Whither Goes Chrysler?

[Cybrvanr]

'm sorry, but you've rubbed me the wrong way with that post. Kevin, please do not link Christianity to the war in Iraq. There is no connection whatsoever! Yes, Bush is a Christian, and yes, he stirred the whole mess up, but there are Christians out there (IE myself) that do not support the war in Iraq (yes, there are also some that do support it to). I do not believe President Bush based his decision to start the Iraq war on a Christian motive. I, and many other Christians would prefer to see our troops come home and protect OUR country, not someone else's.

When you speak of socialized medecine, or "free" healthcare provided at the expense of taxes, you must realize that when it is set up in other countries, those countries also have different governments. Looking at the track record of the United States Government, things to NOT get done efficiently, correctly, or cheaply. Generally, if you give the United States Government control over it, they will screw it up and waste your money doing it!!!! Do you really want that to happen? I mean look at other government success stores, like our schools, where kids graduate not knowing how to read, or our highways that are gridlocked all hours of the day and night, our space program that is running vehicles older than most people's cars. You mentioned crime, which yep, the enforcement thereof is BINGO! government operated!

I admit I am very libreatarian, and it's because I see how the government screws stuff up and wastes enormous amounts of money. Besides, our forefather set this country up as a FREE country, not a socialist country where the government does everything for the citizens....it's the other way around, the citizens work for the welfare of the country! THIS my friend is the reason why the United States government screws things up so much...it was simply not designed by our constution to do such!!! There is such a thing call responsibility that plays a big part in life here, and if you don't take it, it's your own fault if you flounder!

I am not much of an optimist here as you have probably figured out by my post. You are right in the fact that other countries are whipping our a$$ when it comes to technology. European appliances, along with other technology is far more advanced. In America, greed rules, and we've let a bunch of baby-boomers and day-traders gut our greatest companies on the stock exchange for a quick buck! Anyways, do any of you all know what the U.S.'s largest export is? It's media! No, not tapes, CD's and the technology that runs it, it's what's recorded on that material... That's right! Hollywood trash!!! Not only is America not known for it's technology and engineering anymore, it's now known as the place where all the sleezy actors, music, scandals, and other smut comes from. No wonder terrorists attack us! They want to get that crap off the planet!

As a fellow American, I say let's get off our lazy butts and get back to work! Stop waiting for the government to support you, support yourself, and support your country by making your private business the best it can be. Be it designing the better washing machine, or simply helping the lady next door. The hard work of every citizen counts here. It doesn't matter if you are Christian, jew, Muslum, Hindu, Buddist, whatever, this country will only suceed if we make it, don't whine to the government if it doesn't!

 

[panthera]

Steven,

Thanks for your thoughts. I said "christianist" not Christian, by the way. There is a difference.
Certainly, as a gay man I have my problems with many Christians but the term christianist is increasingly used to describe the hate-filled people who find justification for their hatred in "their" bible.
Big difference.
I surely don't want to sound like I am lecturing here, but our health-care system in Germany is not socialist.
Actually, very little of what most folks in the US call socialist, is.
As long as we are on the subject, despite universal health care, our capitalists have a higher ROI than in the US (not just recently, but for many many years now). Our children are much better educated and we have civil rights such as habeas corpus and the right to criticize our political leaders which you do not enjoy. Oh, and we are also at war, fighting alongside you in Afgahnistan...a legal war.
The two rights were written into our constitution by the US back in 1948, along with many other freedoms which your country has surrendered in the last years.
I am sorry you are so pessimistic, your country is really a much better place than you seem to think it is.
Forgive me for ranting, but, the whole reason for a society is because no one is an island to themselves and we all need to stand together and help each other at times. Lots of folks in the US end up in trouble despite having lived good solid hard working lives.

