DODGE W250 · model year

1983 DODGE W250

3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1983DODGEW250 carries 3 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.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1983 W250 is steering: steering wheel/handle bar with 1 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly (1) and seat belts:front:anchorage (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 1983 W250, 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.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

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

ComponentCount
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE1

Recent Complaints

20010223FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

GAS TANK HAD DROPPED AND WAS SAGGING DUE TO STRAPS THAT HOLD IT HAVE CORRODED AND RUSTED. *AK THE DRIVER SEAT BELT PULLED THE MOUNTING BOLT OFF THE LOWER MOUNT WHILE THE DRIVER WAS BUCKLING UP. *YH CONSUMER FEELS A PLASTIC TANK SHOULD HAVE DURABLE STRAPS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE AREA WHERE THE MOUNT FOR SEATBELT IS SUBJECT TO RETAIN WATER AND APPARENTLY ROTTED. *SLC

20010223SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

GAS TANK HAD DROPPED AND WAS SAGGING DUE TO STRAPS THAT HOLD IT HAVE CORRODED AND RUSTED. *AK THE DRIVER SEAT BELT PULLED THE MOUNTING BOLT OFF THE LOWER MOUNT WHILE THE DRIVER WAS BUCKLING UP. *YH CONSUMER FEELS A PLASTIC TANK SHOULD HAVE DURABLE STRAPS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE AREA WHERE THE MOUNT FOR SEATBELT IS SUBJECT TO RETAIN WATER AND APPARENTLY ROTTED. *SLC

19971218STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

STEERING COUPLING IS LOOSE, CAUSING EXCESSIVE PLAY IN STEERING.

Compare 1983DODGEW250 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1983 DODGE W250 have?
The 1983 DODGE W250 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 DODGE W250?
The most-complained component for the 1983 DODGE W250 is STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE.
Is the 1983 DODGE W250 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.