1990 Plymouth Laser problems & reliability
30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Plymouth Laser. Last verified Aug 8, 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 components.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 27% |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 17% |
| Structure | 5 | 17% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 13% |
| Power Train | 3 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 7% |
| Equipment | 1 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 3% |
| Tires | 1 | 3% |
| Unknown / Other | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 11 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Metal fatigue of the front subframe resulted in limited ability to control vehicle direction and no power. *et”
Structure · filed Nov 7, 2000
“Engine and timing belt failed causing vehicle to stall while stopped, upon service dealer found 4 broken valves, one of which was lodged into head, holes in 1 piston, scarred cylinder block. *et”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Oct 17, 2000
“Timing belt cut off. Complete power shut off in the middle of highway at a 65 miles/ hour zone, including steering. Extremely dangerous situation almost resulting in the injury and death of the driver and other vehicle drivers on highway. There was no previous warning although belt was changed at dealership 35,000…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Sep 28, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- TRANSFER CASE LOCKUP
Engineering Analysis EA98002 · opened Jan 30, 1998 · closed Apr 30, 1998 · led to recall 98V069002
- HOOD FLY-UP
Preliminary Evaluation PE94074 · opened Oct 12, 1994 · closed Feb 24, 1995
Technical service bulletins
7 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Plymouth Laser.
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
Door glass adjustment. *tw
232293 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 1993
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 Plymouth Laser 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 Plymouth Laser?
- · 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.