1994 Dodge Colt

Routine

Owners filed 18 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › automatic transmission. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Arm2
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components2
102
Air Bags › Frontal2
201
Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor1
000
Seats1
000
Seat Belts › Front › Webbing1
000
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Filed Sep 30, 20041,000 milesGA

THE STEERING WHEEL CAME OFF WHILE PARKING. DEALER WAS CONTACTED.*AK

Air Bags
Filed Oct 10, 2003MI

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT PROPERLY FROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND GEAR, WON'T SHIFT, AND MAKES LOUD NOISE. ALSO, CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF AN AIR BAG SYSTEM PROBLEM. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Apr 30, 2001CO

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Aug 23, 2000CA

ENGINE HEAD GASKET WOULD KEEP LEAKING OIL. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER AT LEAST 5 DIFFERENT TIMES FOR LEAKING GASKET. EACH TIME WOULD BE REPAIRED & THEN PROBLEM WOULD REAPPEAR AGAIN. ALSO, TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING TO SHIFT PROPERLY.*AK THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM CONTINUED AND NOW THREE HEAD GASKET HAVE CRACKED. THE AIR CONDITIONER, MASTER CYLINDER, TRANSMISSION AND MOTOR MOUNTS ALSO FAILED. *YH

Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Arm
Filed Apr 20, 2000NY

TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND THEY TOLD CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS A BIG CRACK IN THE FRAME OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM. IF DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY CAR COULD LOSE CONTROL. *AK

Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Arm
Filed Apr 19, 2000NY

VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT USED LAST FEB 24, 2000. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THE VEHICLE PASSED SAFETY INSPECTION. LAST APRIL 18, CAR WAS SENT TO A TIRE DEALER FOR TIRE REPLACEMENT. MECHANICS FOUND A HUGE CRACK ON FRAME AT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM PROBABLY CAUSED BY METAL FATIGUE.. FURTHER VISUAL INSPECTION INDICATE THAT CAR DID NOT ENGAGE IN A COLLISION AND THAT CRACK COULD BE CAUSED BY IMPROPER WELDING DURING ASSEMBLY. ADVISED TO TAKE VEHICLE OFF ROAD IMMEDIATELY FOR SAFETY REASONS. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Feb 23, 2000FL

AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WHILE TRAVELING ON THE STREET AT 35 MPH. NO POTHOLE OR BUMP. VEHICLE WAS ROLLED OVER AT THE TIME OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Oct 29, 1998MD

A FUEL SMELL CONSUMES THE ENTIRE VEHICLE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Seats
Filed Jun 11, 1998CA

WHILE DRIVING BOLTS THAT HOLD DRIVER'S SEAT TO VEHICLE CHASSIS BROKE. METAL HAS TORN AWAY FROM CHASSIS. DEALERS NOTED POSSIBLE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Jan 26, 1998DC

WHILE MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY GOING 50-55 MPH THE CAR JUST COMPLETELY CUT OFF, LOST ALL POWER EXCEPT FOR THE LIGHTS. WHEN VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MECHANIC, MECHANIC STATED THAT COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS COMPELETELY DEAD. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 25, 1997WV

CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, CAUSING SERIOUS BURNS TO THE STOMACH AREA, AND SHIRT WAS ALSO BURNED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Jan 2, 1997MA

WHEN STARTING VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT START, EXPERIENCED LOSS OF POWER AT VARIOUS TIMES, HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, SEVERAL TIMES, WHO COULD NOT FIND OR FIX PROBLEM, BUT WOULD REPLACE PARTS. SENDING INVOICES. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor
Filed Aug 19, 1996CT

CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS TWICE AND REAR BRAKE SHOES TWICE. CONSUMER IS DOING THIS EVERY SIX MONTHS.*AK

Seat Belts › Front › Webbing
Filed May 10, 1996NV

DRIVERS SEAT SHOULDER HARNESS TOO FAR BACK, SEAT BELT TWISTS/JAMS IN GUIDE WHEN PULLED FORWARD. *DSH

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Filed Feb 20, 1996WA

FUEL LINE ROUTED UNDER VEHICLE RUPTURED, STALLING VEHICLE. TT

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation ComponentsCrash2 injured
Filed Oct 26, 1995NY

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE, TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING WHILE DRIVING AT 30-40MPH. TT AND THERE WERE ALSO TWO INJURIES. *JB

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 9, 1995FL

VEHICLE WILL RATTLE WHEN SHIFTING IN 1ST TO 2ND. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TEST DRIVEN BY MANAGER @ DEALERSHIP, BUT CAN'T DETECT CAUSE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Jan 30, 1995CA

HAD PROBLEM ON THE BRAKE CONSUMER DOESN'T KNOW THE KIND OF BRAKE. TT

18 of 18 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1993
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19962000Routine
1994 — this page18000Routine
1993107200Routine
199214200Routine
199117110Routine
199012121Fatalities reported

Compare every Colt year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.