Chrysler LHS

anthony56

I purchased a 1996 Chrysler LHS with 46,000 miles last fall. Shortly after I bought the car I noticed a rumbling or growling noise that periodically came from under the hood. This usually occurs as you first start moving forward, after shifting from reverse to drive, although it can happen any time when first moving forward. The noise only lasts for an instant and there is a hint of vibration with it. At night it appears that the headlights dim slightly when the noise occurs. The Chrysler dealer has been unable to locate the cause and the factory power train warranty expires in mid August. Anyone had a similar problem with this model?

fastdriver

anthony56-

Could it be the AC compressor kicking in???

fastdriver

copperhead1

You can count on me!
Take care,and have a nice weekend.

norberte

I posted in #371 about vibration on gas pedal on my 2000 LHS. I guess it was on some rough services. On smooth roads, I don't get it. I probably was looking at this new vehicle with microscope and noticed all these things.

Well, something I missed that was in my 95 New Yorker is the double sun visor. Chrysler did away with it!!! Why?? Now I have to swing the visor back and forth when the sun is low.

Another design change is that they did away with the valet key. Also, the trunk release button is now outside of the glove box. You cannot lock the glove box and thus locks the trunk as well when valet park the car. Well, with the hole opened between the passenger compartment and the trunk. They probably figure that the trunk security is not there anymore, so why bother locking the release button and providing a valet key.

I love the ride of this car. It is great. It certainly is a lot of car with the bells and whistles for the $.

njerald

Picked one up yesterday. 28 days from factory order to dealer delivery. Everything works, quiet smooth ride, good acceleration, understated luxury. No vibration or shimmying up to 85 mph. Want to see if I can get the fog light bulbs in 55 watt rather than the factory 40 watt.

starfire2

I'm considering buying a 1997 LHS for $10488. It has about 55k miles and it is loaded. (Leather, sunroof, etc.) I've driven it but I haven't even haggled over the price yet so I might even be able to get them to go lower on the price. Any comments on the performance/reliability/driveability of the 97 LHS would be most appreciated. Also, (this is a dumb question) I know that a lot of luxury cars require premium fuel. With the abominable gas prices of today, does the 97 LHS command premium fuel? Thanks in advance for any input : )

marshmallow

On April 17, I posted an inquiry regarding TOTAL loss of steering in my '94 LHS. No response. Again on April 22, I inquired and no response. I simply can't believe that with the problems we've had with our car that ours is an isolated incident. With the recalls on all LHS vehicles over the years, there has to be people out there who have had front end clunking noises, squeaks, etc. but yet no one is addressing my question. All I am reading is how wonderful the styling of the LHS is and how understated the luxury is for the money. Hello!!! Don't you get what you pay for? If you are having road noise, pedal vibration, etc., ask yourself if you would have this in a Lincoln or Cadillac. Would the bolts have sheared off on the rack and pinion of a Lincoln or Caddy or any other "luxury" vehicle? I think not. Also, before any of you who are really ga-ga over the LHS go out and buy one, why don't you mosey on back to the service department and catch one of the mechanics standing outside having a smoke and ask him what kind of repairs he regularly makes on the LHS. We have had more than one mechanic tell us to never buy a Chrysler product without buying an extended warranty. Enough said.

hijinx

It *is* possible that you're the only one that has had problems like that. Is it likely? Probably not. Is it likely that, if anyone has had problems like that, they haven't posted here? Probably so.

Insofar as getting what you pay for, hey, it's a $30k car. It's NOT a Cadillac or Lincoln; it's in the "near luxury" segment. And every car has its problems. Every car. No car is perfect.

Plus, your problems dealt with an older LHS, and lots of people are looking at newer models anyway.

Paul

norberte

Ref #394.

The 94 LHS was on the recall list for the chassis bracket. I think the recall notice did mentioned that the added bracket was to fix the problem that may affect steering. My 93 Concord was on the recall list. However, my 95 New Yorker was not affected. The recall said that 93 - 95 LH cars. I got one for the 93 Concord, one for my 94 Intrepid, but none for the 95 New Yorker. The dealer looked up the VIN, and said that car was not on the recall list. So they probably fixed the problem for the later 95 model.
As far as clunking noise is concerned, I did experienced that on the 95 New Yorker. The noise was not there when the weather was cold! The steering components were tight. I did not spend any time finding out where. I was thinking of trading it in anyway. I traded it for a 2000 LHS. The 93 Concord is now making that clunking noise. I need to find out what the problem is. My son is driving it now. It had the recall service done already. Anyone knows what that clunking noise may be? It comes from the front bottom.

anthony56

Thanks for your reply. In regard to the 1996 LHS rumbling noise (#388) the AC compressor may be causing the noise, but could the power steering pump also be high on the list of suspects?

fastdriver

anthony56-

I don't know. I'm no mechanic. Try this site. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov Click on problems and issues and then on TSB's. Put in your model car and you'll see a list of the TSB's that have the number that your Chrysler dealer CAN look up on their computers to see the full details of the bulletin.