 

[bigbubbacain]

a few things about the Daimler-Chrysler conglomerate don&#39

Mercedes has always had a legacy for reliable and efficient diesel engines. Their latest offerings using the TDI-direct rail technology are some of the cleanest and quietest ever. On the other other side of the pond....their Dodge trucks with the Cummins Turbodiesel have MPG ratings as poor as gas engines. In fact, the big 3 in Detroit only offer diesels in a 3/4 ton truck b/c 3/4 ton trucks are not required to disclose mileage ratings on the window sticker. If they really wanted to, Daimler could share their wealth of technology about efficient clean-burning diesels with Chrysler. Apparently they have no desire for this. Q'uelle damage! Incidentally, most of these Mercedes vehicles which are lacking in reliability are assembled in Alabama. (don't get me wrong. I love Alabama) The issue with location of assembly is probably neither here nor there because my older Tundra pickup is the best vehicle I've ever owned and it was built in Tennessee. I agree with you, Whirlcool, Chrysler is putting too much emphasis on 'Bling'. I'd need to put gold foil on my teeth if I were to consider owning one.

 

[alr2903]

Bling Bling

The Chrysler 300 really appeals to me. I just like the style of it. Guess I will keep truckin with the Frontier for now, The 300 is Low to the ground and we still have streets here that quickly become flooded, all of the debris from katrina still has not been purged out of the storm drain system. Being able to get home after a day in the cubicle with a never ending ringing phone is just more appealing. ahhh, Substance or Style. IIRC it was the "k" frame/style car that pulled Chrysler from the brink of financial failure in the 80's? Maybe it will work out for them. I guess the financial playing field is much different Now though than it was in the 80's and with the mergers with Daimler etc. Maybe whirlpool will buy them too

 

[petek]

I like the looks of the 300 & Dodge Charger/Magnum, not that I would buy one but they are unmistakably a Chrysler. I like the look of our Dodge 1500 Ram as well over the Fords and GM. So far it's been pretty good but it's early yet, not even a year. Runs well, is very quiet inside for a truck, the quality of the interior plastics leaves a little to be desired, and it's quick of the mark. More often than not I'm doing jackrabbit starts LOL

 

[wannapinkset]

Ok, well No, I never heard of people getting a fake Canadian card to get healthcare. Sounds like a Canadian thing to do. I have heard of many Americans getting scripts from you canooks, hey. I prefer Mexico, no Dr that way. I have heard of people going to India for hip replacements for 4500.00 (airfare included) and doing well as opposed to 38,000.00 here with horrendous complications.

As far as topic, I want an H3 anyways. I can bring home more washers and dryers that way and they have a bose sound system.

 

[whirlcool]

I think one reason our medical prices are so high here in the US is that most doctors and hospitals think that most everyone has insurance and it's not really the patient who pays, but some huge deep pocketed insurance company that pays. The people who are uninsured are just "invisible".
Once I asked one of my doctors if they were aware of what medical testing costs these days. The response? " I don't keep up with that, if a patient needs a test, I am going to send them for it!"
BTW, more on subject, I do like Dodge trucks. They have a nice look to them, but they are horriffic with fuel mileage. My neighbor said he gets about 12-14 with his Dodge RAM, conventional engine.

 

[petek]

We get about 14 mpg with the Hemi MDS. A few days ago when I was walking out of the ReStore an old guy driving a 2005 1500 approached me to see where we got our box liner and top. In the ensuing chat I asked him how his mileage was and he regaled me about going here and there, all the little towns around etc etc and only using about a 1/4 tank in the past week. I asked him if he had checked the "computer" above the rear view mirror and he didn't even know that feature was there so when I pressed it for his actual MPG he was at about 11.7 so I didn't feel so bad about ours.

 

[johnb300m]

Chrysler Disaster - My Thoughts

Chrysler........what do I say about thee. I've been a Chrysler fan since I was a little kid, working on our 83' New Yorker with my dad. Our family has always owned their products and has been generally "very happy" with them. We love the way they look, feel, drive etc. Chrysler cars always seemed to have a certain "personality" to them. Something that I’ve sensed is GONE in their new 2005 and up products. They've lost their identity. One negative though, is they DO seem to be quite thirsty vehicles. The highway MPG in my v6 2002 Stratus is quite good at 30-35, but the city MPG is awful at under 20. Plus the tierod end bearings just died at 56,500 miles....that seems much too soon. Other than that, so far so good.

