The Dodge Raider is a special-purpose vehicle built from 1985 to 1989 over 3 generations. Most were assembled in Japan — 100% of those on record. Engines offered: 4-cyl, V6. Worth buying? It depends heavily on which year you buy at 3.5/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the Raider is
The Dodge Raider is a special-purpose vehicle that Dodge built from 1985 to 1989 — 5 model years. Our measurements put it at 3 generations, the current one starting in 1989. It has been offered with 4-cyl, V6 power. Its closest siblings in the Dodge range: Charger, Ram, Challenger.
Where the Raider is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 13 Raiders on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | JB7 | 1987-1989 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Dodge VIN decide which of these 3 lines your Raider belongs to. What every character in a Raider VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Dodge Raider adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
Raider generations, and what changed
These boundaries are not copied from a brochure — they fall out of the measurements. Where the Raider's length or wheelbase jumps between consecutive model years the platform changed: a facelift moves a bumper by centimetres, a new generation moves the whole car — for the Raider that gives 3 distinct generations below.
| Generation | Length | Wheelbase | Weight | vs previous | Weight change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 400 cm | 235 cm | 1443 kg | - | - |
| 1988 | 379 cm | 235 cm | 1455 kg | -21 cm | +12 kg |
| 1989 | 400 cm | 267 cm | 1416 kg | +21 cm | -39 kg |
Dodge Raider tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment Raider owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Dodge Raider have? Power & range
The Dodge Raider is offered with 2 powertrains — 3L 6-cyl, 2.6L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 2 for the Dodge Raider, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V6 | 3.0L · 6-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Regular |
| 4-cyl | 2.6L · 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Regular |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
The Raider by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Dodge Raider. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | Raider | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 8 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 33 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 3.5 / 5 | Best and worst years |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Dodge Raider?
The Raider is a special-purpose vehicle, built from 1985 to 1989 across 3 generations. Engines offered: 4-cyl, V6.
Where is the Dodge Raider made?
Across 13 cars in our records the split is: Japan (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
How many generations does the Raider have?
3 by our measurements, the latest starting in 1989. We draw the boundaries where length or wheelbase jumps between model years — a facelift moves a bumper, a new generation moves the whole car.
What is the Dodge Raider warranty?
New models carry 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the Raider reliable?
It scores 3.5/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific Raider?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Dodge
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge Charger | 1983–2026 | 133 | 98 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Dodge Ram | 1994–2012 | 188 | 17 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Dodge Challenger | 1981–2026 | 77 | 23 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Dodge Durango | 1995–2026 | 160 | 21 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Dodge Viper | 1992–2017 | 45 | 16 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Dodge Caravan | 1984–2008 | 208 | 35 mpg | 3.5/5 |
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