The Dodge Shadow is a compact car built from 1987 to 1994. Most were assembled in the United States — 89.2% 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 Shadow is
The Dodge Shadow is a compact car that Dodge built from 1987 to 1994 — 8 model years. It has been offered with 4-cyl, V6 power. Its closest siblings in the Dodge range: Neon, OMNI.
Where the Shadow 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 323 Shadows on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 1B3, 183 | 1987-1994 | |
| Mexico | 3B3 | 1988-1994 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Dodge VIN decide which of these 1 lines your Shadow belongs to. What every character in a Shadow VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Dodge Shadow adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
Dodge Shadow tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment Shadow 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 Shadow have? Power & range
The Dodge Shadow is offered with 2 powertrains — 3L 6-cyl, 2.2L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 2 for the Dodge Shadow, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V6 | 3.0L · 6-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | FWD | Regular |
| 4-cyl | 2.2L · 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | FWD | 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 Shadow by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Dodge Shadow. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | Shadow | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 22 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 571 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 3.5 / 5 | Best and worst years |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Dodge Shadow?
The Shadow is a compact car, built from 1987 to 1994. Engines offered: 4-cyl, V6.
Where is the Dodge Shadow made?
Across 323 cars in our records the split is: the United States (89.2%), Mexico (10.8%). 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.
What is the Dodge Shadow 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 Shadow 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 Shadow?
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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