FaultScore report
Owners have filed 20 complaints about the 1987 Dodge Aries with NHTSA between 1995 and 2004. The largest single group is the engine & cooling.
20
Complaints
1
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Median failure at 59,900 miles
1 crashes, 0 fires
0 crashes, 1 fires
Median failure at 62,000 miles
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
STEERING GEAR BOLTS LOOSEN
TRANS PARK SYSTEM FAILURE
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.
Fuel System
VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.2 LITRE PROPANE FUELLED ENGINES MAY EXPERIENCE CORROSION OF THE FILL AND OUTAGE (80% FILL LEVEL) FITTINGS AT THE FILL VALVE. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE OR EXPLOSION COULD RESULT. CORRECTION: SUSPECT VEHICLES WILL HAVE THE FILL AND OUTAGE HOSES REPLACED, AN IMPROVED SHIELD AND RUSTPROOFING APPLIED TO THE FITTINGS.
Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
WHILE DRIVING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT FUMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL RAIL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #10079393 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #505309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
WHILE DRIVING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT FUMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL RAIL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #10079393 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS TRANSMISSION WENT INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. THIS NEARLY CAUSED A CRASH. ALSO, THE 4 BOLTS THAT HELD TRANSMISSION IN PLACE FELL OUT WHILE DRIVING.
NHTSA complaint #10060949 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TWO OF THE FRONT LOWER MOTOR MOUNTS WERE MISSING, AND THE OTHER TWO WERE LOOSE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO VIBRATE.
NHTSA complaint #10059159 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
MOM HANDED THE CAR OVER TO ME WITH 58,000 MILES AND SAID SHE ALWAYS HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING THE CAR OUT OF PARK ESPECIALLLY ON AN INCLINE. I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS AS WELL AND HAD THE CABLE REPLACED IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROBLEM WITH DODGES AND SUGGESTED I APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEFORE I PUT IT INTO PARK. AT $160. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM SOLVED UNTIL IT STARTED AGAIN, THIS TIME STRANDING ME IN A PARKING LOT SEVERAL MILES FROM HOME. THE REPAIR THIS TIME WAS DONE AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. UPON RECEIPT, THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THERE IS NO GUARANTEE ON THIS AS IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH DODGE FOR YEARS. THE "REPAIR " LASTED ONE DAY. I AM PRESENTLY USING THE CAR AND AT MY DESTINATION I APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. THE KEYS REMAIN IN THE COLUMN. I HAVE TO KEEP ANOTHER SET OF KEYS ON ME TO LET MYSELF INTO THE CAR. NOT GOOD. MY MOM PURCHASED A 1999 DODGE STRATUS AND GUESS WHAT? SHE HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL LETTERS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEMS IN THE NEW DODGES. I WOULD THINK THEY COULD GET IT RIGHT AFTER 12 YEARS. IN THE MEANTIME, I WANTED TO GIVE MY DAUGHTER THE CAR, BUT DON'T FEEL VERY CONFIDENT OR SAFE IN PASSING THE PROBLEM ON THE HER.
NHTSA complaint #713337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
IF OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW 20 DEGREES THE VEHICLE IS HARD TO START AND IS PRONE TO ENGINE FLOODING. ONCE IT IS STARTED, THERE IS AN ENGINE "MISS" THAT IMPROVES AS ENGINE WARMS UP. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEED CONTROL. WHEN SIGNALING A LANE CHANGE, WITH SPEED CONTROL ON, THE ENGINE SPEED UP. IT WILL INCREASE SPEED BY FIVE TO EIGHT MPH. ARE THERE ANY RELATED RECALLS?
NHTSA complaint #546763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
IF OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW 20 DEGREES THE VEHICLE IS HARD TO START AND IS PRONE TO ENGINE FLOODING. ONCE IT IS STARTED, THERE IS AN ENGINE "MISS" THAT IMPROVES AS ENGINE WARMS UP. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEED CONTROL. WHEN SIGNALING A LANE CHANGE, WITH SPEED CONTROL ON, THE ENGINE SPEED UP. IT WILL INCREASE SPEED BY FIVE TO EIGHT MPH. ARE THERE ANY RELATED RECALLS?
NHTSA complaint #546763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #505309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED TWICE.
NHTSA complaint #505309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #505309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #503325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED TWICE.
NHTSA complaint #503325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED SEVEN TIMES.
NHTSA complaint #503325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
STRUTS FAILED. *DSH
NHTSA complaint #503325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
LIFTERS FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #503325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #503325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:REAR
SWAY BAR FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #503325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
MICHELIN TIRES FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #503325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED. *DSH
NHTSA complaint #503325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, UNKNOWN CAUSE. TT
NHTSA complaint #976335 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHEELS
WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN, 20 MPH, RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BENT RIGHT OUT AT 90 DEGREES; FRAME CRADLE CRACKED IN HALF; PULLED OUT TRANMISSION, ETC.
NHTSA complaint #971517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.