Total Complaints
51 filings
PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE · model year
1989 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE
51 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989PLYMOUTHSUNDANCE carries 51 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 3 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 1989 SUNDANCE is engine and engine cooling:engine with 7 filings, followed by seat belts (4) and seat belts:front:anchorage (4). 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 1989 SUNDANCE. 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.
51
Complaints
0
Crashes
3
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 7 |
| SEAT BELTS | 4 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 4 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 3 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:SPINDLE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030717STRUCTURE:BODY
PAINT PEELING. *AK
Mileage: 99,000
20010525ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE HAD AN OIL LEAK. AND AFTER HAVING REPAIRED LEAK A FEW TIMES WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THAT PART. ALSO, HAS A PROBLEM WITH SEAT BELTS. *AK
20010525SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
VEHICLE HAD AN OIL LEAK. AND AFTER HAVING REPAIRED LEAK A FEW TIMES WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THAT PART. ALSO, HAS A PROBLEM WITH SEAT BELTS. *AK
20010405ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
20010227ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CONSUMER NOTICED LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL ON DRIVERWAY. HAD VEHICLE SERVICED, AND TECHNICIAN STATED HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
20000428ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH LACK OF ACCELERATION AND HESITATION WHILE DRVING AT 35 MPH OR MORE. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF INDEPENDENT AND DEALER SHOPS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK
19991116ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
PROBLEM: CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD;ACTS LIKE THE IGNITION IS SUDDENLY INTERRUPTED. WILL START BACK UP IN A MINUTE OR LESS. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW CAUSE OR WHAT TO LOOK FOR. HELP! *AK
19990930SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
WE WERE NOTIFIED OF A RECALL INVOLVING THE AUTOMATIC SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLY. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WERE GIVEN A SMALL TUBE OF LUBRICANT TO USE ON THE TRACKS. LATER, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER HARNESS FAILED AND IT WAS NECESSARY TO MANUALLY MOVE IT TO THE POINT AT WHICH IT WOULD NORMALLY BE WHEN THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED AND THE SHOULDER BELT WAS IN USE. WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING THIS BELT IN THIS MANUAL MANNER FOR OVER FOUR YEARS. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TO REPLACE THE PARTS INVOLVED IF THE VEHICLE HAD EXCEEDED ITS "ECONOMIC LIFE". WHEN ASKED WHAT THAT "LIFE" EXPECTANCY WAS, I WAS TOLD "ANYTHING OVER 100,000 MILES". THE PARTS WERE NOT REPLACED. I WAS ADVISED THAT I COULD PURCHASE REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR A COST IN EXCESS OF $200 PER ASSEMBLY. I DID NOT REPLACE THE PARTS, NOR DID THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE IS STILL IN USE AND THE BELTS ARE LAWFULLY SUPPOSED TO BE FUNCTIONING AS "AUTOMATIC" BUT THEY DO NOT. THE SHOULDER HARNESS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE RECEIVES
19990204SEAT BELTS
RECALL WORK COMPLETED ON THE MOTORBELT HOWEVER DRIVER'S SIDE BELT CONTINUES TO MALFUNCTION.
19990112SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
SEAT BACK COLLASPED DUE TO BOLT FAILURE.
19990105WHEELS:HUB
BACK WHEELS WERE MAKING NOISY. TOOK CAR TO GARAGE AND WHEN THEY PUT IT ON THE LIFT THE PASSENGER'S REAR HUB FELL OFF. THE ONLY THING KEEPING IT ON WAS THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR. THE LOOSE HUB HAD WORN A GROOVE INTO THE AXLE. *AK
19981113SEAT BELTS
ELECTRICAL PORTION OF THE SHOULDER SEAT BELTS ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DO NOT OPERATE. DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK
19981113STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
REAR PLASTIC PORTION OF THE BUMBER FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
19980818UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VIRTUALLY ALL COMPONENT FAILED. RECALLS AND REPAIRS DID NOT SOLVE PROBLEMS.
19980402FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT)
19980223SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELTS SLOWLY OR CHATTER IN THE TRACK AND MAY EVENTUALLY STOP TRAVELING AND BECOME INOPERATIVE, LUBRICATE TRACKS ON SEVERAL OCCASION, TO NO AVAIL, RECAL #545
19970529FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE.
19970527SEAT BELTS
DRIVER'S MOTORIZED SEAT BELT LOCKS UP.
19970306FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
WHILE DRIVING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WIRING CAUSED THE DASH TO CATCH ON FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
19970220STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID
WHEN LIFTING THE TRUNK, THE TRUNK SUPPORT FAILED, CAUSING THE TRUNK TO COME DOWN. *AK
Compare 1989PLYMOUTHSUNDANCE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE have?▼
The 1989 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE has 51 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE.
Is the 1989 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE 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.