PlymouthHorizon1987Overview/plymouth/horizon/1987/base/

1987 Plymouth Horizon

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1987 Horizon.

Transmission Automatic 3-spd

The 1987 Plymouth Horizon is a compact model equipped with a three‑speed automatic transmission and a modest 4‑quart oil capacity that accommodates a range of viscosities—from 20W‑20 up to 5W‑30—allowing owners flexibility in seasonal maintenance. Its fuel economy, recorded at roughly 21 mpg city and 24 mpg highway with a combined rating of 22 mpg, reflects the era’s emphasis on efficiency rather than outright performance. Reliability data show only nine owner complaints for the year, the most frequent issue being tire‑related, and the model was subject to two recalls, placing the 1987 Horizon toward the more dependable end of its production run despite these isolated concerns.

Model year199019891988198719861985198419831982

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4 qt w/ filterOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-20 / 15W-40 / 5W-30OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy21/24/22 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined21 / 24 / 22 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume85 cu ft
Cargo volume16 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4 qt w/ filter of 20W-20 / 15W-40 / 5W-30 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine Oil20W-20 · 15W-40 · 5W-30 · 5W-40
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt w/ filter

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miBrake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Driveshaft U-Joint (lubricate) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 22,500 miBrake Linings (inspect) · Wheel Bearing (inspect)
Every 30,000 miCarburetor (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect)
At 52,500 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 52,500 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1987 Plymouth Horizon top in one area — the tires, 1 of 9 reports (11%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 2 recall campaigns target the tires, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 1 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the tires pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
9
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 9 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Tires1
Structure1
Power Train1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic,Parking Brake,Engine & Engine Cooling,Power Train,Equipment1
Vehicle Speed Control1
Unknown Or Other1
Fuel System, Gasoline1
Electrical System1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08E033000SuspensionReported 14/04/2008

FEDERAL MOGUL IS RECALLING 6,903 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES SHIPPED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AND MARCH 26, 2008, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS. THE PART NUMBERS PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS… Remedy: FEDERAL MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 22, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL MOGUL AT 877-489-6659.

91V132000Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection SystemReported 05/08/1991

PRESSURE REGULATOR INSTALLED IN THE FUEL SUPPLY PLUMBING SYSTEM LEAKS FUEL INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. Remedy: THE FUEL SUPPLY PRESSURE REGULATOR ASSEMBLY WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ASSEMBLY TO ENSURE INTEGRITY OF THE FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Horizon. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1987 Horizon take?

4 qt w/ filter of ABOVE 20 degrees F: 30, 20 degrees F TO 80 degrees F: 20W-20, ABOVE 10 degrees F: 15W-40, BELOW 100 degrees F 5W-30 OR 5W-40, BELOW 60 degrees F: 5W-30, 5W-40, per the factory manual.

Does the 1987 Horizon have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Horizon get?

EPA figures are 21 city / 24 highway / 22 combined mpg.