Would you buy a Chrysler now?

Would you buy a Chrysler now?

We have a Honda Ridgeline, which we love and hate to get rid of, but we need 2 vehicles. My husband wants something with good gas mileage to get to work in and I want something with a 3rd row seat. We are going to buy 2 used cars and have seriously been considering doing the sensible thing and sticking with Honda. But, considering Chrysler's woes, is this the perfect time to get more for our limited budget? Are they going to be more willing to deal (come down on the price, throw in some more features?) Also, how would this impact us on repairs, would there be available parts down the line? I also assume the resale value would be terrible. Lastly, would this also impact the cost of the Dodge and Jeep line?
I don't think they are good quality cars. I've never owned one and the only one I ever even considered owning was the Pacifica, but once the reports were out, I decided against it. I am asking this question strickly from a financial gain. Will the dealers really be trying to get rid of their stock? As my husband put it, should we practically be able to say I'll give you a dollar (just joking of course).

Asked by: Dmcmama @ 2009-05-02 06:32:40

Answers ::
wouldnt have got one 30 yrs ago and they not any better now Chrysler's woes goes back a long time Dodge will follow but i think jeep holding up most of the company

kelly_f_1999

honestly, i would not buy a chrysler, they are not good quality.

Allison A

i will never buy an American car again, until the UAW is flushed down the toilet.

Poyzin

Never ever, again!

I have a car that's at their shop at the moment, and if you have a Warranty, watch out when they tell you everything else is wrong just to get more money.

I have a year left on the car for payments. Once that's done, never again will I go with Chrysler.

Toyota, Honda, and Nissan will be seeing me much more :)

doublea_s

I've had 6 Chrysler/Dodge vehicles and liked them all. I don't know where everyone is getting that they have bad quality.

The 99 Neon we have has 105,000 miles on it and outside of oil changes and two brake jobs we've only had one other repair. Some intake gasket went bad but it was only like $400 to fix. So, at least for us, all of them have been good.

All makes/models have problems and going to a Honda or a Toyota for example is no guarantee that you won't have problems. Just check out how many questions are in YA for Honda/Toyota vehicles.

Anyway, I would so get a Dodge Challenger right now if I was in the market. Awesome looking vehicle.

jdlr46

There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a Chrysler. Just because they filed for bankruptcy doesn't mean that the company will just suddenly stop existing.

According to the 2009 J.D. Powers results, the current generation Dodge Caravan is the most reliable minivan on the market. I think it would meet your needs quite well.

skidmark_84

I just bought a 2009 Jeep Liberty. It is the second Jeep vehicle that I have owned. I got a very good deal on it. If you like a Chrysler, check it out.

THE UNCOOL 1

2 suggestions: If you are going to try and get 2 used cars, try Carmax. If you don't get a Chrysler, they carry a variety of brands, in very good condition, at reasonable prices. They won't be the cheapest, but they will stand behind what they sell. The Chryslers will be cheaper now, and some of them a great value. The 2005-2007 minivans are reliable, versatile, and dependable. I would stay away from Durango, Aspen, and Commanders - poor mileage. The 2005-2006 Sebring Sedans and Stratus Sedans are pretty good if cared for (watch out for ones from the rental fleets) and the 2.4L 4cyl engines provide good gas mileage(acceleration is a little slow, but that's the trade-off with every brand's mid-size 4cyl). Good luck.

C-Tech

chrysler used to be sporty cars, but now theyre luxury and i dislike my 300m somewhat, im gettin a camaro baby!

dooms_day704

You get what you pay for. What you have in your garage has provided you with an overall ownership experience that should direct your attention to another Honda. I would suggest you think out of the box. Consider Segway.
http://www.segway.com/
It is less than another car payment and less than the cost of a car. Reliability and fun are built in to the equation, insurance would be cheap; this is a new way of thinking, for Americans. This is good. Consider this, at $1.90 per gallon over a one year period to fill up a 14.5 gallon tank, you could get a gas card and put $1,200 on it and that card will fill up your tank for a year. If you were to multiply $1,200 by 3 (cars) this equals $3,600.00 annually for fuel relative to 3 vehicles. Add Insurance at $1,200 annually per car this is an additional $3,600.00. A combined grand total of fuel and insurance costing $7,200 annually. This does not include monthly payments, routine maintenance, like oil changes, tire rotation, air filters etc.
From a financial point of view, which was a part of your question, look at the cost versus results, with one less car. A Segway in the mix with two cars instead of one, may better serve the family from a financial standpoint. I hope this gets you thinking. If you have the disposable income, sure you can get a Chrysler for a good deal, but is that something that ultimately makes sense? Cheers.

mark_hensley@sbcglobal.net

I have something to say about all big 3. Buy American. Keep our money in our COUNTRY. Support America. How many 20 year old Honda do you see ????????????

