Got love those Styrofoam looking pressed pellet heads on the 2.0/2.2 in the Cavalier. Almost guaranteed to leak antifreeze.


I've heard that too, NoFrag, but they only but the month and year in the doorjam

 

Speaking of Chrysler quality, my 88 Daytona had the typical Chrysler clear coat issues on the top surfaces. My Moms 92 Lebaron had the same issue. My 97 2500 Ram has it also. (seeing a pattern here?)

I used to have a 2 dr Sebring LXI (2001) which had some tranny issues at only 60k. Recently I saw what I was sure was my Sebring on a local dealers website. I started thinking it would be nice to have a car again (I have 3 trucks), so I did some research and found a website where Sebring owners were griping about-you guessed it-clear coat issues. (mine was fine while I had it, but apparently there alot of issues still around)

So lets recap here:

Chrysler selling crappy paint jobs as far back as 1988. (Maybe earlier?)

13 years later, STILL doing the same despite thousands of complaints.

I didnt do any research, so I dont know if they had this problem past 2001, or if after a mere 13 YEARS, they corrected it. This, along with a myriad of transmission issues, is why people laugh at you when you say you drive a Chrysler product.

They deserve to fail, they really do.

 

I don't know if those cars are prone to leaks, but I can tell you for certain it has nothing to do with the methods of casting. Saturn used the same casting process for blocks and heads and they don't leak coolant unless the head warps(only a problem with sohc heads), or when the plastic end tanks on the rads crack. It's not pressed pellets, it's cast aluminum, but somewhere in the molding process a styrofoam analogue was used. When it's machined you can see that the texture is just on the unfinished surface.

 

I have replaced several of those heads on Cavalier and Sunfires. Usually seeping out down near the #3 spark plug area between pellets.

 

I have a 2002 Stratus RT Coupe, so it should be a similar car to your Sebring. Mine is a 3.0 autostick.

I had the car three days before it was on the dragstrip, and about two weeks before it saw its first autoX action.

Ive had the speedometer pinned more times than I can count, and the car has been down the track at least a hundred times, including surprisingly massive burnouts (see picture below). Ive had no issues with any of the drivetrain components, although with around 70k on it the autotrans could be a little tighter...but there is no slipping, no leaks, and no fluid consumption of any kind.



Also, my stratus has had no paint issues, aside from stone chips, although ive seen other stratus coupes with "chrysler leprosy". no offense to you, but i wax my car weekly usually, and no less often than monthly, and i attribute that to the appearance of the paint over the years. People with those paint issues typically dont take great care of their paint.

our 94 ram hasnt had the issues with the paint, although the laser and my old lebaron did...but i know for a fact that those cars werent well taken care of before i got them.

 

Really? Never had a problem with the smell. Granted, because I live on a rough, gravel road, the car developed rattles and squeaks but was an otherwise solid car. It held up well in the accident, which impressed me.

And yes, mine was a 5-speed that was great when we had ice storms.

 

Bold for emphasis...
While washing/waxing my Slowrolla today, I was thinking the same thing.
My 1996 Dakota, bought in Jan 2006, has pretty good paint. I have been pretty religious about making sure she stays clean.
Chrysler did have a known primer problem. (I believe it was, in the late 80's/early 90's?)
Like BadStrat, I attribute most paint problems, and not just with Chrysler, to owners who don't/won't spend a little time to take care of what they spend a good chunk of change on.

 

I believe some people on here who are knocking the UAW because they claim they are not making any concessions need to do a bit more research.

The UAW already agreed to eliminate the jobs bank if this bridge loan was approved. The Big 3 were supposed to being making payments to the employee health care trust fund that the UAW agreed to take over but the union agreed to let them delay the contributions. The latest contract calls for new hires to work at $14/hr, roughly 1/2 of what current workers earn. The UAW president agreed to reopen the current 2007 contract to further negotiations, if necessary.

Although I no longer am affiliated with the UAW I will never, ever buy an import.

Closing thoughts:

My 07 Sebring has absolutely no clear coat or other paint problem, or any others, for that matter.

Consumer Reports is nothing more that an import buyer's rag.

mygig

 

Yeah, just like Hyundai made car of the year. ?????????

 

Here in AZ, and this is no poop, Honda and Toyota paint is the first to oxidize. All cars here do, if they aren't waxed at least once amonth-takes about 3 years without that **** attention, but if I can get my camera batteries charged, I'll try to get a picture of two of my co-workers 2005 Honda Accord and 2007 Toyota Corolla. The hood,roof and trunks have long strips where the clearcoat is gone. My 98 Ram is an original Az bought truck and it's paint is glossy and near perfect. My 03 Neon is, too. The gal who owns the Corolla has asked me to help her at the dealer (I was a certified Ford/Nissan/GM/Toyota tech) because they said Toyota won't fix her "soft touch" dash that has 3 dry-rot splits in it. Toyota said they won't cover it under warranty because sun damage isn't covered. That is why I scream-I'll take Chryco hard plastic dashes over the J@p stuff any day.