Personally I have owned four GM cars, two Ford cars, and I am on my first Chrysler vehicle. I haven't owned it very long but I have had it in the shop about 7 or 8 times by now. I have never been a Chrysler fan but I got a really good deal on this car so I thought why not. Anyway how have some of your Chrysler vehicles been treating you? That is if you own any. In my opinion I wish I would have stuck with GM. Loved all my GM cars except one I didn't really care for. So anyway have at it.... :)

About a month ago, I went to the chrysler dealer just to check out the new cars they had (crossfire and 300). I was treated very nice and just like I was a old guy with money coming out of his ears..

If worse comes to worse, they have a GOLDEN service department and overall service.. very pleased!

My Bother in Law is a huge Chrysler Fan. I have owned a few. I still have a 1986 Fith Ave - no rust , engine only has 120k Kilometes. It has a few electrical problems (driver side window, door locks ) nothing unexpected for a 18 yer old car. On the other hand I also owned a 1985 Caravan that was a nightmare. 2.2 Litre just too small and engine for that vehicle. I bought it as a demo and it was constantly in the shop for reparis. Catalytic convertor overheated to the point it burnt the rug inside !

My opinion now is if you buy a high end vehicle , used for new , odds are the big three come across the same more or less. Of course all of them can have lemons. Me personally arm now a GM man - only because the 2 vehilces I have now have I am very satified with and to date have given me no grief. Will I ever buy a Chrysler again - maybe but sticking with GM for now.

I only hate Chrysler because my parents seem to have thiis odd obsession with breeding early 90's mini vans. We used to have 1, now there are 5 in the driveway..

I owed 5 Imperials (1968/1972/1974/1975/1982). The 1982 was a lemon of the highest order. All the rest were fantastic.

My wife owned a 1982 Dodge 400 and then a 1985 Dodge Diplomat. Both were just fair, and had their share of problems.

However, I believe that since that time (mid-eighties) their products are on a par with Ford and/or GM. I know friends who have them, and swear BY (not at) them.

Our son bought a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Limited. He has 21,000 miles on it, and has not yet had problem #1. At the time (2001) his boss told him to buy a Ford Explorer (as the boss did). Boss is now in a Chevy Tahoe, after settling with the Lemon laws and having Ford buy the thing back!!

The Cherokee marchs onward.

I too know some HUGE Chrysler fans that wouldn't buy anything but Dodge and Chrysler. To me a lot of Chrysler vehicles just seem really cheap inside and I'm having my fair share of mechanical problems with mine.:devil: I also don't like some of the mechanical engineering that goes on with Chrysler vehicles. They always seem to place "wearable parts" in almost impossible to reach places as if someday they will not need to be replaced. I guess I'm just accustomed to my GM vehicles being very easy to work on. I think Ford and GM are pretty much a tie right now with build quality/reliability with Chrysler just lagging a little behind.

:Offtopic: What vehicle manufacturers would you buy from and which ones would you run from?

I would buy: all GM (except maybe Pontiac), Honda, Infinity, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan, and maybe Hyundai (yes they are getting alot better)

I would not buy: Ford, Jaguar, Kia, Daewoo, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, or any Chrysler product

I sure dont want a new age chrysler but ill take any old school mopar

id also take most any 2.2 turbo chrysler from the late 80s early 90s tops 5 being the 85 GLH , 87 Shelby Charger GLHS, 90 Lebaron VNT ,90 Daytona with the VNT, and of coarse the 93 Daytona Iroc with the 16v 2.2 turbo built by lotus

They have some issues today..

The ram 1500's have a tranny issue. My friends dad has one, and its got 45k and it already needs a new transmission!!!

I also know someone that works at a chrysler factory, and actually builds the ball joints, here in New Castle, Indiana!

The dealer should cover them, its a a recall......

I have always hated Chrysler products. Growing up I was brainwashed by my dad and some of his friends, but as I got older I began to realize myself how inferior they are. Any Chryslers I see that are more than a few years old always seem to be falling apart. I'm a staunch GM fan, but I'll admit when a company builds a good car and Chrysler just doesn't in my opinion. Some of the newer cars, 300C and Crossfire, seem promising though. No matter what they build though I'll never accept a Chrysler product.

