1989 Plymouth Reliant Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1989 Plymouth Reliant, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine342.9%
- Driver assistance228.6%
- Brakes114.3%
- Tires & wheels114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE PARKED AFTER DRIVING FOR AN HOUR, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN SHE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. *SC *JB
HEAD GASKET FAILED SEVERAL TIMES AFTER RECALL REPAIRS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
AUTOMATIC IDLE SPEED MOTOR FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. *DSH
TURNED CAR ON, VEHICLE JUMPED FORWARD INTO WALL. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS AT 20K AND AGAIN AT 40K, 0NCE RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
SPARE TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE MOUNTED INSIDE TRUNK. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .