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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  Never waste your money on this car - 1999 Chrysler Sebring
  By jazzielola - December 3 - 7:55 pm

  99 Chrysler sebring convertible never waste your money or time on this car, I bought this car with 150K miles October of 2010 and paid 5200$. Came December 2010 it needed freez plugs however when they took the motor out the mounts were so bad they fell apart(total cost 1900$). From January 2011 until December 2011 I have replaced brakes(more than once), timing belt, water pump, starter, battery(more than once), altinator, crankshaft sensor, coil pack, and rollers. Total cost for repairs and labor more than 3200$ I would NEVER get this car again nor recommend it to any one if you see a 99 Chrysler Sebring Convertible on a car lot run the other way. The only pro of this car is the body.

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  2005 chrysler pacifica - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By freddie22m - November 8 - 2:06 pm

  i have a 2005 chrysler pacifica i have had nothing but problems with it well the brakes to start with i have had them changed so many times. now the motor mounts and they said its normal for the car well i have a kia which has more miles on it and it has never had anything wrong with it. my pacifica only has 85,000 miles on it the dealer said it was going to be around 1,000 dollars to fix it which is crazy i would never get another chrysler again i should have listen when people told me that the car was a crapsler.....

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  MONEY PIT - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By deemilli - October 3 - 9:23 pm

  I purchased a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. Ive had nothing but problems. Ive replaced the tire rods, brakes 2 twice, just last week spent $800 dollars on motor mounts, last year replaced the transmission $1500. Guess what, transmission is still acting up, took it back to the dealer and they said they could not find anything wrong with the car. They cleared the codes and the car ran fine until this past weekend. Check light engine is back on and you guessed it?? Transmission Torque convertor and front pump failure. Thank goodness for warrenties!!! otherwise it would be another $1500 if not more. Beware do not purchase this car, it is a MONEY PIT.

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  Just for looks - 2006 Chrysler 300
  By truthbetold37 - September 28 - 2:02 pm

  This car is just for looks. Even with doing regular maintenenace to preven major problems I still had them. Within 2 years of owning my 300 I have paid $700 to replace a housing unit $600 to replace the water pump $1700 to repair a crack head caused by the car running hot when the water pump went out. And now the car is stuck in park come to find out there are a lot of people having this same problem with Chrysler cars something about the shift box there is some plastic piece that is faulty and Chrysler will not do a recall leaving the customer to have to replace it. Will never ever buy another Chrysler car again. My father told me not to buy Chrysler but I did not listen.

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  Good idea, bad implementation. - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By jp384 - August 24 - 2:14 am

  Not the most comfortable car to drive. Feels like a boat and Im afraid of hitting everything when Im in the city. Front suspension seems a bit loose so every time we had to stop quick, the front would take a deep dive and when it went over a driveway that was higher then the road it would bottom out at 12 mph, which might be why the bearing plates broke (something our mechanic told us was common in them). Learning transmission never up shifted when it should have and loved to rev up to the red before it would finally shift. Needs plus gas for power and fuel economy. For a car thats supposed to be a town car and SUV I think Chrysler failed to make a car thats good at being either.

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  Worst car ever made and worst ever owned - 2003 Chrysler 300M
  By nhevinw007 - July 26 - 5:37 pm

  There is only one brand that where there are actual websites dedicated to the hate of these vehicles and all things the terrible company makes. The exterior of this vehicle is fairly nice, and the interior is roomy and comfortable. That is the good. It chews up rotors and pads. The paint started coming off at 90,000 miles. I have replaced 7 crank shaft sensors, 5 cam shaft sensors, 1 A/C compressor, at least 9 windshield wipers, and the oil has leaked since the week we bought it. It stalls all the time, and now the tranny is starting to go out. All I do is feel sorry for anyone who buys a car made by this company. [violative content deleted]

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  Worst car I have ever owned, even with reg. maintenance - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By meatballman - May 20 - 11:12 am

  This car is a piece of trash. I hate this car so much I will never own another Chrysler or Dodge product, ever. Engine failure at 140000, replaced ball joints and wheel bearings at least 5 times that I can remember in the front, oil sending unit went bad, blower motor resistor went bad, cig lighter wires broke off inside console, sudden surges at red lights and stop signs, sudden stalls at red lights and stop signs. I literally had every single problem people have written about this car. I went to the dealer to look at a used Civic which they sold before we got there, and sales guy got my wife to fall in love with this car. Worst regret ever that I caved.

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  POOR WORKMANSHIP AT ITS BEST - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By lemonsbeware - May 4 - 9:10 pm

  I am about to trade my 06 Pacifica in. Since I bought it: left front axle broke as I was leaving a parking space, emissions leak x 2, ABS malfunctions, lose power steering after driving in the rain, car shuts off immediately after sharp left turns, replaced struts. Now: front and rear motor bearings must be replaced, entire oil pan needs to be replaced, belt tensioner needs to be replaced, AND THIS DOESNT COVER THE OTHER EXHISTING PROBLEMS. I am a single mom of two. I do not drive like a lunatic and I use it to run local errands take me and the kids to and from school and work. This car has cost me so much money it makes me want to cry.

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  Never again - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By fayga - April 15 - 10:54 pm

  Had it 3 years put in over 3500 bucks into it one week after driving it off the lot had some silly light sensor go out. I was not very happy with the quality of the car, the last straw was the reclining seat part broke so it was a hazard to drive thinking it was going to pop out of the lock i had made since it was going to cost over 500 to get it fixed.

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  It is fun to drive - 1999 Chrysler Sebring
  By kadelman - February 15 - 9:17 am

  The driving fun ends quickly because you cannot keep the thing on the road. The tires are crappy in winter, the rims are horrendously expensive and you can bend them with your bare hands so be careful when changing a flat. The hubs will not come out of the steering knuckles even though they are threaded. To fix the belt you have to go in through the wheel well. I am a fairly competent average joe. I know what I am doing for all these little things. However on this car, it is built in such an obnoxious way that even the little things take 3-5 days to fix.