1992 Plymouth Laser Problems: Transmission / driveline (35 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1992 Plymouth Laser is Transmission / driveline (40% of 35 owner reports). There are 1 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 35 complaints · 1 recalls

What problems show up on the 1992 Plymouth Laser?

14 of 35 filings named Transmission / driveline (40% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (8 reports).

There are 1 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1991 has 30 reports on file; this year has 35. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 1992 Plymouth Laser

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 1 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Seat belts. Check that every belt latches, retracts and that related recalls are closed.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Transmission / driveline 14 complaints · 40.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 1
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 0
  • Deaths 1
All Plymouth Laser years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 14 of 35 owner complaints (40.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 14 complaints, 40.0% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 14 · 40.0% Engine (ENGINE): 8 complaints, 22.9% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 8 · 22.9% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 3 complaints, 8.6% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 3 · 8.6% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 3 complaints, 8.6% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 3 · 8.6% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 3 complaints, 8.6% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 3 · 8.6% Wheels (WHEELS): 3 complaints, 8.6% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 1 crash reports 3 · 8.6% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 2 complaints, 5.7% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 · 5.7% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 1 complaints, 2.9% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 · 2.9% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 25 complaints, 71.4% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 25 · 71.4% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 14 40.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 8 22.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 3 8.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 3 8.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 3 8.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 3 8.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 5.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 2.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 25 71.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 1995; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 1998. 1995-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1995-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 1996-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 1997-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 1997-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 1998-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1998-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 1998-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 1998-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 1999-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1999-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 1999-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 1999-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2001-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 1994 Jul 2008 Recall campaign 98V069002 ◆ Recall campaign 98V069002 Investigation PE94074 ● Investigation PE94074 Investigation PE97040 ● Investigation PE97040 Investigation EA98002 ● Investigation EA98002
  • Campaign 98V069002 was reported 270 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1995-Q1 Owner reports 2
1995-Q4 Owner reports 1
1996-Q1 Owner reports 1
1997-Q1 Owner reports 1
1997-Q3 Owner reports 6
1998-Q1 Owner reports 2
1998-Q2 Owner reports 4
1998-Q3 Owner reports 2
1998-Q4 Owner reports 1
1999-Q1 Owner reports 2
1999-Q2 Owner reports 1
1999-Q3 Owner reports 2
1999-Q4 Owner reports 1
2000-Q3 Owner reports 1
2000-Q4 Owner reports 1
2001-Q1 Owner reports 1
2002-Q3 Owner reports 1
2003-Q3 Owner reports 1
2005-Q3 Owner reports 1
2007-Q1 Owner reports 1
2008-Q1 Owner reports 1
2008-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 98V069002
Defect investigation 1 PE94074
Defect investigation 1 PE97040
Defect investigation 1 EA98002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (1)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline.

  1. Recall campaign 98V069002

    Transmission / driveline

    Report date
    Component:
    Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 35 complaints · page 1 of 2
2008-08-09Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10237536
CrashFireInjuryDeath
1992 PLYMOUTH LASER BADLY SLIPPING TRANSMISSION CAR QUIT IN TRAFFIC ABLE TO GET IT TOWED TO REPAIR A FULL TRANSMISSION REPAIR AT COST OF 1150.00 $ BY TRANSMISSION KINT TEMPLE TX IN 2002 ALL PARTS REPLACED OCT 10 2002. *TR
2008-02-04Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10216854
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 PLYMOUTH LASER. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE REAR WHEELS LOCKED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED AND IS NO LONGER ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE DEALER AND MECHANIC HAVE NOT YET INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98V069002 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) WAS REFERENCED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 126,502. UPDATED 02-19-08 *BF UPDATED 02/19/08 *TR
2007-03-22Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10185952
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE TRANSFER CASE ON MY 1992 PLYMOUTH LASER. I AM NOT THE FIRST OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND I HAVE OWNED IT FOR SIX YEARS. I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THSI RECALL ABOUT A MONTH AGO. I HAVE REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION 2 TIMES ALREADY AND THE FIRST TIME IT BLEW UP THE SYMPTOMS SOUND VERY SIMILAR TO THE RECALL. IN THE SUMMER OF 2002 MY TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AND AN INTERNAL PART OF IT BLEW A HOLE THROUGH MY TRANSMISSION AND THE PART FEEL ON THE ROADWAY LEAVING ME STRANDED. I HAVE CONTACTED CHRSYLER ABOUT THIS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT ISN'T THERE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE RECALL I FOUND ON YOUR WEBSITE. I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I CAN DO OR WHAT YOU COULD DO TO HELP ME IN THIS SITUATION. THANK YOU!!!!
2005-07-12Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Wheels (WHEELS)
NHTSA ODI 10128451
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE TRANSFER CASE IN HIS VEHICLE. THE RECALL NUMBER GIVEN BY THE DEALER IS 13781167. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR TWO WEEKS AGO AND THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR IT INITIALLY. THE REPAIR WAS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED LAST WEEK. HOWEVER TODAY THE DEALER CALLED TO SAY THE VEHICLE RECALL WOULD NOT BE HONORED. THE VEHICLE OWNER CALLED CHRYSLER AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT MAKE THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE TRANSFER CASE HAD BEEN REDESIGNED. THE VEHICLE OWNERS SON WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A DIRT ROAD AT 10 TO 15 MPH AND THE WHEELS LOCKED. THIS OCCURRED TWO WEEKS AGO AND THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN INTO THE SHOP FOR THE RECALL REPAIR AFTER THE RECALL WAS SEEN ONLINE. TWO YEARS THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THIS RECALL WORK COMPLETED AND THE PAPERWORK INDICATED THAT IT SHOULD STILL BE UNDER WARRANTY. *NM
2003-09-12Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Wheels (WHEELS)
NHTSA ODI 10039893
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, WITHOUT WARNING, ALL FOUR WHEELS LOCKED UP DUE TO A LEAKING SEAL FROM THE TRANSFER CASE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *PH
2002-08-08Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
NHTSA ODI 566914
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE IN MOTION CONSUMERS DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. IT APPEARS THE SHOULDER BELT RELEASED FROM THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER HARNESS. THE LAP PORTION OF THE BELT WAS NOT BUCLKED. THIS CRASH RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF THE DRIVER. *JG
2001-03-21Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 560441
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE TURBOCHARGER FAILED. NLM
2000-10-30Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 735458
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TRANSMISSION JUMPING WHILE CAR WAS IN PARK AT 60K MILES...PAINT FAILED AT 41K MILES AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED BY DEALER 2 OR 3 TIMES(STILL A MESS) ...COMPUTER FAILED AROUND 70K MILES(ALONG WITH A FUEL INJECTOR AND A SENSOR)....HATCHBACK WOULDN'T STAY UP AT ABOUT 40K-60K MILES...... MILES ARE ESTIMATED TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE
2000-09-07Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 730550
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, AND AGAIN A YEAR LATER. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED AT THAT TIME, YET IT BLEW A YEAR LATER. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THE HEAD GASKET NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE VALVES WHEN THE TIMING BELT WENT OUT. I FIND THIS UNACCEPTABLE!
1999-12-09Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 549893
CrashFireInjuryDeath
VEHICLE WAS RECALL FOR TRANSFER CASE AND DURING INSPECTION DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO INDICATE LEAKAGE, OWNER LATER DISCOVERED LEAKAGE AND DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION THE TRANSFER CASE IS COMPLETELY DAMAGED. (98V-069) MJS

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1992 Plymouth Laser?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 14 of 35 reports (40%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1992 Plymouth Laser?

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 1992 Plymouth Laser?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources