Comments: 1-15, 16-17
Plastic shield between windshield and hood flew off on the highway. Replacement after expired warranty: $125.
The engine cooling fan went out. Cost for replacement, labor, and various parts covered under warranty: $600.
The air conditioning system needed replacement twice while under 70,000 miles. Total cost if car had not been covered under warranty would been about $3000.
Currently needs transmission re-build or replacement, two months past warranty. Cost at dealership: $2000.
Two of the four power windows needed fixing. This was not covered under warranty. Cost $550.
Losing oil due to leaking oil pan seal. Again not covered under extended warranty.
Cost: $250.
Shift cable snapped while putting car from park into reverse, not covered under warranty. Cost: $75 towing + $300 = $375.
Total expenses not including standard oil changes, transmission fluid, brakes, and tire: $6900.
Cost of used car: $13,000
Cost of repairs: $6900
Total: $19,900.
The car is comfortable, spacious, sleek looks, and a decent sized engine. For all the perks, this car is quite affordable, but there are hidden costs.
I had heard that Chrysler improved its reliability since its merge with Daimler, but every Chrysler my immediate family has owned has had needed both the air conditioning and transmission replaced while still being relatively new. This has been the case with seven different cars and minivans.
If you decide to buy a Chrysler I recommend you sell or trade it in before 40,000 miles. Even so be ready to shell out some money for repairs.
This car has a lot of great features at a low price, but the cost of frequent service on the car far outweighs its positive attributes.
While the extended warranty paid for about half of the above expenses, dealerships often found excuses not to honor warranty despite supposed being coverage.
I will never buy another Chrysler product again.
Yes I agree--the Chrysler Concorde is nice, but is garbage under the hood.
Last year my husband bought a 1993 Concorde for $1000.
Beautiful car. I loved the leather seats and roomy interior. It had rebuilt tranny.
But the overheating nightmare began the same week we bought it. Left us stranded many times. It lost coolant fast.
Anyway my husband ended up trading it to a GMC pickup truck. It had 250,000 miles on it, but it was better than the car!
Sorry about your bad luck.
I just bought a 1999 Concorde. It had 67k miles and owned by retirees. Everything is great with the car and I love its huge design. The 2.7 liter engine is bad news. If you run it over 3-4k miles without changing the oil, it will fry the engine. However, I purchased the 3.2 which is a smaller version of the 3.5. The 3.2 is all aluminum and will go for a very long time. All I have to say to the other comments is you should have thoroughly looked at what your buying. Shifter cables don't regularly break unless abused which i think your car was.
My son has a 1999 Concorde 3.2. Keeping in mind that this a 9 year old car with 130,000 miles. It still has the normal Chrysler problems. Great looks and fair mechanicals. The engine has been reliable so far with normal maintenance... timing belt, spark plugs.
The leather seats started to come apart at about 60,000 miles, paint is faded and pealing, dashboard cracked at 90k, windows won't go up and down, passenger mirror fell off at 70,000 and as others stated radiator fans quit at about 90K.
A tip to other owners, parts can be purchased for about half on the internet.
I would suggest that Chryslers are 70,000 mile cars unless you're a mechanic.
Totally agree great car, when its not at the mechanic! My 99 Concorde has 211,000 miles. In the last six months I have changed:
Tie rods
Wheel Hub
Shift cable (just up and snapped one day)
Idle Pulley
A.C. compressor/clutch
Rear window motors
Trailing Arm
plus basic maintenance.
All in all I believe if you take care it's good to go. But I can't help believe this is slight overkill for only six months!
1999 Concorde LXI. I bought this car in November 2002, it had 73k and the first week the tranny would not work right. They fixed it and the next week the tranny would not work again; they fixed it. It was the controller that shifts it up gears and down gears.
On a trip to the Rocky Mountains, the front drive shaft to the left wheel needed to be replaced.
I have driven the car since with 30 miles per gallon highway and 24 city driving, and it has worked well for 6 years, but now the car gets hot and it will not start till it cools down, and it seems to have a difficult time accelerating like it is starving for fuel. I replaced the spark plugs and had no improvement.
Someone suggested that the central computer is going out, as my heating controls don't function properly either. Have I got a bag of bolts? 238,000 miles on it.
Great car. Works fine, I've had it for 2 years now, and have done some repairs. I'm not mechanical, but nothing costing over 1000, and only 3 times in the time I've owned it.
To the woman whose husband bought it for 1000 a year old, no kiddin, look what you paid.
I have had my Concorde for a year. My girlfriend and brother in law used it as a company car, and put 204k on it. It just died; it wouldn't crank, so they gave it to me for free. I put in a new battery, fuel pump, changed the oil and transmission fluid, and it runs and sounds great.
The only thing wrong is that I can't get my brake light to come on.
I think it is a great car, and it's good on gas. To have 204 plus thousand on it, you just have to take care of it, it's not a race car.
Mickey B
1993 Chrysler Concorde - we bought it new, kept it serviced properly, and now have 212,000 miles on it and it's still running great and rides well. We haven't done any repairs except maintenance type repairs (probably averaged less than $100 per year over the 15 year time period)... the air conditioner went out recently, but we're in South Dakota and winter is coming so we probably won't repair it until spring (I keep assuming that the car will die one of these days, but if it's still doing well by spring I think we'll treat it to a new AC, eh?)... Love the car and I'm now hoping to reach 300,000 miles with it!!! I've owned lots of cars over the last 5 years, but nothing that held up as well as this 1993 Concorde!
