1989 Plymouth Sundance Reviews - Page 2 of 3

When purchased the car had no A/C. 3 compressors later, it still does not work, due to belt won't stay on. in & out of shop.

Sunroof has always leaked, but recently sealed with silicone.

When purchased engine had been rebuilt.. it has been rebuilt twice since then.

Transmission was rebuilt when purchased. currently being rebuilt for second time.

Poor gas mileage.

Some may have had better luck, however I will never buy another Plymouth till proven better. for another note, my sister owned an 1988 model, with the 2.0 non-turbo..and problems with engine & trans. did not exist.

Brakes were seizing intermittently when I acquired the car due to rust. New front brake calipers solved the problem.

Loud ticking in top end of motor was repaired by swapping camshaft and lifters from a mid-eighties K-car engine.

Various rubber hoses on brakes and engine needed replacing in order to certify.

Loud engine knock due to worn pistons caused people to constantly comment on the fact that the engine sounded like a diesel.

Replaced worn alternator belt at 184,000.

Rear shocks blew at around 185,000 km.

Front struts needed replacing also at same time.

Power steering made noises the entire time I drove it.

Low beams started blowing out at about 190,000 km, often after only one or two days of replacing, leading to me driving with high beams on all the time.

New battery at 195,000.

Horn quit working at around 198,000.

Various interior lights (shifter light, rear window tail-lights, etc) quit working or never worked at all.

Rear-window defroster and cigarette lighter stopped working also around this time.

Throughout this time, the engine used probably a quart of oil per week.

Head gasket was likely blown also at around 200,000 as coolant was disappearing, and I couldn't see any leaks (very common fault in these engines).

Car totalled at 201,000.

I had no complaint with the comfort or drivabilty of this car.

It handled OK in city traffic, had enough power to get around in busy traffic, and loved to cruise at 120 km/h (75 mph) on the freeway.

It handled OK in snow once you got used to it, and hardly ever got stuck.

The interior, while basic, was comfortable enough.

It never left me stranded.

My main complaints with the car are as follows:

The plastic covers on the headlights tended to yellow with age, blocking much of the light from reaching the road.

Many interior lights and accessories would work intemittently or not at all.

I have heard from other people that Chryslers from this era had very poor electrical systems.

The ride was very rough. Even with new shocks, you could feel every bump and dip in the road.

There seemed to be an unusual amount of things going wrong with the car. It seemed like every time I thought everything was fixed, another problem would pop up.

It got me through the winter though, and that was all that I could ask from it.

Paint on outside has started to wear off down to the primer.

Rear passenger side stereo speaker has started to crackle.

Area below the sunroof started to leak.

Chime relay was recently disconnected due to random dinging.

Plastic headlights became yellow and foggy due to weathering.

Sometimes, when idling, the steering wheel will vibrate.

This car was my Grandfather's/Uncle's car. My Grandfather didn't drive the car for sometime, hence the paint problems due to the weathering. However, internally, the car is in excellent condition. Most of the problems listed above were all easy fixes that did not require too much time, effort, and money.