AI Damage1988 Chrysler Lebaron: common problems
Owners of the 1988 Chrysler Lebaron filed 32 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 32
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 19% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 19% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 13% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 6 complaints (19% of all).
- Steering: 6 complaints (19% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (16% of all).
- Air bags: 4 complaints (13% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 4 complaints (13% 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 32 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
Hit guardrails, airbag deployed severely burning neck/ face/ear and bruising chest.
Upon impact w/air bag deploying, the driver was cut across above and middle of neck. She needed 110 stitches due to injury.
Drivers side air bag deployment was violent, causing injuries, also caused acrid black smoke to fill vehicle, causing breathing difficulty
Consumer was in an accident hit the steering came backward and driver side seat moved forward . Tt the steering column was pushed backwards to wards the driver, and the front seat collapsed and moved forward towards the steering column. The consumer believes the vehicle has a design and or manufacturing defect.
Vehicle stalls while making a left to right turn if gas tank is slightly below the 1/2 tank mark. Dealer has no remedy & advised consumer to keep the gas tank full because the fuel pump is in the gas tank.
Vehicle trans disingaged and became as if dropped into neutral,while driving. Trans would not engage in any gear. Vehicle rolled when in park. Vehicle needed new transmission after only 44,500 miles. Trans failure while in gear could have caused accident.
Then the engine blew for no apparent reason, then my heater went out, but to start with . When I purchased the car it had a power steering leak which was fixed twice but still leaks. The engine was replaced and the timing belt blew when the deler put in the new timing belt the cruise control went out.
Push button locking mechanism on the driver's lap and shoulder belt combination would not unlock, causing the driver to become trapped in the seat which resulted in the occupant cutting the seat belt off before exiting the vehicle.
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 6,636 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Lebaron has 32 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 32, about average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1988 Chrysler Lebaron?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, steering, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 32. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (13%), steering or power steering problems (9%), smoke, burning smell, fire (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1988 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 1988 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 1988 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 2026-11-06.