1995 Chrysler LeBaron GTC review from North America

At 111,000 miles:

- Convertible top leaked terribly, paid over $400 to have an auto glass shop "fix" the leak, which only made it worse.

- Rear power windows need help to go up all the way, the motors are shot so they won't roll up all the way without being helped along.

- Power driver's seat didn't work, parts cost $80, we did the fix ourselves.

- Leaking oil (used a bottle of Lucas Oil engine repair, which stopped the leak).

- Passenger's side door lock motor dead.

- Door unlock key fob only works from 10 feet away or closer.

- The paint on the original Chrysler rims was chipping and looked really bad.

- Air vents are structurally weak, and 2 of them were already broken upon purchase, 2 more broke later.

By 120,000 miles:

- O-ring went in the coolant system. The silly little o-ring was $20 through the dealership, because nobody else carried that exact one, plus $100 labour to get to it.

- O-ring failed in the valley of the engine. Another $20 each for 2 o-rings, and then countless hours ripping the top end of the engine apart to get to the valley to replace the silly things (it's the only way to get to them).

- Convertible top was still leaking, trunk seal started to leak too.

- Paint started to chip badly around hood of the car, as well as the front of the car.

- The tie rods wore out very badly and needed to be replaced. If I recall correctly it cost around $100 for the parts, we supplied the labour, and then the realignment was $50.

Somewhere between 120,000 miles and 129,000 miles:

- Water pump failed (more about that below).

- Engine started to knock very loudly (more about that below).

- Driver's side speaker no longer works due to faulty wiring in the stereo.

- Torque converter in transmission is starting to go.

- Rivet popped in the latch that locks convertible to the frame of the car when the top is up, rendering the lock useless. Should be a quick fix, but it's still annoying and costly to those who don't have the knowledge or the means to fix it themselves.

- I'm sure there is more I have overlooked; if so I'll add it as a comment later.

When the water pump failed, it leaked coolant at an alarming rate. To get to the water pump takes hours, and the timing belt runs of the water pump, so you might as well do that and the serpentine belt while you're in the area, since you probably won't want to go back if possible.

When the engine started to knock, it sounded like a diesel, so we ripped the engine apart to find out that the lifters were gummed up and on their way out. You can't buy just the lifters in my area, you have to buy the whole assembly for $33 each times 12, equaling a grand total of $400 in parts alone. I don't have that kind of money to spend, so we cleaned them up and put them back in, so it only clicks lightly now instead of knocking.

One of the big upsides to this car is that it is quite roomy for a convertible. Still wouldn't feel altogether comfortable squishing 2 fully grown adults in the back seats for extended periods, but it's not bad.

The trunk seems a little bigger than average for a convertible, but it's still small.

The seats are very comfortable, and are still not showing any wear.

The convertible top motor is still running strong.

This car still gets great gas mileage.