Id buy: GM (Cadillac;GMC;Hummer;Buick;Pontiac) Ford(Ford;Lincoln;Jaguar;Land Rover;Volvo;Mazda;Aston Martin) Chrysler( only:300C;Crossfire;Viper;SRT10) BMW(Mini;RollsRoyce;BMW) Honda;Lexus;Infiniti;Acura

Id stay away from: GM(Chevy;besides corvette;Deawoo) Ford(Mercury) Chrylser(most of there cars except the listed ones) Mercedes(All;reliability) Audi(too plain) Toyota cars;Suzuki..............cant think of others.....they must suck then.:)

About the Ram 1500 I know of someone too that had trany problems with theirs he was able to unload it though when the lease was up and the trany hadnt gone just yet. I certainly think the new Chryslers are decent cars they have interesting design and they are really throwin this hemi thing around. Of course if you think about it a 5.7liter(Hemi is 5.7) Northstar would blow the 340Hemi away.

I've owned 2 chryslers: a 94 new yorker (LHS) and a 97 dodge intrepid. Both had the 3.5 SOHC V6. I really liked the new yorker, it was huge inside, had plenty of headroom, rode nice in the back and moved decent. I sold it to the crapwayr after a cop totaled it at an intersection.

I bought the intrepid at an auction and was a solid car, but i did not like it as much as the NY. The biggest problem with both of these vehicles was the water pump and timing belt, a good DIY job. My wife sold the Intrepid to my Sister in law after I bought the STS - I never got to replace the water pump in the trep in time. I started to leak under my sister in laws incapable hands and it went bone dry. She drove it until it blew up.

I ended up putting in a junker engine and it still runs.

I had considered purchasing a 300M or newer LHS when I was looking at the caddy, but I think I made the right choice.

What kind of Chrysler is it? Friends of ours had an older Intrepid and had a lot of problems with it. They traded it in for a 1999 LHS and they've never had a major problem yet. You hear about a lot of problems with the older style Intrepids but not much about the newer ones.

I've had a few of them in the 1980's, and they are as tough as nails. Leaky side windows, clunky tranies, etc. don't seem to effect the reliability one bit. :p I think they have got their act together today for the most part. I also think of the 1980's K-car as somehow hurting their reputation in the past, and stereotypes are hard to break. They built lots of those minivans in the 1980's and they are responsible for saving the company if I'm not mistaken. But supposedly, they weren't that good in quality.

The car in question is a 1996 Chrysler LHS. It has the 3.5L SOHC V6 with a 4 speed auto transmission. I like the cars room, dash layout, slick leather seats, and exterior style. I hate how its always in the shop and how it just has a cheap feeling (a ton of cheap plastic, squeaks and rattles, horrible fake wood trim, ect...) It just doesn't seem as "tight" of a car as my GM cars. It rattles all over the place, the steering wanders a bit, cheap materials, transmission sudders a little bit sometimes when downshifting like when coasting to a stoplight.

This is what I've done so far:

*Upper intake manifold gasket
*Driver side outer tie-rod end
*Passenger side inner tie-rod end (what a pain in the a$$!)
*Passenger side strut bearing
*Three new lug nuts (boy, they sure do stick to those aluminum wheels)
*Infinity radio quit working

The car still does not steer correctly and the whole front suspension is all messed up. It makes all kinds of wierd thumps and bumps and snaping noises when turning the wheel. :hmm:


These are the known major problems with LHS's: (I hope I don't have to do the first four)

Water pump (which in turn takes out the timing belt)
Timing belt
Air conditioning compressor & evaporator
Automatic transmission failure
Front suspension problems (kinda like what I'm having)

It seems that almost all LHS's have these 5 problems at some point or another but nothing else ever seems to fail on them. Only these five things.

I dont know about Chrysler..
My mom has the 1999 concorde, which is basically the dodge interped.
both have the 2.7L DOHC v6 thats notorious for oil build up.. something about the internal oil passage being to small, causes it to sludge up.
These engines also have a timing chain failure problem..

No recall was issued but there is a lawsuit
Glad it's under warrenty still

My friend's dad get a company and for awhile he was getting Dodges, he had two Intrepids. Then the company started giving him Pontiacs, a Bonneville and a bunch of Grand Prixs, and he likes them way more. Chrysler just always seems to come up short.

The only Chrysler products I would ever consider would be the old police cars, Diplomat, Gran Fury, Monaco, they were kinda cool.

They have some issues today..

The ram 1500's have a tranny issue. My friends dad has one, and its got 45k and it already needs a new transmission!!!

I also know someone that works at a chrysler factory, and actually builds the ball joints, here in New Castle, Indiana!

The dealer should cover them, its a a recall......Practically all 90's+ chryslers have tranny and engine problems... especially the trucks. Why we'll never buy chrysler again... some of their engineering can be dangerious, If you floored it from a regular cruise, the downshift on our 89 dakota would take forever and then decide to pick the WRONG gear to go into, loosing accel time and almost causing accidents. Heard story's of this on other cars from chrysler as well.

