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1994 Dodge Shadow

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 6 of 94 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 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

20 crash reports3 fire reports14 injury reports

Equipment complaints

3 reports
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Mileage unknown · Apr 15, 1999
Equipment

WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR I DID TEST THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND IT SEEMED TO BE IN PROPER WORKING CONDITION AND FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. ALSO, SINCE A/C WAS AN OPTION I PAID FOR I EXPECTED TO GET IT. FOUR DAYS LATER I TURNED ON THE A/C AND ALL THAT WOULD BLOW OUT WAS WARM AIR. I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SO I …

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WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR I DID TEST THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND IT SEEMED TO BE IN PROPER WORKING CONDITION AND FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. ALSO, SINCE A/C WAS AN OPTION I PAID FOR I EXPECTED TO GET IT. FOUR DAYS LATER I TURNED ON THE A/C AND ALL THAT WOULD BLOW OUT WAS WARM AIR. I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SO I WAS NOT TO ALARMED. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY TESTED IT AND EVERYTHING WAS WORKING CORRECTLY. I THEN TESTED IT MYSELF AND AGAIN ALL THAT BLEW WAS WARM AIR. I PROCEEDED TO TRY TO WORK WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND ENDED UP BRINGING THE CAR BACK 4 OR 5 TIMES FOR THEM TO LOOK AT THE A/C. BY THEN I WAS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED AND DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTOMOTIVE SHOP TO HAVE THEM PERFORM A FULL CHECK OF THE SYSTEM. THEY DID DO A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM AS WELL AS A CHECK FOR ANY LEAKS AND ADDING ONE AND A HALF POUNDS OF FREON. THEY REPORTED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAKS AND YES THE FREON WAS LOW SO THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE THE PROBLEM. WHEN WE TURNED ON THE A/C, NOW WITH THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FREON, IT STILL WOULD NOT BLOW ANYTHING OTHER THAN WARM AIR. I FEEL THAT IF THE DEALERSHIP HAD CHECKED IT THOROUGHLY ALL THOSE TIMES THE CAR WAS IN THEIR SHOP THEY WOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WAS THAT LOW ON FREON AND WHAT'S MORE I FEEL LIKE I WAS SOLD THE CAR WITH THE A/C OPTION AND THEY EITHER KNEW FROM THE START IT DID NOT WORK PROPERLY BUT NEVER DISCLOSED THAT TO ME OR ELSE THEY FOUND IT DID NOT WORK AFTER THE FACT AND RATHER THAN DO THE CORRECT THING AND REPLACE IT, SINCE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, OR REPAIR WHAT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING THEY CHOOSE TO PLAY GAMES AND GIVE ME THE RUN AROUND. ONE OF THE DECIDING FACTORS IN MY PURCHASING THIS CAR WAS THAT IT WAS EQUIPPED WITH AIR CONDITIONING, SINCE THE AVERAGE TEMP. IN THE SUMMER HERE IS 110 DEGREES, AND HAD I KNOWN THE CARS AIR CONDITIONING DID NOT WORK I WOULD NEVER HAVE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE!

NHTSA ODI #705641

Mileage unknown · Oct 24, 1998
Air BagsElectrical SystemEquipment

HORN ALWAYS BLOWS FUSES; LIGHTER BLOWS FUSES AND THE AIR BAG MALFUNCTIONED.

NHTSA ODI #781391

Mileage unknown · Jul 5, 1996
Electrical SystemEquipment

AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSOR FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #506247

Official recalls

1

99V212000 · Seats:front Assembly:recliner

Aug 6, 1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE LOWER SEAT BACK ATTACHING BOLT ON THE DRIVER SEAT CAN FAIL AND SEPARATE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE BOLT FAILS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LOWER SEAT BACK ATTACHING BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT WITH A HIGHER STRENGTH BOLT THAT INCLUDES A SELF LOCKING NYLON PATCH.

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

3

DP03002 · 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.

RQ99006 · Seat Back Failure

Opened May 13, 1999 · Closed Feb 2, 2000

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats

THE SEAT RECLINER'S LOWER BOLTS CAN FATIGUE AND BREAK CAUSING THE SET BACK TO COLLAPSE BACKWARD WITHOUT WARNING.

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