1995 Chrysler New Yorker from North America

Summary:

Running perfectly at 200,000 miles

Faults:

Air Conditioning has gone out once at 145k.

New Spark Plugs at 150k.

Trans seal broke at 185k.

Starter went out last week at about 199k.

General Comments:

I have had this car since 2000 and bought it at $2500. I have had to put maybe $1500 back into it. The car has always run smoothly. Friends and family love to go on road trips in the car because it really spacious and has an awesome sound system.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th September, 2005

23rd Jun 2008, 11:26

What was the cost to replace the seal in the tranny? Mine will not shift into reverse if the car is warm; let it cool for 15 minutes and then no problem.

1995 Chrysler New Yorker 3,5L from North America

Summary:

The 95 New Yorker is a comfortable and dependable luxoboat

Faults:

Some engine hesitation in the low speed range has recently developed, but this has proved difficult to diagnose since it is an intermittent problem.

On-going problems with the air conditioning system have been expensive to repair and largely unsuccessful. The evaporator and the condenser have been replaced twice, but both have given up the ghost again. The solution was simply to forget about air conditioning and open the windows if necessary.

Suspension is sometimes noisy, particularly the right front strut assembly which makes intermittent clanking sounds on uneven road surfaces.

Frequent alignments have been necessary to correct a tendency of the steering wheel to remain off-centre.

The clear coat on the rear door is rapidly deteriorating and will likely require a re-paint shortly.

General Comments:

The car handles well and provides a very comfortable ride.

The interior is quite roomy and well appointed. I've had many positive comments about the trim, colour scheme and general decor.

Parking the car can be a challenge, particularly when reversing into a tight spot. The size and style of the rear window tends to limit visibility.

Gas consumption is reasonable for a car of this size, although fuel economy has slipped somewhat in the past six months.

Other than air conditioning, general repairs have not been particularly expensive or frequent.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd October, 2004

14th Nov 2009, 19:31

I wrote this review several years ago and, since I still own the car, I wish to up-date my own comments.

My New Yorker is now 14 years old and is subject to a punishing daily commute of 100 km. (60 miles) per day.

The air conditioning, as I pointed out in the original review, is officially hopeless, but the rad and cooling system have stood the test of time. Recently, my trusty mechanic at Canadian Tire Corp. rectified the troublesome off-centre steering wheel problem. Apparently, the solution was to replace the inner tie rod ends which have some sort of adjustable sleeve that had seized up. Unfortunately, the paint continues to peel, but I no longer worry about that.

Some minor electronic gremlins have appeared since the last review. For example, the front passenger side lock actuator no longer works and the climate control panel sometimes requires a sharp smack to continue operating properly.

Replacing the EGR valve also helped to eliminate a troublesome lack of smooth acceleration and poor gas mileage about a year ago. According to the on-board computer, this car averages 9.5 litres per 100 km, which isn't bad at all relative to 1995 technology.

As of the time of writing this re-review, the New Yorker continues to perform reliably in all sorts of terrible weather conditions. Passengers are still impressed by the size of the interior and the general comfort of riding in this car. Annual applications of Rust Check have also ensured that the vehicle is virtually free of corrosion.

So far, the transmission continues to function and no major repairs have been necessary. I suspect that regular transmission flushes every 48,000 km. (at a Chrysler dealer and with Chrysler approved transmission fluid) have helped to avoid disastrous repair bills.

Cars don't last forever and, sooner or later, this one will have to be traded for something newer. I can only hope that my next vehicle will endure the punishing grind of daily commuting as well as the New Yorker.

I wonder if the engineers at Chrysler (Chrysler-Fiat?) have considered resurrecting the New Yorker for 2011?