Has Chrysler Reliability Improved?

mustache · September 1999

I don't think Chrysler reliabilty has improved at
all. The dealers in general do not service what
they sell. I have a 94 New Yorker and it has been
nothing but problems from day one!

All the flashy commercials in the world can't
change the fact that Chryslers have poor build
quality and a poor reliability record.

lken · September 1999

Probably not thats why they have the cheapest minivan on the market it is built very cheaply. Transmissions of those vans are to small, they tried to get the most out of little,they simply scamed people out of there money at the purchase and at 40 -55K miles. Has it improved NO!

izenbart · October 1999

I bought a new Jeep Wrangler in 1994, I had two major engine problems in the first few months. They had my vehicle for a total of 4 weeks in the shop for these two major problems. I wanted them to replace the vehicle because I felt the vehicle was a lemon. It was only two months old, and I wanted them to replace it. They told me no, and I will never buy another Chrysler ever again. I had other minor problems before I sold it in 1997, and bought a used Camry with 76,000 miles, which I have had no problems with other than maintenance. The bad thing for Chrysler is that I'm only 28, and i love vehicles. I'm buying a new maxima next year.

floridian · October 1999

izenbart : better think twice about a Nissan product. Unless they get their act together and fast there may not be any Nissans (at least as we know it)to buy. Do you really want to buy ANYTHING that RENAULT has a hand in?

Floridian

billmahan · November 1999

.....to this topic is NOOOOOO!

Pretty cars. Still junk.

rea98d · November 1999

I mentioned this in another topic, but it fits here as well. Under Texas law, if a vehicle has the same major problem at least three times within 2 years of purchase or while still under factory warranty, the vehicle can be declared a lemon and the company has to buy it back. The five vehicles with the most lemon-law complaints to the state were all Chryslers and GM's. The official response of both companies was "Duh?" (Not an exact quote, but they sounded about that intelligent.) The five fewest complaints, except for one Honda, were all Toyota or Ford. Go figure.

rea98d · November 1999

They have these nice radiator grilles on the front.
At least they appear to until you get close, then you see it's solid plastic with the grille painted on in flat black. Now, if they're going to cut corners on something as obvious as the radiator grille, what does that tell you about the tender loving care they put into the parts you don't see? But then, what do you expect from a company that lets Mitsubishi build their cars for them? Hopefully, once the current designs cycle out, their new bosses at Damlier Benz will make them something worthwhile again.

powerman · January 2000

We owned a 1995 Dodge Ram 1/2 ton extended cab truck that had to have the automatic transmission rebuilt at 67,000 miles. We only tow an aluminum boat my 1984 Mazda truck can tow well, and we take very good care of our vehicles. In fact, we had the transmission serviced by the dealer at 60,000 miles. (As an aside, I wonder if the service had anything to do with the subsequent failure of the transmission!)

I bought the truck from the dealer that serviced the transmission and this dealership is one of Chryslers "five star" dealerships. They took twice as long as they promised to do the repair, they would not give us a loaner car, and they never got back to us with what caused the problem in the first place.

I have sold the truck and determined to never again use this dealership (who also sells BMW's)and to warn all friends and family off Chrysler products. A friend sold his 1996 Dodge Ram based on our experiences since he puts quite a few miles on his vehicles.

In my opinion, this is really unfortunate because I loved the style and comfort of the truck and would have kept it for a very long time. Also, I really like the style of some of Chryslers newer vehicles, but would not consider buying them until they prove they can be relied on for dependable transportation.

rea98d · January 2000

Styling updates are minor, so they're not replacing them for looking dated. This is going to be Mercedes Benz's trial by fire, to see how they handle Chrysler. If these new minivans prove that they're worth their salt, I feel it won't be long until we can once again pronounce Chrysler fit for human consumption.

fish8 · February 2000

I bought a '97 Jeep Wrangler and it was the worst vehicle I ever owned. I will never own another Chrysler product. My Jeep was in the shop over 15 times for various problems. As an example, my radiator only lasted 30,000 miles. Sad....very sad....

rascal8 · February 2000

These are individual cases and stuff happens to cars no matter what brand, so it makes more sense to look at the market statistics on repairs and such; however, in Chryslers case the stats make the situation look even worse. I give the co. credit for some of their rather daring vehicle designs but they really need to do something about the poor way their vehicles are "screwed together".

nismoskyline · February 2000

Agree with #10. Of course, individual cases vary. But the overall market statistics show ALL current Chrysler models (through 99') overall reliablity record very, very low. The vehicles that come closest to Chrylser in the area of poor reliability are GM and Ford. Not to say that Nissan, Toyota, VW, BMW, etc. are infallible, but the statistics are considerably better... considerably.

