1990 Dodge Shadow problems & reliability
40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Dodge Shadow. 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.
10 complaints report injuries (10 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 15 | 38% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 23% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 8% |
| Power Train | 3 | 8% |
| Steering | 3 | 8% |
| Suspension | 3 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 5% |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 3% |
| Seat Belts | 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
“My daughter hit a pot hole, her air bag deployed giving her a very bruised face, swollen, black eye, numerous scratches and cuts and a burned hand. Her car is not damaged at all except for the air bag being deployed. Emergency room doctors say this never should have happened. *la”
Air Bags · filed Nov 16, 2003
“Recall 89v237000/ engine:gasket:valve cover: vehicle caught on fire while traveling at 25 mph under the hood, local fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. Dealer was notified, and informed that vehicle was not covered under manufacturer's recall. Please feel free to provide any further details. *ak”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Nov 3, 2000
“Vehicle experienced a deployment of driver's air bag from an impact of 15 mph. Deployment caused chemical burns on driver's left hand/right wrist/chin, and neck. Also, received bruises and scratches. Dealer contacted. *ak”
Air Bags · filed Feb 3, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION
Engineering Analysis EA93009 · opened Apr 21, 1993 · closed Jul 22, 1994
Technical service bulletins
24 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Dodge Shadow. The 10 most recent:
Subject regarding airbag / clock spring service for various models including 2002 model year jeep liberty. *tt
0801001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 2001
Automatic transmission fluid usage atf+4. *tt *mj
2100601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2001
Subject regarding wire splice repairs. *sb
0800600REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 29, 2000
Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt
2300800B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 24, 2000
Subject regarding non-deployed airbag handling procedures. *tt
082700 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 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
Daimlerchrysler corporation is now offerinb airbag on / off switches for selected vehicles. *tt
083799 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 12, 1999
Subject on the child seat tether anchors. *mjs
233599REVA · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1999
Information on child seat tether anchors. *tt
233599 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 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 1990 Dodge Shadow 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 1990 Dodge Shadow?
- · 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.