Total Complaints
26 filings
DODGE DYNASTY · model year
1988 DODGE DYNASTY
26 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988DODGEDYNASTY carries 26 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, 1 injury, 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 1988 DYNASTY is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 4 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system:radiator assembly (2) and seats (1). 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 1988 DYNASTY, 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.
26
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
1
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110206CrashTIRES
1988 DODGE DYNASTY, UNIT 1 WAS EASTBOUND WHEN THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. UNIT 1 WENT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY STRIKING THE GUARDRAIL. *BF ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT, THE TIRES WERE WORN. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0535-89) UPDATED 02/15/11 *BF
20000306ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
MAIN COMPUTER REBUILT. NLM
20000306ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
THERMOSTAT FAILED.
20000306ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR CAP FAILED. NLM
20000306ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TIMING GEAR AND CHAIN FAILED. NLM
20000306ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
COIL AND DISTRIBUTOR FAILED. NLM
20000306ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED. NLM
20000306FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
FUEL AND AIR FILTER FAILED. NLM
20000306VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THROTTLE BODY FAILED. NLM
20000306FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN STARTED IN 4 DAYS AND WAS SITTING IN OUR DRIVE AND JUST CAUGHT FIRE. WE THINK IT MAY HAVE STARTED IN THE COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER WAS COMPLETED MELTED. ALL WIRING WAS BURNED AND MELTED, RADIATOR MELTED, ALL HOSES WERE MELTED, FAN AND WATER PUMP DESTROYED, FUEL INJECTION TUBES MELTED, ANYTHING WIRE OR RUBBER OR PLASTIC WAS MELTED AND ALL THE OTHERE WAS DAMAGED. FIRE ALSO DAMAGED EVERYTHING UNDER DASH. THE BATTERY EXPLODED AFTER THE FIRE WAS IN PROGRESS. THIS CAR WAS IN A-1 SHAPE AND I HAD ONLY OWNED IT ONE WEEK TO THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT. THIS WAS A HEART BREEAK SINCE IT WAS SUCH A NICE CAR. THERE WAS NO OTHER PROBLEMS AT ALL BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND THEY DID FILE A REPORT. THE FIRE WAS HOT ENOUGH IT ALSO MELTED THE PAINT ON THE HOOD AND THE GRILL AND THE FRONT LIGHTING SYSTEM. THIS IS SOMETHING I REALLY NEED AN ANSWER FOR AND HAVE NOT KNOWN WHERE TO FIND SOMEONE TO REPORT IT TO UNTIL TODAY. I HOPE THERE IS SOMETHING THAT
19991129SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
FRONT STRUTS FAILED. NLM
19991129FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM FAILED. NLM
19991129EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDTIONING FAILED. NLM
19991129STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING FAILED. NLM
19990113SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKE PEDAL BEGAN TO MAKE A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN DEPRESSED AND FELT SOFT AND APPLICATION WAS DELAYED. WITHOUT WARNING THE BRAKES FAILED , SMOKE WAS VISIBLE UNDER THE FRONT WHEEL WELLS AND THE VEHICLE NARROWLY AVOIDED REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE. PREVIOUS AND RECENT REPAIRS FOUND NO PROBLEMS.
19981217VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
HEATER SWITCH UNDER THE HOOD GOES OUT VEHICLE OVERHEATS AND BURNS OUT THE HEATER CORD. ALSO, BLEW OUT A FUSE TO THE A/C AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WON'T WORK PROPERLY. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
19981217VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT
HEATER SWITCH UNDER THE HOOD GOES OUT VEHICLE OVERHEATS AND BURNS OUT THE HEATER CORD. ALSO, BLEW OUT A FUSE TO THE A/C AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WON'T WORK PROPERLY. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
19970527SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT
ANTILOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED.
19970109STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
HINGE PINS THAT HOLS FRONT DOORS COME OUT, DOOR FALLS ALMOST DOWN TO GROUND. *AK
19951220SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
THE REAR RIGHT DISC CALIPER FAILURE, EQUIPPED WITH ABS BRAKE SYSTEM. TT
Compare 1988DODGEDYNASTY to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 DODGE DYNASTY have?▼
The 1988 DODGE DYNASTY has 26 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 DODGE DYNASTY?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 DODGE DYNASTY is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY and SEATS.
Is the 1988 DODGE DYNASTY 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.