Total Complaints
18 filings
PLYMOUTH COLT · model year
1988 PLYMOUTH COLT
18 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988PLYMOUTHCOLT carries 18 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 COLT is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 9 filings, followed by seat belts:front:anchorage (2) and seat belts:front:webbing (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 5 investigation files overlapping the 1988 COLT. 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.
18
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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 9 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020215LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
FRONT DOOR LATCHES FAULTY. TO LOCK DOORS HANDLE MUST BE HELD UP, DRIVER'S DOOR WAS FIRST TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEM. I WOULD NOTICE DOOR PARTIALLY OPEN SOME MORNING AND I THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS MESSING WITH THE CAR. THOUGH ALWAYS EXTREMELY CAREFUL ABOUT LOCKING, I BECAME EVEN MORE SO. PROBLEM PERSISTED, APPROX. 1 MONTH LATER PASSENGER DOOR BEGAN EXPERIENCING SAME PROBLEM. NOW IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET DOORS TO LATCH WHEN LOCKING. WHEN TURNING CORNER PASSENGER DOOR DID NOT OPEN BUT UNLATCHED ENOUGH TO CAUSE WARNING LIGHTS TO COME ON.
19990330SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF BELT AND BUCKLE, DUE TO PART ORDER (ONLY ABLE TO ORDER BUCKLE WITH BELT). (MJS)
19990330FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
FUEL GAUGE FAILED (DASH UNIT).(MJS)
19990330EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
TAIL LIGHT FAILED. (MJS)
19990106SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
PASSENGER SEAT BELT BROKEN.
19981020SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER UNABLE TO RECEIVE RECALL WORK ON THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE.
19980602SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT BUCKLES BROKE, REPLACE BUCKLE.
19980601SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT FAILED.
19970808SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE CAR HAS A FRONT SEAT BELT RECALL, AND THE DEALER REMOVED THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY; WOULD NOT REPLACE THE SEAT BELT ASSEBLY FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS. *AK
19960624SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE CRACKED. *SD
19960506FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
DRIVING HOME, ALL OF SUDDEN VEHICLE DIED, PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD, STARTING SMOKING, GOT BABY AND SELF OUT, HOOD BUCKLED AND FLAMES ENGULFED VEHICLE. *AK
19960402SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DEALERSHIP IS GIVING THEM THE RUN AROUND ABOUT SEAT BELT RECALL. THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE/PERSON INCHARGE IS NOT IN. PLEASE DESCRIBE. (95V103.003). *AK
19951013EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT
WHEN JACKING VEHICLE PER INSTRUCTION MANUAL, JACK COLLAPSES, FALLS TO GROUND; DROPPED TWICE; ONCE NEARLY HITTING OWNER ON LEG. TT
19950911CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
WHILE ATTEMPTED TO PULL OUT OF PARKING SPACE, ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK. TT
19950523SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVER SIDE IS HARD TO LATCH AND NOW IT DOESN'T LATCH AT ALL. TT
19950412SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
FRONT PASSENGER LAP/SHOULDER BUCKLE FAILS TO ENGAGE NOT HOLDING. TT
19950320SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILURE, TAKATA SEAT BELTS. TT
19950221SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE. TT
Compare 1988PLYMOUTHCOLT to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 PLYMOUTH COLT have?▼
The 1988 PLYMOUTH COLT has 18 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 PLYMOUTH COLT?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 PLYMOUTH COLT is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 9 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING.
Is the 1988 PLYMOUTH COLT 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.