1994 Plymouth Acclaim review from North America
"Dependable and economical to own"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Head gasket was showing signs of deterioration.
General comments?
I bought this car for $1500. It was in great physical and mechanical shape and very clean. The 2.5L engine gave plenty of power and the car gave a comfortable ride. Room for 5 adults (6 in a REAL pinch) and a driver's airbag. Gas mileage was about 22 around town.
This engine, while overall very rugged, has a reputation for suffering from premature head gasket failure. Mine was beginning to show an early sign of failing - wild swings of the temperature gauge - though there was no white exhaust smoke and no perceptible loss of coolant. I drained the radiator and added a can of that stop-leak stuff, following the directions scrupulously, and the problem seemed to go away. Even if the head gasket had needed replacement, that job, like just about everything with this car, is pretty cheap to do.
I moved a while after that and sold the car for $1500 - other than oil changes, it was basically a free car for two years. I'd but another one in a minute if I could find one in nice condition with low miles!
Recommended reviews
| Fun to drive, hard to maintain |
|
| Classic that unfortunately doesn't last forever |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1994 |
| Year of manufacture | 1994 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5L Fuel-Injected 4-cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 49000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 55000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 1st September, 2009 |