1989 Dodge Colt problems & reliability
33 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 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.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 25 | 76% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 9% |
| Suspension | 2 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 3% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% |
| Equipment | 1 | 3% |
| Steering | 1 | 3% |
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
“The driver's side automatic seat belt system has locked up and won't move. It is not in the latched position. *ak”
Seat Belts · filed Oct 18, 2000
“When the headlights are on and when applying the brakes the right rear tail lights go out, cause unknown. *ak”
Exterior Lighting · filed Jan 16, 1998
“Consumer was driving about 45 mph and was involved in an accident, and the seat belts on the driver's side did not catch. The shoulder belt went forward with owner and the lap belt broke. Manufacturer was contacted. *ak”
Seat Belts · filed Jul 14, 1997
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA96014 · opened Jun 28, 1996 · closed Jun 12, 1997 · led to recall 97V073002
- AUTO SHOULDER BELT FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE96007 · opened Jan 19, 1996 · closed Jun 28, 1996
- TAKATA SEAT BLT BCKLS FAIL
Preliminary Evaluation PE94093 · opened Dec 21, 1994 · closed Aug 2, 1995 · led to recall 95V103011
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Dodge Colt.
Subject regarding wire splice repairs. *sb
0800600REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 29, 2000
Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt
230800 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2000
This bulletin provides a revised wire splice procedure and related parts. *tt
080600 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2000
Subject on the child seat tether anchors. *mjs
233599REVA · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 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 1989 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.