Then there's the whole merger issue. Chrysler was a basket case before the merger I think for two reasons. I've read Iacocca's books as well as the "Merger" book. What I can tell, is that Bob Eaton was the root of the problem. Iacocca even claims that handing the company to Eaton was the largest mistake he made in his life. That is why Iacocca joined Kerkorian for that takeover in the early 90's, to undo his mistake. However, Eaton pumped all the company’s resources into fighting that takeover, leaving it pretty bare with its eyes off the ball. Eaton let the company get messy despite having tons of cash on hand [aprox. 10 billion $]. Eaton realized the mess [not that he made it of course] and the overcapacity and started hunting for a merger buddy. Eaton, again, is the reason for the merger due to his delinquent actions, and his stupidity and ease of being played by Schrempp.
Those are just some of my ideas.

I'm really feeling betrayed by Dieter Zetsche. He came in and really got into the nitty-gritty at Chrysler. He seemed to care about the company and worked his ass off with Bernhardt to get the company up and running and I respect him for that. But bailing on the Company he restored...just saddens me.
Chrysler has so much potential, it always has; it's the renegade car company that is bold and tries new things, usually succeeding. But it needs an enema to clear some blockages and get the creative juices flowing again...........EWWWWW.

But....maybe this is for the best. Benz always stymied Chrysler and never respected it as a business partner. They just used it for its cash. Because of that, they're no better than any of our U.S corporations, and they've lost my respect.
Interestingly, Chrysler's most likely buyer seems to be a Canadian Auto Supplier. This COULD be good news. They're a reputable company and know a thing or two about cars. Magna International. Hopefully they can realize Chrysler's potential and build it up, repair it, get it all shiny, and watch it do its thing.

Another HUGE issue for the domestic industry is the UAW and their legacy costs. These are enormous drains on the companies, and I think that financial toilet [UAW] is preventing alot of money from going to R & D where it belongs. That's why our cars, though of much better quality than the past, are not very technologically advanced like the rest of the world.
In essence, Detroit and the UAW did this to themselves, and don't seem to get it yet. Because people are stupid, they won't get it until their employers are out of business. The average UAW American worker is NOT internationally competitive. You can't sweep floors and install headlamps for 35 dollars an hour when your counterpart in Mexico is doing it for much much less.

There are so many factors, more than can be simply discussed in a forum. And I do not think this country and industry want to pay attention to these factors because they're "bad news" and not comforting, and they're invasive to our cushy lifestyles.

I'm just going to end it there, because I could analyze forever.

PEACE

 

[wannapinkset]

Are you kidding me?

Are you kidding me? The UAW protects workers from unfair labor practices and such. Unions are in place because companies could not and will not set in place and maintain fair labor practices and policies. Health care costs affect everyine in this country, not just the automakers. Do any of you have a retirement you are looking forward to? What if the company just spent it instead of putting it where its supposed to go? Did you earn it? Can you just go out and get a door greater job to help yourself buy your 700.00 a month pain patch? Enron anyone? The law wont help you pay your rent at 80 years old and neither will the ceo's that earn 300% more than the one actually manufacturing the product.

Enough with the bashing of the unions. I believe in them, they stand for a better way of life for the working class and their families. Do you think just because you sit at a desk you are more entitled to earn a living for yourself and your families than the electrician (IBEW) plummber (UA) or person that assembled your car or truck (UAW)? The skilled trades have college time behind their degree and earn every blessed penny. Its hard, back breaking work. The autoworkers deal with chemicals, heavy items and repetiton bad enough to dull the mind of the most gifted person every single day. Walk a mile in their shoes before you declare them undeserving of the pay they earn every day.

Historically, workhouses used to lock women and children in to keep thm from taking breaks during a 16 hour workday. Some caught fire and every living soul perished because the man with the keys was at home. Look it up. Unions are needed for a valid reason. Dont think it can happen today? How many of you can live on 2.52 an hour? Waitress wage. No one should count on the generosity of strangers. The owners of the restaurant however drive and live lush. Yaeh, thats just and right.

CEO's make too damn much. They are parasites. Home Depot ring a bell anyone?

 

[danemodsandy]

Agreed, Wannapinkset!

I am in complete agreement with you about unions- they represent the only fair shake workers have ever had.

It is not that UAW workers make too much- Chinese and Mexican workers make too little. CEO's are taking advantage of that disparity while they can. I don't know what they will do when foreign labour costs rise to American levels. And trust me, they will. People working in a prosperous industrial economy WANT stuff. Houses, cars, furniture, TVs, you name it. And over time, their demands will expand, and they will be met- because there is a lot of money to be made doing so. Already China is experiencing a boom in consumer goods for its own people.

