Faults:
We haven't had this car very long, but not much has really went wrong with it. One problem is poor sealing around the driver's side taillight. This causes the spare tire well to fill up with about 2 inches of water. I took it to the dealership and explained the problem to them. They wouldn't listen to me (even though I was the one in a closed trunk with a flashlight), instead they insisted it was the trunk gasket. Needless to say, it still leaks because I'm not paying for a taillight.
Another small problem is that every so often the interior lights would come on for no reason. I turned the dial down on the interior light switch and it hasn't done it since then.
The headlight gaskets are poorly made and pull away from the headlight housings.
One big problem was that twice the car had completely died. No radio or lights or anything. Had we been driving on a major road it would've been catastrophic. Turns out the battery terminals were extremely corroded. The weird location of the battery (the passenger-side fender well) prevents you from checking the battery.
I have already had to replace the front brakes due to vibrations through the steering wheel. According to the dealership, the brakes on the Concorde are "mediocre" at best.
Lastly, every so often the driver side window will not roll down as if the switch is going bad.
General Comments:
Despite the few problems we've had, the car more than makes up for it in comfort, efficiency and power.
Low end torque is sparse, but makes up for it in it's passing gear all the way up to red-line. Very impressed such a big vehicle could accelerate as well as this car does in higher engine speeds.
Ride quality is very plush, but firm enough to challenge the curves. Although road noise is more pronounced at higher speed turning.
The interior is very roomy and luxurious appearing. Yet, your reminded that it's no Cadillac with it's few cheaply made plastic interior pieces and more than tolerable road and wind noise.
Chrysler's forward cabin design makes for an odd placement of the pillars. Placing them awkwardly in front of the driver when turning in that direction.
Definitely not a car for the do-it-yourself guys. Checking or replacing the battery requires removing the air box and the passenger side tire. Headlight replacement requires loosening the entire front fascia to take out the headlight housing. Just to name a few. Aftermarket parts, forget it. You're very limited in any restyling or performance upgrades and it doesn't appear this will change.
The Concorde encompasses you in inexpensive luxury and beautiful, well defined lines. It appeases to both young and old alike through styling that is uniquely Concorde. Sure, it has it's share of quirks, but the amount this car gives you begs you to overlook them.
23rd Jul 2004, 12:40
The same thing happened to us with our 2000 Chrysler Concorde that we have only had for one year. At around 64,000 miles, it developed a rod knock in the bottom of the engine. They refuse to honor a three year warranty, putting the blame on us, even though we did regular oil changes. The engine is full of sludge.
Rae
empire_graphics@yahoo.com