Faults:

Faulty tie rod ends

Soft suspension springs common problem

Brakes soft, but adequate

Exhaust rots and is poor quality

Paint peels

Transmission starting to slip when cold.

General Comments:

I bought this car from an insurance theft recovery at a scrapyard for $800.00. It has a V6, was in decent shape, basically stock.

I bought it after my Neon started to constantly break down, and in my opinion, the Shadow is superior in everything except gas mileage. I only purchased the car as a cheap replacement, but have since been impressed by its reliability, and have actually began modifying many things because I like this car so much. I have done several upgrades, such as higher quality brakes, upgraded stereo, and most of the cars interior including carpet and seats.

This car now has high mileage, but I have located a low mileage V-6 and plan to rebuild and install it into this car. I have many aftermarket engine performance parts that I plan to add. It has been a great car and surprisingly fun to own. I have no real complaints about the car except the squeaks and rattles and noisy interior, but it is an old car.

The V-6 is very quick and super reliable. I have had no complaints other than it can be hard on gas if you drive aggressive. I personally have added an aftermarket K&N air filter, and have had improvement in gas mileage and power. Also, buy the best quality ignition wires and cap/rotor you can find as this made a massive improvement to power and mileage on my car.

There are many things on this car that could be improved, but as an inexpensive, old, non high end vehicle, I find it is a great alternative to buying offshore imports and supporting North American Manufacturers.

Faults:

Very little. TPS sensor, O2 sensor, ignition coil..

America model can be upgraded with parts from luxury models.

Diagnose with ignition key, on-off 3 times then on. Codes blink on power loss lamp.

Replace rubber $23 timing belt every 60K miles.

No problems with this one, but head gaskets can fail usually between 115 and 130K.

Valve cover gasket may leak oil.

5 speed works well. Could even handle a higher top end 6th gear.

General Comments:

I have had several. Very reliable, avg 26-29 mpg.

Airbag.

Easy to fix, you can rebuild the motor in the car if need be.

Roomy for tall drivers.

If the car lurches when shifting, install a TPS sensor.

Cheap car that makes super commuter.

I have had a few of these cars. Parts are cheap and interchange well. Easiest car to work on I ever had, with the exception being the starter.

Faults:

No problems. Just regular maintenance. I am very diligent about pampering my 3.0 liter v6.

General Comments:

The 3.0 liter v6 in the Dodge Shadow was made by Mitsubishi. It's a very reliable and powerful engine that can run a lifetime. But; remember to do the maintenance on it as the manual specifies. This engine is very picky about maintenance. I have done the regular maintenance stuff myself. The car is super reliable. No problems and very quick acceleration. A true sleeper car.