AI Damage1986 Chrysler Lebaron: common problems
Owners of the 1986 Chrysler Lebaron filed 25 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 25
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 28% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 12% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 12% of all complaints
- 6 Child seat 4% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 4% of all complaints
- 8 Parking brake 4% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 7 complaints (28% of all).
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (20% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (12% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 3 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 3 complaints (12% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 25 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Child seat | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
With engine running, driver exited vehicle to open gate. Transmission self shifted from apparent park into reverse and vehicle backed over driver and killed him.
Vehicle pulled in front of tractor trailer,causing the tractor trailer to broadside vehicle.also, cosco css to disconnected from base, and ejected the child from vehicle. Detective passing this report on to nhtsa.
Consumer turned off engine, shifted gear in park position, removed key. Minutes later vehicle started to roll backwards ,down a hill, ran into a parked truck. Consumer had noticed that vehicle had jumped out of gear, went from park position to a reverse postion.this defect caused extensive damage and could have caused…
Vehicle accelerated backwards while in park gear, causing accident/injury.
Tl contact owns a 1986 chrysler lebaron. The contact stated that twenty inches of tread has separated from the driver side front firestone response se (p18575r14) tire. The failure occurred on june 15, 2007, while driving 35 mph. Updated 07/24/07.
As a result the vehicle rolled backwards striking the driver. The driver died from injuries sustained in this accident. Complainant is a consultant engineer who evaluates automobile transmissions. The position indicator was vague and hard to read.
Consumer states resistor in the electronic panel cluster cause an electrical current over load due to failure of switching transistor. Please provide further information.
Vehicle will not start. Dealer was not notified at this time. Feel free to provide any further information.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,448 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Lebaron has 32 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 25, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1986 Chrysler Lebaron?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 25. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (24%), won't start (8%), overheating, coolant loss (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1986 Chrysler Lebaron?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1986 Chrysler Lebaron from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1986 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.