when looking at the model specific forums here... I noticed that a majority of the posts involve problems with the vehicles. Isn't that a sign?

My intent is not to bash. I just want to help. I typically feel that individuals who purchase Chrysler products are either misinformed or have been taken advantage of by marketing campaigns. Most of the worst rated vehicles on the road now are coming from Chrysler. This is not my opinion, look it up.

My experience is that my family grew up with GM, because my grandfather worked for them for 41 years... but we experienced a lot of problems, and at one point we all started to switch to imports. Now that we've had over 30 Hondas, Toyotas, and BMWs in my immediate family in the past 20 years... I will say that there has not been a single major problem with any one of these vehicles. We grew up around racing and drive them hard. Transmission failures, strange noises, check engine codes, finicky electronics... these are not normal problems to have!

Please people. Do your homework before making a purchase. Which is more important? Thinking that you are supporting your country by buying a car from a company that was formerly owned by Americans? Or spending your hard earned money on a quality product, so that your family will be safe and secure in the future. Pleeeeeease think about this before purchasing your next vehicle.

 

I'm not sure what your point is by posting something like this in a forum for Chrysler enthusiasts, but I would bet that for every problem you can find with an owner of an American made car..., I can counter with at least the same number of those who have had problems with foreign brand cars.

My brother owned a couple of Honda's a while back. He'll never buy another one after having many problems. My next door neighbor has a Lexus and a Toyota Camry. The Lexus has only had to make a couple of trips back to the dealer for problems, but his Camry is in at least once a month. Down the block, I've got a neighbor who finally gave up on his Honda Odyssey, after endless electrical problems, and bought a Ford Flex.

I've been driving since 1963 and have owned foreign and domestic cars. I've had a Mitsubishi that I couldn't keep on the road for more than a couple of weeks at a time without something breaking, yet I had a Mazda that ran perfectly. The worst quality car I've ever had, but was among the most enjoyable to drive that I've ever had was an MG. (The standard joke among British sports car owners was that the reason the British drank warm beer..., was that they had Lucas refrigerators!)

I've only had one GM car in my life, an '85 Buick that ran flawlessly..., but that had a paint job so bad that GM wound up repainting the car. I've owned several Chrysler products and several Fords. There is no doubt that back in the 1970's and '80's, the quality on American cars was problematic to be charitable. However, I can also remember the early years for Japanese imports when Honda's and Toyota's were considered to be just junk..., and they were really not that good. Yet my 1978 Ford Pinto ran for 105,000 completely trouble free miles before I traded it in on the 1985 Buick. I was sitting at a stoplight in the Pinto and was rear-ended by a guy in a Honda.., and his car wasn't driveable afterward, but I just drove mine home and waited for the check from his insurance company to have the dent in the rear bumper fixed.

Yes..., many Japanese cars are fine automobiles, but broaden your horizons a bit. Go drive a new Buick, (there's a reason they are the biggest selling car in China), and drive a new Ford or Chrysler. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! Go give yourself a real treat..., and test drive a Cadillac CTS-V! I think the performance of that one will blow away just about any Japanese car you can think of..., and it'll do it extremely comfortably. The torque and sound of that Corvette engine just has to be experienced to be believed.

Wake up and look around! American cars have caught up and in many cases surpassed the Japanese competition. I owned four Ford Windstars. A 96, a 99, an 01 and an 03. The only one that ever had to go back to the dealer to have anything fixed was the 96. The last three ran without any problem whatsoever. When Ford stopped making minivans, I bought a 2007 Chrysler. It was great. Never had a problem with it. I traded that in on a 2010 T&C, and that one was even better, if possible. It had the 4.0 liter engine with the six-speed trans and I can't count the number of Honda and Toyota vans as well as some sedans that came out on the loosing end of little stop-light fun and as for the handling, I had a late model Toyota Sienna lose it and slide off of an expressway off-ramp and down into the mud trying to keep up with me. I now have also bought a 2011 T&C, and so far, it's also been flawless.

To be fair, last year we traded my wife's 2000 Ford Focus, which had never had a problem, but had been in for three factory recalls, on a 2010 Honda Fit. So far that's been fine, but after 15 months it's only got 994 miles, (and two factory recalls), on it. (She doesn't drive much.) Whenever we go anywhere, she always wants to go in the T&C because it's much quieter and more comfortable to ride in!

Honda, Toyota and Nissan make fine automobiles, as do some of the Korean companies, but I think your basing your judgment of American cars on ancient history and technology. Go drive a new Mustang or Camaro..., or better yet, a new Challenger SRT-8, 392. That one makes me wish I could afford a third car payment each month! You might also find out why the biggest selling vehicle in the world is the Ford F-series truck!

 

You make a lot of great points but notice I did not mention Ford or GM here. I think Ford is doing great these days. Being an enthusiast I can definitely understand the things you say about the CTS-V and SRT-8 challenger. But cars like the vette, CTS-V, and mustang... those are really well engineered and good products for the money. I'm sorry but the recent Chrysler vehicles just don't stack up very well. It seems with the SRT cars you're mostly paying for style. The whole package (performance, practicality, reliability) just isn't there.

