Total Complaints
10 filings
PLYMOUTH COLT · model year
1990 PLYMOUTH COLT
10 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990PLYMOUTHCOLT carries 10 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, 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 1990 COLT is seat belts with 5 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and seat belts:front:buckle assembly (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 1990 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.
10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030526SEAT BELTS:FRONT
DRIVER SIDE SEAT HARNESS UNSAFE----DELAYS ON WORKING AND CAUGHT HEAD BETWEEN BELT, STEERING WHEEL AND LEFT WELT ON NECK. SNAP WOULD NOT RELEASE HARNESS BELT. *NLM
19990717ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
CAR SHUTS DOWN SHAKES COMPLETE TUNEUP DEALER DIA. COMPUTER NOT RESP. TO PROBLEM NEW CHIP TO FIND PROBLEM NOT ORDER CAR HAS ORIGINAL MILES OF 40,006 FOR 9 YRS. DEALER CANNOT FIND PROBLEM WITHOUT NEW CHIP. SEAT BEATS CHOKE PASS. & DRIVER. *AK
19971127SEAT BELTS
MOTORIZED SEAT BELT FAILURE.
19961203SEAT BELTS
OWNER STATES THAT UPON ENTERING VEHICLE AND TURNING KEY THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT RETRACTORS GET TOO TIGHT, CHOKING OCCUPANTS ON BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDES, OWNER ALSO NOTES THAT PROBLEM HAD BEEN REPAIRED AND THREE MONTHS LATER IT CAME BACK. *AK
19960725SEAT BELTS
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT LOCKED IN CLOSED POSITION. IT WILL NOT RETRACT. MOTOR SEEMS TO BE BURNT OUT. *AK
19960725SEAT BELTS
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT LOCKED IN CLOSED POSITION. IT WILL NOT RETRACT. MOTOR SEEMS TO BE BURNT OUT. *AK
19960506SEAT BELTS
THE DRIVERS AUTOMATIC RESTRAINT SYSTEM RESTRAINS SO TIGHTLY THAT IT CHOKES THE DRIVER. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19950503SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
PASSENGER SEATBELT RETRACTOR DOES NOT WORK, SEATBELT IS AT FULL EXTEND. TT
19950428SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SHOULDER/LAP BELT BUCKLES INOPERATIVE, RELEASE MECHANISM BROKE INSIDE BUCKLE, MALE WON'T GO INTO FEMALE PORTION. TT
19950313ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE THINK ELECTRICAL. TT
Compare 1990PLYMOUTHCOLT to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 PLYMOUTH COLT have?▼
The 1990 PLYMOUTH COLT has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 PLYMOUTH COLT?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 PLYMOUTH COLT is SEAT BELTS with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1990 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.