IllustrationMY DAUGHTER HIT A POT HOLE, HER AIR BAG DEPLOYED GIVING HER A VERY BRUISED FACE, SWOLLEN, BLACK EYE, NUMEROUS SCRATCHES AND CUTS AND A BURNED HAND. HER CAR IS NOT DAMAGED AT ALL EXCEPT FOR THE AIR BAG BEING DEPLOYED. EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTORS SAY THIS NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. *LA
1990 Dodge Shadow
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Shadow 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: 1 of 40 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports5 fire reports10 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
15 reportsVEHICLE EXPERIENCED A DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S AIR BAG FROM AN IMPACT OF 15 MPH. DEPLOYMENT CAUSED CHEMICAL BURNS ON DRIVER'S LEFT HAND/RIGHT WRIST/CHIN, AND NECK. ALSO, RECEIVED BRUISES AND SCRATCHES. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ,TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT ,DRIVER MADE A QUICK STOP AND DRIVER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED, CAUSING BURNS AND BRUISES ON FACE AND CHEST. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH SLAMMED ON BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING SOMEONE, AND THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER'S JAW WAS INJURED, HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. *AK
VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG CAUSED BURNS TO ARMS, STOMACH, CHEST, CHEST AND A BROKEN STERNUM.
VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING COLLISION CAUSED BURNING TO THE DRIVER'S HANDS. YH
DRIVNG ON FREEWAY, A LITTLE ROUGH ROAD AND AIR BAG POPPED OUT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN CONSUMER WAS IN ACCIDENT. TT CONSUMER ALSO STATES SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK DURING IMPACT, LUCKILY THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *SLC
AIR BAG DEPLOYED CAUSING DRIVER TO HAVE ACCIDENT. TT
STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, FRONTEND COLLISION AT 15-20MPH. AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE. DESCRIBE. TT
Official recalls
189V237000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Dec 27, 1989
THE ENGINE VALVE COVER GASKET MAY DISLOCATE AND ALLOW AN ENGINE OIL LEAK AT THE GASKET.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE LEAKAGE OF OIL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD CAUSEA FIRE.
Remedy: REPLACE GASKET COVER WITH REVISED COVER, AND RTV SEALANT WILL BE APPLIED IN PLACE OF A GASKET.
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
1EA93009 · Steering Wheel Separation
Opened Apr 21, 1993 · Closed Jul 22, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
There is no summary currently available