1982 Plymouth Sapporo review from North America
"A neat little car"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Carburetor problems caused poor fuel economy: 15 MPG.
Air conditioning system leaked.
Noisy timing / balance shaft chain.
Occasionally the car would not shift into reverse when the temperature outside was cold.
Engine died due to balance shaft chain breaking, which caused the oil pump to quit working while the engine ran.
General comments?
This was my first car. I got almost 3 years out of it. After a while the balance shaft chain kept making horrible noises at idle. This model is quite small, but comfortable.
The engine would have performed better if it had fuel injection as the carburetor was very complicated. There were way too many vacuum hoses.
The acceleration with this 3 speed automatic was leisurely.
The car eventually died. I took the engine apart to see the problem. The balance shaft chain broke. I was surprised on how thin the chain was. It reminded me of a child's bike chain. If you have a car with a similar engine and it makes noises at idle, get the chains replaced immediately. The engine seemed well-built otherwise.
I liked how the car looked. It sort of looked like a Mustang from the same year. The interior was quite plush for a small car as well.
It is also important to note that this car was actually built by Mitsubishi for Plymouth.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1982 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1998 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.6L I -4 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 135000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 169000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 7th September, 2004 |