Overview & Reviews

Chrysler is generally considered part of the Big Three, a title that refers to the traditional triumvirate of domestic automakers. The current accuracy of this classification is open for debate, but there's no debating the fact that Chrysler has experienced a revival of sorts over the past few years.

Chrysler Corporation was founded in 1925 by Walter P. Chrysler, a noted machinist; he'd purchased the Maxwell Motor Corporation of Detroit and used it as the foundation for his new company. The automaker quickly earned a reputation for advanced engineering. In 1928, Chrysler Corporation expanded with the purchase of Dodge and the creation of the DeSoto and Plymouth divisions.

The 1930s saw Chrysler boldly looking toward the future with the introduction of its revolutionary Airflow. Powered by a front-mounted inline-8, the car was one of the first to be designed with aerodynamics in mind, and featured swooping lines and a prominent grille. Perhaps a bit too ahead of its time, the Airflow was a flop with the public. Chrysler was able to survive the lean years of the Depression thanks to strong sales of its entry-level Dodge and Plymouth brands, whose vehicles boasted more traditional designs and much lower price tags.

Chrysler shined postwar. For a period in the late 1940s, it even surpassed Ford as the No. 2 U.S. automaker. The company's storied "Hemi" V8 engine debuted in 1951. Offering 180 horsepower, it was a significant improvement over Chrysler's previous 135-hp V8. The Hemi engine was meant to trounce the V8 offered by Cadillac, Chrysler's rival, and it kick-started Detroit's horsepower race of the 1950s and '60s. The '50s also saw the debut of treasured Chrysler classics like the handsome Town and Country and the sleek 300C.

By 1961, Chrysler had trimmed its line of brands by dropping the DeSoto nameplate. New technologies were also afoot, such as unibody construction (Chrysler was the first of the Big Three to introduce it) and the replacement of generators with alternators for a car's charging system. In the latter half of the '60s, Chrysler was heavily involved with NASCAR and producing performance-oriented cars.

At the same time, however, dark clouds were gathering. As with other domestic automakers, the 1970s proved to be a difficult decade due to the oil crisis, new government regulations and changing consumer tastes. A costly and ineffective overseas expansion further hurt the company's bottom line. By the late '70s, the company was in such financial disarray that it petitioned the government for $1.5 billion in loan guarantees to save it from bankruptcy.

Thanks to impressive public campaigning by then-chairman Lee Iacocca, the debut of the well-received K-car platform and the creation of the modern minivan, sales had improved dramatically by the mid-'80s. The government's loan was paid off seven years early. The picture further brightened in the late 1980s with Chrysler's purchase of American Motors Corporation (which netted the company the Jeep brand) and a joint venture with Mitsubishi known as Diamond Star Motors.

Success continued through the early 1990s. In 1998, German-based Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler. At the time, this deal was presented as a merger of equals. But it quickly became apparent that it was more of a purchase, with Daimler being the dominant partner.

Less than a decade later, that merger was no longer, as Daimler sold Chrysler (and Dodge) to a private equity firm in 2007. However, that merger had borne some worthwhile fruit, most notably in the form of the Chrysler 300 full-size sedan. The latter shared some chassis components with an older Mercedes-Benz E-Class platform.

As such, the 300 was a highlight for Chrysler that had a pleasingly solid feel to its driving dynamics that was further sweetened via an available powerful V8 engine. But soon after the split, America's economy slid into recession. Due to poor sales and debt, Chrysler had to declare bankruptcy and the federal government intervened with bailout loans. Eventually Chrysler came under control of Italy's Fiat.

Today, the lineup has been pared down to a pair of sedans, a convertible and a minivan. However, after years of having lackluster entries in the very important midsize car category, Chrysler made major improvements in the performance, design and quality of its midsize sedan entry, the 200. The latest 300 also stands as a prime choice for a premium full-size sedan. Still, it remains to be seen as to whether this and future product releases will be enough to restore the company to its former glory.

User Reviews:

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  Wish I didnt buy - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Dr.Arnold - March 17 - 10:00 am

  Lemon. That is how I describe my red sebring convertable. The check engine light came on after one week. Was "fixed" and came on again the following week. They ordered a part, and asid it was safe to drive. In the mean time 3 complete electrical failures. the 3rd one after it was "fixed" again. And a broken RPM gauge to boot. 4th time in the shop and nothing fixed yet. And so far no satisfaction from Chrysler! Dont buy!

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  Bad Cruiser - 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By TDH - February 27 - 4:13 am

  The car was fine for the first two years, but it has been a headache ever since. The turbo blew out when the car was 2 years old. It was still under warranty. The dealership performed shoddy work, and it ended up in the shop again for repeat repairs. I would never again purchase a Chrysler. I have spent almost $10,000 in repairs. I hope Chrysler and it subsidiaries go down in flames. No bail out!

