Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1994 record →
WATER SETTLES IN THE DASHBOARD WHEN IT RAINS AND THEN WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION IT FLOWS INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. REPAIRS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED SEVEN TIMES BUT CANNOT BE MADE DUE TO FACTORY DEFECT -- "SIDE DASH TOO LONG AND PUSHING ON WINDSHIELD."
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT 20-25 MPH RAN INTO A TREE AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG. OWNER ALSO NOTES THAT CHRYSLER ENGINEERS WENT TO LOOK AT VEHICLE AFTER ACCIDENT AND TOLD OWNER AIRBAG WAS WORKING. *AK
TRAILER BAR BROKE OFF DUE TO POOR DESIGN. *AK
THE LEFT WELD JOINT OF THE REAR SWAY BAR WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER THE REAR END OF THE CAR BROKE, CAUSING INSTABILLITY. *AK
PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO ENGAGE IN REAREND COLLISION, RESULTING IN INJURIES; ALSO, TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60MPH THE HOOD FLEW UP, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. OWNER NOTES THAT DEALER SAID THE SPRINGS HAD DISCONNECTED. *AK
VEHICLE HIT IN REAR AT 35 MPH, PASSENGER SEAT FLEW FORWARD AND SEAT BELT DID NOT ENGAGE. AT 35,000 MILES TRANSMISSION BEGAN SHIFTING ERRATICALLY AND REPLACED WITH A REBUILT ONE.
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTER FAILED WHEN DRIVING, ATTEMPTING TO CLEAR THE WINDOWS AND NOTHING CAME OUT OF THE FLUID RESERVOIR DUE THE FACT THAT IT FROZE, CANNOT CLEAR WINDOWS. *AK
OWNER STATES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ENGINE SHUTS OFF DUE TO A FAULTY V BELT THAT DOES NOT STAY ON AND ALSO PICKS UP DIRT WHILE TURNING DUE TO THE LACK OF A COVER. *AK
TRANSMISSION SLIPPED FROM PARK TO REVERSE, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE TURNING INTO DRIVEWAY ABOUT 45 DEGREE INCLINE, SPEED LESS THAN 5 MPH, RAINY WEATHER. *AK
GAS TANK CRACKED/CAME APART AT SEAM, CAUSED GASOLINE LEAKAGE WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE PARKED OVERNIGHT, FIRE HAZARD. *AK CONSUMER WAS CHARGED FOR REPLACEMENT TANK. *SLC
CROSS MEMBER FAILED.
FAILURE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD .
WINDSHIELD WASHER NOZZLES INOPERATIVE.
AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSOR FAILED.
VEHICLE BECOMES NOISY, FRONT END MOVES UP AND DOWN DUE TO DEFECTIVE REAR TRAILER AXLE. *AK
REAR TRAILER AXLE/BUSHINGS FAILED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, SAFETY LATCH FAILED, HOOD FLEW UP, IMPAIRING VISION, NEARLY CAUSED ACCIDENT, SPEED 70 MPH. *AK
ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IN THE BACKSEAT INSTALLATION STARTED SMOULDERING FOR NO REASON. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
DURING IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
SEAT BACK LOCKING MECHANISM IS MADE OF POOR MATERIAL, CAUSING SEAT BACK TO COLLAPSE. *SD
1) REAR STABILIZER BAR BROKE IN HALF. 2) ALTERNATOR BELT SLIPS OFF CONTINUOUSLY, RESULTING IN TOTAL POWER FAILURE*AK CONSUMER STATES NO LONGER OWN VEHICLE, BUT PRIOR SHE WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AT LEAST THREE TIMES THEN DEALER TOLD HER IT WAS MISSING A SPLASH KIT WHICH SHE DID PURCHASE BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM .*JB
FOGGY NIGHT ROAD, CAME TO AN INTERSECTION, DID NOT SEE INTERSECTION, WENT STRAIGHT ACROSS, HIT EMBANKMENT, HIT HEAD ON STEERING WHEEL, THEN AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *
CLUTCH NOISE IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. *SD
VEHICLE'S STARTER FAILED CAUSING STALLING WHEN IN WET WEATHER. TT
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
THE CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS IDLING IN PARK, AND IT JUMPED OUT OF GEAR BY ITSELF. TT VEHICLE HIT A TREE.*JB
REAR AXLE BROKE, RESULTING IN VEHICLE COLLAPSING TO THE GROUND. TT
THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND BROKE THE OCCUPANTS JAW AND CAUSED HIM TO GET 6 STITCHES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
INTERMITTENTLY, THE VEHICLE SURGES ABRUPTLY WITH NO WARNING. FINO CHRYSLER MENDON-MA., STATES WILL RETURN VEHICLE IN SAME CONDITION. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.
DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BACK REST DOES NOT LOCK IN PLACE. TT
SEAT BELT DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN SEAT OCCUPANT UPON REAR END COLLISION. *AK
SEAT BACK FAILURE, UPON REAR END COLLISION SEAT BACK COLLAPSED BACKWARD. TT
LAP BELT ON PASSENGER SIDE SECURED 8 INCHES FORWARD THAN DRIVERS SIDE. TT
DURING A HEAD ON COLLISION THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. TT
DURING A HEAD ON COLLISION THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. TT
WINDSHIELD CRACKED.
HEATER CORE LEAKS. TT
WHEN THE RESUME BUTTON IS PUSHED ON CRUISE CONTROL THE VEHICLE SURGES. TT
AUTO-TRAN: THROTTLE STUCK; MOTOR SEEMED TO BE SCREAMING; BRAKES WENT TO FLOOR; RAN INTO JEEP; JEEP RAN INTO ANOTHER TRUCK; HEARD NOISE COMING OFF RAMP. TT
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *SD
CAR INVOLVED IN HEAD ON COLLISION AND DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1994 Dodge Shadow → · Every Shadow year → · How the figures are calculated →