Total Complaints
59 filings
PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE · model year
1990 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE
59 NHTSA complaints, 14 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990PLYMOUTHSUNDANCE carries 59 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 14 crashes, 4 fires, 15 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 1990 SUNDANCE is air bags:frontal with 10 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (5) and power train:automatic transmission (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 1990 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.
59
Complaints
14
Crashes
4
Fires
15
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
14 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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 10 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 5 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 5 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 3 |
| AIR BAGS | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 2 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT | 2 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL | 2 |
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 2 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020107POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
VEHICLE WAS LEFT PARKED OUT OF GEAR AND REMOVED KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH, CONDITION CAUSED VEHICLE TO ROLL FORWARD INTO A NEIGHBORS DRIVEWAY WALL. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *AKTHE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN PARK YET THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE ROLLED FORWARD INTO A NEIGHBORS WALL CAUSING PROPERY DAMAGE. NLM
20010316ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED MANY ENGINE RELATED PROBLEMS, THE VALVE COVER ALLOWS OIL TO SPILL ON ENGINE, DEALER REPAIRED, HOWEVER ENGINE STILL LEAKS OIL, DEALER STATED VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 89V237 DUE TO VEHICLE WAS MADE MARCH OF 1990, OIL SENDING UNITS NEED REPLACED, ENGINE SHAKES AND BUCKS WHEN PUTTING IN REVERSE, AND THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. *SLC
20010316ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL RELATED PROBLEMS, BATTERY FAILED, IGNITION WIRES WERE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED CAUSING VEHICLE TO NOT START, AND SPARK PLUGS FAILED. *SLC
20010316ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL RELATED PROBLEMS, BATTERY FAILED, IGNITION WIRES WERE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED CAUSING VEHICLE TO NOT START, AND SPARK PLUGS FAILED. *SLC
20010316AIR BAGS
CONSUMER STATES AIRBAGS ARE A PROBLEM. *SLC
20010316POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING AND DEALER ALSO REPAIRED WIRES IN TRANSMISSION SWITCH. *SLC
20010316SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES AND CYLINDERS CONSTANTLY BEING REPLACED, THERE IS ALSO BRAKE FLUID LEAKING. *SLC
20010316STRUCTURE
THERE IS A HOLE IN THE FLOORBOARD. *SLC
20010316SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT. *SLC
20010316FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
FUEL PUMP FAILED, FUEL HOSE WAS REPLACED, FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED, AND O2 SENSOR FAILED. *SLC
20010316ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
FUEL PUMP FAILED, FUEL HOSE WAS REPLACED, FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED, AND O2 SENSOR FAILED. *SLC
20010316ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE ENGINE VALVE COVER GASKET BLOWS OFF RESULTING IN LOSS OF OIL, THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE EXHIBITS THE SAME FAILURE DESCRIBED IN RECALL 89V-237 BUT THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. NLM
20000905UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY
19990908CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VEHICLE INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT--DRIVER WAS INJURED MORE FROM THE AIR BAG THAN FROM THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH.
19990709SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BOLT BROKE, CAUSING CONSUMER'S SEAT TO FALL BACK A LITTLE. *AK
19990420FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CAR WAS PARKED INSIDE OF THE PARKING LOT. CONSUMER WENT TO RESTARED THE VECHICLE AND IT BURST INTO FLAMES WHICH CAME FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *AK
19990222CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, EXITING A RAMP AND BRAKES BECAME INOPERATIVE. ALSO, STEERING LOCKED UP, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
19990222CrashSTEERING
DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, EXITING A RAMP AND BRAKES BECAME INOPERATIVE. ALSO, STEERING LOCKED UP, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
19990119CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
WHILE STOPPED IN A LEFT TURN LANE THE VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND. THE IMPACT CAUSED BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATBACKS TO COLLAPSE BACKWARD, CAUSING NECK STRAIN TO THE PASSENGER AND NECK & LOWER BACK STRAIN TO THE DRIVER.
19981112CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THE VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONTAL CRASH AND AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AFTER THE COLLISION HAD TAKEN PLACE. DRIVER HIT HEAD ON STEERING WHEEL. ALSO THE THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN OWNER. *AK
Compare 1990PLYMOUTHSUNDANCE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE have?▼
The 1990 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE has 59 NHTSA complaints, 14 crashes, 4 fires, 15 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 10 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1990 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.