PlymouthAcclaim19943.0L V6/plymouth/acclaim/1994/3-0l-v6/
AA platform

1994 Plymouth Acclaim — 3.0L V6

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1994 Acclaim 3.0L V6.

Body PASSENGER CAREngine 3.0L V6Transmission Automatic 3-spd

The 1994 Plymouth Acclaim sat on Chrysler's AA platform as a passenger car, pairing its 3.0L V6 exclusively with a three-speed automatic transmission and earning an EPA rating of 18 city / 24 highway / 21 combined mpg. Maintenance specifications called for 4.5 quarts of engine oil with filter, with approved viscosities of 15W-40, 10W-30, or 5W-30—reflecting the flexible service regime common to early-1990s Chrysler products. Within the model's complaint history spanning 1990 through 1996, the 1994 year logged 80 owner reports with engine and engine cooling leading the issue categories against a single recall on file, placing it well below the 1991 peak of 110 complaints yet still a long way from the near-spotless 1996 low of just 1. That middle-of-the-pack standing suggests the Acclaim had largely worked through its early-decade rough patches without yet delivering the final-year reliability buyers would come to associate with the nameplate.

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 economy18/24/21 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 Note the factory engine air filter, fuel filter, spark plug and thermostat are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 plug68304174AA 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 / combined18 / 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 15,000 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 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 7,500 miBrake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Brake Line (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Power Steering System (inspect) · Steering Linkage (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) · Timing Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miIgnition Timing (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (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.

The 1994 Plymouth Acclaim recorded 80 federal complaints, a modest drop from the 93 complaints in 1993 but still above the low 34 complaints seen in 1995, placing it near the middle of the generation’s complaint curve. Recall activity peaked in 1991 with three recalls, fell to a single recall in 1994, and then vanished for the remainder of the run, indicating that the 1994 model benefited from the earlier recall fixes without introducing new major defects. Investigations remained steady at two per year from 1992 through 1995, while Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) rose steadily each year, reaching 48 in 1994—suggesting that manufacturers were addressing recurring issues through service documentation rather than formal recalls. The top complaint categories for 1994 focus on Engine & Engine Cooling, Seat Belts, Power Train, and Air Bags, with 12 crash‑related complaints and no fire complaints, showing that safety‑critical failures were limited. **Takeaway:** 1994 sits in a relatively stable part of the model’s reliability trend, with low recall risk and manageable complaint levels, making it a reasonable year to consider buying, provided the specific engine‑cooling and belt components are inspected.

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 3.0L V6 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 3.0L V6 get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 24 highway / 21 combined mpg.