Total Complaints
59 filings
CHRYSLER LEBARON · model year
59 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987CHRYSLERLEBARON carries 59 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 9 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1987 LEBARON is engine and engine cooling:engine with 7 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (6) and steering: steering wheel/handle bar (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 88 investigation files overlapping the 1987 LEBARON, and 7 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
59 filings
Crashes Reported
5 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 7 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 6 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, SMOKE BEGAN TO APPEAR FROM RIGHT DRIVER SIDE, ONCE THE TURN WAS MADE MORE SMOKE BEGAN TO BUILD UP. VEHICLE PULLED INTO PRIVATE PROPERTY WERE FLAMES BEGAN TO BECOME APPARENT ON DRIVER SIDE, FLAMES BEGAN TO MOVE TOWARDS PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO ASSIST IN EXTINGUISH FLAMES. ONCE THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT, EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WAS SEEN ON DRIVER SIDE OF VEHICLE WHERE A MAJORITY OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM(ALTERNATOR POWER REGULATOR, BATTERY) IS LOCATED, FIRE PROGRESSED TOWARD ALT, POWER STEER, COMPRESSOR WHERE IT SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE BUT NOT EXTENSIVE NEAR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. PRIOR TO FIRE/SMOKE, ENGINE OPERATIONS WAS NORMAL, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NO CHECK OIL LIGHT, NO OVERHEATING, NO POWER LOSS, VEHICLE PERFORMED WELL UP INTO THE FIRE BEGAN TO SPREAD AND FURTHER DAMAGE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. LOUD POPPING SOUND WAS HEARD AT THE START OF THE FIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEH
Mileage: 98,000
VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, SMOKE BEGAN TO APPEAR FROM RIGHT DRIVER SIDE, ONCE THE TURN WAS MADE MORE SMOKE BEGAN TO BUILD UP. VEHICLE PULLED INTO PRIVATE PROPERTY WERE FLAMES BEGAN TO BECOME APPARENT ON DRIVER SIDE, FLAMES BEGAN TO MOVE TOWARDS PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO ASSIST IN EXTINGUISH FLAMES. ONCE THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT, EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WAS SEEN ON DRIVER SIDE OF VEHICLE WHERE A MAJORITY OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM(ALTERNATOR POWER REGULATOR, BATTERY) IS LOCATED, FIRE PROGRESSED TOWARD ALT, POWER STEER, COMPRESSOR WHERE IT SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE BUT NOT EXTENSIVE NEAR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. PRIOR TO FIRE/SMOKE, ENGINE OPERATIONS WAS NORMAL, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NO CHECK OIL LIGHT, NO OVERHEATING, NO POWER LOSS, VEHICLE PERFORMED WELL UP INTO THE FIRE BEGAN TO SPREAD AND FURTHER DAMAGE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. LOUD POPPING SOUND WAS HEARD AT THE START OF THE FIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEH
Mileage: 98,000
ON MONDAY, JULY 22, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 6:00PM, AFTER RETURNING HOME FROM LIMA, OHIO RETURNING TO MY HOME IN LAKEVIEW, OHIO, I PROCEEDED TO UNLOAD MY 3 GRANDCHILDREN AND TWO CHILDREN AND MYSELF INTO THE HOUSE. WHEN PUTING AWAY THE GROCERIES, WITHIN A MATTER OF SECONDS, WE ALL HEARD TWO BOOMS AND LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW OF THE KITCHEN AND SAW MY 1987 CHRYSLER LEBARON ENGOLFED IN SMOKE, COULD NOT EVEN SEE ANY FLAMES AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF ALL THE SMOKE. ALL THE CHILDREN (5) AND MYSELF HAD TO EVACUATE MY HOME BECAUSE OF ALL THE SMOKE AND FUMES, RAN DOWN THE STREET, SOMEONE DOWN THE STREET CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN WHEN I COULD GET TO A PHONE, I DID. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF INDICATED THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO A CAR THAT WAS ABOUT TWO BLOCKS OVER, WAS THE SAME YEAR AND EVERYTHING. THE CHIEF ALSO SAID THAT HE HEARD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. PLEASE E-MAIL ME BACK ASAP ABOUT ANY INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE ON THIS. IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED, AND
CONSUMER CAN SMELL FUMES.THERE'S MANUFACTURER'S RECALL # 480 FOR FUEL INJECTOR FAILURE. *AK THE DEALER POINTED OUT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE BUT COULD FIX THE PROBLEM IF THE CONSUMER PAYS. *YH
DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT LATCHES WILL NOT GO INTO THE BUCKLE ASSMEBLY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CAR SOLD TO ME WITH A CRACKED/BROKEN FRAME, INFORMED BY RELIABLE SOURCES THAT SALE WAS ILLEGAL. *AK
ENGINE FAILED RESULTING IN FIRE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). MJS
STEERING FAILED,RESULTING IN A CRASH / UNABLE TO DIRECT VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE LOOKING OVER THE ENGINE NOTICED THAT TIMING BELTS WAS WORN OUT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. OUTSIDE EDGE OF BELT IS EATEN AWAY BY LIP ON TENSION PULLEY UNTIL BELT IS DESTROYED. *ADJ
PAINT ON THE CARS' ROOF AND TRUNK IS SEVERLY ASHY WHITE AND PEELING. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH LEBARONS AROUND THE SAME YEAR. MINE IS A 87. POSSIBLE BAD BINDER IN THE PAINT, BAD PRIMER, OR MOISTURE DURING SETUP IS THE CAUSE. WILL THE COMPANY FIX THIS PROBLEM? IT'S A BEAUTIFUL STYLE CAR AND THE PAINTS APPEARANCE REALLY HURTS IT. THANKYOU. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF FAILURE INCLUDE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY AND LINES, AND IGNITION COIL, ALL OF WHICH WERE REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. *AK *ML
WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF FAILURE INCLUDE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY AND LINES, AND IGNITION COIL, ALL OF WHICH WERE REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. *AK *ML
WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF FAILURE INCLUDE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY AND LINES, AND IGNITION COIL, ALL OF WHICH WERE REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. *AK *ML
HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT, REASON UNKNOWN. CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS CONDITION OCCURRED DUE TO DEFECTIVE ENGINE HEAD. DEALER/MFR. NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
RADIATOR FAILED.
TIMING BELT FAILED.
POWER STEERING GEAR BOX FAILED.
FUEL PUMP FAILED.
AIR CONDITIONING MOTOR FAILED.
Recall 23V-413 Post Remedy Failures
Intermittent Loss of Electric Power Steering
Recall 19V-293 Post Remedy Failures
Engine Stall With Intermittent Restart
Loss of motive power due to an internal wiring connector short.
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.