1993 Chrysler Concorde Problems

What owners report

Owner complaints on this model year center on gasoline smell and fuel leaks around the injection system, often present for days or weeks before a repair, and on front-brake and ABS behavior. Many complaints also describe stalling, cooling-system failures and front-end or steering looseness, and several mention recall remedies that owners say were unavailable or did not resolve the leak.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell and leaks at the fuel rail and injector O-rings

   • 79 complaints (26%)
   • median 131,000 mi at 13.0 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2006

   Owners describe a strong gasoline smell inside and outside the car, sometimes after parking, with fuel visible on the ground or on the engine. Complaints report the source as cracked fuel rails, deteriorated O-rings or a compressed seal where flexible and solid fuel line sections meet, and repairs involving the injector rail, upper plenum and O-rings. Several owners say the leak returned or persisted after recall work, and some report a fire in the engine compartment. Reported across a wide mileage range from about 58,000 to over 200,000 miles, often after the car sat or after refueling.

   Recall 98V184000Recall 98V130000

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel-rail recalls were completed and with what parts, and inspect the rail, injector area and line joints for staining, dampness or a fuel smell with the engine running. Because owners report repeat leaks, a recheck after some driving is reasonable.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This problem is reconized on this site as a recall on both the 3.3l as well as the 3.5l engines. I took the car to the dealer and the dealer states that they will not fix the car because it is not on recall yet. I was told that it was a 597 dollar charge. I was also told that the car was not safe to drive because fuel is leaking on the engine. I took a printed report from this website to the dealer showing the recall, and was told that they would not fix the problem. I am at a loss at to what to do. …”

   NHTSA complaint #700356, filed 1998-11

   “Dt: there was a leak in the fuel rail,, and while driving there was a fire in the engine compartment. There was a recall on this issue. The consumer was never notified about the recall. The recall information was found through a Chrysler website, and consumer put in the last eight digits of the VIN and they were included in the recall. The consumer's son contacted Chrysler thirty times , and they advised the consumer to take the car to a dealer for repairs. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10137117, filed 2005-09, 205,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   ABS light, pulsation and brakes that engage or lock

   • 40 complaints (13%)
   • median 104,000 mi at 14.8 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2007

   Complaints describe the ABS warning light coming on and staying on, a pulsing pedal, steering-wheel shake when braking, and in some cases brakes engaging without pedal input or wheels locking under heavy braking. Owners report dealer diagnoses pointing to the ABS computer and, in other cases, that the cause could not be found or duplicated. Filed from the mid-1990s onward, mostly without mileage recorded; described as intermittent and often at lower speeds.

   What to check: Confirm the ABS light behaves normally on a test drive and after restarting, and ask for any records of ABS computer or sensor replacement. Owners report symptoms that do not always reproduce during inspection.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Heard metal scraping in front wheels. Stopped at a brake company. They inspected vehicle, and noticed that pads and rotors were 14 inches, instead of 15 inches. They couldn't fugure out how consumer wa sable to stop. Technician said it was a manufacturing and assembly problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #863080, filed 2000-06

   “Front brakes locked up while driving. Vehicle was inspected by dealer on one occasion, and two other times by an independent repair shop, and consumer was informed that cause could not be found or duplicated. Can NHTSA help in this matter.”

   NHTSA complaint #841467, filed 1999-06
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Steering looseness, vibration and loose front-end parts

   • 28 complaints (9%)
   • median 104,000 mi at 15.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1995–2007

   Owners report steering vibration and excessive play, tie rods and ball joints replaced more than once, and steering linkage bolts shearing with a total loss of steering. Some complaints link shaking to tire belt separation or worn front-end parts rather than the steering gear itself. Described from about 52,000 to 155,000 miles, with several complaints tied to worn front-end components.

