AI Damage1988 Plymouth Sundance: common problems
Owners of the 1988 Plymouth Sundance filed 27 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 27
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 37% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 22% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 15% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 11% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 7% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 10 complaints (37% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 6 complaints (22% of all).
- Fuel system: 4 complaints (15% of all).
- Steering: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Visibility: 3 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 27 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 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 was involved in a rear-end accident and the driver's side seatback collapsed, vehicle was totaled.
Consumer was in an accident the driver side seat reclined backwards. Tt
This car has a potential for "oil" fire and no dealer so far has been able to offer a solution.
I came home from work on the 20th of november and when I pulled into my drive way my car wen't up in flames from what the fire department said was a as leak that was leaking from my fuel injecter onto my manifold. My car was totaled from this fire. Is there anything I can do about this.
Rear seat belt isn't working properly, and when trying to pull the seat belt out of the retractor, the seat belt will freeze. Consumer can't pull the seat belt out.
While driving engine blew out, vehicle began to smoke and then died out.
Main hood latch failed to hold the hood shut/secondary latch also failed to engage.
Automatic seat belts are inoperative. The nylon tacks for belts have worn away.
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 7,189 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sundance has 28 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 27, about average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1988 Plymouth Sundance?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, engine and cooling, fuel system. Total complaints: 27. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (22%), smoke, burning smell, fire (15%), engine failure or replacement (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1988 Plymouth Sundance?
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 1988 Plymouth Sundance 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 1988 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.