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  Think Twice - 2007 Chrysler Pacifica
  By lmccloughan - February 25 - 11:08 am

  One week after purchasing my 2007 Pacifica we had to have the drive train replaced. A while later it was lunging forward and jerking at times when accelerating. Dealer could not find anything wrong. Took it back several times before they finally found the problem. It has been in for transmission repairs 4 times. Last week when I went to take my kids to school, it would not move. The emergency brake spring broke and shot through my rear brake. ABS light and traction control problems are constant! Look up complaints on the Pacifica and you will find out a lot. I would never purchase a Chrysler vehicle again. I do not feel like my family is safe in this car.

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  Junk on wheels - 2002 Chrysler Voyager
  By JUNK on Wheels - January 30 - 11:42 pm

  I bought this van new and from the start it was junk. A tie rod broke. There was a total of 6 recalls before 36,000 miles on this van. The back windshield wiper is very slow and weak at moving, that you wonder when it will just stop working. The sway bar links and bushings are worn out every 6 months of driving due to the defective material that is used to save on cost. You drive down the road and it sounds like it is going to fall apart. The a/c unit smells bad for the first 15 min. They extended the warranty for up to 7 years, due to so many people having problems with this. I have own both a Chrysler and Dodge van and have had nothing but problems. My next van will soon be a Honda.

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  Lemon Car - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By petew1007 - January 5 - 10:00 am

  This Car was in the Dealers Repair Shop for 16 days straight trying to find out why the battery went dead and would not start the car... They finally replaced the Dashboard Cluster Guages... Along with all the Safty Recalls and all the other Problems with this Car I`m Filing Under the State of Iowa`s Lemon-Laws to get rid of this thing..... I`m 62 years young and have had 6 NEW cars and 2 Program cars... Of those 8 cars I have never had So Much TROUBLE with a car as I`ve had with this CHRYSLER PACIFICA it`s been a PAIN...

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  Nothing but trouble - 2008 Chrysler Aspen
  By bcarefull - January 2 - 1:25 pm

  I have had nothing but trouble since I bought my Aspen. Lots of electrical problems. Still have equipment thats not working. The dealer I bought it from still cant get it fixed. I have two freinds with Aspens both not happy. I tried to trade it in and the dealer told me I would lose more than 15 thousand than I payed just months ago. Should have bought a import.

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  Big Mistake - 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By QA - December 21 - 5:50 am

  Because the seats sit higher, you are able to enjoy an overall better view of the road. However, I wouldnt recommend anyone to purchase a PT Cruiser. The workmanship on the car is poor. The parts are of poor quality and break quickly. The price to fix the vehicle is outrageous due to its design. It is a completely unreliable car. I have owned the car for 3 years. It has brokendown and needed towed 4 times. Each time I was told that the part with the problem wears quickly and it is not unusual to have it replaced.

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  Do not buy - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By KS - December 19 - 2:03 pm

  I bought this car because I wanted a crossover vehicle. I was pleased with the amount of room inside the car and also the interior. However, that is where it stops. The car has absolutely no power. It is hard to merge onto the freeway, oh and when you accelerate to merge onto that freeway you will watch your money fly out the window because it sucks up so much gas. The reliability of the car is horrible. I have had the car stall on me several times while driving, and then brought it into the dealer for them to tell me that there is nothing wrong with the car.

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  Not A Very Good Car - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By Fran - December 9 - 7:43 pm

  I got this car as a company vehicle last year July 2007. I have the 2.7L V6 engine. I must say, the car is very stylish from the outside but basically, car is a piece of crap! I took this car in several times to the dealership for various repairs. Problems that stand out for me is the following - Car dies intermittenly at low speeds. When making left turns, car makes a growling noise. At stops, sometimes car sputters, then surges forward when foot is on brake. If you dont have to drive it and leave it parked the car get 10s all around. Once you drive it the car gets 1s all around! I will never ever purchase a Chrysler product. No wonder the 3 big American car companies are going out of business!

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  Poor Workmanship - 2000 Chrysler Sebring
  By mac - December 4 - 1:35 pm

  Paid 10k, spent 4 k in repairs over 3 yrs Leaking problem-coolant, transmission, oil Brakes problem: Fixed over and over, still squeaky, bad parts A/C Heating: A/C use shuts down engine in summer. Heat wont work unless you put it on level 4 Reliability: Say a prayer everytime you leave your driveway and hope it doesnt shut down. Overall: With regular maintenance, there is always a minimum $600-1000 cost of repairing something. Went broke with this car, all other bills started being paid late because I put all our money into keeping this car on the road