1999 Concorde LXi.
I just bought a 1999 Concorde LXi over a week ago. It is probably early I know, but what a ride so far. I used to own a 1994 Mercury Topaz 5 speed, which I felt every bump on the road and had over 224,000 kilometers on it. The Mercury died on me so I picked up the Concorde. I keep hearing about transmission problems and air conditioning problems and so forth, but I'm enjoying this ride so far, hopefully it lasts a while for me!
I've owned a 99 Concorde LXi for about 5 years. It's been a pretty good car, considering how little I've put into maintaining it. Perhaps I'm lucky.
About 4 years ago it would not shift out of first gear (automatic). Repair at a transmission shop was only about $150 for a sensor.
The driver's door handle is no longer operable from the inside, as the plastic piece that holds the rod inside the door broke off. This cannot be remedied unless you replace the entire inside door panel ($500+ from a dealership).
It has recently starting stuttering while driving, but that may just be a spark plug or fuel cleaning issue. Not sure yet, and probably won't address it unless it gets worse.
The trim piece between hood and windshield flew off during a road trip. Luckily the semi behind us ran over it and crushed it to bits before I could retrieve it.
Window motors are getting a little 'saggy' and quite slow. By 'saggy' I mean once the window is fully raised and you let off the button, the window gently drops about a quarter inch. It does, however, make a long groan during its descent. Sort of like an old, fat dog settling into an easy chair. It's actually kind of comforting.
All in all, a decent car for the money. Lots of room, quiet, and great gas mileage. I average 28 mpg. That includes both city and highway.
January 14th 2009. I have had my Concorde LXI 1999 for 3 years, and I've reached 270,000 klm with it, and it's still running good. No repairs so far, only regular oil filter etc. Hope to keep that car for another year or so. Good on gas and smooth ride.
I inherited my 2000 Concorde when my father passed over two years ago. It has about 120,000 miles on it and has been a very reliable car.
For the past few weeks, the transmission has been sticking in Drive and from 1st to 2nd when the engine is still cold. The transmission place says $1700+ to fix it.
A while back I had to get a new oil pan, because when I went to get a leak looked at, they cracked the pan by tightening a nut too hard. It was an ordeal to locate a new/used oil pan for that car. I don't think they make them anymore.
I had a weather related accident soon after I got my car, which I believe to be the catalyst for these problems.
Aside from all that, this car is wonderful. My dad took good care of it and I am trying to do the same by keep the oil changed regularly, etc. It is a very smooth ride, spacious and comfy for all (even for big people in the back seat), and gets wonderful gas mileage, esp. for such a large vehicle. I plan to keep this car until it dies on me, which I hope is years down the line.
I think if you take care with this car, like you should with all cars, and not drive the crap out of it ("punch the gas" and swerve around corners) - drive like an old person!! - then it will last you a long time with minimal problems.
Yes yes yes, the Concorde LXI 3.2.
I got mine with 48000 miles and sure enough just about every problem described in this post happen to my car.
First let me say this, the car styling is HOT! Sexy as can be. I even tricked it out a little with a black-out top, custom grille and Chrysler 300 wheels, and dual chrome tail pipes. BUT THE QUALITY SUCKS!
Here we go::
Leather seats ripping apart, (I'm the only driver) Maybe living in Arizona is responsible for such a problem.
Paint on hood and deck-lid fading, I have that pretty gold color that's starting to look silver, Another Arizona issue!
Passenger side window won't go up or down.
Dashboard cracks all over the top (Arizona again)
Radiator fans crapped-out. Here I am stuck in traffic in 99 degree weather and I just happen to look at the temp gauge... Pinned at hot hot hell-hot! Quickly pulled over-parked it, went to eat and shop for 2 hours. Came back started it up, Surprised as heck it started!! Drove directly to my mechanic. 3 days and 212.00 later I'm on my way.
3 months later - Guess what... Transmission craps out! what happen? It wouldn't shift out of 2nd gear. I had to drive 25 mile an hour on a stupid gravel road to keep people from flipping me off or rear-ending me! I had a mile of traffic tied up for awhile. Two trans-shift solenoids craps out. Bought parts from the Internet and had my mechanic put them on ($134.00 total) Car still shift like it's drunk but I said the heck with it! She shifting all gears and that's what mater the most.
Bad tie-rod ends, won't stay line up. Bad knocking noise.
Shifter-binding, won't shift from park to drive. ($406 to repair)
Oil pan leak, bad seal... For the love of Lee Iaccoca HELP!!!
Oh-Well,, The car sure handles good and the looks are to die for. However if you like cars in general, like to work on them because you hate getting ripped off, have a good supply of green backs, I would suggest Chrysler's are the car for you. If not STAY FAR AWAY! Believe me I know what I'm talking about! Outside of my 1996 LHS having transmission issues and a sagging headliner, it was a better car from bumper to bumper! My Concorde is at 73,000 miles now and I don't know what to expect next, and don't care!
One day I intend to replace the engine with a 2008 Cadillac CTS create motor, redo the paint-job and interior, and turn this baby into a family hot-rod. That's because I like working on cars.
However in the future I hope Chrysler's getting in bed with Fiat improves there famous "piss-ant" quality.
I'm sorry, but I don't feel bad for the people that are complaining about their cars that have 200k+ miles on them and are having issues. I hate to break this to you, but NOTHING lasts forever. And don't give me this "My Toyota lasted 300K miles with no problems" because I don't believe it.
I enjoyed reading the above comment... up until the CTS motor install.