What's really 'funny' is when an auto-maker with such a horrible long-term quality record (ie--Chrysler) launches a marketing campaign promoting the great quality and reliablity of their vehicles. I guess it's true what they say, there's a sucker born...

pjyoung · February 2000

No problems on my 99 300M.

If you want a "funny" ad campaign, try Ford's "Quality is job 1". This from a "proud" owner of a 93 T-bird and 95 Windstar equipped with the "commited to job 1" 3.8 liter V6 engine. They both blew their headgaskets within 2 weeks of one another.

fish8 · February 2000

It is a fact that Chrysler's reliability(oxymoron) is worse than the other domestic manufacturers. Back in '93, Chrysler was putting out some really bad cars. probably worse than Ford. Today, all car manufacturers are making better cars. Some better than others.

garth · February 2000

good point - that's exactly what plagued GM in the '80s. They were trying to improve quality to equal Toyota et. al. *at the time*; they didn't realize that Toyota was improving quality as well. So GM, Ford, and Chrysler have improved greatly - but so have their competitors.

rea98d · February 2000

Those head gaskets are a chronic flaw in that engine. My T-Bird has the 4.6l engine, and is a great car, even at 150,000 miles, gas mileage is still 27 highway. Just gave it a tune up today (new plugs & wires). I'm hoping to get another 150,000 out of it with no major trouble. As for GM, except for their finicky alternators, they're great cars. Engines and transmissions for passenger cars are among the best in the Business. GM's problem comes from el-cheapo body and interior materials, and being slapped together with no attention to detail. Chrysler...I still say what and see what the Germans do to them.

garth · February 2000

that was a perfect description of GM. they make some of the best 6 and 8 cyl. engines and automatic transmissions, but can't seem to get anything else right - and they make up for it with things like 50 pounds of ugly plastic crap bolted onto every Pontiac.

jenifermartin · March 2000

apparently no one here is impressed with chrysler's reliability. this is also my impression. however, i have no basis for this impression except what i have heard other people say. in a few responses above, "stats" were mentioned. my question is this: where can i view these "stats" for myself? what is the best resourses for comparing reliability between manufacturers? Thanks

pjyoung · March 2000

This topic was started on September 29, 1999. That means it was out there for 5 months, and a grand total of 17 people (other than yourself) has posted to it.

People will slam Chrysler because a "friend of mine" had a Jeep that sucked. Or I had a Dodge that was in the shop all the time. Here's a good one for you - My brother has owned 3 Jeeps over the past 10 years - no problems at all. His neighbor had a Blazer that needed the transmission and engine replaced within 1 year. They were looking at a Yukon after than. When he told him that he should look into a Jeep, they said (straight faced) "Oh, I'd never own a Chyrsler, everbody says they just aren't reliable". Whatever.

bnormann · March 2000

...a very astute observation...the stats were right in front of us.

Thanks.
Your host, Bruce

fastdriver · March 2000

intrigue2-

In all fairness to the Chrysler "lovers", I don't ever remember being "bashed" by them in any Chrysler group that I have ever posted to. I HAVE posted! Even if I was bashed, it would NOT deter me in the least! I KNOW what I went through with my 300M, they don't! As a matter of fact, I JUST received my first NEGATIVE comment in my guestbook on my website. It was from a "certified" L/M mechanic of 37 years in FL who has/had Chryslers with tons of miles on them with no problems. He labeled me a "nit picker" and feels sorry for the dealers that had to put up with me!! LOL..... What I find interesting is that he doesn't drive the products that he services!

You're right- the secret to owning a Chrysler is to keep it only as long as the warranty so that NO real money comes out of your pocket. They have traditionally been known to have poor resale value.

I do see your point and I do remember everyone attacking you- not me! ;-)) Glad your new cars are working out okay. Don't know what my next car will be. I KNOW what it won't be! That's due MORE to the dealers/reps that I've had to deal with and not the car itself!

Continued good luck. I only found this topic by mistake when I went into the whole list of topics to uncheck one that I didn't want anymore. People looking for Chrysler info should search all the topics lists to find the really active topics re these cars.

fastdriver

intrigue2 · March 2000

i was in your web site yesterday, the 300m is a beautiful automobile, sorry to hear about your problems with it, and the dealer.isn't it unfortunate that owners can't listen to each other without going on the offensive against those they disagree with.it's totally different in the subaru and intrigue sites, where tolerance is readily apparent.

good luck with your next purchase.

tpmiller1 · March 2000

the employees of "Daimler Chrysler" pronounce their employer's name as "Daimler". Having ordered a Dodge Quad, I am betting on improved reliability, or at minimum, improved customer sevice and after purchase attention. I have never owned a "Daimler" before.
The quality of information provided in the dakota posts within the Pickup conferences is quite high and more than civil. I became a much more informed buyer and find Edmund's Town Hall a great site.

intrigue2 · March 2000

tp,

at the present time, and for the foreseeable future you're getting a dodge,not a daimler aka mercedes.i would hope that the german emphasis on excellence,quality and reliability filters into the chrysler organization. the shakeup of chrysler management seems to be a pre-cursor to daimlers overall control of chrysler , so one day, perhaps, all dc products may very well be labeled simply daimler.

as for the civility of the pickups topic, i can't make a comment on it,as i browse the sedans and vans topics. i can assure you, the civility you speak of,and i'm sure you extend to others,does not carry over into these two topic areas.

theliz · March 2000

I work at a hospital and we are given lots of classes in patient/customer-care--I was told by a public relations manager about the 3/10 rule: If a patient has a "good" stay in the hospital (quick, attentive, ect) that patient MIGHT tell 3 others about the great service he got. But if he had a "bad" stay (long, painful, wrong leg removed, ect) then that patient would tell a MINIMUM of 10 others about the nightmare. I think you see the same rule with cars.

intrigue2 · March 2000

i see your point. i guess owning a chrysler could be equated to having the wrong leg cut off. as far as your ratio, i believe you have it in reverse, where a bad experience is only allowed to be discussed a minimal number of times, but you can discuss the glory of zaino wax,spoilers,
etc. continously.
and if YOU had "the wrong leg cut off" how would you react,especially if it was not one but two legs. i wish you luck with the r/t charger when it comes out,i've seen it in car & driver and it's gorgeous. but,so were my two eagle visions,and unfortunately they did not live up to the promise of their appearance. after the first post of my experience with these cars, i was set upon by the pro dc crowd,because ,it seems only "feel good" comments are allowed in dc topics. i now own a 1998 intrigue and a 2000 subaru gt. i browse the intrigue and subaru sites to learn about any problems or gain information about my cars. to date the intrigue and subaru have been flawless, others don't agree about the intrigue, so be it. i have no campaign against chrysler other then i'll never buy another one. i don't post daily in edmunds to tell the world about my two lemons,that privilege seems to be reserved for the "legitimate chrysler owner", who wants to discuss the really important issues like the number of speakers in the doors, forget chryslers infamous history concerning reliability and their transmission problems.
i wish you and all other current and prospective owners of their products the best of luck,i wouldn't want anyone to go thru the six years of problems i encountered with the dealer and these cars.

fastdriver · March 2000

theliz-

You may be right. Unfortunately, the Chrysler dealers/Chrysler don't SEEM to care WHO you tell including calling Auburn Hills as I had to do early on. What Auburn Hills THINKS is happening in the REAL world with us and the dealers/reps is light years away from reality.

