AI Damage1988 Dodge Colt: common problems
Owners of the 1988 Dodge Colt filed 25 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 25
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 84% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 4% of all complaints
- 4 Seats 4% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 4% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 21 complaints (84% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (8% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (4% of all).
- Seats: 1 complaints (4% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 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-speednamed in 1 complaints
- manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 25 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 | 21 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 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.
Seat belt buckle broke and the latch will not catch in the buckle
I would like to know if there were any recalls for this tire in 1998. The tires were only two months old when the back passenger side tire came off the rim and caused me to spin into a guardrail. There was nothing in the road to cause the accident.
Recall 95v103003, seat belt buckles. It has been approximately 2 years since consumer has been trying to get the vehicle's problem remedied. Thus far, the dealer and manufacturer keep telling her that the parts are not available.
While driving 60 mph, heard noise, suddenly transmission locked up, lost vehicle power, used momentum to coast to side of road, could have caused crash, transmission rebuilt.
While driving the vehicle caught on fire in the fuel line system. Please describe.
Received 1st recall notice in feb and 2nd recall notice in august concening seat belt buckle recall repairs. Dealer still does not have parts in stock. Dealer did not say that he would order the parts. (95v-103.003).
5speed manual transmission, when placed into neutral the engine races and the throttle seems stuck.
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 7,448 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Colt has 20 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 25, above average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1988 Dodge Colt?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, powertrain, fuel system. Total complaints: 25. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (64%), smoke, burning smell, fire (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1988 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 1988 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 1988 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.