Your vehicle report
1991 Dodge Spirit
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
- 95
- Received Jan 1995 to Feb 2003
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Timing chain fails and destroys engine10 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes9 complaints · 9.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Seat belt fails to latch or retract5 complaints · 5.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #91V122000Front outboard safety belt may become difficult to latch and or unlatch due to a webbing stiffener entering the buckle housing and dislodging the buckle latch guide.
- Recall #90V194000The two air bag system front impact sensors may not be secured to their mounting brackets.
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: 8 crashes, 7 fires, 9 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 13 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
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 | 26 |
| 1996 | 18 |
| 1997 | 12 |
| 1998 | 7 |
| 1999 | 14 |
| 2000 | 9 |
| 2001 | 2 |
| 2002 | 5 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 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 | 95 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 10 | 11% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 9 | 9.5% | – | NHTSA recall #90V194000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 5.3% | – | NHTSA recall #91V122000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 5.3% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 5 | 5.3% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 5 | 5.3% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 5 | 5.3% | – | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 4 | 4.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 4.2% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 4 | 4.2% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 3.2% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 3 | 3.2% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 3.2% | – |
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 #91V122000July 11, 1991130,000 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: anchorage
Front outboard safety belt may become difficult to latch and or unlatch due to a webbing stiffener entering the buckle housing and dislodging the buckle latch guide.
Latch may open during accident or sudden stop, exposingseat occupant to increased risk of injury.
Remedy
Replace buckle latch engagement.
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 Spirit.
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