PlymouthSundance19933.0L/plymouth/sundance/1993/3-0l/
AP platform

1993 Plymouth Sundance — 3.0L

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1993 Sundance 3.0L.

Body PASSENGER CAREngine 3.0LTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1993 Plymouth Sundance 3.0L is a passenger car built on the AP platform, featuring a 3.0L engine paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission. This configuration delivers an EPA fuel economy of 18/26/21 mpg and requires 4.5 quarts of oil with a filter in 15W-40, 10W-30, or 5W-30 viscosities. With 66 owner complaints and one recall—primarily concerning air bags—the 1993 model year sits near the top of the model's 1990-1998 complaint history, falling just below the 1992 peak of 70 complaints.

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 economy18/26/21 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 Note the factory engine air filter, spark plug, serpentine belt and thermostat are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 4-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 / combined18 / 26 / 21 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 60,000 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) · Wheel Bearing (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · PCV Valve (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect) · Timing Belt (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 1993 Plymouth Sundance sits near the peak of a troubling period in the model's history. Complaints rose sharply from 32 in 1991 to 70 in 1992, then held steady at 66 in both 1993 and 1994, while investigations remained elevated at 3 per year during this span—well above the single-investigation baseline seen in 1990. The target year actually shows the highest TSB count in the entire dataset at 39, indicating dealers were addressing a large volume of technical issues through service bulletins rather than formal recalls. Notably, the single recall in 1993 represents a sharp drop from the 4 recalls issued in each of the two prior years, though this may reflect NHTSA's response cadence rather than improved quality. The complaint profile is concerning, with air bag issues (14 complaints) leading the way, followed by seat problems (9), and notably 15 crash-related complaints—the second-highest category. By 1995, complaints collapsed to just 2, suggesting the generation's issues were largely concentrated in the 1992-1994 window. **Takeaway:** The 1993 Sundance falls squarely within the model's problem period—high complaint volume, elevated crash allegations, and prolific TSB activity suggest this was a trouble-prone year. Unless the vehicle comes with exhaustive documentation of all air bag, seat, and suspension repairs, it carries more risk than the later-model years in this generation.

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 3.0L 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 3.0L get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 26 highway / 21 combined mpg.