Chrysler is dead

[nh_mopar_fan]

Chrysler is dead. The product line is crap.

My 2002 Sebring ragtop has been a decent car but it's the little crap that drives me nuts. It'd be nice if the friggin airbag light would stay off for more than a day. It's be nice if the rear window would not separate from the top (just like my 1996 ragtop did). It's be nice if the friggin power windows would stop where they're supposed to. It's be great if it wouldn't eat wheel bearings. 

The 2001 PT has been no better, if not worse. The power sunroof failed after 2 years, cost to repair, 2 grand.  The tires leak constantly due to the rims which, by the way, all the chrome started peeling off of years ago. The front windows no longer go down, (override switch), the driving lights stay on all the time, even if you shut the car off, unless you put on the left blinker.  It's the multi-purpose switch and when you call the dealer you'll find that it's on backorder. Think that may be a common problem?   

On to the newer stuff:

Sebring ragtop. Drove one for a week in Florida. Like sitting in a plastic bucket. Feels cheap. The interior looks like something I used to churn out with my Mattel mold maker.  The car had only about 5K on it and it already had more rattles than a daycare center. I can't imagine what the thing will be like in another year or two. 

PT Cruiser ragtop - Another rental. It was brand new, less than 1k on it when I got it. Wind noise with the top up from the get-go. Yeah, that's going to get better with time. Nothing like that nice constant whistle as you're moving at any speed over 35mph.

Finally, my 2002 ragtop is in the bodyshop thanks to the idiot that ran an intersection last week so as a rental I got a Dodge Avenger. I can't believe how crude and loud this car is. The road noise and engine noise is deafening. That's not going to get better with time. This has 21K on it which is alot for a rental but it gives you a good idea of where the thing is headed as time and mileage increases. The interior is much like the Sebring, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting cheap plastic. Rattles and squeaks. I have no idea what the MSRP is for one of these but I wouldn't drive one at any price, certainly not for my daily 1hr plus commute.

I haven't owned anything other than Mopars since I started driving. (ok, the Capri Turbo for a year but I've blocked that nightmare out), I'm out. I will looking for a new car next year and there is no way in hell that I will be looking at anything coming from Chrysler. Hell, it wouldn't surprise me if they were gone before then anyway. What will that lifetime warranty be worth then? 

I love the classic stuff. I'm looking for a 2nd gen right now.

The current offerings? No thank you.

I know there will be some that will tell me that their new Charger is the balls. Talk to me in 2-3 years. Tell me what the depreciation is. Tell me how many of these stupid design issues you've dealt with.

It's a sad realization but I am just not going to put up with this crap anymore.

[JPL]

"more rattles than a daycare center"
Yup, my wife's LHS, same thing, ac is broke can't hold a charge for more than a week, passengers window is off the tracks , power locks scream but don't work , tires leak due to cheap chrome rims , door weather-stripping shrunk and now sags, warped rotors , already replaced the p/s lines , headlights frosted over & the power seats were demoted to part time status , the Mitsubishi HO motor runs great though...

[BB1]

That's why I drive a 05 Pontiac G6, live and learn. 

[Magnumcharger]

I hate to think that you might be right, but....you might be right.
My last Chrysler product was a '93 Intrepid. Aside from a tendancy to eat timing belts and water pumps every 60K or so, it was a fantastic car. I got almost 300,000 miles out of it by the time the engine grenaded. And you know, the seats still looked like brand new.

[Bobs69]

Yeah it's funny, I remember an uncle of my talking out loud to himself when we went to look at a charger, "Why is it all old dodge lovers drive chevs?".  The guy had a couple in his driveway.

My wife's 1999 cirrus was owned by an older gentleman, so it's a creampuff.  Well shit, tranny went balljoints are popular it's just been a leach.  The dealer said yeah you have had lots of problems, would you like to look at another car?  She told them she'd never buy another chrysler again.  I'm 34 and have only owned 3 cars including my 69 charger.  It's the only dodge.

Although my father 1997 intrepid just keeps on going.

[Charger1973]

I own a 73 Charger and even though I love it, its the only Dodge I really care to own.  I also have 2 full size Chevy trucks.  The 79 Blazer is the toughest truck ive ever seen, its older than me and even though it is rough around the edges, its still going strong.  My 02 Tahoe has 156k on it and it looks, runs and drives like new.  I have no complaints...

[Brock Samson]

 I love my '99 300 M despite it being a 6 cyl. front wheel drive. it's been pretty much bulletproof, of course now, after 9 years it now needs some suspension work and that's not susprising because the city and I are really hard on cars. I'd buy another but I'd be sure to get one before '2001 when the Germans began to remove the content, like the leather seat backs, tinted windhields, EQs on the stereos,real chrome wheels etc.
 Oh and let's not forget the over-all feeling that the new Challenger is cool beans.
between the last eight years of decontenting and having consistantly late product arrivals Chysler lost the design lead it was known for.
Who's gonna save it this time?.. 