As far as I'm concerned, if my experiences were good with my 300, I would tell just as many people and post just as many webpages. I think that the only reason you see more people complaining in sites like this is because we have MORE to say. If some people haven't had any problems, what do they write after they say that?

fastdriver

intrigue2 · March 2000

well said.

fastdriver · March 2000

intrigue2-

Thanks. It's true! I'm not partial/loyal to any brand car. I buy what I can afford AND what I like. Unfortunately, I FELL head over heels for the looks of the Candy Apple Red 300 because it wasn't a cookie-cutter car. Next time I'll go for cookie-cutter. IF I had a computer when I had my other cars AND knew HOW to make webpages, I would have done that with my other cars too. Time for work.

fastdriver

fish8 · March 2000

I wouldn't jump to conclusions if I were you. What basis do you have to make that statement"friend of mine"? If you look at the "stats" (consumer reports, any car mag), you will see that Chrysler products are notorious for bad quality. Yes, word of mouth is rampant, but that does not deter from the fact Chrysler cars are (for the most part) junk. And Yes, I have owned a Chrsyler product. It was a '97 Jeep. It was the worst car I have ever owned.

theliz · March 2000

You should not jump to conclusions yourself--there is no FACT that chryslers are "junk", this merely your opinion (everybody has one). I have never read any car-mag or consumer report that called a Chrysler junk--if you have, please post it for all to see. This is a stereo-type: asians are smart in math, all black people can dance, and Chryslers are junk. As for the jeep--well I know a couple of guys who own jeeps and they love them.

intrigue2 · March 2000

sorry to disagree with you, but as the past owner of a new '93 and'94 chrysler eagle vision,i'll call them junk, based upon the problems i encountered.
also i've read enough posts in edmunds to know that transmission and other similar component failures seem to be a recurring theme in the later model '98's,'99's and 00 models.
also, consumers for several years did not recommend these cars, rated them as below average in reliability and lists nearly the entire chrysler product line as used cars to avoid.
also, the dealer who sold me the two eagles, garden buick jeep-eagle, told me directly when i complained about the frequency and magnitude of problems ,quote "chrysler builds junk, trade them in on one of our buicks".when the people who sell you the car call them junk, what am i to surmise.
there is more to a car then the sheet metal, and those owners of chrysler products,who are satisfied should not get defensive,or in the case of the responses i've seen offensive to the point of being abusive.it seems there is a group of die-hard dc owners, who, for whatever reasons don't want to here anyone complain about a problem with their eagle,intrepid,concorde etc.they like the looks, they are smart, so we don't want to hear any negativity. as the owner of an intrigue and a subaru, i browse the topics because i want to become informed about possible problems with my cars.why is this such a touchy subject with chrysler owners.
as far as supportive information, nobody on the pro side has ever offered anything but carefully selected references and edited quotes to support their position. as the owner of two new chryslers with a multitude of problems i'm not credible,but you are because you know a few people, who know a few people who love their jeeps.

fish8 · March 2000

OK, The magazines do not come out and say "Chryslers are Junk". But, they almost always reference their poor quality and bad fit and finish. If you look in Consumer Reports for the past decade, you will see MANY Chrysler products that CR says to AVOID. You are right, they do not come out and say Chryslers are junk, but if they tell you to avoid them what does that tell the reader(they are JUNK - IMHO)?

fish8 · March 2000

Regarding your Jeep comment: Some people don't mind driving junk!!!! ;-)

fastdriver · March 2000

fish8-

SOME people need it spelled out in black and white. Then again, some people don't mind sharing their lives with their dealers. I think they call in bonding! ;-))))))

fastdriver

theliz · March 2000

Everyone knows that companies cannot survive for long unless they please the consumer--if Chrysler was as bad as you guys say, then it would have "went under" long ago. BTW, Consumer Reports 1999 guide Recommends the Concord/Intrepid and Dodge Dakota. It also finds the Durango and Cirrus to be of average reliability--this hardly equals junk.

theliz · March 2000

I also noticed that Consumer Reports rates some vehicles in very strange ways: it rates the Jeep Wrangler poorly in the noise department--NOISEY? What did they expect with a SOFT-TOP off-road vehicle--the picture in the guide even has the top off the Jeep (I guess that would make it alittle noisey).

fish8 · March 2000

I agree about your comment on the Wrangler being noisy(it is the nature of the vehicle). That is the Jeep I owned before I bought my new car. I do believe the reliability ratings in CR, but as far as the vehicle testing is concerned I'm not too sure.

