Used Dodge Stealth Buying Guide: Base, ES, R/T and R/T Turbo, Problems and Recalls

If you're shopping for a used Dodge Stealth, decide first if you want the R/T Turbo, because that one car is a different purchase from the rest of the 1991-1996 lineup. The base, ES and R/T are front-drive coupes with a non-turbo 3.0 V6 and are fairly ordinary to own. The R/T Turbo adds twin turbos, all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, and that hardware is where both the value and the repair risk live. Confirm by VIN that the car is what the badge says, and get proof the transfer case recall was done.

I read Consumer Guide's used-car file on the Stealth, two Hagerty pieces and NHTSA's recall data for every model year on Oct 19, 2026. These cars are 30 to 35 years old now, and a lot of them have been modified, neglected or both.

Four trims, one body

Hagerty says the Stealth was built in Japan alongside the Mitsubishi 3000GT and the two differed mostly in pillars, headlights and badges. The trims break down like this, using Hagerty and Consumer Guide:

• Base: single-cam V6, 164 hp, front drive, roughly $18,000 new.
• ES and R/T: twin-cam V6, 222 hp, still front drive. The ES was dropped for 1994.
• R/T Turbo: twin-turbo, intercooled V6 with 300 hp and 307 lb-ft, full-time AWD, four-wheel steering, active aero, adjustable suspension and ABS. It listed at $29,595 in 1991. For 1994 it went to 320 hp and a 6-speed manual.

Consumer Guide notes that turbos came only with a manual, and any other Stealth could have a 4-speed automatic. The 1994 refresh also brought exposed headlamps in place of the pop-ups and a passenger airbag. One odd bit of history comes from Hagerty, which says Dodge picked the Stealth to pace the 1991 Indy 500, then swapped in a pre-production Viper after an outcry over the car's Japanese origin.

Why the R/T Turbo costs more to keep

Hagerty's own words for the R/T Turbo are "a fiendishly complex exercise in excess." In its piece on underappreciated '80s and '90s cars, it adds that when complex cars get cheap, maintenance tends to fall by the wayside, and that there aren't many nice examples left. A one-owner R/T Turbo with records is a much safer buy than a cheaper one with a story.

The most specific warning I found came from an owner Hagerty interviewed, Ken Fincher, who has two R/T Turbos. He said the issue that plagues these cars is the engine computer: moisture gets in, the ECU swells and fails, and even shelf replacements can be bad. His fix was sourcing one from a late 3000GT. That's one owner's experience, but it matches Consumer Guide's note on 1996 cars, where a cam sensor code is cured by replacing the engine computer. Consumer Guide also lists automatic transmissions that lose second gear or tap when shifted (1991-96) and hard shifting on some 1991 cars.

On the test drive, ask for written records on the turbos, timing belt and AWD fluid service, and make sure the four-wheel steering and electronic suspension actually work. Consumer Guide says the 4WS turns the rear wheels slightly with the fronts above 30 mph, and it rated the turbo's ride as stiff, so a harsh ride alone isn't a fault.

Modified cars and the title

A lot of Stealths have aftermarket boost, wheels or a swapped engine. That's not automatically bad, but it changes what you're paying for. Decode the VIN on our Dodge VIN decoder to confirm the original trim and engine, and since the drivetrain is Mitsubishi's, our Mitsubishi VIN decoder helps when parts or engine codes don't line up. A "Turbo" badge on a front-drive car is an easy tell.

Then check the title. A fast car this old has often been crashed at least once. Run the VIN through NMVTIS for salvage or rebuilt brands, and read a CARFAX report or AutoCheck for accident and odometer records. A history report won't show a tune or a swap, though, and our note on whether CARFAX shows modifications explains why.

Recalls on file

NHTSA lists four Chrysler campaigns under Dodge Stealth:

• 02V143 (1991-96): oil could leak from the AWD transfer case on these Mitsubishi-built cars, risking bearing damage and drivetrain lockup.
• 93V033 (1991): an earlier AWD transfer case oil leak campaign.
• 96V143 (1991-94): a front brake hose could crack at full steering lock and full suspension travel.
• 95V103 (1991): red "PRESS" seat belt buttons could break.

The transfer case one matters most, and only on the AWD R/T Turbo. Our Dodge recall check explains how to ask a Stellantis dealer about the VIN, since NHTSA's VIN tool won't reach cars this old.

What they cost

Values are all over the place. Hagerty's magazine piece put a #2 condition 1991 R/T Turbo at $12,300 to $16,000 and said lower trims could be had under $10,000. A 65-mile 1991 R/T Turbo sold for $54,600 on Bring a Trailer, which Hagerty called a record. Consumer Guide's $1,100 to $4,600 range is years old. A clean, honest car sits somewhere between, and the history check is how you tell which kind you're looking at.

CarVins sells CARFAX and AutoCheck reports as a licensed reseller and has no tie to CARFAX, AutoCheck, Experian or Stellantis. Mid October 2026 pricing was around $5.50 guest, $4.50 member and $6.75 for both reports, versus about $39.99 to $44.99 at retail. Check the total at checkout, since prices change.

Sources

• Consumer Guide: 1991-96 Dodge Stealth
• Hagerty: The Dodge Stealth offers tech galore for a bargain price
• Hagerty: 5 underappreciated '80s and '90s cars
• NHTSA recallsByVehicle, make DODGE, model STEALTH, checked Oct. 19, 2026, e.g. 1991 Stealth