It's only a matter of time before the Chinese worker is as high-maintenance as anyone else. And not a helluva lot of time, either. America needs to figure out what to do about that, and quickly- we're giving away too much industrial base in the meantime, and what is making average Chinese prosperous may end up making America a second-class economy.

 

[exploder3211]

I have read this thread and its stilla shock. I will be glad to see chrysler seperate from Daimler Benz. But i'd love to see them make more than one decent vehicle (The Dodge Caravan/Town and Country Vans)..And get some decent customer service..
Johnny my partner had a 2003 Dodge Neon. At 80K the car was a gonner. Yup. 1 tranmisson @55K, 1 head gasket @50K, 6 sensors, 2 sunroofs, the radio made awful noises, the entire front suspenison was shot, the seat was as hard as a brick and it got a wopping 21 mpgs and was steadily dropping. The car had 19 major repairs in 3 years. Nope. No More, the car had to be taken on a flat bed to be traded in, at least the dealer gave us $4,800 for it, not knowing the engine was blown..I will drive a Caravan and thats it. They aren't noted for reliablity but at least the sum of the vehicle dates back 12+ years. Years ago Chrysler built great cars. But starting around 1995 they whent kaput with there cars and around 1998 the trucks soon followed.
Look how many sludged over 2.7 V6 owners there are. They burn oil like a sieve. Look how many chrysler owners reported vehicle fires. Quite a few. I was one. I had a 1996 Chrysler Cirrus 4 cyl in high school and it burst into flames while i was in class (oh that was fun... a Junior in high school and your car is burning out side for all to watch).. I wouldn't touch a 4cyl chrysler at all. Jeeps have fallen soo far behind, i am shocked so many people like them. The Grand Cherokees are awful.
Nope, Chrysler lost a customer the day they told me a power steering hose caused me to loose my car and that it was due to poor engineering on there part (i have the papers someplace)and all they gave me was another used Cirrus to replace it.. Nope. I got that car straight from the factory my aunt worked at (it was a chrysler company car) and she quit the day the case was settled and whent to work for Ford. because of the way chrysler treated me. I am not saying this has happend to every one, but chrysler has had many boo-boos and i just can't over look this. Now you could give me a K-Car any day and i'd drive the pee out of it. But anything newer than a 1994 and i'd have to give it a big think. I'll drive a Ford or GM any day and put up with there BS. In the end they will have far less issues and problems and have some kind of hidden warranty to fix it. Not Chrysler.

 

[exploder3211]

BTW-Take a walk around you're local Dodge dealer and see how many dead cars they have.. Lots. Also look at all the el cheapo car lots. Notice how many Chrysler products they wind up with, esp. Stratus and Intrepids...

 

[sudsmaster]

In today's news, Kirk Kerkorian is making a bid for Chrysler as well. His Tracinda investment corporation is offering $4.5 billion for Chrysler. That's about 1/5 what he offered for it in the mid-90's. His offer has some contingencies - Chrysler must come to an agreement with labor about sharing the high cost of legacy retirement/health care agreements.

Tracinda would take Chrysler private, which could be a good think in that private ownership can allow troubled companies to make needed changes and improvments that could be difficult in a publically traded company. Then, the firm could take itself public again, to help repay the original investors with greatly (hopefully) appreciated stock.

 

[sudsmaster]

Well, I have a '97 Neon coupe. I find the seats to be very comfortable - far more comfortable than the GM products I've sat in, especially the Saturn of the 90's. I love the way it handles - like a little sports car... almost...

However, the down side: the ABS brakes occasionally (in cold weather) get a little balky, like the booster isn't working all the way. I'd try to fix it myself but am daunted by all the warnings about toying with the brake booster on an ABS equipped car. So I've learned to live with it - it's intermittant. I am planning on replacing the front rotors (already replaced the rear rotors) and maybe that will help.

The transmission started getting a little funky around 50K. It would be balky going into 2nd. Fixed that, but now it's balky until warmed up - and it delays going into reverse when cold... when it finally does, it's with quite a bang. I'm told a complete tranny rebuild is the fix... and I'm not about to spend the $1300 it needs.

