Chrysler Cars OK ??

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I had a 2001 Dodge Ram pickup and the dash cracked. The dealer fixed it for a co-payment of 50 bucks. Can't complain about Chrysler because they resolved my issue for almost free. The reason I didn't buy another Dodge was the Dakota doesn't get the gas mileage the Colorado gets, but as far as reliability is concerned, it was great.
 
Wife had a Durango. Sucked gas like a pig, but only problem was a window regulator on the driver's door. Cost $375 to fix. Not too bad for a 5 year old car.
 
The misses had a 2000 Dodge Neon.

She bought it with 20k, drove it for 5 years, ended up unloading it this past year with about 106k on the clock.

Thing ran great, didn't need anything but regular wear items, and two sets of brake rotors. Not counting a radiator due to a rock hitting the old one and breaking it.

We had to unload it this past year, the engine cradle was very rusty and it would not pass inspection. We live in rust central, buffalo NY, so anything older than 5 years is rusty.

When I move to AZ, I would consider another neon. They were cheap on insurance also.
 
Our family has had numerous Chrysler products through the 80's and 90's, all were at least decent, some were good, and a few were excellent, but we have moved on to other brands for various reasons but none were reliability. The highest mileage one was a 1995 neon that still ran good when I sold it with 182k miles on it.

I don't like how they handled the 2.7 sludge issue, after reading about all the stories on how they denied warranty claims on an engine that has a known inherent design flaw, I really can't see myself buying another one anytime soon.

I will keep an open mind, they are under new ownership and certainly at a time when they are in transformational mode...so maybe in a few years.
 
I am a MOPAR guy at heart. Never bought a "Chrysler" persay but rather Dodge and Plymouth. Same things with different trim is what it amounts to. I won't go into the older/muscle cars as you are asking about newer vehicles. I have owned new Chrysler products though for the last 2 decades is what it amounts to..

I have owned 7 "Chrysler company" vehicles since 1988. All of them have been Dodge trucks...

88 Dodge Ram 50 Sport RCLB 4WD 2.6L 4cyl( basically a Mitsubishi )
94 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Laramie RCLB 2WD 5.2L
97 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT RCSB 4WD 5.9L
01 Dodge Ram 1500 SPORT RCSB 4WD 5.9L
03 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT QCSB 4WD 4.7L
04 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT QCSB 4WD 5.7L HEMI
08 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT BigHorn QCSB 4WD 5.7L HEMI

Other than the 88 Ram 50, which was basically a Mitsubishi with Dodge emblems, the Rams have all been GREAT trucks. Very few if any problems but if I did have an issue it was taken care of with NO hassle! The 88 aside, as it had a lot of issues, the other Rams had no serious/major issues.

94 - Nothing
97 - AC line and Starter both went bad around 52K. Also had a bad Driveshaft( replaced under warranty )
01 - Front brakes replaced under warranty
03 - Nothing( * )
04 - Nothing( * )
08 - Nothing

* - one of these trucks had the Cat Conv replaced as part of a recall but I can't remember which it was?

Other than routine maintenance such as OC's, tires, etc... I never had to do anything to the Rams other than the 97 ( AC and Starter ). I don't consider a bad starter and AC line to be a sign of poor quality. Pretty common problems/failures for ALL mfg's. I have had nothing but excellent results with "Chrysler" to this point.

Also, my Sister and Brother-in-Law also have had a lot of Dodges over the last 15 or so years. My Sister had a Plymouth Acclaim that was a decent vehicle and then she had 2 Dodge Intrepids. No problems with any of them except the last Intrepid which had major tire issues but that was on Goodyear not Dodge. Her hubby has had like 5 Dakotas and they have served him well with few repairs. A water pump, shocks, and some normal wear and tear stuff like brakes and tires. Not bad considering he puts well over 100K on a truck in about 3 years.

Chrysler/Dodge have some really nice vehicles out right now. The Journey is a really nice SUV although it does have a few 1st year model issues. The Avenger, Charger, Sebring, 300, and Challenger are all good cars. The new 09 Ram is awesome!

I would not hesitate to buy a Chrysler/Dodge product. The only concern I would have is the economic health of the company. All car mfg's are in trouble right now though including the foreign ones. The product line from "Chrysler" is just fine quality wise although I admit styling on some of them does not do a lot for me. They could sue some fresh design ideas.

