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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  worst vehicle made. - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By nick - September 17 - 7:02 am

  Car required 20 000$ in service over 2 years. Its hard to remember all of the problems, I havent had the car for two years now. I will give it a shot though, -tie rods three times, transfer case quit, heater quit ,glue on entire dash let go, steering rack, electric lift gate wouldnt work, tire pressure sensors never worked, computer in dash quit, ball joints twice in 50,000 km I owned the car for two years thank god I got rid of it, we literally couldnt keep it on the road. Simply the worst car I have ever owned. Will never buy a Dodge Chrysler again. Paid 45,000 car was worth 8000 two years later, awesome.

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  Piece of junk - 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser
  By SCGURL1974 - September 14 - 9:40 am

  I have never owned a car that has had so many issues! I bought this vehicle almost brand new and in as little as a year I already had issues with the fuel pump and a year later my power steering has gone out. Of course it is no longer under warranty so I have had to pay all this out of pocket. The dealership mechanic told me he sees the cruiser all the time. I should have kept my Kia!! This vehicle is a piece of junk and I am stuck with it. Chrysler should be ashamed and I will be writing them a letter.

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  DO NOT Buy This Car!!! - 1996 Chrysler Sebring
  By lallaw - September 11 - 5:11 pm

  This car is garbage. Hard to say what DOES work. Poorly designed, poorly manufactured. No wonder Chrysler needed a bailout. These cars have all kinds of electrical problems. In 18 mos. Ive been through 3 batteries timing belt distributor replaced the top serviced the AC (twice). And Im told the previous owner took care of it! I hardly drive it and every time I do I am afraid of what will happen next. Now it just stalls in the middle of driving along. On a freeway going 60 mpg you lose all power. Battery works but you become a glider. You pray you make it to the side of the road before being killed. This is a COMMON problem that makes tech scratch their heads. Towed 4 times in 4 mos.

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  Dont like the car - 2007 Chrysler 300
  By Joe - September 9 - 4:37 pm

  I have had my 300 for the past two years. Traded in my Chevy Tahoe for this car. So far my car has had both fuel tank problems. The parts were very hard to find, and Chrysler Inc did not want to take any responsibility. Chrysler personnel have very poor customer skills and a very poor customer service both at the dealer and at the manufacturer. Car has run out of gas several times with the fuel gauge showing over 1/4 of a tank. Dealer and Manufacturer have seen nothing wrong and released this car to me. I have ran out of gas in this vehicle at least 5 times, and sometimes on the freeway. The support for this car is horrible.

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  over heating - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By viks - September 6 - 5:02 pm

  I bought this 2007 Chrysler sebring in 2997 with 25,000 miles on it. And this car has given me a lot of surprises and upsets. First in less than 1 year there were 2 recalls on the car, than just a few months a go the check engine light went on and now just 2 days a go it started over heating. I took it to the dealer but they couldnt find anything. This car is full of surprises in less than 2 years now and I am fed up with this. This might be the worst car that I ever had with this kind of problem. I only drive 30 miles a day and things like this is kinda considered stupid for Chrysler. Dont buy this car it only looks good but bad performance.

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  Never Again....... - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Cassandra - September 5 - 1:48 pm

  After my beloved 97 Explorer went into the shop yet again, I began to look for a new vehicle. My needs were gas mileage, interior room and ample storage. I liked the looks of the Pacifica and really liked the 25 mpg on the sticker. Well, the gas mileage runs about 16 mpg and it spent the first 3 months in and out of the shop including and a new transmission, abs sensor and on and on. Lets not even talk about the people Ive cut off on the highway in the blind spot(s). Would I buy another? No way.

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  lots of problems - 2000 Chrysler Cirrus
  By tok - August 30 - 10:50 pm

  bought the car from a family friend with 40,000 miles on it, and have had nothing but trouble, electrical system junk, replaced alternator and distributor several times. Front end fell apart and had to be rebuilt, and front brakes replaced annually. Will not buy another Chrysler.

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  Frustrated - 2006 Chrysler Sebring
  By DisappointedTX - August 22 - 10:37 pm

  I have had this car for about 3 years and have had nothing but problems. I guess I should have expected it when the gear shift kept locking up on me. Since I have gotten the car I have spent almost 2000 on repairs. First it was the gear shift(under warranty), then some other part I cant remember right after the warranty expired, then the transmission(under warranty) and censors($500), then there was a leak that..turns out it was the gas tank ($900). Very noisy, I also had the brakes replaced but the car still makes alot of noise. Its so frustrating because I cant depend on my car. Looking for a new car...going to trade it in I have had enough.

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  Sebrings Suck - 2004 Chrysler Sebring
  By Renee Bolling - August 22 - 2:00 am

  My Sebring has been nothing but trouble...from the sunroof to the struts...TROUBLE! Run far away from your local Chrysler dealership.

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  American Yugo - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By ADevine - August 20 - 12:03 pm

  This car I call the American version of the Yugo. In the six months my wife has had this car, the serpentine belt has been replaced three times, the air conditioner compressor has been replaced twice, the gear shift stuck in park when she parked on a slight incline, the front bumper has separated from the panels above because it is attached with flimsy bolts. The panel under the motor is missing, probably fell off on the highway somewhere. The interior is cheap plastic, noisy when it idles. Chrysler has been bailed out twice by the American taxpayer. Why? They cant sell junk cars.