1987 Plymouth Colt

The 1987 Plymouth Colt's federal record shows Seat Belts as the dominant complaint area with 5 reported incidents, trailed by Service Brakes, Hydraulic with 1 complaint, alongside 1 crash-related complaint and zero fire complaints. Comparing the target year to the subsequent years in the database reveals a notable trend: complaint volumes remained relatively low through 1991 (13 and 8 complaints), then spiked dramatically in 1993 to 77 complaints with a concurrent increase in recalls from 1 to 3, before dropping to zero in 1994. The 1987 model year predates this documented period but shares the same TSB count of 4, suggesting common service issues across the generation. The 1993 spike indicates problems that accumulated over the model run, potentially affecting earlier model years like 1987 through shared components or design flaws. While the 1987 data shows modest complaint activity, the sharp escalation in later years raises questions about whether latent defects present in early production eventually manifested on the road. Given the low complaint count for the target year but the concerning trend in subsequent years, the 1987 Plymouth Colt represents a relatively modest risk, though prospective buyers should prioritize a thorough pre-purchase inspection with particular attention to seat belt mechanisms and brake system integrity.