Might buy the latest ones based on mercedes platforums, like the crossfire, and pacifica.

Overall I see Chrysler being the only domestic brand car company making a rise in the car market. They're bringing out some nice performing vehicles in the SRT-4, SRT-6, Magnum R/T, and 300C Hemi. But what I don't like is how they're relying on Benz and AMG to do most of the work on any damn thing anymore. Everytime I pick up a magazine and start reading something about a Chrysler product there's always something about this AMG designed/engineered/produced part in this Chrysler vehicle. The SRT-10 Ram is a joke IMO. Over $45k for a truck that can barely outperform a 7 year old platform in the Lightning isn't impressive in my book. And the 6 speed manual is down right retarded to have in that thing. When most of the engines tq is down low in the rpm's you have to be shifting like a mad man when trying to race it. They should have taken a page out of Ford's book with it being an automatic but the new Quad Cab SRT-10 Ram will come with a auto but with the optional 6 speed manual. Another example is the Crossfire. Even the commercials were bragging about how it was german engineered and the engine and tranny and gear box are all Benz parts. And when you go to a dealer all they try to point out is that this and that are from Benz so it must be good. Even though the SRT-6 Crossfire is going to be fast all it is is a engine from a the AMG verison of the SLK230. And with this new ME412 they're supposedly making the gear book was designed and built by AMG, the engine was designed and built by AMG, the tranny was designed and built by AMG. So what is it that Chrysler does? Say we want this and that.....Benz/AMG go build it so we can throw our badge on it. So even though DCX is rising in the market the only reason is doing it with Benz/AMG doing all the work for them.

I personally have only owned two Chrysler products.

1. 1980 Jeep Cj5. Tough as nails. Rebuilt the 304 V8 and went a little crazy with the power in such a small truck. This baby was a play toy...no radio, no ac, nothing but a V8 and mud tires (about 8-9mpg).

2. 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. This baby had all the bells and whistles: V8, leather, power this and power that, blah, blah. It was one of the most comfortable trucks, but probably the biggest P.O.S. I have ever owned. I had one drivetrain problem after another.

The two best days you'll own a Jeep/Chrysler product are: the day you but it, and the day you sell it! :tisk:

Overall I see Chrysler being the only domestic brand car company making a rise in the car market. They're bringing out some nice performing vehicles in the SRT-4, SRT-6, Magnum R/T, and 300C Hemi.

Blackout, as usual, you're right on the money, and this article backs you up. Also, if you notice the stock prices at the bottom, they were higher today, indicating growth in sales, etc.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=7240&sid=173&n=156

No-one can say anything bout the new hemi's. THey haul ass.

Just about everyone I know with a Chyrysler product hates it because of problems. One of the most common was transmission problems. My dads Jeep Cherokee. Manager where I worked had problems even after the dealer fixed it. Uncle had numerous problems with a truck too. A friend of my dad had a few truck he used for his home building business. Nothing but trouble. And always said he hated it. Even people I know that didn't have problems with it, didn't really give it any praise. I've never owned one, and probably never will.

The two best days you'll own a Jeep/Chrysler product are: the day you but it, and the day you sell it! :tisk:
uhhhhh....thats a boat dude...

I would NEVER buy any DymerChrysler vehicle except maybe a Maybach...those look nice.

Dodge is a joke. Even with the Hemi, their cars and trucks still suck. They look nice though - i like the new Magnum, but id never get one because of the reliability issues that come with dodges.

Jeep isn't too bad, but again, id never buy one. I thought the Liberty was a good move by them though.

Chrysler. well, id never get one, but the 300 looks REAL nice. i might test drive it sometime.

Chrysler is a mixed bag. A friend of mine bought a 94 LHS with 130k, put 20k on it in a year and its running like new (I've been driving it around lately). In 20k, he had to install a used AC compressor and evaporator sensor. Easy DIY stuff, cheap parts. Nothing atypical for its age. Its due for a tranny.. the current one is making funny sounds. But after a decade and about 150k, thats not bad at all. The engine could run forever, the chassis feels tight and the interior shows very little wear -- its like new inside.

Constrastingly, anyone with a 2.7L V6 in their Chrysler/Dodge product got to enjoy total engine failure from sludge, timing chain tensioner failures, and other engine-related fatal/catastrophic damage.

The Chrysler 300M, which utilizes a 250HP 3.5L V6, has developed a reputation for a strong reliable drivetrain.

So I guess the lesson here is that Chryslers either suck hard or run well for a long time (affordably) -- it all depends.

