1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
3
Owner Complaints
4
Recalls
0
Service Bulletins
1
Investigation
Overview of the 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT
The 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT has received a total of 3 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 4 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH. The most commonly reported problems involve the Equipment (1 complaint), Structureframe And Members (1 complaint), and Unknown Or Other (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT
NHTSA has recorded 4 recalls for the 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT, potentially affecting up to 760,032 vehicles.
Recall 89V052000 — SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
| 500,000 vehicles affected
Defect: FRONT SUSPENSION CROSSMEMBER MAY CORRODE AND FAIL AT LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR PIVOT MOUNTS IF OPERATED WHERE SALT IS USED TO AID IN SNOW REMOVAL.
Consequence: CONTROL ARM COULD DETACH FROM THE CROSSMEMBER, ADVERSELYAFFECTING DIRECTIONAL STABILITY, WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: INSTALL ATTACHMENT REINFORCEMENT BRACKETS TO PREVENT CONTROL ARM DETACHMENT AS A RESULT OF CORROSION WEAKENING.
View full details →Recall 81V111000 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
| 150,000 vehicles affected
Defect: THE AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROL SWITCH MAY STICK IN THE "RESUME" POSITION RESTRICTING RETURN MOVEMENT. THIS WILL NOT ALLOW THE NORMAL BRAKE PEDAL OPERATION TO DEACTIVATE THE SYSTEM.
Remedy: THE SHIELD PORTION OF THE "RESUME" SLIDE LEVER IN THE SPEED CONTROL UNIT WILL BE REPLACED WITHOUT CHARGE.
View full details →Recall 81V093000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
| 110,000 vehicles affected
Defect: THE STOP LAMP SWITCHES INSTALLED ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES MAY HAVE INADEQUATE INTERNAL SWITCH CONTACT PRESSURE DUE TO AN INCORRECT FORMATION OF THE SWITCH CONTACT TERMINALS. THIS LACK OF SWITCH CONTACT CONTINUITY MAY RENDER THE (STOP) BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS INOPERATIVE.
Remedy: THE STOP LAMP SWITCHES ON ALL INVOLVED VEHICLES WILL BE REPLACED AND PROPERLY FORMED TERMINALS WILL BE INSTALLED AT NO COST TO OWNER.
View full details →Recall 81V021000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID
| 32 vehicles affected
Defect: BRAKE FLUID MAY CONTAIN AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF WATER. THIS CAN CAUSE DEGRADATION OF BRAKING PERFORMANCE OR BRAKE FAILURE UNDER A VARIETY OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
Remedy: EXISTING BRAKE FLUID WILL BE REMOVED FROM BRAKE SYSTEM AND BRAKE SYSTEM WILL BE REFILLED WITH FRESH BRAKE FLUID.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT
3 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structureframe And Members | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT K-CAR. CONSUMER STATES ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HIS PARENTS PURCHASED THE ABOVE MENTIONED VEHICLE. BUT, SINCE HE DID MOST OF THE DRIVING, HE ASKED THEM IF HE COULD INSTALL CRUISE CONTROL. HE THEN PURCHASED IT AND INSTALLED IT HIMSELF. THE UNIT RECEIVED ITS CONTROL PULSES FROM MAGNETS AROUND THE DRIVE SHAFT, WITH A MAGNETIC PICK UP SENSOR. AFTER ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS, THE UNIT HE INSTALLED STARTED TO ACT ERRATIC. SOMETIMES HE WOULD SET THE CRUISE SPEED, BUT WHEN HE APPROACHED TRAFFIC, HE TAPPED THE CANCEL BUTTON, THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUE TO SPEED UP. THERE WAS NO EFFECT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONSUMER THEN PURCHASED ANOTHER CRUISE CONTROL UNIT AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM.
1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT K-CAR. CONSUMER STATES ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HIS PARENTS PURCHASED THE ABOVE MENTIONED VEHICLE. BUT, SINCE HE DID MOST OF THE DRIVING, HE ASKED THEM IF HE COULD INSTALL CRUISE CONTROL. HE THEN PURCHASED IT AND INSTALLED IT HIMSELF. THE UNIT RECEIVED ITS CONTROL PULSES FROM MAGNETS AROUND THE DRIVE SHAFT, WITH A MAGNETIC PICK UP SENSOR. AFTER ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS, THE UNIT HE INSTALLED STARTED TO ACT ERRATIC. SOMETIMES HE WOULD SET THE CRUISE SPEED, BUT WHEN HE APPROACHED TRAFFIC, HE TAPPED THE CANCEL BUTTON, THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUE TO SPEED UP. THERE WAS NO EFFECT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONSUMER THEN PURCHASED ANOTHER CRUISE CONTROL UNIT AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM.
DEATH RESULTED FROM SIDE IMPACT, ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT. *AW
Safety Rating for the 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT
NHTSA has not yet tested the 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT
No technical service bulletins have been reported for this vehicle.
NHTSA Investigations for the 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation into potential safety defects in the 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT.
Other Model Years of the PLYMOUTH RELIANT
- 1981 PLYMOUTH RELIANT (current)
- 1982 PLYMOUTH RELIANT — 2 complaints
- 1983 PLYMOUTH RELIANT — 1 complaint
- 1984 PLYMOUTH RELIANT — 1 complaint
- 1985 PLYMOUTH RELIANT — 8 complaints
- 1986 PLYMOUTH RELIANT — 9 complaints
Other PLYMOUTH Models
- PLYMOUTH VOYAGER — 6,848 total complaints
- PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER — 3,388 total complaints
- PLYMOUTH NEON — 2,016 total complaints
- PLYMOUTH BREEZE — 869 total complaints
- PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM — 538 total complaints
- PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE — 408 total complaints
- PLYMOUTH COLT — 157 total complaints
- PLYMOUTH LASER — 149 total complaints