1992 Plymouth Acclaim Base 3.0 liter V6

Summary:

Sturdy, reliable transportation that holds up well with good care

Faults:

Replaced exhaust last summer at 105K, along with thermostat, brake work, and full tune-up.

Original water pump went in August 2008 at about 101K, serpentine belt also replaced.

New alternator, engine mounts, and transmission mounts in 2005.

New battery in 2004, replaced radiator.

Rebuilt transmission at 90K in 2003.

Struts, shocks, new tires, and fuel pump in 2002.

Air conditioning serviced in 1998, "major" tune up at 70K performed, new timing belt.

Can't remember beyond that. Oil changed twice per year, radiator flushed out every summer. Transmission serviced every two years.

STILL tends to run hot, but cools off easily from running defroster, and has never overheated on me (except when the water pump went).

General Comments:

I bought my Acclaim in 1996 as my father had owned one, it came with a 7-year/70K warranty, and found a well kept, low mileage (26K) example at a good price. 14 years later it is now at 106K and still going strong. Other than expiration (s) of the fuel pump, and water pump, it has never stranded me.

Mine is only driven weekly (or so) now as I live in the city. It has sat for up to 3 weeks in the dead of winter or the worst of summer, and starts right up.

PLENTY of power with the V-6. Smooth engine runs well, and has GREAT acceleration. Nice for quick starts in town, and easily climbs mountains in WV. Not a high-revving motor, it almost seems to loaf along like the 440 in my old Imperial.

Repair/replacement record above is long, but it covers a 14-year/80,000 mile period. Only replaced tires once, same with the battery. Pretty good for a basic 4-door econobox. The Jasper (replacement) automatic transmission installed a while back performs just fine, never balky and doesn't hesitate.

This is no sports car, but it competently handles curvy mountain roads with no problem. Cornering remains tight after over 100,000 miles.

No power windows/locks, etc., but AC still blows ice cold, puts out heat quickly, and cruise control still works just fine. Rear defroster very effective.

Although fairly small, it feels like full-size car inside. Not claustrophobic like other cars of its size.

Base model interior not dressy, but has held up well, and not shedding pieces like some newer ones do. No rattles or squeaks either.

This little box has really grown on me over the years, and I plan to keep it. Take good care of your Acclaim, and it will take VERY good care of you.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th January, 2010

1992 Plymouth Acclaim Base 3.0 V6

Summary:

Simply great with a V6!!!

Faults:

Nothing major, just the hand cranked driver side window comes off the track.

The exhaust rusted out.

Body rust.

General Comments:

This has been the best car I have ever owned. I have had zero, yes zero problems with this car. The only thing I did was replace the exhaust and gave her a tune up!

For a 3.0 V6 this has some serious power, and handling is like a dream, the fuel economy is not the best, I get around 15 mpg average, which could be due to my driving habits (lead foot)!

But all in all, I can see this car living for well over 200,000! I highly recommend the V6 model! Sounds great with a beefy muffler also! This and my old 94 Mercury Grand Marquis have been the most reliable cars ever! I have owned over 17 cars in my life and this is ranked #1 Please if you are going to buy one do it, and if you own one, don't junk it!! This car will not let you down!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th September, 2009

1992 Plymouth Acclaim 4 door sedan 2.5

Summary:

Crap

Faults:

The body is really weak, I mean by that is that if you barely hit it hard, it will make a dent. The paint chips after awhile.

It starts to lose power in the motor after a fresh tune-up and oil change.

Every little thing went out on this car; for a I4 2.5, it sucks gas pretty bad, and the shocks wear down real fast (stock shocks).

If it sits in the sun too long (like every day for like 2 hours or so), the paint fades bad.

It does not have a lot of take-off power, and the original (stock) cassette players die really fast, it ain't very compatible.

General Comments:

I think Plymouth should have put more money into these Acclaims, they are very bad cars. I would not suggest buying one unless you have a fat wallet.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 14th May, 2009

15th May 2009, 11:04

The Acclaim was a cheap car to begin with, and yours was 16 years old with 136K miles on it when you bought it.

Really, what were you expecting? To get an old car with high miles and have NO problems with it?

15th May 2009, 11:42

Yeah the Acclaim was a super-cheap bargain-basement value car from the start. Still is. They're quite reliable and durable, and the 2.5 four cylinder is a good motor with a good little 3 speed auto transmission.

Best thing about the Acclaims was space - very roomy. We used them as taxis coming off rental car use back in the late 1990s.

15th May 2009, 15:05

I used to have a 91 Acclaim (3L engine I guess) for 3 years when I was at university. I bought it for 1000 CAD and was overall happy with it. For sure I spent a few hundred bucks on it to repair something here or there, but I'm not sure what could serve me better with less expense. Let's live in the real world and accept that buying a 16 year old car, we are assuming our money is thrown away; if we take anything out of it we've won!

7th Sep 2010, 14:10

I think when you post a comment, you need to realize you are also telling everyone about you. Sometimes you tell them more about you than the car.

When evaluating anything, one good idea is to try and take it back to simple math. Instead of using subjective terms like crap, say the car cost me $2000 and I got 1000 miles of use out of it. In other words, the facts, just the facts man.