Safety ratings
1993 Plymouth Laser 2-DR. Hatchback
- Lane departure warningNo
- Forward collision warningNo
- Electronic stability controlNo
Crash test videos & photos
No public crash-test footage is available for this vehicle.
Recalls (1)
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONCampaign 98V069002 · 07/04/1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. LOCKUP OF THE TRANSFER CASE CAN OCCUR DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION.
Risk: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR ADEQUACY OF THE TRANSFER CASE OIL VOLUME, TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AND OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION OF THE TRANSFER CASE MECHANISM. IF OIL VOLUME IS INSUFFICIENT, THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF OIL WILL BE ADDED. IF THERE IS TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AFFECTED COMPONENTS WILL BE REPLACED. IF THE TRANSFER CASE SHOWS OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION, THE TRANSFER CASE WILL BE REPLACED.
Owner complaints
Most-reported areas
- POWER TRAIN8
- SEAT BELTS3
- SERVICE BRAKES2
- HYDRAULIC2
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING2
- STRUCTURE1
- SUSPENSION1
- AIR BAGS1
Read individual complaints (18 most recent)
These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.
- 11/26/1996· STRUCTURE
THE HATCHBACK WILL NOT STAY IN THE OPEN POSITION, IT COMES DOWN SLOWLY. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE HATCH BACK SUPPORTS ARE DEFECTIVE.*JB
- 09/14/1998· SEAT BELTS
PASSENGER LAP BELT DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY RETRACT AFTER BEING FULLY EXTENDED.
- 08/01/2000· SUSPENSION
THE REAR AXLE WAS BENT IN AN ACCIDENT AND REPLACEMENT PART THAT MEETS MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATION COULD NOT BE FOUND, OWNER HAS REPLACED SEVERAL AXLES THAT DO NOT MEET THE MANUFACTURERS STANDARDS. YH
- 06/07/2000· POWER TRAIN
THE CAR KEPT STALLING EVERY TIME I TRIED TO TURN IT ON. IT WOULD NOT IDLE, BUT WOULD RUN IF YOU CONTINUALLY GAVE IT GAS. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT THEY CLEANED THE STARTER PLATE, WHICH HELPED FOR A DAY, BUT THE CAR HAS STARTED DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. IT IS WORST WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE. THE CAR HAS ALSO STARTED TICKING SINCE THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED, BUT THE CAR CAR HAS HAD ALL NEW BELTS AND A NEW TENSIONER FOR THE TIMING BELT PUT INTO IT, PLUS THE EXHAUST HAS BEEN CHECKED AN NO LEAKS HAVE BEEN FOUND. *AK
- 05/28/1998· SEAT BELTS
DRIVER'S SIDE SAFETY BELT FAILED.
- 05/24/2000· POWER TRAIN
WHEN DRIVING TRANSFER CASE LOCKS UP DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION. ALSO, WILL HAVE TO TIGHTEN TRANSMISSION BOLT EVERY TWO OR THREE DAYS. *AK
- 05/20/2004· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICCrash
INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING ON DRY PAVEMENT THE ABS BRAKES ENGAGED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED BRAKE PEDAL BECAME HARD AND PULSATED AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS ON AN ICY SURFACE. EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE OCCURRED WHICH RESULTED IN TWO CRASHES. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE JUMPED OVER A CEMENT PARKING BLOCK AND RAN INTO A BRICK BUILDING. THE CONSUMER REMOVED THE ABS FUSE AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED. *AK *NM
- 05/03/1999· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
MY CAR BROKE DOWN ON THE WAY TO WORK. I HAD IT TOWED TO BOB CROW CHRYSLER-PLYMOUTH IN ROSWELL, NM. THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. BOB CROW DID NOT TOUCH THE CAR FOR A WEEK. WHEN WE CALLED THEY TOLD US WE HAD NOT PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THEM AND IT WOULD SIT UNTIL THEY WERE READY TO DO THE WORK. A MECHANIC CHALLENGED THE SERVICE MANAGER AND THEY FIRED HIM. THE OWNER, BOB CROW, SWORE AT US, TOLD US TO TAKE OUR F,,, CAR AND GET IT OUT OF THERE. WE FINALLY CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORP. THEY SAID, YES, TIMING CHAINS CAN TAKE A WHILE TO FIX, SINCE THERE WERE OTHER DAMAGES TO THE CAR. I AM REPORTING THAT BOB CROW CHRYSLER-PLYMOUTH IN ROSWELL, NM, HAS HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS. MOST PEOPLE JUST GO AWAY AND DO BUSINESS ELSEWHERE. UNFORTUNATELY, I PURCHASED MY CAR BEFORE MOVING HERE; I CANNOT CHANGE THAT. I THOUGHT I HAD THE RIGHT TO REASONABLY PROMPT SERVICE. I DID NOT THINK I WOULD BE VERBALLY ABUSED AND PUNISHED FOR NOT BUYING A CAR FROM THIS DEALERSHIP.
