1987 Dodge Colt problems & reliability
28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Dodge Colt. 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.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 17 | 61% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 18% |
| Power Train | 4 | 14% |
| Visibility | 3 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 4% |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 4% |
| Suspension | 1 | 4% |
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
“The vehicle was moving at approximately 35-40 mph when a 5" chunk of tread came off the tire and exposed the steel belts in the tire. The air started to leak out. *ak some time after the tread separated the tire started to lose air. The tread wear pattern indicated that the tire may have been "somewhat"…”
Tires · filed Oct 17, 2003
“Hello!I purchased this 1987 dodge colt vista wagon used in 1999 and initially when purchased the auto/transmission floated out of gear in a busy area and would not move,until I played with the lever,and finally it jumped into gear.it happens at various times and I must sit in car at an idle at least 5minutes before…”
Power Train · filed Apr 19, 2001
“Cracked exhaust manifold leaks fumes inside vehicle through vents causing safety hazard of carbon monoxide for those inside vehicle. *ak”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Feb 23, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- TAKATA SEAT BLT BCKLS FAIL
Preliminary Evaluation PE94093 · opened Dec 21, 1994 · closed Aug 2, 1995 · led to recall 95V103011
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA92034 · opened Oct 22, 1992 · closed Oct 29, 1993
- REAR BUMPER COVER FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE91138 · opened Oct 14, 1991 · closed Jan 21, 1992
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1987 Dodge Colt 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 1987 Dodge Colt?
- · 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.