Your vehicle report
1991 Dodge Shadow
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 89
- Received Jan 1995 to Mar 2004
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Seat belt fails to latch or retract16 complaints · 18% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes12 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Water leaks into cabin during rain4 complaints · 4.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #99V212000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The lower seat back attaching bolt on the driver seat can fail and separate.
- Recall #97V078000The lower seat back attaching bolt on the driver's seat can fail and separate.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 19 crashes, 2 fires, 18 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 7 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 25 |
| 1996 | 5 |
| 1997 | 26 |
| 1998 | 8 |
| 1999 | 10 |
| 2000 | 5 |
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2002 | 3 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 89 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 16 | 18% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 12 | 13% | – | NHTSA recall #90V194000 |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 4 | 4.5% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 4 | 4.5% | – | NHTSA recall #96V229000 |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 4 | 4.5% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 3.4% | – | |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 3 | 3.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #99V212000August 6, 1999227,283 vehicles affected
seats: front assembly: recliner
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The lower seat back attaching bolt on the driver seat Can fail and separate.
If the bolt fails while the vehicle is being driven, the driver could lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the lower seat back attaching bolt on the driver's seat with a higher strength bolt that includes a self locking nylon patch.
NHTSA recall #97V078000May 10, 1997148,000 vehicles affected
seats: front assembly: recliner
The lower seat back attaching bolt on the driver's seat Can fail and separate.
If the bolt fails while the vehicle is being driven, the driver could lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the lower seat back attaching bolt on the driver's seat with a higher strength bolt that includes a self locking nylon patch.
NHTSA recall #96V229000November 18, 1996675,000 vehicles affected
steering: steering wheel/handle bar
The steering wheel armature stamping Can crack and separate from the center hub attachment to the steering column.
If the steering wheel separates from the center hub attachment to the steering column, loss of control Can occur increasing the risk of an accident.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the steering wheel for armature cracks in the center hub attachment area. Any steering wheels showing cracks will be replaced. All other vehicles will have a reinforcement plate installed to prevent steering wheel separation in the event cracking occurs.
NHTSA recall #90V194000November 19, 1990398 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
The two air bag system front impact sensors may not be secured to their mounting brackets.
Air bag will not deploy in a frontal collision if thefront impact sensors are not attached.
Remedy
Repair to assure proper attachment of front impact sensors to brackets.
NHTSA recall #90V162000September 4, 199018,000 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
Front disc brake caliper guide pin bolts may not have been adequately torqued and could loosen.
This could cause reduced braking effectiveness and couldresult in an accident.
Remedy
Properly torque front brake caliper guide pin bolts to 250 pounds.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1991 Dodge Shadow.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN