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An Open Letter To Chrysler About It's Reputation

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    Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well, sure ,that's a good perception and probably you could make a case for it statistically...that American car parts at least are, on average, cheaper. I don't think labor would be, as these rates are fixed more or less geographically, not according to the car being worked on.

    Of course, using the reasoning "it's cheaper to fix when it breaks" is not the greatest selling tool for a domestic manufacturer. Imagine that slogan in an ad?
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    FrankMcFrankMc Member Posts: 228
    If car "A" breaks more often but the repairs don't cost as much as car "B's" fewer but more costly breakdowns, you could state it that way.

    Frank
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    Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Frank, you should be in advertising! Brilliant!
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    zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    the guy had 5 transmissions and 3 headgaskets replaced on his Neon - the attorney had to jump up and down and scream to get the guy $1500 for his trouble. I wish we had a camera in the room to show potential Chrysler customers what they're up against.
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    andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,690
    And 3 head gaskets? Sounds to me like a warped head or block or something. As for the tranny...was it an automatic or a manual? I've heard that a common problem with replacement trannies is that they don't flush out the cooling lines that run to the radiator, and the junk that made the first tranny fail ends up going through and making the second one fail.

    I do know someone who went through two head gaskets on a Civic, in the course of around 80-90K miles. They got rid of it the second time it went. And I had a rebuilt tranny physically come loose just before its warranty was up. The bolts holding it to the engine came loose.

    But I just can't fathom someone going through that many trannies and head gaskets, unless the shop he's taking it to really sucks!
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    zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    Neons are known for weak transmissions and head gaskets. In the '95-99 models, Dodge has redone the headgasket design at least 5 times and is still having issues.

    They guy had his trans (Automatic) rebuilt twice and replaced 3 times in 90,000 miles.

    It was a hard-core lemon law/breach of warranty case and Chrysler's local shark-type attorney treated the customer/owner like a criminal. I was embarrased for him.
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    Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yes, severe head gaskets problems are well-known on the Neon. This reputation was partially responsible I think for the car not doing as well as it could have in the sales department. When Neon first came out, it got a lot of support from the press, and especially driving enthusiasts, but once word got out about its reliability, most people (including me) gave up recommending it.

    I think Chrysler missed a great opportunity to have a smash hit on their hands with the Neon.
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    andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,690
    Kinda glad I didn't! I always liked the Neon because, even though it's a small car, it was one of the very few small cars that I actually felt comfortable in. It also felt pretty fast, for what it was. I remember when they first came out, my complaints about them were pretty minor...kinda rough and noisy, hard back seat, and I didn't like the frame-less door windows.

    Well, in late '96, my Dart started acting up, and stalled out on me at a traffic light in the rain. Died totally...no power even for the emergency flashers. Well, as I was under the hood fiddling around, I almost got rear-ended. Finally gave up and pushed it off the road. I was so mad at the thing, and my family had been pressuring me to get a newer car. Called my grandmother that night (I was living with her at the time) and asked if she'd co-sign with me on a Neon! Of course, as soon as I made that threat, the Dart started right up!

    Well, I finally found out what was wrong with the Dart...I hadn't been keeping track of how many miles I was putting on the thing, and it turns out it had been about 40,000 miles since the points had been replaced. They were so far gone it's a miracle the thing ran! Looking back, I guess it's a good thing I didn't get a Neon then, eh? Especially since I deliver pizzas parttime, I'm sure I would've torn it up by now!
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    zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    when I was a finance guy. He's got 55,000 miles on it (in 2 years) and the only trouble he's had is with the power steering pump (1X). Maybe DCC finally got it right.
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    Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Which engine? That might make a difference.

    I'm sure the 2000 model is better than the '95s in some ways, but maybe not as much fun...haven't driven the new ones.
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    lbthedoglbthedog Member Posts: 198
    Just make up a story?

    Nobody ever does that on Edmunds.

    Would they?
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    blackgtpblackgtp Member Posts: 19
    I bought nothing but Chrysler from 89 to 98. I now own GM. There are three main reasons I switched to GM:
    1. 97 Neon - Very poor quality
    2. Chrysler customer service has the "we have your money so don't bother us" attitude.
    3. I want to buy from an American company right now.
    I am very happy with my GM products. It is just too bad that the loss of one person's business will not hurt Chrysler. Looking at the numbers, I must not be the only one.
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    mopar67mopar67 Member Posts: 728
    1. How can Consumer Reports rate a 1990 Dodge Spirit V-6 ( a Mitsubishi v-6) "better than average" in both body hardware and integrity while rating the same 1990 Dodge Spirit 4 cyl (a chrysler engine) as merely "average" in the same categories? Both these cars came down the same assembly line, same paint, same hardware, same assembly workers. DO v-6 owners stay off gravel roads? Do 4 cycl owners hit the RR tracks at speeds higher 35 mph? How can one take their "reliability" ratings seriously when you have such a descrepancy as that on virtually the SAME vehicle? Source: 1992 Buying Guide Issue page 174, available at your local library.

    2. Detroit brings out a totally new design, CR tests it, and says in the reliability projection, "no data, new model" Toyota brings out the Tundra, a totally new vehicle and says reliabilty, like OTHER Toyotas, will be "better than average"? Is CR clairvoyant on Japanese made vehicles? Are they so sure of what MIGHT happen to the Tundra in terms of reliability?

    3. I have seen the CR "reliability" survey. Pray tell, give me a pure 100% ironclad definition of "serious" problem with say, the engine. Define for me what consitutes a "serious" problem with body hardware or integrity. (these are CR categories by the way)
    You ask 100 people with the same vehicle, same problem, and at least half will say "serious" half will say, "not serious" In other words, CR is letting the survey takers, (statistical sample?) DEFINE WHAT IS SERIOUS AND WHAT ISN'T.

    4. CR gets responses from an uncontrolled environment, then "standardizes" the data to "reflect differences between models and age" What exactly does this mean? Have they ever shared those definitions with the readers?

    5. CR tallys approximately 900,000+ questionaires, yet nearly 17 million vehicles were sold in calendar year 2000. Do the math, does that represent a fair sampling of all the vehicles sold in any given year?

    Let me know.
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