Hard or delayed shifting
2 mentions · 12.5% of complaints
Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).
Matching rule
\b(hard shift\w*|rough shift\w*|delay\w* shift\w*|shift\w* hard|jerk\w*|lurch\w*)\bU.S. public vehicle records
1988 Plymouth RELIANT problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
16 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1988 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 16 complaints (18.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 6.3% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 6.3% |
| Braking behavior | 1 | 6.3% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 6.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 3 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 |
| Steering:Rack And Pinion | 2 |
| Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | 1 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 1 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 3; Vehicle Speed Control: 3; Steering:Rack And Pinion: 2; Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System: 1; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 1; Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 16 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 6 |
| 1996 | 5 |
| 1997 | 2 |
| 1999 | 3 |
1995: 6; 1996: 5; 1997: 2; 1999: 3
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 965234 · 1995-05-12 (May 12, 1995)
WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE WILL JERK FORWARD. TT
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 965234 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 504298 · 1996-05-15 (May 15, 1996)
VEHICLE STALLS FREQUENTLY.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 504298 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 483433 · 1995-08-08 (August 8, 1995)
BRAKE ROTORS REPLACED TWICE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 483433 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 843280 · 1999-07-26 (July 26, 1999)
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
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 843280 at NHTSA ↗
Explore the data
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
16 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.
0.0%Usable mileage0 / 16 records
93.8%Valid incident date15 / 16 records
100.0%Valid filing date16 / 16 records
93.8%Ordered incident and filing dates15 / 16 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 482909ENGINE DESIGN WITH ROLLOVER/SEPARATOR VALVE, CAUSES EXCESSIVE NOISE FROM ENGINE. *SKD | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 120.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 220.0% | 16.3% | 228.6% | 1100.0%ODI 10048044 · 99,000 miWHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS VEHICLE STALLED. INDEPENDENT SHOP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES AND COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 120.0% | 125.0%ODI 983337WHILE DRIVING, SOMETIMES VEHICLE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN. *AK ALL POWER ASSIST SYSTEMS FAIL, SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL RESTART RIGHT AWAY, MORE OFTEN IN SEVERAL HOURS, RECENTLY IT WOULD NOT START FOR DAYS AFTER IT WOULD STALL, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, COMPUTER POWER MODULE, AND COMPUTER LOGIC MODULE HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED AND PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING, DEALER HAS ALSO REASSEMBLED THE FUEL INJECTOR, REPLACED COOLING FAN, AND TIGHTENED BELTS, PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *SLC | 220.0%ODI 730683THIS CAR INTERMITENTLY STALLS IT SOMETIMES STARTS RIGHT UP OTHER TIMES IT TAKES 15 MIN. TO RESTART PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED LOGIC MODULE COMPUTER , FUEL INJECTER, MAP SENSER, IGNITION WIRES AND SPARK PLUGS ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP AND SHUTOFF RELAY THIS CAR WAS TAKEN TO A CHRYSLER DEALER AND NO PROBLEM COULD BE FOUND SO IAM WONDERING IF THERE WERE ANY RECALL ITEMS FOR THIS CAR I SPENDING TOO MUCH MONEY ON THIS CAR WITH OUT FINDING A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM | 318.8% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0% | 110.0% | 318.8% | 114.3% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Structure:Frame And Members | 150.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0% | 110.0%ODI 703998THE K-FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BROKE BRINGING THE CAR TO A HALT. THE MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED IT SAID THIS IS A COMMON FAULT WITH THE K-CARS. HE ALSO SAID I WAS VERY LUCKY I WAS GOING VERY SLOW. HE SAID IF IT HAD BUSTED ON THE INTERSTATE WHILE GOING 60 MPH, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. HAS THERE EVER BEEN A RECALL ON THE K-CARS? EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED, I'LL BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE MECHANIC SAID EACH TIME I'M IN THE CAR. | 16.3%ODI 843280HAD 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 | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 976893THE DRIVERS SEATBELT BUCKLE IS BROKEN AND IT DOES NOT LATCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 110.0%ODI 966105DRIVER HAD TO BE CUT OUT OF THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BECAUSE OF IT BEING STUCK. TT | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Steering:Rack And Pinion | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 212.5% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension:Front | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 120.0%ODI 836910WHEN DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE FRONT IS SHAKING REAL BADLY, AND THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIE RODS/ BALL JOINTS AND STRUTS.DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 16.3%ODI 545820FRONT CROSSMEMBER CORRODED, CONSUMER STUCK IT WITH A SCREW DRIVER HANDLE AND IT FELL APART. MJS | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 16.3% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1989: 2 complaints · 1990: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 1990 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | Vehicle Speed Control | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering:Rack And Pinion | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
2 patterns with matching reports.
Stalling or loss of power
1 mentions · 6.3% of complaints
Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).
Matching rule
\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b