1986 Dodge Colt problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1986 Dodge Colt. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 21 | 95% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 5% |
| Structure | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Consumer received a recall regarding the seat belt buckles with a lifetime warranty. Consumer also stated there had always been problems with the back seat belt buckles. The problem was both back seat belt buckles were stuck in the seat. Dealer and manufacturer were contacted, however they stated they had never heard…”
Seat Belts · filed Oct 31, 2002
“For years, water leaking inside trunk. Don't know where leak coming from. Rotted away entire interior of trunk. Around october/november 1999, noticed seat belt won't clip into place, and if it does after several attempts, it's stuck inside. When press button "press" nothing happens. *ak”
Seat Belts · filed Mar 9, 2000
“Recall notice on seat belt, dealer said no parts available and will not call customer when parts are available.”
Seat Belts · filed May 12, 1998
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- TAKATA SEAT BLT BCKLS FAIL
Preliminary Evaluation PE94093 · opened Dec 21, 1994 · closed Aug 2, 1995 · led to recall 95V103011
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA92034 · opened Oct 22, 1992 · closed Oct 29, 1993
- REAR BUMPER COVER FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE91138 · opened Oct 14, 1991 · closed Jan 21, 1992
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE91066 · opened Apr 10, 1991 · closed Aug 16, 1991
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1986 Dodge Colt in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1986 Dodge Colt?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.