How many recalls does the 1988 Plymouth Reliant have?

The 1988 Plymouth Reliant has no NHTSA safety recalls on record.

How do I check if my 1988 Plymouth Reliant has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1988 Plymouth Reliant?

Of 23 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is vehicle speed control.

1988 Plymouth Reliant Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1988 Plymouth Reliant. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the vehicle speed control. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

STEERING:RACK AND PINION

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING

SEATS

Total complaints23

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Had noticed steering was off. To much turning to get wheels to turn. Had mechanic check & bolts were loose & had them tightened on the left side. The bolts on the right side were split & could be seen moving when the wheel was turned. Also noticed crossbar was cracked. Pe91065. *ak”

STEERING:RACK AND PINION · reported 1999-05-30

“Had noticed steering was off. To much turning to get wheels to turn. Had mechanic check & bolts were loose & had them tightened on the left side. The bolts on the right side were split & could be seen moving when the wheel was turned. Also noticed crossbar was cracked. Pe91065. *ak”

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS · reported 1999-05-30

“Front crossmember corroded, consumer stuck it with a screw driver handle and it fell apart. Mjs”

SUSPENSION:FRONT · reported 1999-04-26

“Started the car from a parking lot, as soon as I put on drive, the car went on high speed, went in a circular motion, I could not stop the car until I hit two other cars.”

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · reported 1999-03-29

“Engine crankshaft failed.”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE · reported 1997-10-20

“While driving 5 mph, when making a turn, consumer's vehicle was hit in the rear, causing the driver's side seat to collapse backward into the rear seat. Please provide further details. *ak”

SEATS · reported 1997-07-21

“Alternator failed.”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR · reported 1996-10-29

“Sudden acceleration, causing accident.”

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · reported 1996-09-05

Defect investigations

Investigation EA91010 Opened 1990-12-10 · closed 1991-12-31

TRANS PARK SYSTEM FAILURE

There is no summary currently available

Investigation PE91065 Opened 1991-04-16 · closed 1991-08-30

STEERING GEAR BOLTS LOOSEN

There is no summary currently available

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1988 Plymouth Reliant as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.