Faults:

Shortly after purchasing the car, the constant velocity boots had been torn.

The alternator had seized, which was replaced with a junk yard alternator that continues to work, though not all that well. If the wipers, defrost, and headlights are all on at once it tends to strain the battery.

The power steering was leaking, but I solved that by adding some Lucas brand "Stop Leak". As an aside, that product worked like a charm.

There was a problem in the steering column, which resulted in replacing the entire column.

Recently, the car failed a safety inspection. Reasons for failing included a worn ball joint, a hole in the muffler, a few holes in the body, worn brake pads, and some minor suspension problems.

General Comments:

If you are looking for something sporty and fun to drive, look elsewhere. The car is too large to have any pick up with a little 2.5L four cylinder engine in it. The V6 engine would have been a bonus. The car could also come with a 2.5L turbo charged engine which had a lot of spunk.

Despite the lack of power, the car did have a few perks. The ride was a bit rough, but the interior was exceptionally roomy for a car that size. Passengers in the backseat could be six feet tall, perhaps a bit more, and still have ample leg room.

Overall, I'd say that this would be a good car for college students. It does not have enough power for young folks to speed around and get into trouble and it has lots of room to haul all of their friends around.

One last thing. If you're going to purchase a Plymouth Acclaim, try to purchase a 1990 or newer. The Acclaim first came out in 1989 and several parts do not fit on a newer Acclaim, so the parts for an '89 can be somewhat hard to come by.

Faults:

Transmission has been repaired once (under warranty) and replaced twice (once under warranty, once due to previous owner neglect).

Exterior paint is faded and chipping.

Car had a complete brake system overhaul at about 180,000 miles.

The only other maintenance has been basic, replaced water pump, starter.

Car uses a quart of oil every 10 days or so when being used.

General Comments:

This car was purchased new by my mother and was subsequently totaled out twice by her insurance company, once due to damage from a wreck, once due to flooding. It was owned by my nephew for a short time until he ran it without transmission fluid. At that point I took possession of the car and had another transmission put in.

The car was routinely serviced by Mom; has had very little routine maintenance done by me. Car has sat idle for periods up to 9 or 10 months several times in the last 7 years, since it was totaled for flooding.

After an idle period this car will start up and go right on. It has been extremely reliable and costs almost nothing to keep in running order and insure. It is an ideal dependable spare car for our family and we will keep it as long as it runs.

Faults:

Engine replaced at 42,000 miles (covered under warranty/extended warranty for $25)

7 oil leaks and 2 transmission leaks.

Rough idling for years - worse with AC on (shook steering wheel) - dealer never did figure it out.

Broken rear strut/shock (don't recall which) at 20,000 then again at 75,000.

Rattling under car for first 6,000 miles - dealer couldn't figure it out and it went away.

Last year and a half of ownership, car was in the shop every 6 weeks (broken speedo cable, thermostat, headlights, misc. bulbs, fuses, etc.) It was unending.

Clearcoat cracked in 1993 and had to argue with regional rep to get it replaced which they did.

Paint fell off.

With the AC on, performance from a dead stop was sluggish with a "dead spot" in the pedal. Hit the pedal there and it was a no go.

General Comments:

This was my first brand new car. Since I had some bad experiences with used cars I figured new would be the way to go. Wrong. The reason I picked the Acclaim was the value.

All regular maintenance services were done on schedule (oil/tune ups, etc.), exterior washed and waxed, and the interior kept in great shape. In fact, interior was mint when I sold it. Same can't be said for the exterior as chunks of paint were falling off.

Every 6 weeks or so I was in the shop. Got to know some of the shop staff and when leaving, they always said, "See you soon." How very true. Most repairs had to be done twice to get it fixed.

Traded it in for a Honda Accord. Had the Acclaim all cleaned out, parked under a tree at the dealer, and when the salesman took it out for a test drive, there were about 70 bird droppings on it.

Somehow it seemed fitting.

Faults:

Replaced the transmission twice, once at 44,000 miles (under warranty), and again at 111,000 miles.

Replaced the beam (rear) axle at 95,000 miles ($800).

Replaced the CV boots 3 times.

Replaced water pump & crank seal twice in the last 8 months (2nd time under warranty).

Odometer just stopped working, but since the "electronic" trip computer still works, I'm using that to keep track of the miles. Debating whether to shell out $300 for a new 'speedometer/odometer assembly' unit.

General Comments:

Very room interior. The seats are for the most part comfortable even for a 6'7" guy like me.