AI Damage1987 Dodge Colt: common problems
Owners of the 1987 Dodge Colt filed 28 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 28
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 61% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 18% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 11% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 4% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 4% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 17 complaints (61% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (18% of all).
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (4% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 1.6 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- manual, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 28 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Consumer was in a light rear end accident, and after continuous driving rear axle broke. Dealer has not been contacted.
Seat belts did not work in accident and driver hit the steering wheel. Tt
The vehicle was moving at approximately 35-40 mph when a 5" chunk of tread came off the tire and exposed the steel belts in the tire. The air started to leak out. Some time after the tread separated the tire started to lose air.
Hello!I purchased this 1987 dodge colt vista wagon used in 1999 and initially when purchased the auto/transmission floated out of gear in a busy area and would not move,until I played with the lever,and finally it jumped into gear.it happens at various times and I must sit in car at an idle at least 5minutes before…
Cracked exhaust manifold leaks fumes inside vehicle through vents causing safety hazard of carbon monoxide for those inside vehicle.
Recall repair not performed on front seat belt buckles due to lack of parts.
Plastic in rear and center seat belt buckle had degraded. This variation is caused by possible contact of sun rays.
The rear spindle deteriorated, causing the rear wheel to lcok up.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,081 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Colt has 20 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 28, above average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1987 Dodge Colt?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, engine and cooling, powertrain. Total complaints: 28. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (54%), A/C or heater (4%), fuel system, fuel smell (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Dodge Colt?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1987 Dodge Colt from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1987 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.