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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  biggest mistake ever - 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By nhmom73 - May 26 - 6:06 pm

  I hate to write this, because I am about to make yet another repair in the 1k range. And want to get it off my hands very soon after. I bought mine with 14k on the engine for 14k. Have had so many problems I would need a website to list. Knock on wood, the only thing I have not replaced is the transmission. At 32k I had to replace all 4 cylinders. Was very upset that Chrysler would not help with the repair. It was a manufacture issue as they were never correct. They offered free parts if I used a dealership, but that would have cost me more than my mechanic. Then 3 crank shaft sensors...need to bring it in now to find why the 3rd has found... It shakes at 50 and above on the rd...problems

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  Lemon - 2016 Chrysler 200
  By tekan87 - April 22 - 6:27 am

  I have had this car about 10months. The car will cut off while driving down the road. When you take it to the dealer they say its just the oil. I had the oil changed and it continue to do the same things. Some morning the car will not Start. You have to hit the button five or six times before it will start. They gas peddle has a popping sound to it. The check engine light came on Friday. I took it to auto zone and had it put on the machine, then took it to the dealer ship. They put it on the machine before it went to the back. At auto zone and at the service desk the both had five different codes for what was going on with it. But once it went to the back the mechanic said they could not find a code or anything wrong with it. I will Never buy a car from five star again. If you can find any other car please do.

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  Bought it and Got rid of it - 2015 Chrysler 200
  By Tyler - September 11 - 9:26 am

  The car looks Great. Chrysler did a great job on the looks of this car. The transmission and electronics on the other hand need a lot of work. I had this car for a month and had to have it towed due to transmission failure. It was fixed under warranty but customer service was terrible. I called multiple times and was put on hold every time for so long that the sales department kept answering and retransfering me to the service department. It was winter time when i had the vehicle and the traction was terrible in the snow. The antilock brakes failed, visibility is terrible and there was front end problems. The transmission after being serviced shifted very hard in the cold weather. Fuel economy was not good at all. I was getting about 20mpg city and 29mpg highway with this car. I will never buy a Chrysler product again. I got rid of it and got a Subaru Crosstrek instead and I am glad I did because its a great vehicle. I cant imagine how much it will cost to fix the chrysler after warranty. Dont get this vehicle and save yourself the headache.

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  Horrible 9-speed unreliable transmission - 2016 Chrysler 200
  By Shawn - July 1 - 12:59 am

  When going from reverse to drive or even from Park to drive the transmission will go into drive at first up to about 5 miles an hour and then starts slipping for about 20 to 30 seconds with the engine revving and then finally goes back into drive with a big thump jerking you back into the seat and is sometimes kind of scary the worst part about it is its been to the dealership three times and they say they cant duplicate the problem and I told them it was intermittent that it didnt happen all the time I even talked to the service manager after the third time of taking it in and he even told me that there was nothing they could do unless it showed a code that was bad or duplicate the problem and while telling me this he acted like I was bugging him so now Im stuck with this car but Im paying a lot of money for a car Im scared to drive....SO NO I DONT RECOMMEND ANYONE TO BY THIS TYPE OF CAR AT ALL

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  2.7 sludged engine - 2002 Chrysler Sebring
  By cindy - May 31 - 12:53 pm

  I loved this car when I bought it. Then I had problems with the brakes [squealing] the dealership said, "it was how I drove the car" I have also had to replace tires in the 3rd of ownership. 8/17/04 car engine seized Chrysler and the dealership put the onus on the consumer-poor maintenance - despite records of oil changes and brake issues. I no longer feel safe in this car. type 2.7 at google to see problems related to this engine.

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  no heat no repete - 2012 Chrysler 200
  By adam - November 24 - 11:33 pm

  heat on passengers side quit at 50,000 miles chrysler wont fix but will for $1000.00

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  ITS A TICKING TIME BOMB.... KEEP AWAY FROM IT!!!! - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Peyton Moyer - October 25 - 1:25 am

  Do not buy this car unless you have a GREAT mechanic or a GREAT extended warranty! Engine and computer has BUGS and started acting crazy at 132,300 miles valves are sticking and idle is rough. Not an easy car to work, not worth your time to overhaul and replace engine.

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  Horrible car - 2015 Chrysler 200
  By Mad as hell - October 17 - 9:22 pm

  Bought the car with only 8000 miles. Has the car for a week and the transmission started acting up. Had to have a new transmission put in. Two weeks later started having the same problem. The repair shop has had my car more than I have. Called Chrysler resolution hopefully they will get me out of this vehicle and into something safer and more reliable.

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  Transmission almost killed my family twice...!!! - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Thomas Aiken - September 8 - 4:51 am

  We were on a trip to Tennessee from SC and we were on a mountain road in a pull off. I put it in reverse and it went wild. All the lights came on, transmission locked up, parking brake lit up and transmission did not work. 15 minutes of turning the car on and off finally reset it. Drove home with no problems. Couple weeks later my wife called me crying hysterically that she and our three young daughters were almost killed because she was driving on a busy road and the transmission locked up. We limped the car into the dealership and 2.5 weeks later (4,600 miles) we were given the van back and told it was fixed and safe. Last week I was driving my wife on a busy 55 mph road with my son and his wife behind us. The transmission locked up and we went from 55 to 20 in 2 seconds and all the lights came on and locked up and I limped it into a pull off. If it was an 18 wheeler behind us, we would have died right there. We have now told Chrysler that there is nothing they could do to make me feel safe to put my family into ANY Pacifica. They are now fighting us to give us our money back.

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  Lemon - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Marie Smith - April 22 - 8:31 am

  Never again. Too many issues and poor service.