PlymouthAcclaim19942.5L L4/plymouth/acclaim/1994/2-5l-l4/
AA platform

1994 Plymouth Acclaim — 2.5L L4

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1994 Acclaim 2.5L L4. Covers both the standard and High Output 2.5L L4.

Body PASSENGER CAREngine 2.5L L4Transmission Automatic 3-spd

The 1994 Plymouth Acclaim is a front-wheel-drive passenger car built on Chrysler’s AA platform, powered by a 2.5L inline-four engine paired with a three-speed automatic transmission, and it carries an EPA rating of 19 city, 24 highway, and 21 combined mpg. Among its 80 total owner complaints, the most frequent issue area is Engine & Engine Cooling, and the model year has one recall on record. Within the Acclaim’s 1990–1996 complaint history—where 1991 peaks at 110 complaints and 1996 drops to just one—the 1994 model sits in the middle of that range, indicating a moderate reliability record that researchers should weigh against the engine-cooling concerns and single recall when evaluating this year.

Model year19941993

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qt w/ filterOEM · verified
Engine oil type15W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy19/24/21 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 05281090AB. Note the factory engine air filter, fuel filter, spark plug and thermostat are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter05281090AB
Engine air filter04213583AB discontinued · alt 04288899
Fuel filter04495409 discontinued · alt 04495781
Spark plug68305411AA discontinued
Front wiper blades4334667 alt 04389350
Serpentine beltB0015396 alt 04668303
ThermostatMD997310 discontinued · alt 04494470

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length181.1 in
Overall width68.1 in
Overall height53.5 in
Wheelbase103.1 in
Curb weight2798 lb
Track (front / rear)57.5 / 57.1 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)62/38

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined19 / 24 / 21 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume97 cu ft
Cargo volume14 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt w/ filter of 15W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine Oil15W-40 · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 qt w/ filter

Ignition

Curb Idle Speed (No Load)700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)100 rpm

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 7,500 mi. The big-interval services (every 7,500 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 miCV Joint Boot (inspect) · Power Steering Line (inspect)
Every 7,500 miBrake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Brake Line (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Power Steering System (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Automatic Seat Belt Track (lubricate) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 22,500 miBrake Linings (inspect) · Wheel Bearing (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · PCV Valve (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Suspension System (inspect)
At 52,500 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 60,000 miPCV Valve (inspect)
Every 60,000 miIgnition Timing (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (replace)
Every 90,000 miTiming Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Federal records show the 1994 Plymouth Acclaim generated 80 complaints, one recall, and two investigations, sitting below the 1991 peak of 110 complaints and the 1993 tally of 93, yet well above the 34 and single complaint logged for 1995 and 1996 respectively. The generation-wide arc shows the heaviest complaint and recall activity concentrated in the early 1990–1993 period, with 1994 representing a moderation point where complaints declined but technical service bulletins continued rising to 48 ahead of the 1995 peak of 52. Falling near the end of the elevated early-run reporting, 1994 bridges the high-volume years and the sharply quieter final two years of production. The leading complaint categories were Engine & Engine Cooling and Seat Belts, tied at 11 reports each, followed by Power Train and Air Bags, though the data does not specify root causes; the year also recorded zero fire complaints and 12 crash-related complaints. For a prospective used buyer, 1994 offers a calmer federal profile than 1991–1993, but the substantially lower complaint counts in 1995 and 1996 make it a decent yet not the strongest year to buy.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
48
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
80
Owner complaints
12 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 80 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling11
Seat Belts11
Power Train10
Air Bags8
Service Brakes, Hydraulic7
Suspension6
Seats3
Unknown Or Other3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

94V023000Seat Belts:Front:AnchorageReported 08/02/1994

THE SAFETY BELT ANCHORS (BUCKLE LOCK BARS) DO NOT MEET THE STATIC LOAD REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES." Remedy: THE TRAVELING SAFETY BELT LOCK BAR ASSEMBLIES WILL BE REPLACED ON THESE VEHICLES.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Acclaim. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1994 Acclaim 2.5L L4 take?

4.5 qt w/ filter of ABOVE 20 degrees F 30W SJ, SL, ABOVE 10 degrees F 15W-40 SJ, SL, ABOVE 0 degrees F 10W-30 SJ, SL, BELOW 32 degrees F 5W-30 SJ, SL, BELOW 100 degrees F 5W-30 SJ, SL, per the factory manual.

Does the 1994 Acclaim have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 2.5L L4 get?

EPA figures are 19 city / 24 highway / 21 combined mpg.