Selling an old or junk Dodge Lancer

A Lancer that has sat for decades, or one that runs but isn't worth the next repair, can go as it is. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and we pick up free anywhere in the US.

Which Lancer this is

Dodge has used the name three times, Wikipedia says. The first ran from 1955 to 1959, and that is the car in the photo above. The second was a compact sold for 1961 and 1962, then replaced by the Dart. The third, the one this page covers, came back in 1985 as a front-wheel-drive mid-size car on Chrysler's H platform.

All of the 1980s Lancers were built in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with a 2.2-liter K four. Production ended on April 7, 1989, and the Spirit took its place. For 1988, Dodge also sold the Lancer Shelby, an option package on the Lancer ES. The EPA lists a Lancer and a Lancer Convertible.

Complaints and recalls by year

Every figure here comes from what Lancer owners told NHTSA, tallied to October 10, 2026, and they are not proven defects and not a reliability score. A 1989 has had fewer years than a 1985 to gather reports. Multi-year recalls show up in every year they cover.

What the recalls fixed

1985-1986: the first cars

The 1985 carries four campaigns. Recall 85V010 says an engine-bay fuel hose clamp may not have been tightened enough, and the hose could leak and cause an engine fire. Recall 84V163 added a front center seat belt left off 208 cars. Recall 89V011 replaced a driver's seat frame that could suffer fatigue failure at its front outboard mount.

Recall 88V105 reaches 1985-1987 cars: in the cold, fuel might escape at the connections between the supply hose, the regulator and the fuel rail. NHTSA's 580,000 figure is campaign-wide, so Lancers are only a share of it. On the 1986, recall 86V053 cleared battery cap vents that plastic flashing could block, and the 1986 has the most complaints of any year, 14.

1987-1989: brakes and an oil leak

The 1987 had recall 89V038, which swapped the parking brake assembly because one of its pieces might disengage, along with the fuel hose campaign above. Three of its 8 complaints mention a fire. The 1989 had recall 89V237: the valve cover gasket could slip and leak oil, fixed with a revised cover and RTV sealant. That campaign counts 634,000 vehicles and may include other models.

Selling the Lancer whole

1. Write down the VIN and mileage, and note whether it's the hatchback or the convertible.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Name the spot, garage or yard or curb, and say if any wheel is seized; that decides how the driver loads it. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave the parts on. Sell the whole car as it sits, and mention anything already pulled.
5. Hand over the Lancer's title at pickup and show ID. Title lost? Read selling with no title.

Fix it, keep it, or let it go?

Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall search first, especially for the fuel hose campaigns on 1985-1987 cars. For a Lancer that hasn't moved in years, car sitting for years covers what usually needs attention. If it was a half-done project, see old project car. When the repair quote runs near what the car would bring running, selling it whole is often simpler.

Other Dodges from those years: the Spirit, Shadow and Dynasty, or every Dodge.