Joe w

Thy're going to be offering deals, but they already are. Their quality is not that bad, but their model lineup is. They have nothing good in the pipeline either because they squandered time and talent building very silly undesirable vehicles like the Caliber and Compass. The Minivans are OK. The 300s are a good deal but they are gas hogs and the interiors are marginal compared to others. If you bought one, you'd probably be OK, but why risk it? Ford is a better bet. Good deals, decent cars. GM has some great cars but they are on the ropes regardless of what they say. I personally think the auto workers unions have messed up the big 3 as well as the stupid management. The engineers did their part as well. I don't think the Japanese cars are any better than the USA cars at the moment, but they are definitely in better financial shape. The next cars that will amaze everyone are from Kprea. The new Hyundais are the best kept secret on the planet. They are great cars and are designed and mostly built here in the most advanced auto plant in the world.

Rudy H

Chrysler cars owners!!!!!?

I want to know what will happen if Chrysler car owner needs some spare parts; from where he can get? from the same service center?

Will the availability of spare parts be affected by company bankruptcy?

Asked by: kuzimi @ 2009-05-02 23:59:40

Answers ::
Well certainly junk yard/used spare pieces would continue to be available. I'm not sure on the answer about new parts but I am presuming that the "Bankruptcy" is a token thing that is part of the manipulation by the foreign bankers to manipulate stock price make it a better deal for Fiat to buy up ownership of Chrysler, and generally sell off America piece by piece to help pay off our national debt.

Texas

Hey Texas......don't look now, but not all of those greedy bankers are foreign ones!! All of the greedy US stockholders want a piece of the pie, too!!

Cettoman

They are not out of business yet,even if they go out of business they will have some spare parts available.It would be no different then if a certain vehicle model was discontinued.

toledojeeper

Chrysler is still in business. They declared bankruptcy so they could get their finances in order!!!

THE UNCOOL 1

One Tex, Fiat is only getting 35% and Second the UAW is getting 55% if the Judge approves the Chapter 11 and 11 only allows the company to restructure its debt. So in your thinking the UAW is the greed and American.
And as far as parts, All parts are not made is a Chrysler warehouse a lot of outside vendors makes parts for Chrysler. Hences that is why a debt restructure (chapter 11) And even if Chrysler completely shut down and the UAW cashes out the out side vendors still have stock and other companies will look at this as a opportunity to make part for Chrysler cars and trucks to meet the needs of the consumer
Availability of spare parts may be affected a little but will not just stop

rick b

Ric B. Is right. If anything, the new 2009 and 2008, Chryslers may have a problem getting some parts, because of production shutdowns.

C-Tech

you should still be able to get parts, the replacement parts are made from another plant not by chrysler

IceCreamMan

Yep, you would be able to get parts. Suppliers have to keep the molds and things for parts they make for a number of years after a model is done.

Snow

Feedback on Chrysler Sebring?

I'm looking into buying one and wanted to get feedback on your experiences if you have owned one or know anyone that has owned one? It's the 4 door model and I was thinking about getting one between a 2005-2006

Asked by: It's ME surprise @ 2009-05-04 13:19:27

Answers ::
i want one so bad too!!! i love em

angieh0106

my aunt has an 05 and just sold it 5 months ago because she was so sick of the constant problems with it. the service engine light would turn on and off and the electric seat mover stopped working after 6 months and she just experienced a lot of electrical problems like that.