-Jesda

:crying: I hate my POS Chrysler

Yea the 300C drives great I love how the car accelerates....it seems to never end. But you are right about AMG/Benz/Chrysler.....Chrysler is designing the cars and Mercedes is engineering them....or so it seems.

Chrystler is now owned by Daimler-Benz. Chrystler has recently released a lot of new "Benz-like" designs; I suppose we can all be grateful that Benz in influencing Chrystler and not the other way around. That means Chrystler only stands to become more refined and hopefully more reliable. As to the Crossfire, is was entirely created by Benz's designers and engineers, and it's been said that the Crossfire is almost to much Benz to wear the Chrystler label. I don't think they'll make that mistake again, because they could sell the same car for a lot more money if it wore the peace sign on the front.

My personal disgust for Jeep and Chrystler comes from the first year I owned a lemon that spent a whole month in the shop. This dealer sold me a POS and then they didn't want to fix the damn thing. That would leave a bad taste in anybody's mouth. So after that (and hearing stories like it from people I met at the dealer's service dept) I swore off the entire company and sold the POS.

I own two classic Chryslers. '59 Imperial and a '68 Newport convertible. Both of those are tanks that will out live me.

Had a '96 Ram that had five transmission rebuilds before 60k. I had to dump it because the tranny was going out again and warranty was up. Every time it had the same problem of not being able to decide which gear it wanted.

Sister currently has a 300M. Very nice car. They all seem to suffer from the same few problems and she has had them as well. Flakey power window motors and bad a/c evaporator last month.

Chrysler is really screwing people on the warranty. On sisters car the sway bar end links are bad and not covered by warranty because they are "regular maintenance items". I've never had GM tell me a front end part needs to be replaced as regular maintenance. Coworker just sold his Sebring and bought a Ford truck because every time the car went in the shop they found some way out of warrantying the failure.

Swore I would never own another one but have to admit I really want a 300C. Thats the first new car in a decade that I REALLY want. Beautiful design and a real engine!

Steve B.

I work at a used car dealership and throughout my years there I have seen Chrysler be consistant in one aspect: manufacturing crap. It it nothing more than a grab bag of junk parts tossed into a very pretty box. Last month we had 2 Intrepid (99-00) transmisssinons go out and a 99 300M (whose driver and pass widdows were inop.) spin a bearing. This is a joke. How about a 03 Neon with 32K miles that leaks oil and knocks! The one thing Chrysler has that keeps them afloat is one heck of a design team. The 300C, Prowler, Crossfire, Viper, Pacifica, even the PT Cruiser (simply for popularity reasons) all set the bar in consumer vehicle dynamics. Chrysler had better pick up some clues from Mecredes quality pretty damn quick or they should take a lesson from Kia and just start including a free vehicle with every purchace (a back up you know).

"'59 Imperial "

didnt that have the pushbutton shifter ? or am i thinking about the fury again ?

there still isnt a beatter sound than an old chrysler v8 starting up

i see alot of 2.4l chrysler 4s going up in smoke , something in the head goes and instaly looses all oil and coolant and greandes the engine all in about 1 minute , ususly does this at highway speeds , just all at once out of nowhere "BOOM". Rare to see any engine do that but very common on the older design 2.4

My father has had 2 Intrepids over the last 7 years, both are company cars. The first he put 170k on with minimum maintenance in 5 years, I think it went to the shop for a new AC compressor, fuel pump, and waterpump, and 2 sets of tires. He went 10kish between oil changes due to his schedule. The company basically gave it to him and gave him a new one. The old one was a 1997 which my younger brother now drives happily at 215k on the clock and still running fine (though it does leak oil). His new one is a 2002 and he's already put 78k on it and it has never had a problem. These are different style years as well as they were redesigned in 2000/1ish.

Some of our neighbors have Intrepids as well and all of them are very satisfied with the reliability of the car. It's not fancy and not the most comfortable, but they LAST...

I know most on this board are biased toward GM but I have to say that I was mighty tempted to go get an Intrepid because they're dirt cheap new, ride well, and are fairly bulletproof. I can't speak on any other Chrysler/Dodges

"'59 Imperial "

didnt that have the pushbutton shifter ? or am i thinking about the fury again ?


Yes. Pushbutton trans was common across the Chrysler line up until 64ish.

Steve B.

I own two classic Chryslers. '59 Imperial and a '68 Newport convertible. Both of those are tanks that will out live me.

Had a '96 Ram that had five transmission rebuilds before 60k.
Steve B.
Obviously...they don't built them like they used to.

By far the transmission, the shift points and their engineering' were terrible, as were the V6's of the 90's- 2000.


