AI Damage1990 Dodge Shadow: common problems
Owners of the 1990 Dodge Shadow filed 40 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 40
- involving a crash
- 14
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 38% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 23% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 8% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 15 complaints (38% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 9 complaints (23% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (10% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.5 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 40 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 15 | 9 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 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.
My daughter hit a pot hole, her air bag deployed giving her a very bruised face, swollen, black eye, numerous scratches and cuts and a burned hand. Her car is not damaged at all except for the air bag being deployed. Emergency room doctors say this never should have happened.
Consumer was driving and accelerated and caused an accident . Tt
Air bag did not deploy when consumer was in accident. Tt consumer also states seat belt did not lock during impact, luckily there were no injuries.
When press brake pedal, brake lights dim when head lights are not on, and at night won't illuminate at all, due electric short. Tt
Steering wheel locked up causing loss of vehicle control, frontend collision at 15-20mph. Airbag did not deploy.total loss of vehicle. Describe. Tt
Driving at speed 0f 55mph applied brakes and was hit at 6:00 position, driver seat went recline position. Tt
Abs: experienced anti-lock brake failure/extended stopping distance, resulting in an accident, impact 12:00 position speed, 20 mph. Tt
Recall 89v237000/ engine:gasket:valve cover: vehicle caught on fire while traveling at 25 mph under the hood, local fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. Dealer was notified, and informed that vehicle was not covered under manufacturer's recall. Please feel free to provide any further details.
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 5,948 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Shadow has 33 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 40, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1990 Dodge Shadow?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 40. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (15%), headlights and tail lights (8%), oil leak or consumption (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1990 Dodge Shadow?
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 1990 Dodge Shadow 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 1990 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.