IllustrationBATTERY WILL DIE OUT AT ANY SPEED. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED TIMING BELT, CAMSHAFT AND THE TOP PART OF ENGINE. PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMAATION.*AK
1993 Dodge Spirit
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Dodge Spirit do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 48.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Spirit years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 81 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports4 fire reports4 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
13 reportsUPON STARTING VEHICLE OR WHEN DRIVING SMOKE IS COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN AREA. PROBLEM OCCURRED MOSTLY UPON STARTING VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER HAS NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED OUT AND BURNED UP. *YH
STARTER FAILED.
DRIVING AND VEHICLE FILLED UP WITH SMOKE,TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND TOOK KEY OUT. KEY WAS SO HOT THAT DRIVER DROPPED IT. SECOND TIME STARTED THE VEHICLE SMOKE BOILED OUT AND SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE COLUMN. BATTERY ALSO BLEW UP. *AK
SMOKE CAME FROM STEERING COLUMN IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF.
NOTICED BURNING SMELL AND SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN, DEALER FOUND FRONT WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED, CHRYSLER HAS NO REPLACEMENT WIRING HARNESS AVAILABLE AND NO IDEA WHEN ONE MIGHT BE FOUND, #4625688. *AK IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. *SLC
AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SMOKE AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN.*AK
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TWICE TO OPERATE PROPERLY. *AK
WHILE TRYING TO START, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CAUSED BY THE IGNITION SWITCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER FAILED FIVE TIMES. *DSH
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2DP03002 · Steering Column Separation
Opened May 7, 2003 · Closed Jul 22, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering:column
MR. LARRY A. SACKEY SUBMITTED A PETITION TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) BY LETTER DATED APRIL 18, 2003, REQUESTING THAT NHTSAFURTHER INVESTIGATE THE DEFECTIVE COLLAPSIBLE STEERING SHAFT SYSTEM ON 1987-1995 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY THE DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION.IN PART BECAUSE OF 49 CFR ? 30120(G), NHTSA HAS DECIDED TO LIMIT THE SCOPE OF THE PETITION VEHICLES TO 1993-1995 MODELS, EXCLUDING THE 1993 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND 1994-1995 DODGE RAM SERIES TRUCKS THAT WERE RECALLED (93V210 & 96V230) FOR STEERING COLUMN FAILURE.IF THE ANALYSIS OF THESE VEHICLES HAD IDENTIFIED A POTENTIAL PROBLEM, THE SCOPE COULD HAVE BEEN EXPANDED IN AN INVESTIGATION.A REVIEW OF ODI'S DATA BASE SHOWS NO RECENT COMPLAINTS AND A LACK OF A COMPLAINT TREND CONCERNING THE SUBJECT ISSUE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS A WHOLE OR BY INDIVIDUAL MODELS.THEREFORE, THE PETITION IS DENIED.FOR DETAILS, SEE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE VOLUME 68, NO. 130, JULY 8, 2003.
PE96008 · Safety Blt Latch Operation
Opened Jan 25, 1996 · Closed Jun 28, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
There is no summary currently available