The 1989 Dodge Shadow has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 749,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER RESTRAINT SYSTEMS CAN MALFUNCTION AND BECOME INOPERATIVE.
SEAT OCCUPANTS WITHOUT SHOULDER RESTRAINTS ARE SUBJECT TOINCREASED RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A SUDDEN STOP OR VEHICLE CRASH.
REPLACE THE SYSTEM DRIVE AND RAIL ASSEMBLY WITH REVISED COMPONENTS.
THE ENGINE VALVE COVER GASKET MAY DISLOCATE AND ALLOW AN ENGINE OIL LEAK AT THE GASKET.
THE LEAKAGE OF OIL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD CAUSEA FIRE.
REPLACE GASKET COVER WITH REVISED COVER, AND RTV SEALANT WILL BE APPLIED IN PLACE OF A GASKET.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“No summary”
“Received recall notice (#92v053000). Took vehicle in. Waited 1 1/2 hours, belt not fixed. Brought vehicle back. Brakes work fine. Mechanic said belts fixed. Drove home. No brakes. Driver's belt not fixed. Received card, saying parts are now in. Vehicle has no brakes. Seat belts not working…”
“Plastic lenses covering front headlights are discoloring, and causing poor visibility, which could lead to a vehicle collision. Seeking help from nhtsa in this matter. *ak”
“Possible engine failure, resulted in fire. *yc”
“Vehicle is losing oil. Also, paint is peeling. *ak *slc”
“While driving the vehicle caught on fire under the hood, cause unknown. *ak”
“Failure of the right rear wheel assembly, the consumer was driving at a high speed when the rear wheel came off the axle.*ak”
“Failure of the right rear wheel assembly, the consumer was driving at a high speed when the rear wheel came off the axle.*ak”
There is no summary currently available
There is no summary currently available
There is no summary currently available
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1989 Dodge Shadow as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.