1988 Dodge Colt problems & reliability
25 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1988 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.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 21 | 84% |
| Power Train | 2 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4% |
| Seats | 1 | 4% |
| Tires | 1 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I would like to know if there were any recalls for this tire in 1998. The tires were only two months old when the back passenger side tire came off the rim and caused me to spin into a guardrail. There was nothing in the road to cause the accident. It was reported as a blow out but the tire itself was not damaged, it…”
Tires · filed Jan 13, 1999
“Recall 95v103003, seat belt buckles. It has been approximately 2 years since consumer has been trying to get the vehicle's problem remedied. Thus far, the dealer and manufacturer keep telling her that the parts are not available. She has completed all necessary documentation concerning this matter, and has no…”
Seat Belts · filed Jun 19, 1998
“While driving 60 mph, heard noise, suddenly transmission locked up, lost vehicle power, used momentum to coast to side of road, could have caused crash, transmission rebuilt. *ak”
Power Train · filed Apr 9, 1997
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
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1988 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 1988 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.