[Back N Black]

The only Dodge i own is my 69 charger.Daily drivers are Chevy's. I guess not everone is a die hard Mopar fan.

[Joshua]

Cars built after '72 are all junk anyways......regardless of make..... trucks up till @ 1980...

[Charger1973]

I own a 73 Charger and even though I love it, its the only Dodge I really care to own.  I also have 2 full size Chevy trucks.  The 79 Blazer is the toughest truck ive ever seen, its older than me and even though it is rough around the edges, its still going strong.  My 02 Tahoe has 156k on it and it looks, runs and drives like new.  I have no complaints...

Oh yeah, and another plus, parts are CHEAP compared to anything Mopar...

[Charger1973]

Cars built after '72 are all junk anyways......

Yeah ok...   

[runningman]

As an employee I do agree somewhat.  I will say that Daimler did not do us any favors.  I am not sure about Cerberus but from what I have read they are really paying attention to details.  Jim Press (from Toyota) first noticed how "hard" the interiors were in our vehicles as well as the road noise issues.  I am pretty sure the newest offerings will be much improved.........

[RD]

i beg to differ, maybe i have been lucky, but my 98 neon is the best car i have owned in a long time.  35 mpg highway, 29-30 mpg average overall.  havent spent much on it, though it probably could go for a new set of struts all around.

my 05 quad cab 4x4 has been impeccable with performance and interior. only had to change an alternator as of yet.

[Brock Samson]

 FYI: the rushed a sound deadening package into the avenger/sebring this yr.

 BTW:
 That "More rattles then a daycare center" line is one of the best I've ever read on this site! 

[472 R/T SE]

In '04 I got on the 'net and found all these above mentioned problems, not to mention the 2.7/3.2 drivetrains.  The best bang for the buck, residual at the time was a 300m that comes standard w/ the 3.5.  I purchased a '00 and have replaced a couple door locks myself and a set of tires over 26k miles.  It now has 105k and is just as tight and road noise free as when I purchased it.  I use the electric seat everyday that I drive it.
My wife uses it to visit her parents' 90 miles away and I have the utmost confidence in the car.

Are we just lucky to have chanced out and got good products from Daimler?  Well I'd like to think some luck is owed to me but can't help but think a little research goes a long way as well.     

[nh_mopar_fan]

My wife uses it to visit her parents' 90 miles away and I have the utmost confidence

Are we just lucky to have chanced out and got good products from Daimler?  Well I'd like to think some luck is owed to me but can't help but think a little research goes a long way as well.     

We bought the PT new in 2001 so it any issues would've ben unknown. The fact that it continues to be an issue with newer models though is a problem.

To be fair, my 2002 Sebring is a workhorse. It's got 167K on it now and does 150mi/day round trip commute to work. I had to replace a starter last winter. It's these other minor issues which, while they won't leave you stranded on the side of the road, start to really be a PITA after a while.

[Mike DC (formerly miked)]

I've had the feeling that Chrysler was on the ragged edge of maybe just barely surviving before the Krauts bought it, but they tipped it over the edge.


If the power windows don't work after 40K and the AC & cooling system are blown by 100K, then it just doesn't matter if the motor lasts 220K instead of 190K.   Most of the auto industry has been infuriatingly slow to figure this out, particularly Detroit.


People used to be willing to overlook the "smaller stuff" going to crap in decades past as long as the car drove for a long time.  But that was before every single "small thing" was a complex system that costs several thousand bucks to service and can't be fixed at home with a screwdriver anymore.  I wish the OEMs would get it through their heads that we're often spending as much on those "little things" as it would cost to replace entire drivetrain components. 



There's no excuse for a lot of this stuff.  There is no cutting-edge technology involved in keeping a lot of this electrical stuff working.  It either works for many years or they over-cut the corners at the factory.

[PocketThunder]

FYI: the rushed a sound deadening package into the avenger/sebring this yr.

 BTW:
 That "More rattles then a daycare center" line is one of the best I've ever read on this site! 

Actually day care centers are only licensed for a certain number of infants per adult care provider.  the number of 1, 2, 3, and 4 year olds is much higher per adult car provider so unless the day care center has a lot of adults working at one time they cannot have very many infants in house.  So unless the entire enrollment of kids are playing with rattles, the number of rattles per day care center will be relatively small.

Oh, wait, where did that come from.. 

[WingCharger]

I just hope Chrysler doesnt end up like AMC.

I doubt the goverment would allow a big American company like Chrysler to go under.

[CB]

to get my Dodge Charger registered and licenced I need to get approval of ... Mercedes   
CB