Selling a junk or non-running Dodge Daytona
Fire shows up in 29 of the Dodge Daytona's 134 NHTSA complaints, more than one in five. Two of its 14 recalls were for fuel leaking in the engine compartment. If your Daytona has been sitting with a dead turbo, a burned wire or a rusted floor, we buy whole non-running and junk cars, and you can sell the whole car as it sits.
- Model years (EPA)
- 1984-1993
- Built in
- St. Louis, Mo., and Sterling Heights, Mich.
- Engines
- 2.2 K four, plus Turbo I, II and III
- Complaints to NHTSA
- 134
- Complaints that mention a fire
- 29
- Year with the most complaints
- 1989 (34)
- Recall campaigns
- 14
The Daytona at a glance
Dodge built the Daytona from October 1983 to February 1993, on Chrysler's front-drive G-body, according to Wikipedia. Bob Ackerman designed it. Production started in St. Louis, Missouri, and later moved to Sterling Heights, Michigan. Wikipedia counts 49,347 built for 1984 and 47,519 for 1985.
Every engine was a 2.2-liter four: the plain K, or the Turbo I, Turbo II or Turbo III. The Shelby trim ended after 1991 when Carroll Shelby's work with Chrysler ended, though a few 1992 Daytona IROCs still carried the Shelby name. The 1995 Avenger, built by Mitsubishi, took the Daytona's place.
What went wrong, by stretch of years
1984-1988: fuel leaks and fires
The early cars have only 29 complaints, but 12 of them mention a fire. The recalls from these years explain where to look:
- 85V010000 (1985): the hose clamp on the line to the pressure regulator could work loose, letting fuel leak and possibly start a fire under the hood. Campaign: 53,000 vehicles.
- 88V105000 (1985-1987): in the cold, fuel could seep where the supply hose joins the regulator and the rail. Dealers relocated the regulator and fitted a re-routed, formed hose. Campaign: 580,000 vehicles, which covers other models too.
- 86V053000 (1986): battery cap vents could be blocked by plastic flashing, letting pressure build until the case ruptured. Campaign: 32,149 vehicles.
- 89V011000 (1985): the driver's seat frame could crack from metal fatigue at the front outboard mount. Campaign: 60,000 vehicles.
- 84V008000 (1984): some hood latches were badly repaired at the factory or used the wrong fasteners. Campaign: 2,500 vehicles.
1989-1990: the peak
The 1989 has the most complaints, 34, along with 11 fire reports, 11 injury reports and 3 deaths. Engine and engine cooling leads (9), with air bags close behind (8). The 1990 adds 26 more.
Recall 89V237000 fixed an oil leak on 1989-1990 cars where the valve cover gasket could shift; its 634,000-vehicle count covers other Chrysler models too. Recall 92V017000 says disc brake linings on 1989 cars could separate from the shoes because of a weak bond. Recall 90V080000 says some 1990 air bag inflator modules were missing internal diffuser holes; it covered 257 vehicles.
1991-1993: seats, structure and the frame recall
The last three years have 45 complaints. Seats lead on the 1991, structure on the 1992 (7 of 17), and power train on the 1993. The 1991 had four recalls, including brake caliper bolts that could loosen and a parking brake cable of the wrong length. Recall 92V015000 says a brittle steering column coupling bolt could break on 1992 cars. Recall 93V114000, for 1992-1993, says the front frame rails might not be properly welded to the floor pan; the fix bolted them together. Campaign: 17,000 vehicles.
Complaints and recalls by model year
We took the Daytona numbers from NHTSA records dated October 10, 2026. Owners of a 1993 had fewer years to report trouble than owners of a 1984. If a campaign names more than one year, every one of those years counts it.
| Year | Complaints | Fire reports | Deaths reported | Recalls | Named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Seats (1) |
| 1985 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | Engine and cooling (3) |
| 1986 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (2) |
| 1987 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (3) |
| 1988 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (3) |
| 1989 | 34 | 11 | 3 | 2 | Engine and cooling (9) |
| 1990 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 2 | Engine and cooling (5) |
| 1991 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Seats (4) |
| 1992 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Structure (7) |
| 1993 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Power train (4) |
For the Daytona overall, owners cite engine and engine cooling 28 times, electrical 15, structure 14, air bags 13 and seats 11.
Before you decide
Put the VIN into NHTSA's recall lookup. Then set the shop's written price beside what a Daytona with the same engine and trim fetches when it runs. A Turbo or Shelby car and a base K car are not the same math.
- Smelled fuel under the hood, or already had a fire? See fire damage.
- Turbo engine knocking or smoking? Read failed turbo and blown engine.
- Floor or frame rusted through? Rotted frame covers it.
Selling the Daytona whole
- List the details: VIN, mileage, engine and trim if you know them, and what's wrong.
- Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
- Say where it sits. A low hatchback on soft tires behind a garage is fine; just tell us whether it rolls. We offer free pickup anywhere in the US.
- Keep it whole. Sell the whole car as it sits. If the turbo or wheels went to another car, mention it.
- Find the title. Long-stored car with no title? Start with selling with no title.
Other Dodges from the same years: the Stealth, the Shadow and the Charger, or every Dodge we cover.
Questions people ask
- Why do so many Dodge Daytona complaints mention fire?
- 29 of the 134 complaints mention a fire, as of October 10, 2026. Two recalls deal with fuel leaks in the engine compartment: 85V010000 for a loose fuel hose clamp on 1985 cars, and 88V105000 for leaks at the pressure regulator and fuel rail in cold weather on 1985-1987 cars. The 580,000-vehicle count on the second campaign covers other models too.
- Which Daytona year has the most complaints?
- The 1989, with 34. It also has 11 fire reports, 11 injury reports and 3 death reports, the most of any Daytona year. The 1990 is next with 26.
- Will you buy a Daytona with a dead turbo engine?
- Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Give us the engine type if you know it, say whether the car can be pushed, and tell us where it's sitting.
- What was the 1992-1993 frame recall?
- Recall 93V114000 says the front frame rails might not be properly welded to the floor pan. The fix was bolting both rails to the floor pan. The campaign lists 17,000 vehicles and may include other models.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.
- EPA fuel economy data (model years and class) fueleconomy.gov
- NHTSA complaints flat file, counted October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 84V008000: hood latch, 1984 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 85V010000: fuel hose clamp, 1985 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 86V053000: battery cap vents, 1986 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 88V105000: cold-weather fuel leaks, 1985-1987 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 89V011000: driver's seat frame, 1985 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 89V237000: valve cover gasket, 1989-1990 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 90V080000: air bag inflator modules, 1990 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 92V017000: disc brake linings separating, 1989 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 92V015000: steering column coupling bolt, 1992 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 93V114000: frame rail welds, 1992-1993 nhtsa.gov
- Wikipedia: Dodge Daytona (production, plants, engines, Shelby, successor) en.wikipedia.org