1997 Plymouth Breeze review from North America

Head gasket replaced at 28,000 after three trips to ask why there were permanent oil leaks. I still have oil leaks, but small ones, and I can't find where they come from.

Two more trips required to refit the exhaust manifold and downpipe properly.

Engine Management computer replaced at 30,000 after the car would start up, rev to around 5,000 RPM and the pointer would swing to 95mph while in park.

Engine management computer replaced again a week later when the same thing happened, but this time with no tach/speedo indications.

Air conditioner drive pulley froze at 35,000 miles (still under warranty!!!), making a noise like a bag of rocks being dragged under the car, and the belt caused enough smoke to trip the check engine light.

Door seals literally fell to pieces and were replaced at 28,000 miles.

Better wear night vision goggles, because Plymouth/Chrysler apparently decided that the Breeze was going to be driven by people who can see in the dark. The headlights are abysmal!

I love the handling, the spaciousness, the huge trunk, the comfort, and the fact that once the wheezy, anemic 2 liter engine makes it to 70mph you could cruise all week on half a tank of gas. However, getting to 70mph takes some time and the first half of that tank of gas, and stopping from 70mph takes even longer.

The air conditioner is great, but the heater is like standing in front of a blast furnace. I'm surprised it doesn't melt the dashboard.

All in all, it's a great value young family car, which is why I traded in my Probe for a 4 door. But whatever you save on the purchase price will be spent on repairs, and gas because the 2.0 is the most fuel hungry of the engines that Chrysler put in this family of vehicles. It's so underpowered that you have to drive it hard to avoid getting run over by the car behind you.

The Breeze is my wife's car, and my daily driver is a 1992 Toyota Paseo. I fill it with gas when it needs it, change the oil every 2,500 miles, and never think twice about it. The Breeze however requires a firm belief in divine intervention every time I put the key in the ignition. I'm terrified about its long term reliability, but quite frankly if I get 5 years out of this car it will have been worth what I paid for it.