AI Damage1979 Plymouth Sport Utility reliability: common problems
Owners of the 1979 Plymouth Sport Utility filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about equipment. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
What fails most often
- Equipment: 8 complaints (100% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | 8 | 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.
The belt has come off 5 times in the last 6 months, causing the loss of control and loss of power steering, alternator drive and cooling system. This has left my wife and 3 small children stranded several times. Upon researching this problem, this is a known design flaw with the van.
My 1995 jeep grand cherokee limited 4x4 keeps stalling all the time. Rough idle when started and check engine light comes on all the time. Also, alarm is defective and flashes the exterior lights and honks the horn anytime any of the doors are opened or closed and the power lock button is pushed to lock or unlock.
The lights will come on after being turned off and parked overnight leaving the battery dead. The fan motor has failed for the defroster again. This is the second repair. In the snow belt this is a safety related feature.
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 11,054 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sport Utility has 5 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 8, above average.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1979 Plymouth Sport Utility?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: equipment. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: loss of power / limp mode (13%), smoke, burning smell, fire (13%), steering or power steering problems (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1979 Plymouth Sport Utility?
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 1979 Plymouth Sport Utility 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.
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 2026-11-06.