1989 Plymouth Acclaim problems & reliability
33 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Plymouth Acclaim. 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 → | 14 | 42% |
| Power Train | 6 | 18% |
| Suspension | 6 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 12% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 3% |
| Equipment | 1 | 3% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 3% |
| Seats | 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
“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 *jb”
Electrical System · filed Sep 22, 2003
“Recall 89 v 237 000/engine valve cover: problem with oil leaking from engine gasket. Dealer notified. Feel free to provide any further information.*ak”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed May 8, 2002
“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.*ak”
Exterior Lighting · filed May 29, 2001
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
25 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Plymouth Acclaim. The 10 most recent:
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 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
Conditions with intermittent loss of speed control. *tt
210699 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 1999
Subject regarding reusable automatic transmission oil pan gasket. *tt
210599 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 5, 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 Plymouth Acclaim 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 Plymouth Acclaim?
- · 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.