1985 Chrysler Laser XE 2.2 turbo

Summary:

A car worth keeping for 17 years and counting

Faults:

I put in a new alternator in at about 73,000 miles.

At 75,000 the driver side window motor was replaced.

General Comments:

We have owned this car since it was brand new back in 1985.

We have never had a problem with the clutch or transmission. Plus, this is the same car both my mom and I leaned to drive stick.

It is a quick and rare car that I would love to see more of on the road.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 24th September, 2003

1985 Chrysler Laser Turbo 2.2 turbo

Summary:

A sub-par choice

Faults:

Nothing other than a few minor things. The car will do about 120, after that the shaking happens. The mirrors are flimsy hence why they flutter in the wind, and hubcaps tend to fly off randomly.

General Comments:

I really hate this car. It just looks cool. In the rain it leaks, in the summer, the weather stripping looses its elasticity and falls off. Typically the engine runs OK, but after 20000 miles it kinda runs hot. The car has only set on fire 4 times this year.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 25th May, 2003

26th May 2003, 00:50

Seems Inadequate.

29th May 2003, 16:44

You obviously haven't been treating your car very well because Lasers have been known to go at LEAST 140 mph stock.

Furthermore, hubcaps are typically not standard on a Laser, so if they are falling off, you might not have put them on right. Now, about the fires, they are probably being caused by a couple of crossed wires. Trust me,I am the proud owner of a 1986 Laser XT Turbo. The only problem I have had with it so far is a blown head gasket, wich is typical for early turbos. Also, the 2.2L/2.5L engines used in the Laser and the Daytona are regarded by some as two of the most reliable I-4 engines ever made. So, as I said before, if your car is doing THAT bad, you obviously need to take better care of your car.

13th Aug 2004, 16:52

I'm another proud owner of a 1985 Laser Turbo. It is one of the most reliable cars I have ever owned, and it isn't slow for a 2.2L motor! But, last year I was going over some speed bumps and as it seems, Chrysler isn't one of the most reliable to make motor mounts! The motor fell to the ground after one speed bump, one motor mount still in place and one broke. The motor was still running strong after it hit the ground! Now it sits running in my backyard. Yet, I do not get it fixed because I do not have the money nor time, I start it everyday to halt the process of the motor seizing up. I would recommend this car to anyone, it is reliable, just get the motor mounts replaced.

1985 Chrysler Laser XE 2.2 turbo

Summary:

Laser = Very cool, Very fast

Faults:

Has leaked oil since I got it. Replaced the gasket twice myself, and had it professionally done once. Still leaks oil from the engine block itself in several places, small amounts though.

Just recently everything went to hell in a hand basket. It's got a cracked head and is leaking transmission fluid into the oil. This seems to be pretty normal on these cars though.

I got a short in the electrical system somewhere (still in the shop) and it slowly destroyed everything in it's path.

This includes:

Melting the ground wire on the alternator, which in turn shot my battery.

Intermittent wipers burned up

Coil died

Ate up a brand new distributor (rotor and cap were melting)

Melting wires here and there

Won't turn over anymore unless you wire the battery straight to the coil.

I had problems with the interior when I got it. The light only comes on with the passenger door.

The carpeting is falling apart. all the plastic screws have popped out on their own.

When I got it the electronics were less than functional. None of the buttons worked.

General Comments:

All in all it's been good to me despite it's flaws thus far.

I love it a lot, and I really hope I can fix the short in the wiring, or I'm going to have to sell it.

It's an extremely fast car even with just the stock parts in it. I've beaten all cars off the line that I've raced against and only lost a couple of races to some seriously expensive modified cars.

Granted I haven't done tons of racing with it, but I've done enough to know that it's the zippy'ist little car I've seen around town.

The back seats don't have a tons of room, but I like the design on them a lot and I really like how they fold down, very nice, makes for a Huge trunk.

It's very hard to find performance parts for this car until you realize that it's identical twin is the Dodge Daytona, and that car has enough parts available to keep you busy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th October, 2002

2nd Oct 2003, 19:34

I also have an '85 Laser (albeit the XT version). The problem with the dashboard electronic buttons can be traced to the internal electrical connection in the pushbutton. The electrical connection is made by compressing a small piece of elastomeric rubber that is inside the switch. After a few years of the heat in the car, the rubber dries out and breaks. When the car was newer, I bought replacement switches, removed the rubber inserts, and put them in the old switches. This is MUCH easier than unsoldering the switches and putting the new ones in. However, in 2002 I spoke to the manufacturer of the switch itself, and they no longer make the switch, although they gave me the part number and indicated I could ask Chrysler if they still had any in stock. I've not done that, but I very much doubt they would. A more permanent solution, if you are going to keep the car for a while, is to take measurements off a switch, and look at the Digi-Key catalog to find something with the same or similar enough dimensions that has true metal contacts instead of the rubber. I've not done that because I am probably going to sell the car soon (not because it isn't in good shape, but just because it doesn't fit our lifestyle anymore!). Good luck.