fastdriver

sendthetow

I have a 94 LHS, bought it with 50,000 miles on it. I've had to re-do the transmission, replace the water pump, radiator, timing belt, a/c compressor, and a circuit board that controls the a/c system (the problem here was that the a/c would blow full hot, full fan, without anyone touching the controls. Part- approx $425, labor additional). Chrysler stinks. I've owned three Chryslers in the past three years (I presently own the LHS and a 95 Lebaron, and had a 90 Acclaim). The transmissions are famous for needing replaced- I put one in the Acclaim as well. You're right, mechanics tell me to stay away from Chrysler. To quote one, "The first part of Chrysler is cry". When I dump these two, I'll never own another Chrysler. Although I will admit, they are nice looking. I might buy one for a lawn ornament, but never again for transportation.

jeffar2

It is one thing to try a chrysler product, in my case a 300M. You find out it is a piece of crap ( many, many repairs within a year) and get rid of it while losing a substantial amount of money. It's another to keep going back for more abuse...I just don't get it. Chrysler products don't look that good!

anthony56

I started buying Chryslers after having a bad experience with a General Motors product and an arrogant GM dealer. I can say from personal experience that Chryslers are not "great cars", just average. I have gotten respectable service out of the three I have purchased, which were top of the product line. And the Chrysler dealer has been polite and relatively honest. My recently acquired '96 LHS (#388) has done pretty well but I do wonder about it's long term reliability. If it gives me too much trouble or causes a big financial hit, Chrysler will be on my bad list just like General Motors.

anthony56

fastdriver

Thanks for your reply regarding the NHTSA web site. I uncovered some interesting data although instead of solving the noise problem I may have unearthed additional difficulties. Under the consumer complaints division were listed numerous items about steering system problems and failures. When I read what "marshmallow" had posted (#394) I had assumed a steering problem for this model was an aberration. I am not so sure of that any more. I am now glad the dealer did not fix that noise the first (or second) time since it allowed me to discover this other potential problem. Also, according to Edmunds, I have lost $4000 in nine months to add insult to injury.

marshmallow

After reading your posting regarding the NHTSA, I went to their web site and posted a message regarding my loss of steering on my 94 LHS. I don't know what to expect in the line of an answer or inquiry from them though.

I have not heard anything yet from my local dealer (it's now been one month) but I'm also not expecting a quick answer. I doubt Chrysler is real anxious to admit there is a problem with the strength of these bolts. (Wouldn't it just be like a big corporation to ignore the power of the Internet!)

After surfing the NHTSA web site, it is interesting to note two other complaints of loss of steering. I know, you all are saying but that's only three LHS's with this problem. However, I can't believe this is that isolated of an incident. We also had squeaks, creaks, and clunks in the front end before the rack and pinion was replaced at 47K miles with a new one (not remanufactured). Now with yet a third NEW rack and pinion in this vehicle, I'm happy to be dealing with my original problem of squeaks, creaks, and clunks. I truly believe at 47K miles, for warranty purposes, they wanted us to go away and tightened every bolt they could find to get rid of the noises and have tightened these two bolts beyond their intended strength. I think the shearing off of the two and only bolts in the rack and pinion should be cause for concern of EVERY Chrysler owner.

I'll keep you all posted - that is unless you're all sick and tired of hearing about my problem.

oberfieldwebel

I traded a 1992 Ford Explorer in on my 2000 LHS. The Explorer was terminal and I could not have retailed it without spending a lot to repair it, so it was traded. The Explorer is a truck and the LHS is a luxury sedan, so there is no reasonable comparison.

My LHS now has 3035 miles on it and it is better than the day I took delivery. The wheels are bright and the finish is excellent. When I took my LHS in for the 3000 mile service all it required was the standard oil change and inspection - no problems!

I wonder how much better my LHS would be if it were fitted with Michelin Sports instead of the GoodYears.

copperhead1

BUY IT!!!!
I love mine.

acco20

Buy it... I love mine.

norberte

I saw many talks about front end clunking noise on some of the earlier LH model cars. I experienced that on my 95 New Yorker right before I traded it in at 82K miles. I spoke to a mechanics who works for a Chrysler dealer. He said the most common source of clunking noise in the front end is the worn out stablizer bar link, which ties the front stablizer bar to the strut.
The only problem I had with my 95 New Yorker was a leaky water pump at about 65K miles. It was a very reliable car for me. I had the timing belt replaced at the same time the water pump was replaced. The additional cost was not that bad, since they already had the timing belt cover taken off to get to the water pump. The timing belt drives the water pump in the 3.5L engine. It is the same for 99 and 2000 3.5L engine in the LHS and 300M.

I have my 2000 LHS for a month now. Love it.

dhgiii

I owned a '94 LHS. It treated me well for 101,000 miles with only two repairs.... neither costing over $300.

