Total Complaints
13 filings
DODGE ARIES · model year
1989 DODGE ARIES
13 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989DODGEARIES carries 13 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 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 1989 ARIES is vehicle speed control with 2 filings, followed by seat belts:front:retractor (2) and seat belts:front:buckle assembly (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 1989 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.
13
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20001219SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
CONSUMER REPLACED DEFECTIVE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS(CAR QUEST BRAND) IN 1999, ON JUNE 25, 2000 CONSUMER REPLACED BOTH PARTS AGAIN DUE TO GRINDING AND DAMAGED COMPONENTS, CONSUMER FEELS THE INSTALLED PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE RESULTING IN FAILURE THE FOLLOWING YEAR. *MJS
20001219SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
CONSUMER REPLACED DEFECTIVE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS(CAR QUEST BRAND) IN 1999, ON JUNE 25, 2000 CONSUMER REPLACED BOTH PARTS AGAIN DUE TO GRINDING AND DAMAGED COMPONENTS, CONSUMER FEELS THE INSTALLED PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE RESULTING IN FAILURE THE FOLLOWING YEAR. *MJS
19980601EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED. MJS
19970821STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
THE PAINT SEEMS TO BE DEFECTIVE IS IS PEELING OFF THE VEHICLE. *AK
19961024SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER'S SIDE PUSH BUTTON RELEASE IS INOPERATIVE, SEAT BELT BUCKLE WON'T DETACH, ALSO, PASSENGER'S SIDE BUCKLE PLASTIC COVER HAS FALLEN OFF. *AK CONSUMER WAS STUCK IN THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT, IT WOULD NOT DETACH, CONSUMER HAD TO WIGGLE OUT OF IT, CONSUMER STATES BELTS DO NOT RETRACT WHEN NOT IN USE. *SLC
19961024SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
DRIVER'S SIDE PUSH BUTTON RELEASE IS INOPERATIVE, SEAT BELT BUCKLE WON'T DETACH, ALSO, PASSENGER'S SIDE BUCKLE PLASTIC COVER HAS FALLEN OFF. *AK CONSUMER WAS STUCK IN THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT, IT WOULD NOT DETACH, CONSUMER HAD TO WIGGLE OUT OF IT, CONSUMER STATES BELTS DO NOT RETRACT WHEN NOT IN USE. *SLC
19960425SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
BRAKES FAILED 2 TIMES. *SD
19951128VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ENGINE RACES FOR NO REASON WITHOUT FOOT BEING ON ACCELERATOR. PLEASE DESCIBE. TT
19951107SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE, UNABLE TO UNLATCH SEAT BELT BUCKLE. TT CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS HAS BEEN SOLVED DEALER WILL REPLACED THE WARRANTY IS 1 YEAR OR 12,000 MILES.*JB
19950615FireEXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH
HEADLIGHT DIMMER SWITCH CAUGHT ON FIRE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ADJUST BRIGHTNESS. *SKD
19950419SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
DRIVER/PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELTS WILL NOT PROPERLY RETRACT FOR OCCUPANT RESTRAINT WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
19950223VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE PERIODICALLY GOES AT A CONSTANT SPEED OF 30-40MPH SURGING, FAILING TO STOP WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. REPAIRED 3 TIMES. TT
19950223SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
VEHICLE PERIODICALLY GOES AT A CONSTANT SPEED OF 30-40MPH SURGING, FAILING TO STOP WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. REPAIRED 3 TIMES. TT
Compare 1989DODGEARIES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 DODGE ARIES have?▼
The 1989 DODGE ARIES has 13 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 DODGE ARIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 DODGE ARIES is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1989 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.