Vehicle report
1987 CHEVROLET SPECTRUM
This model year
What the record shows
The 1987 Chevrolet Spectrum is a subcompact car, and the 3rd model year of a nameplate NHTSA records from 1985 to 1989.
The EPA rated two configurations: a single 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, front-wheel drive only, two transmissions and running on regular gasoline.
Combined fuel economy ranges from 28 to 33 mpg depending on which one you have.
The federal record holds 9 owner complaints for it.
Counts are reports, not rates. A complaint is something an owner chose to file; it is unverified and unadjusted for how many of these cars were sold, so the useful comparison is against other model years of the same car. Recalls and investigations carry more weight because a manufacturer or regulator acted on them.
Reading this report
Complaint counts are reports filed with NHTSA, not failure rates. A common model collects more of them than a rare one that breaks more often.