PandaDog

my friend had one, but she finally got rid of it, every possible went wrong with it. i wouldnt advise getting one even though there are lots for sale for cheep. you could find a much nicer one for the same price that is more reliable.

bejuicy51

The 2005-6 models are ok. The problems are well sorted out, many can be found in good shape. I would check its background, many were rental cars which may not have been well maintained (Hertz, Thrifty, Enterprise, and Dollar seem to take better care of their rental cars for sale - watch out for others!) The 2.4L 4cyl engines are great, but not fast. The 2.7L V6 gives about 20-23 mpg but more power. Have it inspected by a mechanic before buying (good for any used car) and test drive it. If it is a V6 look for pink or orange coolant residue at the top right of the engine. It could be a leaking thermostat housing. Good luck!

C-Tech

1995-2000
The Chrysler Sebring was introduced as a coupe for 1995, and later, a convertible was released for 1996. Both models replaced the Chrysler LeBaron. The convertible was built off of the Chrysler JA platform also used for the Cirrus sedan, while the coupe was based on the Mitsubishi Eclipse. The Chrysler Sebring was named after Sebring, Florida, the site of the renowned endurance car race called the 12 Hours of Sebring. The name was first used by Chrysler Corporation's Plymouth division trim line of the Satellite mid-size coupe of the 1970s.


[edit] 2001-2006
First generation
Also called Chrysler Cirrus (in Mexico)
Production 2001–2006
Platform Chrysler JR platform
Engine(s) 2.4 L EDZ I4
2.7 L EER V6
Transmission(s) 4-speed 41TE automatic
Wheelbase 108.0 in (2743 mm)
Length 190.7 in (4844 mm)
Width 70.6 in (1793 mm)
(2004-06)71.9 in (1826 mm)
(2001-03)
Height 54.9 in (1394 mm)
Fuel capacity 15.9 US gallons (60.2 L; 13.2 imp gal)
Related Dodge Stratus
Volga Siber
The Sebring name was now used on three different cars for 2001. The coupe was based on the Mitsubishi Eclipse while the sedan and convertible were Chrysler JR platform successors to the Chrysler Cirrus. The Sebring sedan is also a de facto successor to the Plymouth Breeze, since most Plymouths (e.g. Voyager, Prowler) were rebranded as Chryslers since the marque's demise in 2001. The car got a facelift in 2004 by getting a new front fascia, as well as a Chrysler logo on the rear. The Sebring coupe was discontinued after 2005. The Sebring is sold as the Chrysler Cirrus in Mexico.

Some of the 2.7 L V6 engines have suffered from failures due to oil sludge contamination. These problems happen when fine engine oil passages become clogged with sludge, and often result in catastrophic failure of the engine. Improper maintainace, such as irregular oil changes would see such results. An unknown number of Sebring, Concorde, Dodge Intrepid and Stratus owners have been affected. Fixes include changing to synthetic oil, inspection, and even engine replacement.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the 2001-2006 Sebring an Acceptable overall rating in frontal crash tests.[1] In the side impact test a Poor overall rating was given to models without side airbags. The IIHS did not test the Sebring with side airbags since Chrysler declined another test.[2]


[edit] Trim levels
Throughout the 2001–2006 generation sedan many different trim levels were offered. Though there were multiple variations of some(for example plain Touring and Touring Platinum Series), just the main ones are listed below.

LX — 2001–2004
LXi — 2001–2003
base — 2004–2006
Touring — 2004–2006
Limited — 2004–2006
Signature Series — 2005
TSi — 2005–2006

[edit] European market

2003 Chrysler Sebring 2.7 LX sedan (European model)Chrysler also manufactured export versions of the 2001-2006 Sebring sedan and convertible for the mainland European market. Front and rear lights are to European standards, different from the USA & Canada in that turn-signal indicators are orange, with additional side-turn repeaters on the front fenders. The rear bumper has a larger recess for the longer European-size license-plates, and two fog-lamps are fitted; one on each side of the license-plate. The LHD headlamps incorporate Euro-type H4 bulbs, together with 3-way up & down beam-level adjustment via a dash-mounted switch to the left of the steering wheel. Emissions controls are to the EURO 3 standard; later versions are compliant with EURO 4. Engine ranges offered were the 2.0L DOHC 16V inline 4-cylinder (later replaced by the 2.4L unit in some countries), and the 2.7L DOHC 24V 6 Cylinder unit. The 2.0 and 2.4L engines are available with the 5-speed manual or 4-speed 41TE auto transmission (depending on country); the 6 Cylinder eng