Go test drive some and see if they have one you like and that fits you. THAT is what matters. Their cars and trucks are as good as the other mfg's including Toyota and Honda. If anyone tells you otherwise they haven't driven one recently and are stuck in 1982.

BTW - the hands down worst vehicle I have ever owned was from, and hands down the worst new car mfg I have ever dealt with was, Toyota. 2005 Tacoma I bought to replace the 04 Ram( due to gas prices ). In the 7 months I owned it that thing had more problems than every other vehicle I have ever owned, new and used, combined. The mfg and dearler base were miserable to deal with and completely useless. Now, you hear all the time how great they are. Well, in my experience it was the exact opposite just as my experience has been great with the Big 3 despite the popular belief they make inferior products.

Judge for yourself.
 
Originally Posted By: toytundranator
The Dodge Charger looks friggin nice! Problem is that it does not come in a manual transmission.


But the Challenger does, and IMO it looks even better.
 
I have 00 Durango, 02 grand cherokee, 03 PT GT turbo plus 4 older turbo Dodges with my 89 SHadow over 250K that I drive 80 miles a day with.

No major issues, just the usual maintenance and Fluid changes. The Durango had free ball joints done and WJ has never been back to the dealer for anything. The PT had LCA bushings done under warranty and that is it.

Cars are only as good as the maintenance they receive. Buy what you want and take care of it. Chrysler has some killer deals and good 0% financing and lifetime power train warranty, whats not to like assuming you like the car. I think I am going to get a Challanger Rt or something this year or next.
 
I have a 2005 PT Cruiser with 76,000 miles and no problems. I also have a 2006 Dodge Dakota with 42,000 miles and no problems. I'm happy with my Chrysler vehicles.
 
Ah yes, the weekly Chrysler bash thread...I almost missed it. Come all ye import lovers and story-tell us how magical your vehicles are. Oh btw, the mid/late 90's head-gasket issue with 2.0L Neon's and Breeze are not a new issue and was one of thee only major issues with those models and the fix was simple.
 
Originally Posted By: mstrjon32
Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
Perfect example why the Big 3 are in trouble especially Chrysler


How do you figure that? Sounds to me like he's had one electrical problem and a "sludger" engine designed and built by that Japanese, that in his case, is working fine.


A guy whose family owned a Chrysler dealership isn't going to buy another Chrysler product. To me, that speaks volumes. That's like all the Chrysler dealership mechanincs driving Toyota and Honda vehicles at work.
LOL.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Challenger71
Ah yes, the weekly Chrysler bash thread...I almost missed it. Come all ye import lovers and story-tell us how magical your vehicles are. Oh btw, the mid/late 90's head-gasket issue with 2.0L Neon's and Breeze are not a new issue and was one of thee only major issues with those models and the fix was simple.


Hey, we're gearheads on here for the most part. We're all goning to have issues with ANY car no matter who makes it. I JUST fixed a CEL on my 02 CR-V that would NOT go off with anything other than a Denso o2 sensor. I am not to thrilled about that.

But back to the topic at hand, I,too, have an ex-Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth dealer in the family. My uncle and his son ran a dealership from the 60s-80s. The last Chrysler product that his son (my cousin) bought was a late 90's Chrysler Sebring. He sold it to my brother a few years later and my brother has driven it for at least 7 years with no problem. That being said, my cousin himself has bought nothing but Hyundais since then. So take that for what it's worth.

Myself I REALLY liked the Magnum wagon and hated to see it discontinued. We had one as a work vehicle and it drove like a dream. Very nice suspension...
 
Originally Posted By: rszappa1
You are very lucky....


Nah, no luck involved, If I don't think the car will be descent I won't buy it. I don't even bother to buy extended warranties. I am more interested in getting a car for cheap rather than paying extra because of peoples perceptions.
 
We had a 95 Neon..that thing was a total POS. Two head gaskets, many batteries it cooked, Leaked coolant, had a total shutdown, just a few of the many issues we had with that car. Even ran GTX (the good stuff), and it would burn right through it. So I gave up and gave it ST oil (and it lasted longer too). But that car was fun to drive.


Even with that nightmare, I would still buy Chrysler products. My brother now has a 07 Caliber with 47k, no issues so far. Friend has a 03 Neon as a beater (96k), and short of the usual stuff, no problems either.

I take care of my cars and keep an eye on them. As long as you take care of it..hopefully, it should last you a while...
 
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