The latest problem is the head gasket. It's leaking so much oil at rest that my employer has gotten on my case about it. I can do a head gasket change myself... I just am not looking forward to all the bruised knuckles from the cramped engine compartment.

Oh, and yes the paint is failing. Right now it's only in a patch 2 inch diameter on the side of the roof just above the driver's door. But Im pretty sure it will only grow.

Still, I like the car. Even though it's an automatic, I am always impressed with hnow well it handles. It's just all the other glitches that make it sort of pain.

My '50 Plymouth is now my daily driver...

 

[whirlcool]

Here is a hint, when you replace those front brakes, go with ceramic pads and slotted disks. They don't cost that much more on top of the normal replacements, but they sure make your car stop a lot faster! And they are quieter and last longer.
At my last brake job I had these installed on my Mazda Tribute. I really got an amazing increase in braking power. I think the cost was about $50. more than the standard replacement parts.

On a side note, the Neon has been out for 10 years already? OMG, I actually expected more from Chrysler in the way of marketing that vehicle. Similar to what GM did to promote the Vega. Remember, the "little car who could?"

 

[hydralique]

Chrysler needs learn a bit about customer service!

I really think if Daimler divests itself of Chrysler it is making a stupid mistake. In the last 20 years it has become more and more apparent that the continuing consolidation of automobile companies has lead to a situation where any major company needs to have a full line up to be truly competitive . . . witness Toyota sending millions to create Lexus, and Ford buying Jaguar. Daimler is in the opposite situation from Toyota and Ford, in that they have a nice chunk of the high-end and mid-level market but without Chrysler have no real low-end market. There is of course Smart, but so far they are a very marginal company, albeit with a cool product. The only larger Smart, the now discontinued ForFour, was a badge-engineered Mitsubishi and no indication of any ability on Daimler’s part to design and market a cheaper car. And, even if Daimler were to produce a line of competitive lower end cars, there is still the issue of badging. To call them Mercedes-Benzes would cheapen that brand, not something Daimler should aspire to.

For Chrysler to be competitive on a long-term basis they have to learn to both make a quality product and support it. From my family’s experience, they have a lot to learn. In late ‘91 my mother ordered a top of the line ‘92 Eagle, which at the time would have ranked above any Dodge and just below a New Yorker in the Chrysler line up. It came with the seven year/70,000 mile warranty, and was intended to replace a tough old ‘83 Peugeot 505 with a lot of miles on it. What a joke the Eagle was! The Delco alternator failed at 17,000 miles and was replaced one additional time under warranty. The anti-lock brakes (which were an expensive option at the time) started to turn themselves off at highway speeds at about 45,000 miles, and in the remaining three years of the warranty two dealers failed to ever diagnose the problem. At one point the car spent NINE MONTHS with the brake-alert light on, because the part was on national back order. According to the owner’s manual, the car should never be driven with the light on, but both dealers just shrugged their shoulders and said they couldn’t do anything about getting the part until Chrysler decided to make some more. This was on a three year old car! There were two windshield wiper switches as well under warranty. Eventually the fuel gauge quit working too, becoming erratic, but the low fuel light still worked so it was ignored as it wasn’t covered under the long-term warranty. Another item not covered was peeling paint. The car was never wrecked, but the white paint started peeling off the roof after about five years. Even a bodyshop man said it was due to manufacturing issues, but Mom had no choice but to have the roof repainted at her expense.

At 65,000 miles, just after the warranty timed out, the automatic transmission quit. Chrysler wanted $5,000 for a rebuild, and $7,000 for a new one (yes you read that right!). We had an independent shop fix it, and at that point Mom ordered a new Camry. My sister ended out with the Eagle, since it was essentially worthless as a trade in even though it was in great cosmetic condition and ran well aside from the ABS turning off on the highway. At that point I began to maintain it, figuring the dealers were just incompetent. Number three alternator quit shortly after this, and then the fuel pump as well. I viewed the latter issue as a blessing in disguise, as the fuel gauge sending unit is part of the assembly (made by Carter). The new fuel pump lasted, but within 30,000 miles the gauge had quit again. The starter (by Mitsubishi) went as well, and was replaced with a more powerful rebuilt one by a shop who said they did that all the time since the factory one was undersized. The front suspension bushings were replaced at 83,000 miles because they had rotted out to the point that there was literally no bushing left and the car was clunking over bumps and dangerous to drive. At the same time the driveshafts were replaced as preventative maintenance because the alignment shop found significant wear in them.

