FaultScore report
Owners have filed 47 complaints about the 1989 Plymouth Acclaim with NHTSA between 1995 and 2003. The largest single group is the engine & cooling.
47
Complaints
0
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.
0 crashes, 1 fires · median 200,000 mi
NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.
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.
TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTING
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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.
SUSPENSION
FEDERAL MOGUL IS RECALLING 6,903 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES SHIPPED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AND MARCH 26, 2008, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS. THE PART NUMBERS PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS ARE: K7147, K7329, K8683, AND 104353. THESE PARTS WERE MADE FOR USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE.
Risk: THE NUTS INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGING FOR THESE BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES ARE MISSING THE INTENDED PREVAILING TORQUE (SELF-LOCKING) FEATURE. IF THE INCORRECT NUT WAS TO BECOME LOOSE, THE JOINING MEMBERS MAY LOOSEN LEADING TO A SEPARATION OF THE BALL JOINT. THIS MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE ENGINE VALVE COVER GASKET MAY DISLOCATE AND ALLOW AN ENGINE OIL LEAK AT THE GASKET.
Risk: THE LEAKAGE OF OIL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD CAUSEA FIRE.
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.
Engine
ON VEHICLES WITH 2.2 LITRE OR 2.5 LITRE EFI(NON-TURBO) ENGINE, THE VALVE COVER GASKET MAY LEAK OIL CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. CORRECTION: VALVE COVER GASKET WILL BE REPLACED WITH A REVISED COVER AND RTV SEALANT APPLIED IN PLACE OF THE GASKET.
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE HEATING UNIT, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDERNEATH THE DASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #832713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED A WIRE MELTED INSIDE THE FUEL PUMP. *AK *TS ON AND OFF THE ROAD, THE WIRE WAS BOILING THE GAS AROUND THE WIRE, BUT IT DID NOT BLOW A FUSE OR MELT OTHER WIRES ON THE VEHICLE. *SCC
NHTSA complaint #10040333 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
RECALL 89 V 237 000/ENGINE VALVE COVER: PROBLEM WITH OIL LEAKING FROM ENGINE GASKET. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #8009466 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN HEADLIGHT COVER BECAME DIM. WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE DISTANCES CLEARLY DURING NIGHT. HEADLIGHT LENS COVER WAS VERY YELLOWISH LOOKING AND LIGHT WAS NOT ABLE TO SHINE THROUGH CLEARLY.
NHTSA complaint #889333 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
MY DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT IS DEFECTIVE. IT WILL NOT STAY HOOKED IN.
NHTSA complaint #732303 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
MY DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT IS DEFECTIVE. IT WILL NOT STAY HOOKED IN.
NHTSA complaint #732303 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE HEAD GASKET TRAILING ARM RUSTED OUT. AND ALSO THERE IS A TICKING NOISE.
NHTSA complaint #863450 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
I HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE ANOTHER 15,000 MILES SINCE THE FIRST INDICATION OF FAILURE. I NOTICED A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR END IT WAS INTERMITTENT AND I COULD NOT ALWAYS DETERMINE THE LOCATION. THE DEALER CALMLY SAID I HAD A BROKEN AXLE - SOMEONE ELSE SAID - "GET IT WELDED" - ANOTHER SAYS NO WAY - GET A USED ONE FROM THE JUNK YARD. EVERYONE I TALK TO TELLS ME OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER REPLACEMENT IS THE SAME - NO UPGRADED QUALITY - FOR $650 (NOT FROM THE DEALER) I CAN BREATHE EASIER. THIS SEEMS LIKE A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND WHY I HAVEN'T BEEN CATAPULTED INTO THE NEXT DIMENSION YET I DON'T KNOW!
NHTSA complaint #720675 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE HEATING UNIT, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDERNEATH THE DASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #832713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE THE CAR IS PARKED IT SLOWLY LEAKS OIL ,THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE NINETY-ONE, AND THE DEALER HAS TRIED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #848155 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HAIR LINE CRACK IN ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD IS CAUSING OIL TO SEEP THROUGH CRACK .
NHTSA complaint #846437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
PAINT BEGAN PEELING LESS THAN ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE. WAS DISMISSED AS "IMPROPER CARE AND INDUSTRIAL FALLOUT AND MALATION". WINDSHIELD IS ATTACHED TO THIS PAINT.
NHTSA complaint #707231 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:REAR
TRAILING ARM REPLACED TWICE OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD DUE TO A GRINDING NOISE.
NHTSA complaint #533958 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
IDLE SPEED MOTOR FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #543634 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILED, REPLACEMENT FAILED ALSO, RESULTING IN OVERHEATING AND LEAKAGE.
NHTSA complaint #543634 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILED, REPLACEMENT FAILED ALSO, RESULTING IN OVERHEATING AND LEAKAGE, UNABLE TO RECTIFY ENGINE PROBLEMS ON SEVERAL ATTEMPTS.
NHTSA complaint #543634 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS
CENTER STOP LAMP BULB FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #543634 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILED CAUSING OIL TO LEAK.
NHTSA complaint #604549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
ENGINE THERMOSTAT HAS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES.
NHTSA complaint #542482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION CONTINUES TO FAIL, REPLACEMENTS TO COMPONENTS HOWEVER FAILURE IS NOT RECTIFIED RESULTING IN LEAKS.
NHTSA complaint #542482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
SHIFT INDICATOR FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #542482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
POWER STEERING RACK-N-PINION FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #542482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE EXPERIENCES CONTINUED FAILURE RESULTING IN LEAKS, WATER PUMP FAILURE ALSO.
NHTSA complaint #542482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ENGINE EXPERIENCES CONTINUED FAILURE RESULTING IN LEAKS, WATER PUMP FAILURE ALSO.
NHTSA complaint #542482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
TURN SIGNAL BULBS FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #542482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER CONTINUES TO FAIL, REPLACEMENTS TO COMPONENTS HOWEVER FAILURE IS NOT RECTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #542482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.