- 04/30/2007· POWER TRAIN
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 PLYMOUTH LASER. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH ALL FOUR OF THE VEHICLE'S WHEELS LOCKED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE, SEAL, AND YOKE FAILED, AND FLUIDS SLOWLY LEAKED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THIS FAILURE CAUSED THE TRANSFER CASE TO LOCK. THE CONTACT ROCKED THE VEHICLE BACK AND FORTH, PUT TRANSMISSION FLUID IN THE VEHICLE, AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. THERE WAS SAFETY RECALL # 98V069002 CONCERNING POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PERTAINING TO THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED, BUT WOULD REPAIR IT AGAIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 96,500, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,002.*AK
- 03/20/1998· POWER TRAIN
TRANSMISSION NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY.
- 02/15/1995· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICCrash
DRIVING 45-50MPH, MADE ATTEMPT TO SLOW DOWN, TOUCHED BRAKE PEDAL LIGHTLY, SUDDENLY VEHICLE WENT INTO A SPIN 360 DEGREES FOUR TO FIVE TIMES. TT
- 02/14/2003· AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTSCrash
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, HOWEVER THEY DID NOT INFLATE, WHICH CAUSED INJURIES TO CONSUMER. *JB THE AIR BAG WAS PARTIALLY OUT WITHOUT INFLATING AND CAUSED STEERING WHEEL INJURIES. ALSO THE SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD. SCC
- 02/13/1995· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE ACCELERATES BY ITSELF. TT
- 01/29/1996· POWER TRAIN
DRIVER'S FRONT AND REAR WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED. *AK
- 01/14/2013· POWER TRAIN
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 PLYMOUTH LASER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, HE NOTICED OIL ON THE GROUND. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE TRANSFER CASE WAS LEAKING OIL. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 98V069002 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) WAS PERFORMED. HOWEVER, THE REPAIR DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 137,902. UPDATED 02/26/13* LJ
- 01/13/2000· POWER TRAIN
COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION BEHAVIOR (SLIPPING INTO GEAR, NOT ENGAGING IMMEDIATELY WHEN PUT IN GEAR), WHEN I HAD FIRST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. AT 5204 MILEAGE, I RETURNEDTO THE DEALER ,AND HAD TRANSMISSION EXAMINED (I HAVE THE REPAIR ORDER), AND WAS TOLD ALL THE NEW TRANSMISSIONS BEHAVED THIS WAY. IT WAS VERY IRRITATING AND THE PROBLEM PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE. HOWEVER, THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT TOTALLY STOP FUNCTIONING UNTIL ON MY WAY TO WORK 7/22/98 AT MILEAGE 67927. I CONTACTED ANOTHER CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN THE AREA (SINCE THE ONE I PURCHASED FROM HAD CLOSED), AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE I WAS OVER THE 60000 MILE WARRANTY. I HAVE WRITTEN TO THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION CUSTOMER SUPPORT, AND WAS ALSO TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. HOWEVER, THEY OFFERED ME $131.00 FOR HAVING MY CAR REPAINTED DO TO THE DETERIORATING PAINT CONDITIONS I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS CAR (ANOTHER VERY LONG STORY AND BATTLE). SINCE I COULD NOT GET ANY HELP AT THE DEALERSHIP, I TOOK THE CAR TO HONEYCUTT TRANSMISSION & AUTO REPAIR, 2734 S. WILMINGTON STREET, RALEIGH, NC 27603 (919) 834-0588 WHERE THEY MADE ADJUSTMENTS AND GOT ME RUNNING AGAIN. THREE MONTHS LATER, I EXPERIENCED ANOTHER TOTAL FAILURE AND HAD THE CAR TOWED AGAIN TO HONEYCUTT. THIS TIME THEY REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $1,686.06. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT NEED REPLACING AT OVER $3,000.00. *AK
- 01/11/1999· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
NO SMMARY
- 01/06/2006· POWER TRAIN
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD THUMPING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND A TOW TRUCK WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HOME AND THEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT ALL FLUID HAD LEAKED FROM TRANSFER CASE. THE MECHANIC ALSO FOUND A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, HOWEVER THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THE RECALL WILL NOT COVER THIS REPAIR SINCE THE RECALL WORK HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED. AK