At 100,000 miles the water pump started leaking, which I didn’t feel was unreasonable, and the dealer had one in stock for $125.000, also reasonable. However, he didn’t have the three O-rings required to install a new pump. Those took two dealers THREE WEEKS to get, and neither dealer would agree to order them by second-day air (from a Chrysler warehouse in Minneapolis) even if I paid the fee! Both dealers make it clear that I couldn’t expect better service for a nine-year old car and neither seemed to have much idea of how to read their own parts books, which is why it took two of them to get three correct O-rings. I still have the incorrect parts they ordered, as they wouldn’t refund my money. Other cooling system failures included one of the two radiator fans and a plastic radiator tank fracturing, which required anew radiator. Eventually I gave my sister an ultimatum: I would no longer maintain the car. She bought a new Mazda in 2004, and the Eagle, with 125,000 miles on it, was donated to Aids Project LA. It still looked pretty good from the right side, but by then the paint was starting to peel on the driver’s door too . . .

The one part of the Eagle which was pretty much faultless aside from maintenance was the engine. It was made in France by Renault, and it never used oil, overheated (except when the plastic radiator fractured), or failed to start (except for the starter failure). If only the rest of the car had been made by Renault, my mother would probably still be driving it today, as she really liked the car when it ran. As it is, nobody in my family would even THINK of buying a Chrysler anything, since not only was the product shoddily made, but the service back-up was even worse. And the Camry which replaced it? That is now seven years old, with maybe 80,000 miles on it. It has had exactly one failure, a sticky seat belt retractor replaced under warranty. I should add that this Camry is the top of the line XLE model, with virtually every option, including digital climate control, sunroof, V-6, ABS brakes, etc., etc., so there is a lot to go wrong but it just doesn’t. You can be sure when it does get replaced it will be with another Toyota. I should also add that I don’t even like Toyotas much, but it sure is nice to not have to spend hours on the phone to my mother 1300 miles away trying to give advise as to how to deal with a broken car.

Until Chrysler quits viewing their products as cheap disposable cars which aren’t worth providing parts for in a timely manner they aren’t going to be competitive with other manufacturers. I would hope that Daimler would see this, and the value to them in owning a successful Chrysler, and take steps to improve matters. I know it is a long time since my mother’s Eagle was made, but it was only three years ago that I was trying to source parts for it and certainly the attitude was anything but “customer first”. If Daimler cuts Chrysler loose, I predict they will sink within ten years, and deservedly so. It is sad, because they could be so much more.

 

[exploder3211]

Wow.... I take it she had an Eagle Premier... Not good cars at all from the onset...

BTW-Sudsmaster- I would check book value on you're neon. It may not be worth it to repair it. Last time i checked a 1998 Neon with 75K was worth around $1800 (a friend of ours). Neons are known for blowing head gaskets, so be warned too that this won't be the first one. Also if the water pump goes, so does the head gasket... So may wanna replace that..
I'd just find a used 97-98 Escort, Protege, Corolla or Prizm and say buh-bye...

 

[jaxsunst]

my Chrysler Experience

I have never owned or been exposed to Chrysler products. My family only owned GM, and my dad spent a lot of time under the hood of our cars. The first car I purchased was a 1986 Subaru GL, the solid build and reliability of that car is still the standard by which i compare my other cars.

When I started dating my wife in 1994, her mother had a new Chrysler Concorde. She said it replaced a Plymouth K-Car station wagon that had over 150K miles on it. The Concorde was (and still is) a beautiful and unique looking car. Today, my brother in law is driving it, and it has over 300K miles. Other than a transmission at 165K, it has had no repairs. The tape player has stopped working, other than that, it is still like new.

My mother in law now drives a 2003 Dodge Stratus with 100K miles on it, and it has never been repaired.

