Used Plymouth Laser Buying Guide: RS Turbo AWD, Problems and Recalls

The Plymouth Laser was sold only for 1990-94, and the one worth paying real money for is the 1992-94 RS Turbo AWD. The 2.0-liter RS is the sensible cheap one, and the 1.8 base car is the slow one even Consumer Guide panned. Before you buy an AWD car, confirm the transfer case recall was done, look for a corroded splice behind the left headlight, and assume the turbo, intake and engine mounts have been touched. A history report rarely records any of that.

I read Consumer Guide's used-car file on the 1990-94 Laser, Autoweek's 2022 street-spotted piece on an RS Turbo, Car and Driver's December 1992 coupe comparison and NHTSA's recall records for each Laser year, all on Oct 20, 2026. The Laser shares nearly everything with the Eagle Talon and Mitsubishi Eclipse, and our used Eagle Talon guide already covers the DSM engine story. This page sticks to what's Plymouth-specific.

The Laser lineup, year by year

Consumer Guide says the Laser debuted in January 1989 as a 1990 model. Base cars had a 92-hp 1.8-liter four, which 1990 RS models also used; the RS later came only with a 135-hp twin-cam 2.0. The RS Turbo's turbocharged 2.0 is listed at 190 hp in Consumer Guide's overview and 195 in Autoweek's story, so expect sellers to quote either. For 1990 the turbo came only with a five-speed. For 1991 an automatic was allowed with the turbo and ABS joined the options.

The 1992 facelift swapped the pop-up headlights for exposed lamps and added the RS Turbo AWD, manual only at first. Autoweek puts its starting price at $16,853, against just under $11,000 for a base car. For 1993 the AWD could be ordered with an automatic, and turbo cars with the automatic were rated at 180 hp. The 1994 car got only detail changes, and Autoweek says production was cut short as the next-generation car went to Eagle and Mitsubishi but not Plymouth. Use our Plymouth VIN decoder to confirm an "AWD" badge matches what left the factory.

How good it was, and how rare it is now

Car and Driver crowned the Eagle Talon TSi king of the affordable coupes in 1992 and said the honor extended to the Laser RS Turbo AWD and Eclipse GSX, because all three were built at the Diamond-Star plant in Normal, Illinois, and were nearly identical. Consumer Guide's road test is cooler: the 1.8 with an automatic "does not do justice" to the styling, turbo front-drive cars suffer torque steer, and the AWD cures it. It also called out tire noise, a high beltline, poor visibility and a back seat for children only.

Plymouth sold far fewer of these than its twins. Autoweek says Laser sales peaked for 1990 at just over 42,000 and fell to just under 15,000 for 1993. So a clean, original AWD Laser is genuinely rare. Rare means you'll be tempted to skip steps. Don't.

Weak spots specific to the Laser file

• Hard or no starting, maybe no cooling fan (1990-94): Consumer Guide traces this to corrosion of a splice in the wiring near the left headlight, where water gets in. Pull the light and look.
• Severe shake and vibration (1990-94): engine and transmission mounts may need replacing. Worn mounts on a turbo car also tell you how it's been launched.
• Rear disc brake squeal (1992-94): a shim kit was released.

Consumer Guide's HLDI figures were 115 for collision and 124 for injury, against an average of 100, and its theft figure was 66. So on paper these got crashed more than they got stolen. A Laser with a clean CARFAX can still have had a nose rebuilt by a friend for cash, and that may never reach a database.

Recalls under the Plymouth name

• 98V069 (1992-94): the transfer case can lock up from too little lubrication, which can cause a loss of control. Dealers checked oil level and leaks and replaced degraded units. NHTSA lists it for every 1992-94 Laser, but front-drive cars have no transfer case, so expect it to apply to AWD cars only; confirm by VIN.
• 89V128 (1990): headlamp wiring can break from the stress of the pop-up mechanism.
• 90V106 (1990): diluted primer on the windshield flange may not hold the glass as the safety standard requires.
• 90V056 (1990): working the sunroof in a "non-standard" way can pop a hinge loose.
• 95V103 (1990-91): front belt buckle release buttons can break and jam the buckle.

Old Chrysler dealer records are patchy, so a report may not show any of this. Check open campaigns with our Plymouth recall check by VIN.

What to pay, and what the report can't tell you

Consumer Guide's 2014 good-condition range was $1,000 to $2,100. That's twelve years old, and I couldn't find a current published value for an AWD Laser I'd trust, so price the car on its condition and originality. A modified car isn't automatically bad. An unexplained one is.

A history report won't list a bigger turbo, a swapped engine or a rebuilt transfer case; our piece on whether CARFAX shows a turbo replacement explains why. What it can show is title brands, odometer readings and auction or insurance events, so check NMVTIS and then a full report.

Pricing note: CarVins is a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, unaffiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, Experian or Stellantis. As of late October 2026 a single report was about $5.50 as a guest or $4.50 as a member, with both reports for about $6.75; buying direct runs about $39.99 to $44.99. Look at the checkout price before paying, since that's the current one.

Sources

• Consumer Guide: 1990-94 Plymouth Laser (Tom Appel, 2014)
• Autoweek: Street-Spotted, Plymouth Laser RS Turbo (2022)
• Car and Driver: 1993 hot coupe comparison (December 1992 issue)
• NHTSA recalls for the 1990 Laser and 1993 Laser