AI Damage1994 Plymouth Acclaim: common problems
Owners of the 1994 Plymouth Acclaim filed 69 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 69
- involving a crash
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 16% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 16% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 12% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 9% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 6% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 4% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 11 complaints (16% of all).
- Seat belts: 11 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 10 complaints (14% of all).
- Air bags: 8 complaints (12% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 6 complaints (9% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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 69 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 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 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.
Consumer put vehicle in drive when it lurched backwards nearly hitting a parked car, another incident occurred when vehicle again lurched backwards while idling, brake pedal went to the floor and vehicle crashed into steps where it finally stopped.
Consumer was at a stop sign preparing to pull put when suddenly was struck by another vehicle on driver's side which caused the airbag to deploy. Also caused the dust particles located within the airbag to get into eyes of consumer, resulting in loss of vision. Consumer is now seeing a specialist .
Violent deployment of air bag during collision, bruises on consumers arms and smoke within the vehicle.
When applying the abs brakes on wet road conditions the brakes locked up and the vehicle felt like it was sliding on ice. The vehicle skidded about (50) feet and hit another vehicle in the rear.
Seat belt did not restrain passenger during accident, causing injury.
Driver's side air bag deployed and caused shirt to catch on fire.
Screeching belt pulley I know it is a common problem for this make and model but I don't know which one it is in order to get it replaced. Please help me with info on this thank you
I purchase my 1994 acclaim in 1994. This is the second time I have had to replace the trailing arm in the rear of my car. I am a good driver. I have not had any crashing to this car in 9 years. I have about 189,000 miles on this vehicle. I was informed this problem is common with this car.
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 4,461 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Acclaim has 47 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 69, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- 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.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1994 Plymouth Acclaim?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, seat belts, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 69. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (16%), stalls while driving (7%), brake failure (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1994 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 1994 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 1994 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.