With my in-laws singing the praises of Chrysler I purchased a Dodge Grand Caravan in 2000. We traded it last year for a Chrysler Town and Country. The Dodge had 205K miles, and was running perfect. Other than a transmission solinoid(sp) at 150K, it was trouble free. The Town and Country has not disappointed us. It is a great comfortable mom-mobile for my wife and she loves it.

I drive a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. I was in a total brain-fart when I bought it. I get a discount on GM, and I needed a car, so it seemed like a good idea at the time. It is having electrical problems, and on some days doesn't want to start. The seats are showing signs of wear, even though I keep the car show-room clean. I plan to trade it for a Sebring convertible hard top when they come out next year.

I'm totally sold on Chrysler, and I hope they do well.

 

[Cybrvanr]

Many of Chrysler's woes from the late 80's and ninties comes from their inbreeding with Mitsubishi...a company that builds great TV's but can't seem to build an engine that's worth anything. An older friend of mine said that Mitsubishi built the airplanes Kamikaze pilots flew, and they only had to last a few thousand miles to make it across the ocean to crash into an unsuspecting boat. Mitsubishi apparently still uses the same design criteria to this day in their automobile manufacturing!!!

The infamous 2.7 liter V6 you mention of Chad, along with it's predecessor, the 3.0 V6 that made it into just about everything they build all have the same issues with bad cylinder head castings. In these engines, not only do the head gaskets start leaking, but the valve guides wear out, camshafts grind themselves down to nothing, and if your engine runs long enough through those issues, chances are your main bearings will take a crap too! The problem also invaded their 2.4 liter 4-banger made by Mitsubishi too. The odd thing about this is that while Chrysler got a black eye over these POS engines, just about every automotive publication (Especially Consumer Reports!!!) remained totally hush-hush over the fact that it affected genuine Mitsubishi vehicles too!

Chrysler at least used a little brains and designed their own V6, the 3.3 liter an 3.9 liter engines, which proved to be great engines, and "rescued" sales of the minivans that were tarnished by that Mitsubishi disaster. Unfortunatley, they did not learn enough from their mistake and guess what! They are back to using Mitsubishi S**T in their small cars again. The Neons, PT cruisers, and Calibers are all using Mitsubishi mechanicals again AAARRGH!!!

Now, for all you folks getting issues with your electronically controlled transmission, they are the result of a little $50 part on the front of your engine, that for some reason has not been redesigned! It's the crankshaft position sensor, and it tells the computer how fast the engine is turning. along with all sorts of other vital info. It's an optical device that relies on an infrared beam that's broken by a slotted disc in the harmonic balancer. When the optical sensor gets dirty after the front seal seeps a little bit and road dust gets in there, it will give odd RPM readings to the computer, causing the transmission to shift erratically. Most people just blame the transmission, and most 3rd party repair shops intent on selling transmissions versus making true repairs (AAMCO) use this issue to screw customers out of transmissions. Now, if the problem is not caught soon enough yes, it will cause damage to the transmission, but ususally before that time, the problem will also mainfest itself as "Check Engine" lights and stumbling/hesitation, and bad mileage because the engine's timing is off too.

One of the things I cannot figure out is why Chrysler is trying to rid itself of any and all American Motor designs! This is like killing a goose that's laying golden eggs! You mentioned that you didn't know why the Grand Cherokee's were so popular, but it all comes back to the fact that the original Grand Cherokee design was actually an AMC design that was in gestation prior to Chrysler buying them out. AMC vehicles were typically very well designed vehicles. Obviously too, the original Cherokee (replaced by the Liberty) was also an AMC design, along with the Wrangler that just also recently received a makeover. One of AMC and Chrysler's best engines was the old 4.0 liter straight 6. A very torquey, reliable engine that powered all the AMC-Jeep derived vehicles. Chrysler has shot itself in the foot by scrapping this engine, and closing the old AMC plant that built them! The new Daimler designed versions of the Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, and Liberty are all convoluted junk compared to their predecessors. For example, the Wrangler has a double-wishbone front suspension, not a beam axle. Hello! This is an off road truck! NOT a family hauler, it doesn't need a cushy ride. I can't wait to see how many of them start breaking front-end parts as soon as owners try to get them to do anything their old CJ's would do! It will not be long before Jeep sales fall of considerably after this mistake!