2007 Chrysler Pt Cruiser Base Wagon 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Junkyard Gem: 1978 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe

From the early 1930s through the middle 1970s, Chrysler used the LeBaron name (taken from a coachbuilder eventually consumed by the car company, much as Fleetwood and Ghia were absorbed by GM and Ford, respectively) on high-end Imperial models. Then, facing decreased demand for mammoth land yachts thanks to certain geopolitical events, Chrysler created a separate LeBaron model, based on the midsize platform used for the Dodge Diplomat/Plymouth Gran Fury. Production of this LeBaron began in 1977 and continued until the debut of Lee Iacocca's famous K-Car LeBarons for the 1982 model year. While you'll find the occasional Diplomat these days, the 1977-1981 LeBaron has become all but extinct. Here's a crash-victim '78 in a Denver car graveyard. Plenty of times, I'll find discarded cars of this era that seem to have moldered outside for decade after neglected decade, but this one drove to its final crash. That means that the 318-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) V8 under the hood would be a good bet to buy for another Chrysler project… but nobody seems interested, because this Malaise Era engine made only 140 horsepower when new. The base engine in the 1978 LeBaron was a 110-horse Slant-6, so at least this car had the upgrade. Sure, the Diplomat was the not-so-plush successor to the non-plush Aspen/Volare and the even-less-plush Dart/Valiant, but Chrysler installed a reasonably nice interior in the Diplomat's Chrysler-badged sibling. This one has the standard "Cortez" cloth-and-vinyl bench seat, but not the optional power windows or door locks. This one has stickers for Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, Slayer, and MegadethÂ… plus one for the Oakland Raiders, hated rivals of Denver's local sportsball team. I'm pretty sure the car was not being driven by the original purchaser when it crashed. Believe it or not, this car was available with a four-on-the-floor manual transmission and a V8 engine. Were any sold that way? I wouldn't bet on it. Molded-in faux stitching proved very popular in American cars of the late 1970s and early 1980s. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This advertisement may have resulted in some cannibalization of Cordoba sales, though the Pontiac Grand Prix stood as the primary rival for the '78 LeBaron coupe. Featured Gallery Junked 1978 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe View 39 Photos Auto News Chrysler Automotive History Coupe Chrysler LeBaron Junkyard Gems

Takata airbag deaths prompt Stellantis to warn owners to park 275,000 cars

Two additional deaths linked to exploding Takata airbags have prompted Stellantis to issue a do-not-drive order for the 2005-2010 Dodge Charger, Magnum and Challenger, along with the Chrysler 300. The company is warning any customers who have not yet had their vehicles inspected in accordance with previous recall campaigns to park their cars until they are able to do so. This order covers more than 275,000 vehicles on the road.  No new recall has been initiated to address the faulty airbags as all of the vehicles in question are within the original population of the massive 2015 campaigns carried out by virtually every major automaker after industry supplier Takata's airbag inflators were identified as the cause of several fatalities when moisture caused them to explode rather than deploy normally in a collision.  "FCA is and has been engaged in aggressive outreach to encourage vehicle owners and custodians affected by Takata recalls to obtain service," the company's statement said. "To date, through various initiatives, the company has generated nearly 210 million standard and first-class letters, courier deliveries, e-mails, text messages, while also making phone calls and home visits." Stellantis insists that its dealers have more than enough replacement inflator inventory to cover all outstanding vehicles on the road and is encouraging owners to schedule their service as quickly as possible; the company says the replacement procedure for a defective airbag inflator normally takes less than an hour. All safety recalls are performed free-of-charge for customers.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Car Recalled? This Is What You Should Do

2017 Chrysler Pacifica First Drive

I know this is supposed to be a shameful secret, but I like minivans. I like the way the kids can enter and exit easily with the sliding doors. I like the comfortable ride they provide on road trips. I like the way I can reconfigure the interior seats to haul groceries, furniture, and kids. For decades, the minivan has been maimed by its uncoolness. Sales of the family movers have tapered to about 500,000 units per year while American families have shifted their allegiance to crossovers and SUVs. But America loves a redemption story, and I believe the minivan can be redeemed. Chrysler does too. At a time when the company is shedding vehicles from its lineup – so long, Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart – its executives aren't paying any attention to whatever conventional wisdom suggests the minivan segment has foundered and reached its end. Instead, Chrysler just spent $2 billion to overhaul the architecture for its minivan. Enter the 2017 Pacifica, an all-new vehicle that immediately replaces the Town & Country and eventually will replace the Dodge Grand Caravan. It couldn't have come at a better time. Consumer Reports recently named the outgoing Town & Country one of its "Ten Worst Picks" among 2016 vehicles, an eyesore for the company that pioneered the minivan segment. Enticed by a slew of standard features and heavy incentives, I happen to own one of those disparaged Town & Country vans. Other than a transmission that always seems to be searching for the right gear, I've got no substantial complaints about the car. While it'd be a reach to say that any minivan is attractive, the new design makes the Pacifica the best of the bunch. But my ownership experience made me curious about how the new Pacifica would fare, whether Chrysler's billions were invested well and mostly, whether the Pacifica would truly feel like an all-new vehicle or whether it had merely been incrementally advanced. Navigating the roads in the rolling hills of Southern California last week, it didn't take long to find out. A revised 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine delivered 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, making the climbs up California's hills effortless. Likewise, the new nine-speed automatic transmission never strained or felt clunky, like it has in other recent products like our long-term Jeep Cherokee. The harmonious combination of the upgraded engine and transmission felt like the single-biggest differentiator between the old and new minivans.