PlymouthSundance19932.2L/plymouth/sundance/1993/2-2l/
AP platform

1993 Plymouth Sundance — 2.2L

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1993 Sundance 2.2L.

Body PASSENGER CAREngine 2.2LTransmission Automatic 3-spd

The 1993 Plymouth Sundance rides on Chrysler’s AP platform as a compact passenger car, powered by a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a three-speed automatic transmission that delivers EPA-estimated fuel economy of 21 city, 26 highway, and 23 combined mpg. With a 4.5-quart oil capacity and recommended viscosities spanning 15W-40 to 5W-30, the drivetrain reflects the straightforward, cost-conscious engineering typical of its era. This model year logged 66 owner complaints—concentrated most heavily in airbag systems—and a single recall, placing it near the midpoint of the Sundance’s 1990–1998 complaint spectrum; while not the most troubled iteration, its reliability record still trails the near-flawless 1998 finale.

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 economy21/26/23 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 Note the factory engine air filter, spark plug, serpentine belt and thermostat are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 filter04288899 discontinued · alt 04213583AB
Fuel filter04495780
Spark plug68305411AA discontinued · alt 68304174AA
Front wiper blades4334667 alt 04389350
Serpentine belt04668303 discontinued · alt B0015481AB
Thermostat04494470 discontinued · alt MD997310

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length171.7 in
Overall width67.3 in
Overall height52.8 in
Wheelbase96.9 in
Curb weight2546 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)62/38

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined21 / 26 / 23 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
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 7,500 miBrake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Automatic Seat Belt Track (lubricate) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 22,500 miBrake Linings (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.

The 1993 Plymouth Sundance sits squarely in a high-complaint peak for its generation, with 66 owner complaints — essentially flat against 1992 (70) and 1994 (66) and more than double 1991's 32 — even as recall activity dropped sharply from four in 1991-1992 to just one in 1993. The 39 TSBs logged for 1993 are the highest of any model year in the federal record, indicating active factory attention but also a vehicle still being refined mid-cycle. The complaint mix is safety-significant: air bags lead at 14, followed by seats (9), suspension (6), and electrical system (6), and 15 of the year's complaints are crash-related — a meaningful share of the total — with an additional 3 fire complaints. Across the generation, 1990-1994 forms a persistent trouble band, while the dramatic drop to 2 complaints in 1995 and 1 in 1998 more plausibly reflects dwindling road presence than a sudden reliability breakthrough, a caveat the data does not resolve on its own. Bottom line, 1993 is not the worst year in the arc but is far from a sweet spot, so a buyer should prioritize verifying the single 1993 recall was performed, inspecting the suspension and air bag system, and pricing in likely TSB-related fixes rather than treating it as a turnkey purchase.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
39
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
3
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
66
Owner complaints
15 involved a crash · 3 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 66 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags14
Seats9
Suspension6
Electrical System6
Engine & Engine Cooling5
Vehicle Speed Control4
Structure4
Power Train3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

99V212000Seats:Front Assembly:ReclinerReported 06/08/1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE LOWER SEAT BACK ATTACHING BOLT ON THE DRIVER SEAT CAN FAIL AND SEPARATE. Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LOWER SEAT BACK ATTACHING BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT WITH A HIGHER STRENGTH BOLT THAT INCLUDES A SELF LOCKING NYLON PATCH.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 39 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
R2118796A2016-02-26Engine And Engine CoolingValve Body. These may cause over drive cycling.
08010012001-05-25Electrical SystemSUBJECT REGARDING AIRBAG / CLOCK SPRING SERVICE FOR VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING 2002 MODEL…
21006012001-03-16Power TrainAUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE ATF+4. *TT *MJ
0800600REV2000-12-29Electrical SystemSUBJECT REGARDING WIRE SPLICE REPAIRS. *SB
2300800B2000-11-24SeatsSUBJECT REGARDING CHILD SEAT TETHER ANCHORS. *TT

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 Sundance. 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 1993 Sundance 2.2L 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 1993 Sundance have open recalls?

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

What gas mileage does the 2.2L get?

EPA figures are 21 city / 26 highway / 23 combined mpg.