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1992 Dodge Stealth Recalls, Problems & Maintenance

The 1992 Dodge Stealth has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 5 recurring issue clusters, led by “Seat belts not retracting.” Dodge uses Stellantis' Oil Change Indicator — it watches engine load and duty cycle and messages when to change oil, capped at 10,000 miles or 12 months. Know your engine: the 3.6L Pentastar V6 goes 100,000 miles on plugs, while HEMI V8s carry sixteen plugs (two per cylinder) on a roughly 30,000-mile interval — that's a real cost difference at the service counter. HEMI models with MDS cylinder deactivation are especially sensitive to overdue oil.

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No open recalls on file. NHTSA lists no unrepaired safety recalls for this year, make and model. A recall can be issued at any time, and a specific car can still have one open — check yours by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Known issues & problems for this vehicle

What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 1992 Dodge Stealth.

Reported to NHTSA

Seat belts not retracting

SEAT BELTS

20 NHTSA complaints · 1996-01 → 2008-01

“THE SEATBELTS DO NOT RETRACT ANYMORE. ALL HINGES HAVE BEEN CLEANED, BUT RETRACTABLE SPRING MECHANISM DOES NOT PULL SEATBELT BACK INTO CAR ANYMORE. IF PULLED, EVEN EXTREMELY HARD AND FAST, THE BELT DOES NOT LOCK, IT SIMPLY EXTENDS TO THE MAXIMUM LENGTH. THE SEATBELTS ARE”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10207931
“NEITHER OF THE FRONT SEAT BELTS RETRACT PROPERLY. WHEN ENGAGED, THE SLACK MUST BE PUSHED INTO THE RETRACTOR. *JB”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10155332
“SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT, TOO MUCH SLACK IF ANY BODY MOVEMENT OCCURS WHILE DRIVING (1992 DODGE STEALTH RT TURBO). WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED NO TENSION HOLDING DRIVER AND PASSENGER IN SEAT (IF ANY OF PASSENGERS HAVE MOVED SLIGHTLY IN THE SEAT) BELT MUST BE MANUALLY RETRACTED TO”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10163174

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Transmission output shaft spline and shaft failure

POWER TRAIN

7 NHTSA complaints · 2000-08 → 2006-12

“18 SPLINE TRANSMISSION OUTPUT SHAFT IN MY 1992 TWIN TURBO DODGE STEALTH BROKE TWICE. FIRST TIME WAS JUNE 2002 AND THE CAR HAD APPROX. 91000 MILES. SECOND TIME WAS JULY 2003 AND THE CAR HAD APPROX. 114000 MILES.*AK”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10058180
“I HAVE EXPERIENCED TWO INCIDENTS OF STRIPPED SPLINES ON THE TRANSMISSION OUTPUT SHAFT [THAT GOES TO THE TRANSFER CASE]. THE BEVEL CUT GEAR IN THE TRANSFER CASE HAS ALSO STRIPPED IN BOTH INSTANCES. THIS HAS RESULTED IN CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE HAVING THE TRANSMISSION TORN DOWN TO”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10175958
“THE MALE OUTPUT SPLINES WERE PREMATURLY STRIPED INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION THAT LEADS TO THE TRANSFER CASE. THIS IS CAUSED BY CLUTCH PARTICALS AND WEATHER GETTING INTO THE TRANSMISION CASE, AND WEARING THE SPLINES DOWN PREMATURELY. THIS HAPPENES ON "ALL" MODELS OF THIS CAR , AND IT”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #726592

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Transfer case leakage, seizure and wheel lockup

POWER TRAIN

23 NHTSA complaints · 2001-08 → 2017-06

“WHILE IN MOTIONTRANSFER CASE LOCKED UP CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. FIVE MONTHS PRIOR TRANSFER CASE WAS LEAKING. *JG *JB *NLM. *AK”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10001456
“WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING TRANSFER CASE HAS CRACKED AND FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT.THIS COULD CAUSE STEERING WHEEL OR ALL FOUR TIRES TO LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #8017871
“DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT TRANSFER CASE LOCKED UP WHILE GOING AROUND A CORNER, WHICH CAUSED THE WHEELS TO LOCK. IT FELT LIKE THE CLUTCH WAS SLIPPING. WHEN HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SERVICE DEALER, THEY INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS PART OF A RECALL FOR THE TRANSFER CASE, THEY ORDERED”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10126067

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Air bag warning light remaining on

