1989 Dodge Spirit problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Dodge Spirit. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 24% |
| Power Train | 5 | 24% |
| Suspension | 3 | 14% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 5% |
| Steering | 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
“I have a 1989 dodge spirit (white in color). About 3 or 4 months ago it started peeling paint off of it. I was driving down the rode when I heard this weird ripping noise. I looked in the rearview mirror to see white flakes flying off of my car, so I pulled off in a parking spot & got out to see what was happening &…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Mar 6, 2004
“Consumer states vehicle would accelerate intermittently while driving. Vehicle taken to the dealer and informed that the problem was the idle control motor. Nlm”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Sep 30, 2002
“Rear suspension has a hairline crack which causes the rear end to drop. Please provide further information. *ak”
Suspension · filed Sep 30, 1999
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTING
Preliminary Evaluation PE89036 · opened Jan 9, 1989 · closed Jan 31, 1989
Technical service bulletins
28 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Dodge Spirit. The 10 most recent:
Child Seat Tether Anchor Installation This bulletin describes procedures to install Child Seat Tether Anchors based on Customer Request. Retrofits are subject to part availability. Vehicles in the following list that…
23-014-15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 23, 2015
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 wire splice repairs. *tt
0800600 REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 22, 2000
Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt
2300800B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 24, 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
Information on child seat tether anchors. *tt
233599 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 1999
This bulletin announces the availability and installation of a resuable automatic transmission oil pan gasket. *tt
210599A · 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 1989 Dodge Spirit 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 Spirit?
- · 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.