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The other day I've found myself thinking that I don't see very many 1st generation Dodge Intrepid's/Chrysler Concorde's on the road anymore, I remember 10+ years ago these cars were everywhere and now they're pretty much near extinct, I still see a lot of GM contemporaries of the same vintage on the road but not the Dodge Intrepid's/Chrysler Concorde's, heck I even see more late 80's-early 90's Dodge Dynasty's/Chrysler New Yorker's than the aforementioned cars they've replaced.
Because they were pieces of crap compared to their GM contemporaries. As for the older Chrylsers surviving, I think they had more reliable drivetrains than the newer Chryslers.
Chrysler's first attempt at an OHC, multi-valve engine in a volume seller was a letdown. Older Chrylsers and GMs of the time used older engine/drivetrain designs that already had their flaws worked out and believe it or not, were generally pretty durable and reliable, as long as one didn't let the rest of the car fall apart.
The other day I've found myself thinking that I don't see very many 1st generation Dodge Intrepid's/Chrysler Concorde's on the road anymore, I remember 10+ years ago these cars were everywhere and now they're pretty much near extinct, I still see a lot of GM contemporaries of the same vintage on the road but not the Dodge Intrepid's/Chrysler Concorde's, heck I even see more late 80's-early 90's Dodge Dynasty's/Chrysler New Yorker's than the aforementioned cars they've replaced.
Because they were crap. Countless engine problems, and countless transmission problems.
I know regional differences can play an impact on what you see on the roads. However, I live in an area where the Chevy "brand" accounts for nearly 50% of all new car sales (due to GM manufacturing in the area), and I just do not see tons of mid 90's GM products on the road in greater numbers than mid 90's Chrysler products.
The Intrepid was introduced when GM was still selling the 1st generation Chevy Lumina's. The 4th generation Chevy Caprice was still on the road. The Grand Am was in it's 4th generation.
If I see any of these cars still on the road from either manufacturer, they are in terrible shape and are just beaters.
That doesn't mean the 1st gen Intrepid's were great or better cars. However, the mid 90's was a rather dark period for GM build quality and reliability itself, and there isn't much on the road from either company anymore from that era (whether it be due to poor quality, or just that these cars are 20, or almost 20 years old).
I had a 95 Concorde with the mighty 3.3L V6 that actually gave me 120k trouble free miles. The only issue I had was the passenger side window didn't always work. Considering how bad I treated it, it really served me well!
It was traded in still in decent shape, so I don't know how much longer it lasted.
I realize that it's an outlier though. I've also noticed recently that I haven't seen any in a very long time.
Those cars were both on the "Cash for Clunkers" list. I imagine a ton of them got sent to the crusher, and those people are now driving late model cars instead.
I had a 95 Concorde with the mighty 3.3L V6 that actually gave me 120k trouble free miles. The only issue I had was the passenger side window didn't always work. Considering how bad I treated it, it really served me well!
It was traded in still in decent shape, so I don't know how much longer it lasted.
I realize that it's an outlier though. I've also noticed recently that I haven't seen any in a very long time.
The 3.3 is actually a stellar engine. If treated right, they'd run forever. Unfortunately, Chrysler decided to be creative, and threw the 3.5 in a lot of them. They also did some really stupid things with the EGR Systems. Then you throw in that troublesome transmission that required ATF+4 fluid ONLY, and the end result was inevitable.
I had a 95 intepid that last over 130k miles. I'm pretty sure it was one with the 3.5L in it. That car was actually pretty reliable until after the 120k mile mark. It made it through the winter at the tip of the UP in Michigan with no hesitations and have made plenty of long distance drives in it. This car being fully loaded at 16 years old was an awesome starter car to have.
I had a 97 Intrepid (3.5 V6) with terminal overheating problems from the time it was new. First the thermostat was replaced, then the water pump, then the radiator, then the entire engine (free of charge, luckily!) and the thing STILL overheated if it sat at idle for more than a couple minutes. This car was a giant POS; I'm not surprised they are mostly all gone.It's funny... at the time I thought it was really cool and futuristic looking but today it just looks like crap... even it's design didn't age well.
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