4 Star Reviews for Chrysler

Overview & Reviews

Average Score

4.39/5 Average
7,767 Total Reviews
Make Overview:

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:

Showing 1001 through 1010 of 7,767.00
  • Good but need a few improvements - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
    By -

    Good car all around. Does not seem as large when driven. Nice ride and very spacious. The navigation screen is poorly placed. Wife almost got into an accident when trying to adjust it. Very poor fuel economy. Much of this car resembles a down scaled version of the MB R class. The nice features in the MB is not in the Pacifica (stability control and large moon-roof), that I wished is availible in the Pacifica.

  • a good car - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
    By -

    only probelm I found with this car is that it has blind spots when turning at some junctions especially crossing traffic. Otherwise it is a very nice car to drive

  • Fun car to drive - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
    By -

    This is my first convertible. I primarily bought it for my wife but I love it too. The car has great pickup and gas mileage for a large car is good, about 22-25 miles per gallon. My one complaint would be the tires leaking air. My tire place claims that it was the chrome wheels. However, I recently purchased new tires and they have not loss any so far. My other complaint would be the brakes had to be replaced at 30,000 miles which seems too quick.

  • Weak carpeting - 2005 Chrysler 300
    By -

    I am overall happy with the vehicle, except for the fact that I have holes in the floor on the driver side and the carpeting is coming undone! I have contacted Chrysler and the dealership for assistance, but to no avail. The floor up front is weak, as if something was missing from the building process. I would like to know whether or not any other Consumers were having the same if not similar problems. A new car should not have carpeting wear and tear at this stage. I have 60,000 miles on my vehicle now, and it is time for a front end alignment. I make sure that I do my regular maintenance on time. But the carperting is my main complaint.

  • Mover and Shaker - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
    By -

    I have the SRT6 version but couldnt find another way to post. Due to the power to weigh ratio, this is one of the fastest cars on the road without paying 85k. Supercharger awakenings the 3.2 from Mercedes. Destroys anything under 85k and some over that price. Interior a little cramped and gas mileage is not great but who cares, this car is an animal. Great second car. A cruising speeds very docile but with just a hint of gas and your going over 100mph. Great car

  • Complaint - 2005 Chrysler 300
    By -

    I have been having a problem with the drive shift of this vehicle. When it is in park, I can press the brake to put in gear, and having a problem with it. Took it to the shop at James Ceranti twice and still having the same problem. Will be taking it back tomorrow May 2, 2006

  • Great car, poor serivce from Daimler Chr - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
    By -

    Wifes car. This car has everything from built in CD player, sun roof, leather, fun to drive.

  • Love the PT but want more reliability - 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
    By -

    I loved the PT from the moment I saw it and bought one despite concerns about buying a Chrysler. Overall, I like the car but its reliability isnt what I want. The 1st 2 years were great, but then one little thing after another started going wrong.First the headlights wouldnt turn off-had to get the car jump started and take it in to the shop. Then the horn wouldnt work. Then it started overheating-had to get the car towed in 2 times for that. Then the brake lights wouldnt work-got them fixed 3 separate times. Replaced battery several times, replaced brakes. If it werent for these annoyances I would never buy another type of car-I absolutely love the ride, the look, the comfort,the room.

  • Love our Town&Country. Dissapointed by Pacifica. - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
    By -

    We have a 2008 Chrysler Town&Country that we love; but we were wanting a new van, and so we went to test drive the Pacifica with the full intent to buy it. But we were extremely disappointed. When they re-designed the van, the designers clearly did not take into account that most people driving vans have families of more than two children (the whole reason to buy a van). While the Town&Country had 2 DVD screens, giving you the option for the third row to watch DVDs without the second row having to see it ( a great feature when you drive other adults in the car); the new Pacifica ignores the third-row-passengers completely. In the Pacifica, there are fantastic in-seat screens for the second row (they are installed on the back of the first row seats), but these screens cannot be seen from the back row when the 8th seat is installed. Which means that if you have any kids in the last row, they do not have the option to watch DVDs. Which seems a huge design-flaw as I know many families whose kids sit in that last row. We presumed that it would be possible to install these in-seat screens for the third row, an obvious fix, but our salesman informed us that that was not possible. So no DVD watching for the passengers in the third row. Meanwhile, if you decide to go sit in that last row, you quickly realize that the headrests are tilted forward at a sharp angle, which was very uncomfortable for an adult. And they are not adjustable. When we inquired about this, the salesperson told us these seats were meant for children, not adults (so they did want children sitting in that row, just not ones that would want to be entertained by the DVD system). But here is were you run into a bigger problem. Children grow. They do not remain tiny forever. Our oldest just turned 15, and he is 59. Still a child, but too tall for the back row of this minivan, according to our salesperson. Thus, he would have to sit in the middle row, leaving our younger children sitting in the back, whining about the unfairness of the screen situation (and no, you cannot have adjustable headrests installed in that last row). So, while we were really excited about the possibilities of this new van, if you have more than 2 children, the Town&Country was a much better model.

  • 2000 300M - 2000 Chrysler 300M
    By -

    I bought this car used almost 3 years ago and have only had to replace the spark plugs and front brake pads. The car is very reliable. I recently got 32MPG on a trip. I love the cars styling and comfort and plenty of power when you need it.

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