1990 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe review from North America

The car is now fourteen years old, thus, it has shown some problems. When I first got it the only major problem it had was that the headlight doors would occasionally refuse to open. This can be fixed by turning a knob located in the hood of the car, but it is still kind of an annoyance.

The other thing that really bothered me about the car was that while the heater worked great, it had no air conditioning. A friend told me that it is because the car is lacking a belt, so this isn't a major flaw.

After about eight months of owning the car, something "major" finally happened. The car started dying in the middle of nowhere, especially if the engine was still warm. Everything turned on, but the car just wouldn't go anywhere and the "Check Gages" light would come on.

I took it to a repair place, which incidentally was the same place I originally bought the car. They found out that it was the transmission, and I had to get it replaced-- fairly pricey!

Not long after that, my car had another problem-- it wouldn't turn over. This came pretty much out of the blue. One morning I noticed it took a little longer than usual to start, and the next thing I know it's not even turning over. I had it towed away (again). This time it was a fuel pump problem. So I got a new fuel pump.

Then I started experiencing an issue where I would put my key in the ignition, and everything would blink on for about half a second and then die. The electric locks didn't even work anymore. This was the most easily fixed of the three problems, though-- we just cleaned the battery and replaced the screws for the battery. The screws were an obscure kind that we had to track down, however, but they weren't expensive.

The most recent problem it has had is this really odd quirk. There is a digital odometer (as well as the regular one) and it recently started doing this thing where once it reaches the number 8435, it resets itself back to 0 and the car starts to make the "beeping" noise that it makes if your seatbelt is undone or your lights are left on. Then the 0 turns into 8427 and you're back to square one when it hits 8435. It's really strange and I have no idea what causes this problem.

About the only other problem with this car is that is was made when Chrysler was having some serious issues, so the paint job is CHEAP and the body paint flakes off like crazy, especially when wet. Most auto shops know about this, though, and can recommend the exact color of paint for you to fix this problem yourself.

One might think that, considering all the problems I've had with this car, it is not much of a deal. On the other hand, I still love this car!

It has great acceleration and, interestingly, is in fact a "sporty" little car.

It comes with power windows, power locks, and power seats that you can easily adjust (and fine-tune) to fit all your little nuances, no matter if you're really short (like I am) or really tall.

The car is considerably roomy for a two-door coupe, and the seats are plush and comfortable.

The heater is GREAT, and I should know since I live in Montana where it is basically winter for six months of the year. It can be freezing cold outside, but within 5 minutes of being started it will be 60 degrees inside the car, and if you aren't careful it will be 80 degrees in there in another 5 or 10 minutes.

I put my own CD player in, but the speakers that the car comes with work great.

Now the weaker points:

Maybe it's just my particular car, but the turning ability really, really sucks. It's definitely not the greatest vehicle for maneuvering through parking lots or other tight spaces.

Early-90's Chrysler cars are notorious for having terrible paint jobs, and mine is no exception: before I had it repainted, it was practically half-gray. (White is the originally color.)

I've spent more money fixing the car than it cost for me to buy it.

It's not an oil or gas guzzler, but it doesn't stretch them out, either-- if you drive a lot, expect plenty of pit-stops.

Overall, it may not be the world's most perfect car, but considering its age, it has served me well. I am glad to own one.