AIR BAGS

5 NHTSA complaints · 1997-06 → 2001-02

“SRS LIGHT IS STAYING ON, CAUSING AIRBAGS TO BECOME INOPERATIVE . DEALER CANNOT FIX DEFECT. AIRBAG COMPUTER HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES. *AK”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #844179
“WHILE DRIVING THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON. OWNER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIRBAG SENSOR HAS CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #822073
“VEHICLES SRS AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON, AND THIS DENOTES THAT THE AIRBAG CAN DEPLOY AT ANY MOMENT. *AK”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #813537

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Engine stalling while driving

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

4 NHTSA complaints · 1997-06 → 2011-05

“VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #813619
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 DODGE STEALTH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CAPACITOR WAS LEAKING ACID ONTO THE MAIN COMPUTER BOARD. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WOULD SPORADICALLY STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10399259

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Issues on other model years

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 20, 2026.

We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.

Raw data + downloads for this vehicle →

Essential maintenance

Critical for safety and preventing major damage

Engine Oil & Filter (Oil Change Indicator)

Every 10,000 mi

Change when the indicator says so — never beyond 10,000 miles or 12 months. Pentastar 3.6L: 0W-20. HEMI 5.7L: 5W-20 (0W-40 for 6.4L SRT). MDS-equipped HEMIs punish stretched oil intervals with lifter and cam wear.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$120–$160

Shop

~$85–$115

DIY

~$25–$55

Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.

Tire Rotation

Every 8,000 mi

Rotate every 8,000 miles. Charger/Challenger R/T and Scat Pack: staggered-width setups can't rotate front-to-rear — budget rear tires accordingly.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.

Brake Inspection

Every 10,000 mi

Inspect pads and rotors at every oil change. Heavy Durangos used for towing and hard-driven Chargers both run through rear pads faster than the front-pad-first rule of thumb suggests.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.

Important maintenance

Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently

Spark Plugs

Every 30,000 mi

HEMI 5.7L: sixteen plugs roughly every 30,000 miles — check your year's manual. Pentastar 3.6L (Charger/Challenger V6, Durango V6, Journey, Grand Caravan): 100,000 miles.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$390

Shop

~$200–$275

DIY

~$25–$100

Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.

Automatic Transmission Fluid

Every 60,000 mi

Grand Caravan/Journey (62TE): ATF+4 service every 60,000 miles in family duty. Charger/Challenger/Durango with the TorqueFlite 8-speed: no published normal interval, but specialists recommend service around 60,000-100,000 miles — sooner with towing.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$330–$500

Shop

~$235–$355

DIY

~$60–$180

Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.

Rear Differential Fluid

Every 60,000 mi

RWD Charger/Challenger and AWD Durango: replace rear diff fluid around 60,000 miles, sooner with towing or drag-strip duty. Limited-slip units need the friction-modifier additive.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$150–$195

Shop

~$105–$135

DIY

~$20–$50

Drain plug + fill plug — straightforward DIY. AWD vehicles have two; budget for both.

Engine Air Filter

Every 30,000 mi

Replace every 30,000 miles. HEMIs pull serious airflow — a clogged filter costs measurable power before it throws a code.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.

Serpentine Belt

Every 60,000 mi

Inspect from 60,000 miles, replace on cracking or glazing. On the HEMI, a shredded belt can take the cooling drive with it mid-drive.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$195–$235

Shop

~$135–$165

DIY

~$20–$50

DIY-friendly if you can reach the tensioner. Inspect for cracks rather than swap on a strict mileage interval.

Recommended maintenance

Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort

Cabin Air Filter

Every 20,000 mi

Replace every 20,000 miles where equipped (behind the glovebox on most models). Some earlier Journeys and Avengers shipped without one — check before buying a filter.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.

Coolant Replacement (OAT)

Every 100,000 mi

Stellantis OAT coolant is scheduled for 10 years / 150,000 miles; shops commonly refresh by 100,000. OAT-compatible coolant only — mixing chemistries gels the system.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$330

Shop

~$200–$235

DIY

~$25–$60

Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.

Battery Test & Service

Every 25,000 mi

Test annually after year 3. Big-audio Chargers and tow-package Durangos lean on the battery hard; weak batteries surface as gremlins in the electronics before they fail to crank.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$225–$390

Shop

~$160–$280

DIY

~$130–$250

Most auto-parts stores test and install batteries free with purchase. Skip the dealer markup.

Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.

How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.

This maintenance schedule for the 1992 Dodge Stealth reflects Dodge's published service intervals and the Oil Change Indicator System system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.

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