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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  Dont Buy It Car Has Costly Continuous Problems - 2008 Chrysler Sebring
  By thisismyreview - November 7 - 8:18 am

  I have a 2008 sedan and in the last year the transmission went out suddenly in the middle of the street without warning, the next month the starter went out and now it continuously stalls suddenly at the stop light and if I turn the corner etc. Mechanics are baffled and dont want to deal with it. Every time I fix "something" 2 months later theres another $500 problem. Like so many others have stated I need to get rid of this car A.S.A.P. By the way Dodge/Chryslers are known for having transmission problems so think about that the next time you consider buying from them.

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  Chrysler 300 Poor Choice - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By drewcarr - July 28 - 4:16 pm

  Hi - I bought a Chrysler 300 Touring Edition with 63,000 kms on it. I bought the car from a salesman friend and he swore up and down that car never missed a service and was ultra-reliable. I have owned the car for just over two years (now has 109,000 kms) and have done the following since I owned it - replaced two front end ball joint and two front end control arms - replaced alternator - replaced battery - serpentine belt "exploded" had to be towed. The front left wheel bearing had to be replaced. ERG valve replaced.Knuckle joint is gone in the steering column. I cant buy the joint must buy the entire steering column at a cost of over $900.Air conditioning compressor replaced.LEMON LEMON

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  Ok for the price but beware. - 2012 Chrysler 200
  By jamcas2 - May 23 - 9:13 am

  My car was bought in Jan of 2012. Since then I have kept the car well maintained. Having an oil leak I thought the people that did my oil changes messed up the oil plug. It turned out to be the engine oil seal. The dealership told me this is a common problem. Also at 26K miles my tires went bad. For this car being able to get tires with warranty at 100K miles this is bad. I was told the tires were not balanced. They were factory tires but are not covered. Also make sure you check your alignment often as this destroyed my front tires. I can now see the quality difference between Chrysler and Toyota. I owned my Toyota Corolla for 8 years no problem. Can not say the same about my Chrysler.

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  Not a good car - 2009 Chrysler Sebring
  By dewhurst - March 27 - 5:10 pm

  I borrowed this car from my grandma when she was out of town for 4 months. During this time, i had to get the power steering repaired twice. Also, I feel like Im hunched in the car, as the visibility is bad, even though Im not a tall person. The heated seats are nice, and the interior design is nice. However, now Im pretty sure Ill steer clear of Chrysler in the future.

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  Looks can be decieving. - 1997 Chrysler Sebring
  By pcast99 - February 16 - 1:40 pm

  I bought this car January of 2013 and have had it over a year and it has been a money pit. Ive had to replace the brake lines, tie rods and various other items. The radio stopped working and the emergency brake broke. It is also rusted out under the body and Im told its only a matter of time until it comes to a point it cant be driven. However Ill admit it is an old car and the previous owner(s) didnt take care of it well. It looks and feels decent but the ride is noisy and it is a painfully slow car. If you are considering buying this vehicle be sure to examine it closely and consider another vehicle first.

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  If you love sinking money on poor made cars... - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By kovacic_frank - January 23 - 1:48 pm

  It had about 74k miles. Since day one i had problems. Heater went out and windows would freeze up and would only blow cold air, The headlights would flicker on and off, the cd changer when in the cold would make some robotic squeal and change the cds at random. clock would die out. The car would not start half the time and the other half id be driving and the oil temperature would skyrocket into overheating. Twice on the highway my car would almost catch fire. my ball-join broke off the car and had to get towed going 12mph. and last but not least, the 2.7 engine died on me at 80k. all this happend in a span of 8 months. I will never buy a Chrysler again

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  Would not recommend this car to anyone! - 2006 Chrysler Sebring
  By matthew_taylor - November 12 - 7:44 pm

  I bought this car used back in May of 2013 it only had 37k miles. After about the first 1000 miles the alternator went out, the doors started rattling, and the top whistles when driving down the Interstate. The Sebring has Sloppy handling in curves and has horrible braking. The headlights also are not bright at all! however the 2.7 L V6 engine offers great power and decent fuel economy.

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  Nightmare on wheels! - 2000 Chrysler Sebring
  By hugolast - August 29 - 5:29 pm

  Worst car ever!! Had so many issues and spent so much money fixing numerous problems that the last time it broke down, I just called a towing company and let them take it for $100. A year later my newlywed daughter drove up our driveway in another Sebring Convertible! And three months later thats exactly where it is waiting to be taken to the shop for repairs. Horrible car. DO NOT buy.

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  200 Transmission Problems - 2011 Chrysler 200
  By covington2 - August 28 - 9:38 am

  In December of 2012 I purchased the 200 Chrysler 4dr V6. At about 3400 miles on odometer - it began with engine light of and on (have photo) but dealer can not find issue nor reproduce, along with a thump/jolt when shifting gears, when driving between 10 - 40 mph. I have been to the dealer and had Chrysler representative ride along and the thump occured on 3 occations within 15 min test drive. Chrysler rep stated "this is a normal experience with Chrysler autos" Dealer but Mopar additive in transmission to "help the gears shif smoother" it did for short while and then the thump started again. Now at about 9000 miles on the auto and a week in the shop for diagnostics, dealer offers a trade i

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  2011 Convertible - owned 15 months - 2011 Chrysler 200
  By dave1974 - June 17 - 11:01 pm

  Bought this car in November of 2011 - white S convertible with V6-drove it about 13K miles. In response to other reviews: -Headlight distance is fine high or low beam -Handling (except torque steer) is great -Hard to soft accelerate from start -Convertible top itself worked well -Gas mileage was only 17 in town and 28 highway at best -Torque steer is HORRIBLE -Windshield visibility limited due to heavy bracing on header and sides -Convertible top operation good -Transmission started bucking at 2,800 miles - never fixed on 4 tries - know 2 others personally with this problem - had to file lemon law on them and make them rebuy this car