1981 Plymouth Reliant review from North America
"A fantastic car if you keep it in good repair"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Transmission failed at 82,000 miles.
Head gasket blew at 88,000 miles.
Engine electrical wiring failed at 92,000 miles.
All pumps failed after 100,000 miles.
The seats have ripped.
Underbody is gone at 110,000 miles.
General comments?
Most of the car's failures occurred only after a great deal of time.
Repairs have not been extremely expensive.
The car's turning ability is excellent; it can easily make very tight turns.
Very sure-footed; a K-car's ability to move safely on ice is amazing - the driver still has some limited control even when the vehicle is spinning in circles on ice, for example.
Brakes just won't fail as long as routine maintenance is observed
Engine (2.2L) is extremely reliable.
Body (except underbody) is still sturdy even at 20 years old.
Good acceleration and fairly good power for a small car.
Quiet car if the exhaust system is maintained.
The interior is simple, but comfortable and soothing.
Recommended reviews
| Slow and cheap |
|
| Great for what I paid. It has been very reliabe as a go to work vehicle |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1981 |
| First year of ownership | 1987 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 69000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 124000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 28th September, 2001 |