1989 Dodge Spirit LS review from North America
"Good design and built like a tank, but find the newest model you can that appears well maintained"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Oil leaks: there have been many develop. The valve cover on these earlier models is notorious for leaking. An updated cover was fitted along with the restyled one-piece gasket.
At 110,000 miles, I had to replace the oil pan gasket, the front crankshaft oil seal, and the camshaft oil seal to keep the car from mimicking the Exxon Valdez.
Air conditioning: At 100,000 miles, the entire system needed replacement... I mean every part of it. I installed all new components and converted it to the new refrigerant - R134A.
Other faults have been few, and mostly wear & tear items.
I recently replaced the drooping headliner.
One power window motor is shot.
One power window switch had to be replaced.
The Infinity sound system receiver went bad, as have two of the special speakers.
General replacement of all belts and hoses (water, oil, fuel, and vacuum).
General comments?
I inherited this car from my father in 1996. It had 46,000 miles on it and had almost zero maintenance. As a result, I'm still playing catch-up.
The car is very roomy, quiet, and comfortable.
Fuel economy is around 27mpg highway, 25mpg City. It doesn't drop noticeably when using the A/C.
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  | 1989 - Spirit Base 2.5 non turbo Very reliable for the most part |
| Comfortable, economical, and reliable |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1989 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 liter Automatic |
| Performance marks | |
| Reliability marks | 8/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 46000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 122000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Ford F150 |
| Date of Entry | 3rd June, 2005 |