Speaking of Chrysler going under: They almost DID go under(bankrupt)in the 70's or 80's(I'm not sure exactly when). If it were not for the US govt bailing them out, they would not be in business today. I will say though, there reliability has improved since then(which is not saying much).

fastdriver · March 2000

fish8-

Well said. Maybe theliz doesn't remember those desperate Chrysler days!

fastdriver

fastdriver · March 2000

Chrysler's early days and Iacocca the SAVIOR!

http://pc9805.dmacc.cc.ia.us/humn133/subjects/licit_bsns/Iacocca.html

fastdriver

theliz · March 2000

Yeah, I remember Chrysler's bad years. But as for government bail-outs: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, ect. would not be around today if the U.S. had not rebuilt them and Japan after WWII. Mitsubishi built engines for Japanese fighter-planes, remember.

fish8 · March 2000

GOOD POINT!!!!

I totally agree!!!!

The US should be getting $$ on every car the Japanese car Companies sell.

jenifermartin · March 2000

the passion! a little while ago, i asked a simple question: where are the "stats" that indicate chrysler is or is not reliable? in particular, i am interested in the fact that edmunds' review of the town and country indicates that the "pro" is styling and the "con" is reliability, yet no where in the more detailed write up is the reliability issue addressed. being someone who keeps cars for 8 to 10 years, with high mileage, reliability is much more important than styling, but i cannot find any reviewer who specifically addresses the reliability issue that edmunds brought up. thanks!

garth · March 2000

as far as "noisy" Wranglers, "cramped" Miatas, etc. -

CR seems to rate all vehicles by the same criteria. They're looking for basic transportation for bipeds; all judgements are made against those extremely utilitarian standards. So when they say a sports car has no trunk space and a bumpy ride - well, DUH. Take it with a grain of salt.

edwardh1 · March 2000

Mostly in consumer reports - in this months car issue they even talked about dodge caravan xmission problems.
My take would be that on Toyota and Honda etc pages on Edmunds you see some problems, but the Chryco people seem really mad about AC problems, xmission problems, usually multiple repeats, and really mad at dealers.
These seem missing in other postings.

pjyoung · March 2000

CR apparently rated the 300M as a recommended buy. C&D just finished a 40,000 mile long term test with a 300M and the only things done to the car were routine oil changes. They also mentioned that this was the FIRST car that has needed so little maintenance on one of their long term tests. C&D can be pretty vocal about their feelings on long term test cars. The fact that they were sad to see the long term test come to an end for their 300M tells me that maybe, just maybe, Chrysler can be turning things around.

CR does rate each vehicle, but those ratings are based on consumer opinions. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've got friends who seem to hear a rattle when no one else in the car can. While the 5 passengers in the car might say that a particular car was nice, the owner of the car would most likely report the problem as horribly unacceptable.

Fastdriver, I know you have a love/hate relationship with your 300M and dealer, but I've been following the 300M topic since about the third topic. The posts are overwhelmingly positive. A lot of your issues seem to be with the dealer. I don't know how many Chrysler dealers there are in your area, but there are 3 fairly close to my work. The one I bought my car from has been very responsive to anything I have needed, and they appear to accomodate other customers very nicely. At the time, the WERE applying for "five star" status, so maybe they were going that "extra mile" to get good customer satisfactions feedback. I was leary of buying a Chrysler, but I've had none of the reported problems (burned out window motors, shimmy between 45 and 70 mph with Goodyear tires). It would appear that you got one that "slipped thru the cracks". And Toyota, Honda, Acura, et al all have a few that slip thru the cracks.

Anyhow, if you think back to the mid to late 60's, "made in Japan" was synonomous with "junk". In just a few short years, the Japanese have gone from "junk" to the world standard for quality and reliability. Perhaps I'm an eternal optimist, but maybe, just maybe, that time is here for Chrysler to make a similar move.

fastdriver · March 2000

pjyoung-

You're right- love the car, hate the dealers/reps that I had to deal with! I certainly know that nothing these days is perfect, whether it be cars or web browsers. However, I do expect things to be resolved in a timely, professional fashion. I was ALWAYS nice to these two dealers- no sarcastic remarks by me, no vulgar language, no hand gestures etc. MAYBE, there were times when my body language indicated differently, but NOTHING was ever said! Yes, I may have ranted and raved here and on my website, but never to them! I figured that if I couldn't get them to fix things when I'm nice, how would I EVER get them to do anything if I was verbally abusive. I WILL have my say when my lease is up in 15 months. Just like Chrysler has a file on me, I have one on ALL my dealings too. I will be sure to make it known to those who count. Just biding my time. No one should have to go through this with a new car during the first year of ownership. I find it interesting that Chrysler put out some test models of the PT Cruiser early so that the public and the media could test them to look for any quirks so that Chrysler could "tweak" them before full production! I would think that they would have done that with their "flagship" model that costs almost double the Cruiser! Guess they want to make sure that this money maker car will not flop.

