1989 Plymouth SundanceProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 33 owner complaints about the 1989 Plymouth Sundance, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexSolid year49% below the Sundance median · #7 of 8 years by complaints

Safety recalls2Free fix at dealers Owner complaints333 with a crash, fire or injury Top problem10Engine and engine cooling

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 17, 2003. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1989 Plymouth Sundance has problems

33 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

10Engine and engine cooling2 crash/fire/injury

8Seat belts

4Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury

4Structure

3Equipment

2Seats

2Power train

2Suspension

2Vehicle speed control

55 other systems

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling	10	2
Seat belts	8	0
Electrical system	4	1
Structure	4	0
Equipment	3	0
Seats	2	0
Power train	2	0
Suspension	2	0
Vehicle speed control	2	0
5 other systems	5	0

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

1989 Plymouth Sundance recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

no report yet

Seat belts

Recall 92V-053 · Apr 13, 1992 · 115,000 vehicles

Risk. SEAT OCCUPANTS WITHOUT SHOULDER RESTRAINTS ARE SUBJECT TOINCREASED RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A SUDDEN STOP OR VEHICLE CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Engine and engine cooling: engine

Recall 89V-237 · Dec 27, 1989 · 634,000 vehicles

Risk. THE LEAKAGE OF OIL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD CAUSEA FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Plymouth.

Best & worst years

1989 vs. every other Sundance year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sundance median. How we score

0 0 12 27 33 36 30 49 60 59 2 1

'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'98

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1989 Plymouth Sundance, and the recalls they led to.

Oct 30, 1991
AUTO SHOULDER BELT FAILUREEA91043 · closed Apr 20, 1992
Led to recall 92V-053
Apr 16, 1991
STEERING GEAR BOLTS LOOSENPE91065 · closed Aug 30, 1991
No recall
Jun 5, 1991
AUTO SHOULDER BELT FAILUREPE91082 · closed Oct 30, 1991
No recall

In owners' words

What Sundance owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

VEHICLE HAD AN OIL LEAK. AND AFTER HAVING REPAIRED LEAK A FEW TIMES WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THAT PART. ALSO, HAS A PROBLEM WITH SEAT BELTS. *AK
Complaint 889209 · May 25, 2001

CONSUMER NOTICED LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL ON DRIVERWAY. HAD VEHICLE SERVICED, AND TECHNICIAN STATED HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Complaint 881558 · Feb 27, 2001

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH LACK OF ACCELERATION AND HESITATION WHILE DRVING AT 35 MPH OR MORE. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF INDEPENDENT AND DEALER SHOPS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK
Complaint 861100 · Apr 28, 2000

Own a 1989 Sundance?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.