AI Damage1996 Chrysler LHS: common problems
Owners of the 1996 Chrysler LHS filed 135 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 135
- involving a crash
- 12
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 36% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- Steering: 49 complaints (36% of all).
- Fuel system: 23 complaints (17% of all).
- Service brakes: 14 complaints (10% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 14 complaints (10% of all).
- Powertrain: 12 complaints (9% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 135 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 49 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 14 | 3 | 0 |
| Suspension | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| Structure | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 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.
After removing the ignition key, from parked vehicle it rolled forward down a hill and smashed another vehicle. Vehicle was parked on level ground. The vehicle traveled a city block. The consumer believed the problem started after the recall on floor shifter was performed.
Upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. Driver suffered some injuries. Received emergency room treatment.
The vehicle jumped forward and run out o control upon starting and engaging the drive gear, crashed into store front. . Yh
Consumer attempted to slow down, but brakes failed to stop vehicle and rear ended vehicle in front of him. Upon impact air bags on drivers side and passengers side did not deploy. Car was totalled.
Vehicle was hit on the front passenger's side at about 30mph and owners vehicle was knocked to the other side of the highway. Neither driver's side nor passenger's side airbags deployed.
Abs brakes failed while going 35 mph, attempting to come to complete stop there was no pressure on pedal, resulting in an accident.
Cruise control failure, vehicle was at complete stop, vehcile lurched forward and impacted vehicle at 12:00 position.
In a front end accident the air bag did not deploy. Please describe.
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 2,869 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the LHS has 75 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 135, above average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Chrysler LHS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, fuel system, service brakes. Total complaints: 135. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (8%), vibration (7%), steering or power steering problems (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 Chrysler LHS?
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 1996 Chrysler LHS 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 1996 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.