I remember a friend who called up a GM dealer and asked how many transmissions he had in stock ... 1. Called up a Chrysler dealer and asked them...

13 transmissions. :drinker

Rolex, They already do that, its called the SLK320.

I like MB drivetrains and interiors, but it would be nasty if MB electronics made their way into Chrysler cars.

My experience with the following...

'00 Cherokee - leased for three years @ 50,000 miles.
Rotors needed to be replaced every 5,000 to 7,500 miles.
Had to argue with dealership all of the time.
HVAC problems @ 35,000 miles.
Wouldn't buy it after lease due to these two issues.
Positive - the old time 4.0 l straight six is a great, reliable engine. No need for the V8

"00 Intrepid ES 90,000 miles
Very poor interior fit and finish.
Noisy
Replace the electric door locks on all doors.
2.7 l V6 is just too small for this size vehicle.
Positive - larger interior room.

Great exterior styling - mechanical and interior are inferior to other mfrs.

I have the impression they design systems to last the warranty period then they just wear out when compared to other brands I have owned.

This is the primary reason why I did not bite on the 300C as my next purchase . I went with the CTS.

I've owned several Imperials, and never had any major problems with them. My son has a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Limited 4X4 and at 20,500 miles it needs rotors & pads, and the speed control quit working. Other than that, it's been okay. The electric seat heater (driver side) quit, and they installed a new one under warrantee. The 4.0L is great and shes quite and pulls like a tank in the snow. If they didn't discontinue it, I'd buy another.

I know four people with Jeep products (2 Grand Cherokees, 1 Cherokee, 1 Liberty). All three have less than 80k miles. All three have had or currently suffer from tansmission and/or electrical problems. I know anectodal evidence shouldn't be used as a basis for far-reaching conclusions but there seems to be a lot of people out there having significant quality issues with these vehicles. Maybe the rest of the Chrysler line up is better, but IMOHO I avoid Chrysler, at least for now.

My friend has a dodge NEON RT and its a really nice car..... I mean its no Q45 or anything, but for what it is its pretty nice... interior is really nice, feels very solid, the "carbon fiber stuff" around the radio and stuff is unnecessary and hurts an already nice looking interior... The only thing I hate is when its at idle (idles at like 900) the idle is VERY rough.... Very bouncy...

For the money its quite a car I think......

My experiances

My 86 Dodge Omni - 2.2l, good little econobox, about 160k on regular maintenence, only complaint is the water temp is always almost in the red.

My uncle's 96 Plymouth Breeze - 2.0l, the 2.0 is too weenie for the car, but great mileage and no major problems.

My friends 93? Cherokee - 4.0 i6, this vehicle is solid. The 4.0 is a great engine, and everything else seems to always work.

I'm considering picking up a nice used 94-99 LHS. There aren't many problems with them, they're about the size of the Devilles from the same years, but they only have a 3.5 v6 (214hp), better mileage though.

Granted Dodge/Chrysler is coming out with some really aggresive looking vehicles (300 & Magnum) and while at a Saab dealer I looked at a 300 out of curiosity. The interior and dash was sparse and cheap looking even by Chrysler standards. The biggest problem with a Chrysler is that they depreciate so much when you drive them off the lot they never recover to have a decent resale value.

And there is that little thing about being owned by a foreign company....

Chrysler has a couple of MAJOR issues that they need to work out... Transmissions and Paint.

No domestic has more paint problems than Chrysler, and for some people, this can be worse than rebuilding a transmission when youre talking about a Full sized van, or SUV. Look around, you will see countless Neons and Intrepids with layers of paint quite literally "peeling" off like a bad sunburn. This is absolutely unacceptable, and I hope theyve been working to correct it.

I owned two Grand Cherokees, a 97 and a 99. I always wanted a Jeep for as long as I could remember, but in all honesty, after having those two I will probably never consider any Chrysler product again EXCEPT for a cherry 2001 REGULAR Cherokee 60th Anniversary or Limited. Mainly because thats really an AMC Design with the bulletproof 4.0L Inline Six and a great 4wd system. HOWEVER, as if tranny and paint problems werent enough, for the LONGEST time, the Jeeps and the RAM Trucks also suffered from PISS POOR Dana 35 and 44 aluminum axles which were known to go out for no reason whatsoever and were cheaply built. Luckily Chrysler learned its lesson on this one and is now sourcing its axles elsewhere.

The 300C and company are great cars, dont get me wrong, but I will personally not purchase another Chrysler product, short of the above mentioned Cherokee, or perhaps the SRT-10 which is really just a Viper with a truck body, and no problematic auto tranny.