Every car maker goes through their ups and downs... and everyone knows someone who has had a problem with their vehicles. The reason my opinion is so lopsided is because we have seriously owned over 20 hondas in the past 25 years, about a dozen toyotas, a few mazdas, minis, and BMWs. The only cars with problems were the minis. As for the others, never one issue with transmissions, electronics, noises, build quality.... nothing. Are we just that lucky? To me the thought of a car less than 10 years old having any significant problem is sickening. Should I expect less? We're talking about a 20 or 30 thousand dollar depreciating investment here. Isn't that bad enough? If it breaks in any way that is absolutely terrible.

You mention the minivans a lot and maybe the T&C is the exception to the rule... I guess I'm mostly thinking of vehicles like the avenger, sebring, durango, nitro, liberty, and grand cherokee.

I would consider a few Fords and a couple of GM vehicles now if I was shopping. But... there is a reason I'm on the Chrysler forum

More than anything I just wish people would do their homework before purchasing a car. I think if all were clear and apparent, for example, if every buyer was a car guru and understood exactly what they were paying for, Chrysler would not be selling many vehicles at all. The products seem to be outdated and under-engineered. With all the turmoil from the Daimler acquisition and sale, followed by the bankruptcy and fiat acquisition, surely they have been unable to maintain the development pace of other car makers. Maybe it is not entirely apparent yet, as Chrysler has re-skinned most of their old models and branded them as new. Give it another few years and we shall see...

 

"we have seriously owned over 20 hondas in the past 25 years about a dozen toyotas, a few mazdas, minis, and BMWs.

if that is correct then u have on avg 40 cars in your 25 years correct?
now say 2 cars per family that still means 20 cars each in 25 years so that means u own a car for 1.2 years then get rid of it correct?
Or a family of 4 that's still 10 cars each over 25 years and that's
1 car every 2.5 years then u get another one. Hummm that's not a good ratio as far as I am concerned U hardly have time to get to know the car in 2.5 years.

I have a 98 Chrysler Concorde I have owned for lets see 11 years now. and I would say I have spent about ooo 5 grand over the 11 years fixing things. I have been driving for 16 years now have had 3 cars one wrecked and traded the other in. all were Chrysler.

I would say any can would last the distance if taken care of and had some one trusted to work on it when there was an issue at hand.

 

I made a similar point when joining up to this foru. However, a good point was made that most who join such foru tend to be those who want help in some way. I myself currently have a Toyota but considering a Chrysler. I drove one when I was in the states and can honestly say it was one of the best rides I have ever been in.

All makes of cars have their issues. I can point you to loads for toyotas, I myself have had a few issues.

Granted, I was concerned by the number of posts about the cars just simply dying on them, which sounds incredibly extreme, but it shocked me due to my wanting one of these cars, so anything negative I read is gutting. I have witnessed major faults in all brands of car.

These type of faults are normal and if you honestly read around other car foru you will note others have similar issues with other brands. Sounds as though there are some sour grapes.

 

I think the OP's logic is faulty. Firstly I must stress that I do not have experience of owning a Chrysler... in fact I am hoping to buy one this week but that's another story. For the last few years I have been a devout Land Rover lover... I still am in fact, but the Chrysler is much more suited to family life and so tha Landy is being relegated to weekend fun vehicle.

My point, however, is that Land Rovers are notoriously prone to breaking down once they reach a certain age. Especially if they have been poorly maintained. In fact, just about every type of vehicle I have had in my thirty years of driving, has been critisized as being prone to failure in one way or another.

Perhaps it is simply that by virtue of owning a particular type of vehicle, one becomes more conversant with its little problems.

Can anyone seriously think of a manufacturer that has not, at some point, been the subject of critisism for some aspect of its vehicles' manufacture?

 

The 'dying problem' was greatly overblown by the press, as was the problem of Toyotas running away on people. I remember owning a Ford Pinto when they were supposed to be chariots of death, but I put well over one hundred thousand miles on my '78 with the only problem I had was to have the timing belt changed at 105,000 miles. (The manual said to replace the belt at 50,000 miles, but I just had to push it until it finally just stopped one day. It took about 30 minutes and less than a hundred dollars at the dealer to fix it and that included towing.)

We're spoiled these days. Cars are so good, that we obsess over rather trivial problems. Only a few vehicles had the problem with the key accidentally turning to the Accessory position. They replaced many more than they had to just so people would be happy with the tighter fit of the plastic key into the ignition.

 

I am glad I didn't take any notice of the British reviews of the Town & Country as they mostly seem to hate the suspension, interior, that it's automatic and mostly that it's American. I think the vehicle is outstanding as compared to the European cars I've driven it's so much more enjoyable and roomy.

I wish Americans would stop putting down their vehicles as they aren't anywhere as bad as they make out.

 

all part of perception I would say. When some thing happens weather its on there car house or what ever it is alot of people get mad because they know it might cost money and or time to have it corrected This is a vary sore subject with most people.
Add in the issue of people not knowing there job real well and that adds into the mix of them getting more upset.
When something messes up around the house or car take it for a grain of salt **** happens if u dont like or trust who is working on it your right to have some one else do it.

 

The very worst new car I ever owned was a British MG. It was my second new car, a 1970 model. The paint started peeling off within a month of buying it! It needed new shock absorbers in less than a year..., and the plugs needed cleaning and regapping every month or so!

The standard joke among British car owners around here was that the reason the British drank warm beer..., was that they had Lucas refrigerators!

Previous to that, I had owned a couple of older Austin Healys and they didn't have any problems, other than weak batteries. (I don't think it gets quite as cold in England as it does here in the winter at times. I can remember one night at college in Wisconsin when it hit 31 below zero, F!)