AI Damage1991 Eagle Talon: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Eagle Talon filed 104 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 104
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 53% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 21% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 13% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 3% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 3% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 3% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 55 complaints (53% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 22 complaints (21% of all).
- Seat belts: 14 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (5% of all).
- Electrical system: 4 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.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 104 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 55 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
On 4 different days the car, for no reason, would jerk to the right. When it would do this the steering wheel would not turn with the wheels. The fifth time it did this there was a soft road shoulder and my daughter lost control, hit 4 trees and totaled the car.
Left front wheel came off, hitting car on other side of roadway. (new jersey state police report)
Drivers side air bag did not deploy after hitting a truck head-on at 45mph.
During frontal collision driver hit a ditch seat belt did not restrain, causing face to impact the steering wheel.
Snow builds up around headlights and will not melt,headlight illumination diminishes in bad weather causing poor visbility.
Driver's seatbelt tightens to where consumer feels strangled.
Car had several times felt like it was "cutting out" and jerking, once getting off freeway it smelt heavily of brakes and could not determine why car was lagging very badly, continued to drive for several weeks then while driving 40mph car began convulsing and jerking. Pulled over barely made to gas station.
Ecu electrical components faulty causing fuel pump to turn on and off repeatedly. Also causes rpms to fluctuate. Manual transmission grinds, shifts roughly, and does not go into gear.
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 3,479 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Talon has 59 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 104, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Eagle Talon?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine and cooling, seat belts. Total complaints: 104. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (10%), knocking, grinding or other noise (5%), smoke, burning smell, fire (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Eagle Talon?
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 1991 Eagle Talon 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 1991 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.