Total Complaints
39 filings
DODGE DAYTONA · model year
39 NHTSA complaints, 10 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989DODGEDAYTONA carries 39 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 10 crashes, 11 fires, 12 injuries, and 3 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 DAYTONA is air bags:frontal with 7 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (7) and engine and engine cooling:engine (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 DAYTONA, 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.
Total Complaints
39 filings
Crashes Reported
10 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 7 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 7 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 2 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS | 1 |
WHILE DRIVING TIRE EQUIPMENT SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE TIRE CAME OFF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT QUARTER PANEL. *PH *NLM
THE CONSUMER'S SON WAS IN AN ACCIDENT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY DIED ALONG WITH TWO OTHERS, WHICH WAS POSSIBLY DUE TO A STEERING MECHANISM DEFECT. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE SAFETY RECORD OF CHRYSLER DODGE DAYTONA, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE STEERING MECHANISM NOT OPERATING PROPERLY OR LOCKING UP WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. SCC *JB
I HAVE ALREADY INQUIRED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY? *AK
ITEM LISTED IS NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 89V237000. DEALER INDICATED THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND THE RECALL. CALLED CHRYSLER'S RECALL CENTER AND THEY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE RECALL OR THE GOVERNING AUTHORITY OF THE NHTSA. THE REPAIR CHARGE FOR THIS WORK THAT WE ARE HAVING PERFORMED IS $131.00 WE WANT TO BE REIMBURSED AS OUR VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED WITHIN THE RANGE OF MANUFACTURE DATES AND EXHIBITED THE PROBLEM NHTSA CHARACTERIZED AS A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT.
DRIVER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED VIOLENTLY WHEN VEHICLE WAS IMPACTED AT THE RIGHT CORNER CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND BURNS ON HAND DUE TO EXHAUST/CHEMICAL, NO DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. *ET
WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT 10 MPH AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED, CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND RUN OVER A CURB. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
VEHICLE BURSTED INTO FLAMES WHILE PARKED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK
MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING TO SCHOOL ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 31, 1999. SHE WAS IN THE PARKING LOT. SHE WENT OVER A SPEED BUMP, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND SHE HEARD A POPPING NOISE. AT THAT TIME, THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED ON HER, BUT NOT AT THE NORMAL FAST SPEED. THIS CAUSED HER TO RUN OFF OF THE ROAD AND OVER AN EMBANKMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AS WELL AS THE POLICE. THERE WERE NO CHARGES FILED, THEY SAID IT WAS A FAULTY AIRBAG. IT DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY IMPACT. WE HAVE CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORP. AND THEY HAVE SENT A FILE ON THIS TO SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER AND THEY HAVE SAID THE LIGHT THAT LIGHTS UP TO SHOW THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAD A LOT OF CORRISION ON IT. THE SQUIB INITIATOR SHOWED IT WAS ACTIVE FOR 73 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG. THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE EQUIPMENT HAD BEEN INSTALLED PROPERLY. SHE WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND HAD TO MISS 3 DAYS OF SCHOOL. THE TRAUMA IS
PROBLEM 1 #3 FUEL INJECTOR CRACKED CAUSING THE FUEL TO SPRAY ONTO INTAKE MANIFOLD INTO A PUDDLE (1/4
BRAKE PADS SEPARATED FROM BACKING PLATE SEVERAL TIMES.
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER DETERMINED THE PROBLEM AS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. PLEASE PROVDIE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CAR STARTED TO SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD FOLLOWED BY FIRE. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT)
REAR BRAKE LININGS SEPARATED FROM THE SHOES BECAUSE OF A BONDING DEFICIENCY.
PCV HOSE FAILED.
CAR PARKED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE NEAR THE BATTERY. APPEARS TO BE ELECTRICAL. *AK
ENGINE FIRE.
WHEN LIFTING THE REAR HATCHBACK, THE TAILGATE SUPPORT FAILED, CAUSING THE HATCHBACK TO FALL DOWN, RESULTING IN AN INJURY. *AK
REAR TORSION BAR BROKE 4 TIMES. *SD
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SOURCE UNKNOWN.PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
DRIVING VEHICLE HOME, SMOKE STARTED FROM CENTER OF DASHBOARD, ARRIVED HOME, SHUT VEHICLE OFF, SUDDENLY VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *AK
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.