Total Complaints
9 filings
PLYMOUTH RELIANT · model year
1986 PLYMOUTH RELIANT
9 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986PLYMOUTHRELIANT carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1986 RELIANT is power train:axle assembly with 1 filings, followed by structure:frame and members (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:belts and associated pulleys (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 5 investigation files overlapping the 1986 RELIANT. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
9
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000207FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
WHILE PUMPING FUEL INTO THE TANK THE VEHICLE WAS OFF,WITH THE KEY TO IGNITION POSITION TO VIEW THE GAS GAUGE, WENT BACK TO CHECK GAS PUMP, AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE TANK. FIRE WENT OUT ON ITS OWN, AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
19960529VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE, CAR CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE. *AK
19960423ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
WHILE DRIVING, SOMETIMES VEHICLE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN. *AK ALL POWER ASSIST SYSTEMS FAIL, SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL RESTART RIGHT AWAY, MORE OFTEN IN SEVERAL HOURS, RECENTLY IT WOULD NOT START FOR DAYS AFTER IT WOULD STALL, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, COMPUTER POWER MODULE, AND COMPUTER LOGIC MODULE HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED AND PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING, DEALER HAS ALSO REASSEMBLED THE FUEL INJECTOR, REPLACED COOLING FAN, AND TIGHTENED BELTS, PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *SLC
19960423ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING, SOMETIMES VEHICLE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN. *AK ALL POWER ASSIST SYSTEMS FAIL, SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL RESTART RIGHT AWAY, MORE OFTEN IN SEVERAL HOURS, RECENTLY IT WOULD NOT START FOR DAYS AFTER IT WOULD STALL, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, COMPUTER POWER MODULE, AND COMPUTER LOGIC MODULE HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED AND PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING, DEALER HAS ALSO REASSEMBLED THE FUEL INJECTOR, REPLACED COOLING FAN, AND TIGHTENED BELTS, PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *SLC
19950525POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
AXLE DROPPED, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING/CONTROL. *SKD
19950525STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
RUSTED K-FRAME, CAUSING AXLE TO DROP/LOSS OF STEERING/CONTROL..
19950525ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
TIMING BELT REPLACED.
19950525STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING COLUMN LOOSE.
19950525ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WATER PUMP REPLACED.
Compare 1986PLYMOUTHRELIANT to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 PLYMOUTH RELIANT have?▼
The 1986 PLYMOUTH RELIANT has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 PLYMOUTH RELIANT?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 PLYMOUTH RELIANT is POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS.
Is the 1986 PLYMOUTH RELIANT 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1986 PLYMOUTH RELIANT; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.