   What to check: On a test drive, check for steering play and vibration at highway speed, and have the tie rods, ball joints and rack inspected. Ask about the age of the tires, since some complaints trace shaking to tire condition.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “1993 Chrysler Concorde - 3.3 liter v6 factory installed options: power windows power locks power trunk release A/C cruise control anti-lock brakes (traction control option not installed) (power radio antenna not installed) (optional transmission cooler radiator installed) (all factory recalls were completed on this particular car) current ongoing issues with car: 1) horn randomly goes off in warmer weather (80 f +) due to possible steering wheel construction issues or computer system intermittent issue or wiring harness issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10196242, filed 2007-07, 104,000 miles

   “Vehicle experiencing ongoing problem with ball joint and inner tie rod. Parts have been replaced on two occasions; once at 52,000 miles of wear, and another at 94,000 miles of wear. Also, engine head gasket blew out in late december, 1998. Dealer notified. Repairs and parts were charged to consumer.”

   NHTSA complaint #835940, filed 1999-03
4. 4
   Suspension

   Front cradle and lower control arm cracking

   • 18 complaints (6%)
   • typically at 7.5 yrs old
   • filed 1999–2003

   Complaints describe the lower control arm bracket cracking and separating from the engine cradle, in one case leaving the car unable to move. Owners also report difficulty getting the recall performed, with dealers citing missing or broken tools and unavailable parts. Reported on vehicles already well into their service life; the sample gives few mileage figures for these complaints.

   Recall 99V215000

   What to check: Verify with a dealer whether recall 99V215000 was completed, and have the front cradle and lower control arm brackets inspected for cracks before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Was backing out of driveway when vehicle failed to move forward or backwards. Vehicle was towed to transmission shop. Was informed by mechanic part of frame on lower control arm had separated due to crack. Manufacturer informed owner, after being notified, that there was no recall on vehicle. Consumer called back & was informed there was a recall on vehicle but no notice went out as of yet. Recall #99v215000.”

   NHTSA complaint #854095, filed 1999-12

   “Consumer contacted dealer in reference to NHTSA recalls 99v215000 and 98v130000/ mamnufacturer's recalls 837 and 787 concerning engine cradle and fuel rail. Dealer stated parts were not available consumer has contacted the dealer on several occasions. Please provide any further details.”

   NHTSA complaint #861296, filed 2000-05
5. 5
   Engine cooling

   Stalling, no-start and cooling-system failures

   • 30 complaints (10%)
   • median 58,800 mi at 11.7 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2007

   Owners describe the engine quitting without warning, sometimes at low speed, with the engine light on and no restart. Complaints mention repairs to the camshaft sensor, computer, fuel pump and water pump, and one describes the engine jumping time with sludge in the engine bay. A recurring water-pump replacement is also reported. Appears from roughly 10,000 to 37,000 miles in the sampled complaints, with no clear seasonal pattern.

   What to check: Ask for service history on the water pump, timing and sensors, and check for coolant leaks, a rough or hunting idle, and whether the engine restarts reliably after being warmed up and shut off.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Chrysler Concorde 1993 cruise control engages without being activated. On may 13, 2004, the cruise control was disconnected and the same thing happened:the cruise light came on and the car hesitates and shudders. After a second or two, the light goes off.”

   NHTSA complaint #10072603, filed 2004-05, 10,700 miles

   “While driving at 25 MPH vehicle stalled, then the engine light came on. Dealership replaced the camp shaft sensor. Vehicle stalled again within 330 miles. Then, engine light came on. Vehicle wouldn't restart. In attempt to correct the problem dealership replaced the computer/ fuel pump, but the vehicle wouldn't start. Dealership was about to replace the timing belt when they noticed black sludge all over the engine compartment. Dealership indicated that the engine was slipping time.”

   NHTSA complaint #10050174, filed 2003-12, 36,800 miles

Buying note. Given the reports of fuel-system leaks and persistent smells, confirm the fuel-rail recalls were completed and have the engine bay inspected for leaks before buying. Also verify the front-cradle recall and check steering and brake behavior on a test drive, since owners describe symptoms that can be intermittent.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.