PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM · model year

1994 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM

78 NHTSA complaints, 12 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1994PLYMOUTHACCLAIM carries 78 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 12 crashes, 0 fires, 13 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 1994 ACCLAIM is air bags:frontal with 7 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (7) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (5). 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 5 investigation files overlapping the 1994 ACCLAIM. 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.

78
Complaints
12
Crashes
0
Fires
13
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

78 filings

Crashes Reported

12 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL7
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE5
SUSPENSION:REAR4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE4
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE3
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER3
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY3
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY3
SEAT BELTS3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS2
POWER TRAIN2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS2

Recent Complaints

20080605ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS

SCREECHING BELT PULLEY I KNOW IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL BUT I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE IT IS IN ORDER TO GET IT REPLACED. PLEASE HELP ME WITH INFO ON THIS THANK YOU *TR

20030424SUSPENSION:REAR

I PURCHASE MY 1994 ACCLAIM IN 1994. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRAILING ARM IN THE REAR OF MY CAR. I AM A GOOD DRIVER. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY CRASHING TO THIS CAR IN 9 YEARS. I HAVE ABOUT 189,000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE. I WAS INFORMED THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON WITH THIS CAR. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. E-MAIL ILAWR97578@AOL.COM. *NLM

20020731ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

CONSUMER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE MOTOR MOUNTS ON THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT CHRYSLER RECALLED SOME OF THE VEHICLES WITH THE SAME DEFECT. CONSUMER IS REQUESTING A REFUND ON MONIES PAID FOR SERVICES RENDERED. *JG

20020320SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

WHENEVER BUMPING INTO SEAT BELT WHETHER IT IS HARD OR A SOFT BUMP SEAT BELT WILL COME LOOSE.*AK

20020319SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

SEATBELT BUCKLES COME LOOSE WHEN BUMPING AGAINST SOMETHING. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. DEALER STATED IT WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT.*AK *SLC

20020308SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE SECURITY. THEY WILL COME UNLOCKED TOO EASILY. THEY MUST BE RECALLED!!!*AK

20011127ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

AT 85 DEGREES OR HIGHER CAR STALLS

20011012EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

20010802POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

2ND FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION WAS 2YRS LATER AT 65+ ON ODOMETER. *AK

20010103ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE HEAD GASKETS WOULD CRACK WHEN WEATHER WAS EITHER HOT OR COLD. AS SOON AS WEATHER CHANGED, HEAD GASKETS WOULD EXPAND OR CONTRACT, AND THEN CRACK. BEEN TO DEALERSHIP, AND HEAD GASKETS WERE REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. ALSO, INFORMED CONSUMER THAT HEAD GASKETS WERE MADE OF ALUMINUM AND NOT STEEL. THIS HEAD GASKET WAS NO LONGER MANUFACTURED. *AK

20001219SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

THE BOLT HOLDING THE SEAT UPWARD SNAPPED, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO FLING BACK, HER BACK WAS INJURED BECAUSE OF THIS. *SLC

20001026CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE WHEN IT LURCHED BACKWARDS NEARLY HITTING A PARKED CAR, ANOTHER INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN VEHICLE AGAIN LURCHED BACKWARDS WHILE IDLING, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND VEHICLE CRASHED INTO STEPS WHERE IT FINALLY STOPPED. *SLC

20000623ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE STOPS, AND THE RED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES IN VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES. AFTER A WHILE THE CAR CAN BE STARTED AGAIN AND GENERALLY THEN RUNS FINE.*AK

20000623UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE STOPS, AND THE RED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES IN VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES. AFTER A WHILE THE CAR CAN BE STARTED AGAIN AND GENERALLY THEN RUNS FINE.*AK

20000531UNKNOWN OR OTHER

NO SUMMARY LISTED IN ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

20000301STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

BAR UNDERNEATH THE REAR OF VEHICLE IS KNOCKING AGAINST IT. DEALER IS RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM. *AK

19990827SUSPENSION:MULTIPLE AXLE:TORQUE ARM

THE REAR END OF THIS VEHICLE WAS MAKING A SCRAPING SOUND WHILE BEING DRIVEN. THE NOISE WAS CAUSED BY TORQUE BAR BREAKING A TTHE POINT WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE REAR AXEL. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

19990521POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED 3 TIMES AT MILEAGES 32659(WARRANTY), 53746 (COST $2194.00), 96303 (COST $1722.00). DEALER QUOTED SIX WEEK DELAY AT SECOND FAILURE REQUIRING INDEPENDENT REPAIR. SECOND AND THIRD REPAIRS SAME INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP. *AK

19990519SEAT BELTS

I AM HAVING A PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC MOTORIZED SEAT BELT RETRACTORS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. THE BELTS DO NOT RETRACT FULLY AND GET STUCK IN THE TRACK. AS A RESULT WE ARE UNABLE TO USE THE SHOULD RESTRAINT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION ON A SEVRICE VISIT MAY 18TH, AND WAS TOLD THAT CHRYSLER CONTRACTS WOULD NOT REPAIR THE DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT SYSTEM. IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT, WHILE I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED 7 YEAR 70,000 WARRANTY, IT WOULD COST CLOSE TO $500 TO FIX THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS. IN OTHER WORDS, CHRYSLER WILL NOT COVER THE SEAT BELTS UNDER ANY FACTORY WARRANTY. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, YET CANNOT AFFORD TO FORK OVER $500 TO FIX THE SEAT BELT. I SINCERELY WISH THAT SAFETY ITEMS SUCH AS SEAT BELTS, COULD BE COVERED FOR THE LIFE OF A VEHICLE. I WOULD WELCOME ANY HELP FROM THE NHTSA ON THIS ISSUE. *AK

19990419UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE CONDITION IS CONTINUING AND GETTING WORSE. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK

Compare 1994PLYMOUTHACCLAIM to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1994 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM have?
The 1994 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM has 78 NHTSA complaints, 12 crashes, 0 fires, 13 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM?
The most-complained component for the 1994 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1994 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM 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.