We have a ton of Chrysler dealers in the area. They're ALL "5-STAR"!!!! I've dealt with two, now I'm on number 3- the friendly Dodge dealer who fixed my car when all my transmission fluid leaked out at Christmas. Going there Thursday to get my oil changed after work.

If my experiences with my dealers/reps had been positive, I would consider another Chrysler 300 if there was nothing else that caught my eye. Unfortunately for Chrysler, that's not the case.

Glad you car is okay. Mine has been fine since December. Going outside now to wash and Zaino it.

fastdriver

illini4 · March 2000

Why weren't the problems that occured prior to 35,000 miles repaired under the factory 3/36 warranty? Did Chrysler challenge the validity of the odometer reading? The problems you have listed would be highly unusual at the mileage readings you mention.

fastdriver · March 2000

illini4-

How about replacing the rack and pinion steering and power steering pump on a 1999 Chrysler 300M at 4,525 miles. Do you think this is "highly unusual at the mileage readings" I mentioned???

NOTHING is "highly unusual" with Chrysler these days! Go read the two Jeep topics or the minivan topics and then come back and question cpierdom!

fastdriver

pjyoung · March 2000

Perhaps some of the "defensiveness" comes from the fact that not many people will post in the Intrigue topic something like, "I had a Cutlass and it was junk". I don't think anybody has "attacked" anyone in the 300M topic for describing a problem with their 300M. Fastdriver has probably lead the pack in negative 300M posts, but at least his problems were with the car that the topic was discussing. Fastdriver, have you been jumped on for your reports? But I admit, they will jump on someone who posts, "I'll never own a Chrysler because I had a Dodge minivan that sucked". I suppose it comes from being an "off topic" post. Just as a comment about a "lemon" Cutlass might get a less than enthusiastic retort from the Intrigue or Aurora boards.

I've had 2 Fords that were great until they both blew headgaskets within 2 weeks of one another. Then one lost a transmission. Now, while I won't own another Ford, I only post my experiences in the "Windstar problems" topic or the "3.8 head gasket" topic. I'm not going to go to the Lincoln LS topic or the Taurus topic and talk about what a pile of junk Ford builds.

Anyhow, sorry you had problems with Chrysler. Mine's been great. See, you posted something negative about Chrysler, and I haven't even created a spark, much less a flame...happy driving!

intrigue2 · March 2000

pj,

my initial post about my chrysler when i first posted about them last year were along the following lines:

both cars required water pump replacements, i
don't recall the mileage. the 1993 model needed two because the mechanic who installed the first onedid not use locking bolts, so the belt pulley came off while i was driving the car.in total the repairs on the 2 cars were as follows- 2 transmissions,1 alternator, 1 engine
computer,1 catalytic converter, 1 gas pump, both
had defective polycast rims which resulted in the
loss of several center caps each costing $40, 1
abs module,defective rubber window seals which
attached themselves to the window and travelled
with it,transmission cooler lines,and a multitude of electrical switch problems.

pretty much to the point ,don't you think,and aimed at the vehicles and chrysler not other chrysler owners, satisfied or otherwise.

i didn't refer to them as junk at that time, but reported on my experience, as i was under the impression that was the purpose of this forum.but you must admit if you've read the intrepid topic, that several of the "regulars" routinely trounce anyone who posts a problem,because they don't want to hear about it, and they do so in a mean spirited way.the eagle vision was the twin to the concorde and intrepid, so my comments were valid, in the "intrepid", or "has chrysler quality improved" topics. i owe no allegiance to any car company,and wouldn't take personal offense if someone criticized the intrigue or oldsmobile for that matter, everyone is entitled to their opinion. glad to hear you enjoy your chrysler, and i wish you continued good luck with it.

Has Chrysler Reliability Improved?

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