UPON RECEIPT, THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THERE IS NO GUARANTEE ON THIS AS IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH DODGE FOR YEARS. THE "REPAIR " LASTED ONE DAY. I AM PRESENTLY USING THE CAR AND AT MY DESTINATION I APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. THE KEYS REMAIN IN THE COLUMN. I HAVE TO KEEP ANOTHER SET OF KEYS ON ME TO LET MYSELF INTO THE CAR. NOT GOOD. MY MOM PURCHASED A 1999 DODGE STRATUS AND G
19970218ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
IF OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW 20 DEGREES THE VEHICLE IS HARD TO START AND IS PRONE TO ENGINE FLOODING. ONCE IT IS STARTED, THERE IS AN ENGINE "MISS" THAT IMPROVES AS ENGINE WARMS UP. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEED CONTROL. WHEN SIGNALING A LANE CHANGE, WITH SPEED CONTROL ON, THE ENGINE SPEED UP. IT WILL INCREASE SPEED BY FIVE TO EIGHT MPH. ARE THERE ANY RELATED RECALLS?
19970218VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
IF OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW 20 DEGREES THE VEHICLE IS HARD TO START AND IS PRONE TO ENGINE FLOODING. ONCE IT IS STARTED, THERE IS AN ENGINE "MISS" THAT IMPROVES AS ENGINE WARMS UP. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEED CONTROL. WHEN SIGNALING A LANE CHANGE, WITH SPEED CONTROL ON, THE ENGINE SPEED UP. IT WILL INCREASE SPEED BY FIVE TO EIGHT MPH. ARE THERE ANY RELATED RECALLS?
19961029CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
19961029ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR FAILED.
19961029ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED TWICE.
19960425SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED SEVEN TIMES.
19960425SUSPENSION:REAR
SWAY BAR FAILED.
19960425SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
STRUTS FAILED. *DSH
19960425EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED. *DSH
19960425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED TWICE.
19960425TIRES
MICHELIN TIRES FAILED.
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR FAILED.
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
LIFTERS FAILED.
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET FAILED.
19951208VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, UNKNOWN CAUSE. TT
19950901WHEELS
WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN, 20 MPH, RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BENT RIGHT OUT AT 90 DEGREES; FRAME CRADLE CRACKED IN HALF; PULLED OUT TRANMISSION, ETC.
Compare 1987DODGEARIES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 DODGE ARIES have?▼
The 1987 DODGE ARIES has 20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 DODGE ARIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 DODGE ARIES is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS.
Is the 1987 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 as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.