PlymouthColt1984Overview/plymouth/colt/1984/base/

1984 Plymouth Colt

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1984 Colt.

The 1984 Plymouth Colt carries a modest 3-quart oil capacity with filter and accepts a range of viscosities—5W-30, 10W-30, or 15W-40—pointing to a simple, broadly serviceable powertrain. Reliability data for this model year is remarkably clean: a single owner complaint on record, focused in the Power Train area, and zero recalls. When placed against the model's broader complaint history from 1990–1994, where complaints ranged from a low of 8 in 1991 to a high of 77 in 1993, the 1984 Colt sits at the quietest end of the spectrum, suggesting an early, well-sorted iteration of the platform before powertrain concerns escalated in later years.

Model year199519891988198719861985198419831982

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity3 qt w/ filterOEM · verified
Engine oil type15W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30OEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length157.1 in
Overall width62.6 in
Overall height50 in
Wheelbase90.6 in
Curb weight1865 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)60/40

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

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

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil15W-40 · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity3 qt w/ filter
Engine Oil15W-40 · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt w/ filter
Engine Oil20W-20 · 15W-40 · 5W-30 · 5W-40
Engine Oil Capacity3 qt w/ filter

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 1984 Plymouth Colt exhibits an exceptionally quiet federal record, with only a single power train complaint and zero crash or fire incidents documented for that specific model year. When contextualized within the broader generational data from 1990 to 1994, the vehicle sits well before a distinct upward trend in owner dissatisfaction and federal scrutiny, where complaints escalated from 8 in 1991 to a massive spike of 77 in 1993. The 1984 model's position at the very beginning of this documented arc implies it avoided the later, more severe issues that plagued the generation's end, though the data does not specify the root cause of its lone power train complaint. Because it entirely avoids the escalating recall and complaint volumes seen in the later years, the 1984 model represents a statistically safer and more reliable purchase within this generation.

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

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Power Train1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

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 Colt. 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 1984 Colt take?

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

Does the 1984 Colt have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.