I started looking at the 300M when it first appeared in '98, thinking it would be the one to get next, but held off. My '94 was running just fine. I continued "looking" and found myself liking the LHS styling more and more.

Then Chrysler made my decision even easier. They increased the 300M's price in 2000 (Car of the Year-induced I'm sure) and LOWERED the price of the LHS.

So out I went last month, buying a plat silver
LHS with moonroof and chrome wheels on April 28th, just under the wire for .9% financing.

Chrysler continues to improve with every model year. We rented a Deville for a week in California, and except for the Northstar engine, this new LHS stands shoulder to shoulder with the Caddy. Sure, the Caddy's engine is great, but the car costs at least 10 grand more!

Chrysler's styling is light years ahead of Ford and GM, too. And as most reviewers tell you at the end of Chrysler product road test... no one gives you more car for the dollar.

I'm looking forward to another 101,000 miles.

starfire2

I've never owned a Chrysler product, but after being disappointed with GM products, I wanted to try something else. I was considering a 97 Concorde/ Vision/ Intrepid/ LHS because I like the older design, but I wonder if the quality control was spotty on them. Half of the people I've heard from have been of the "I love mine...no problems" ilk, but the other half have been "that car has been a nightmare." Is there anything specific I should look for when checking out the used models? Should I look into buying an extended warranty? I remember my brother getting screwed when he bought a warranty on a used 1993 Mazda a few years back. I'm in love with the appearance of these cars and the way they drive, but as a college student on a limited budget, I can't afford a maintenence nightmare.

starfire2

Another thing that is adding to my confusion is that all of the trusted journalistic sources (Edmunds included) have given the LH cars very good reliability ratings. Yet much of the input I've heard from real people has been less than flattering. Arggghhhh...

fastdriver

starfire2-

It comes down to ADVERTISING DOLLARS!!!! Go to http://www.autoextremist.com and read last Tuesday's main page and maybe you'll understand the difference between the magazines AND the REAL world!

fastdriver

ljoyce2

I too, have had nothing but trouble with this car.
I bought it 18mos ago with 32,000. I have had 3 rack n pinions,2 waterpumps, at this very moment the third transmission is being installed (2 in two days) chrysler just can't get it right. Thank god for extended warrantees. Biggest problem I have is idle vibration when stopped at red light. RPM's drop down to 500 and the whole car vibrates. This car is loud and I think it rides more like a truck than a "luxery car" finally changed the tires that helped the ride a little. Does anyone have any clues about the idle, I have taken it to three different Chrysler dealers - all have been unable to fix. computer says everything is perfect. What a joke!

marshmallow

A college student on a limited budget should NEVER consider buying a Chrysler product period. If you are so in love with the style of the vehicles that you simply cannot help yourself, then at least buy an extended warranty for as long as you can get it. Whatever you are looking at, take the vehicle to an independent mechanic you can trust (friend of a friend or friend of the family) and get their honest opinion. Just because the car looks good and the price may be right (but I seriously doubt the price will be right if you're getting it from a Chrysler dealer), don't let your emotions get in the way of buying any vehicle (easy for me to say).

Also, IF you do go ahead and buy a Chrysler product, factor in the down time for repairs and also the need for a second vehicle to get you around while it's in the shop (I guarantee it will be). If you don't buy one of the vehicles you have mentioned, don't make the mistake and think Chrysler does a better job in the SUV department. Look on Edmunds for new or used Jeeps and you can hear the crying before your computer gets to the web site. Chrysler has BIG problems with production and maintenance of all vehicles for the past 7 years. It's not hard to figure out what the problems are or what you should be looking for.

As for my problems, have the front end COMPLETELY checked out before you buy. It's not a funny situation to have a complete loss of steering in an LHS. It doesn't take much imagination as to what the worst case scenario could have been for me.

marshmallow

Check out my posting #394. I had two prior to that also that you can find by the dates. My postings only begin to tell the things that have been replaced in my 94 LHS. Still waiting for some resolution from Chrysler.

We have also had a timing belt break and wipe out just about everything it came in contact with, fuel pump, water pump, struts, 3 rack & pinions, AC condenser, and more stuff under the front end than I knew was there. Car shakes while idling but as long as my steering wheel works, at this point I can put up with anything until I dump it at trade in. I don't drive this car at all now. I drive our Explorer exclusively.

Sorry for your problems.

fastdriver

Take a look at this-

http://www.pioneerplanet.com/living/buy_docs/001750.htm

fastdriver

oberfieldwebel

An Explorer? If you want to hear about problems just go to the Ford Explorer site, those poor people are really crying! Horror stories abound.

What happened to the Chrysler LHS lovers? When the new ('99)LHS appeared it was the greatest vehicle in the market place or so the comments went. Don't we like our LHSs now? I don't know about you but my wife and I sure love our 2000.

acco20

The Crysler lovers are out here... I also own a 2000 LHS and love it. These recent posts refer to older models. Most of what I have heard and read about the 1999 and 2000 models has been upbeat. Notice I said "most", not all.I have just under 3000 miles.