AI Damage1990 Plymouth Acclaim: common problems
Owners of the 1990 Plymouth Acclaim filed 60 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 60
- involving a crash
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 27% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 22% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 5% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 3% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 16 complaints (27% of all).
- Air bags: 13 complaints (22% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 8 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (10% of all).
- Suspension: 6 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.5 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 60 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 13 | 5 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
both the drivers and the passengers front seat belts did not work correctly, If i repeadely inserted the clasp in and out, eventually they would click, but then later they would release, when i was in a very bad car accident july 13 2017, both the driver of my vehicle and i both had our seatbelts on and clasped, and…
July 2017 I was a passenger in my own vehicle and me and my driver were both wearing the seatbelts, that at impact released and he was ejected out of the door that had opened on impact and in the spin in the air was ejected out of the car, I hit my head on the dash, both seatbelts were faulty, it was difficult when…
Consumer states, vehicle was involved in a collision and the passenger side seat belt did not retract causing passenger to go through windshield. Dealer notified. Please provide additional information. Ts
Consumer was in an accident and passenger side bolt broke. Tt
Car was park engine was off a ten year old boy push button on top of shift knob transmission was in reverse with engine off went down a hill car was totaled.
30-35mph, frontal crash, airbag deployed and emmitted a smoke smell powdery substance, which cause burns to wrist. Tt
July 2017 I was hit by a drunk driver of which I was a passenger in my vehicle upon impact my seatbelts automatically released and my airbags did not deploy causing my driver to be ejected from the vehicle and for me to hit my head on my dash and then be smashed into my windshield then finally when the car stopped…
Consumer complaint concerning the power door locks and the driver side door window problems. The consumer was told the motor had failed.
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 4,840 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Acclaim has 47 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 60, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1990 Plymouth Acclaim?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, air bags, powertrain. Total complaints: 60. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (20%), seat belts (8%), windows, sunroof (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1990 Plymouth Acclaim?
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 Plymouth Acclaim 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.