AI Damage1991 Plymouth Acclaim: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Plymouth Acclaim filed 97 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 97
- involving a crash
- 15
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 12% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 7% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 7% of all complaints
- Air bags: 14 complaints (14% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 13 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 12 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 11 complaints (11% of all).
- Electrical system: 10 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
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 97 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 | 14 | 11 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 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.
Car was struck from the rear causing the drivers seat to break and falling back into the rear seat and losing control of the car and continuing another 200 feet before being able to recover and stop the vehicle.
40mph, lost control, hit and broke telephone pole, frontal damage,bent frame, airbag did not deploy, car purchased 3 weeks prior to incident, thief fled scene.
Was going 35mph when another vehicle ran stop sign and hit consumer's vehicle. Acclaim was crossing intersection. Upon impact, driver's air bag failed to deploy.
Driver's airbag did not deploy during front end collision. Front end of vehicle hit passenger's side door of another moving vehicle. Vehicle to be inspected by insurance company.
Child put car in gear with steering wheel locked, causing accident.
While driving, made attempt to slow down, suddenly surged then raced over powering brake, result hit another vehicle. Tt
Was hit from behind and the drivers seat broke and put driver into the back seat. Tt
1991 plymouth acclaim, unit 1 was traveling westbound on ir 76 in the right lane, when the driver pulled over onto the right berm because of engine trouble, which the vehicle then ignited into flames and was consumed by fire.
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 3,638 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Acclaim has 47 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 97, above average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Plymouth Acclaim?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, powertrain, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 97. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (8%), stalls while driving (7%), airbags did not deploy (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 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 1991 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 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.