Total Complaints
40 filings
CHRYSLER LEBARON · model year
1988 CHRYSLER LEBARON
40 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988CHRYSLERLEBARON carries 40 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 6 fires, 6 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 1988 LEBARON is air bags:frontal with 4 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (4) and structure:frame and members (4). 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 1988 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.
40
Complaints
5
Crashes
6
Fires
6
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
5 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 4 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 4 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 2 |
| STEERING | 2 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 2 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000920FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
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.*AK
19991206POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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.
19990929ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THE PAINT CHIPPED OFF MY CAR. 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. THEY WANT TO FIX THINGS THAT DON'T RELATE TO THE CRUISE CONTROL IN THE PROCESS. I WON'T LET THEM. I JUST WANT THE CRUISE CONTROL FIXED. I WOULD ALSO LIKE A NEW PAINT JOB.
19990929ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
THE PAINT CHIPPED OFF MY CAR. 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. THEY WANT TO FIX THINGS THAT DON'T RELATE TO THE CRUISE CONTROL IN THE PROCESS. I WON'T LET THEM. I JUST WANT THE CRUISE CONTROL FIXED. I WOULD ALSO LIKE A NEW PAINT JOB.
19990929STEERING
THE PAINT CHIPPED OFF MY CAR. 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. THEY WANT TO FIX THINGS THAT DON'T RELATE TO THE CRUISE CONTROL IN THE PROCESS. I WON'T LET THEM. I JUST WANT THE CRUISE CONTROL FIXED. I WOULD ALSO LIKE A NEW PAINT JOB.
19990221CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
HIT GUARDRAILS, AIRBAG DEPLOYED SEVERELY BURNING NECK/ FACE/EAR AND BRUISING CHEST. *AK
19981210SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
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. *AK *ML
19981124UNKNOWN OR OTHER
INSTRUMENT PANEL MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
19981020SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT RELEASE BUTTON FAILED.
19980727TIRES:BEAD
THREE TIRES BLEW OUT, POSSIBLE AT THE BEAD. TIRE SIZE P19570R15 NAME WINGFOOT.
19980612STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING COLUMN BROKE WHILE DRIVING. PLASTIC AROUND ADJUSTER BROKE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALERS. *AK
19980422STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
PAINT ON THE VEHICLE IS FADING AWAY. THERE ARE BIG WHITE PATCHES EVERYWHERE.
19980205STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING WHEEL COLUMN EXTREMELY LOOSE.
19971028STEERING
LOOSE BOLTS IN STEERING CAUSED STEERING PROBLEMS. ALSO WORN OUT INNER TIE RODS.
19971028STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
LOOSE BOLTS IN STEERING CAUSED STEERING PROBLEMS. ALSO WORN OUT INNER TIE RODS.
19970709ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY IN TRAFFIC WHILE DRIVING. THERE HAS BEEN SERVERAL INSTANCES AND DEALERSHIP HAS NOT DETERMINED WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. *AK
19970402SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELTS DO NOT RELEASE PROPERLY AND DIFFICULT TO FASTEN. ALSO IT APPEARED FASTENED, BUT HAD NOT LOCKED IN PLACE.
19961114STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
K FRAME ASSEMBLY BROKE DUE TO CORROSION, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING.
19961029SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELTS FAILED.
19960909STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
HOLES WHERE K FRAME ATTACHES TO MAIN FRAME BECOME ENLARGED, ALLOWING SUSPENSION TO MOVE FROM SIDE TO SIDE, CAUSING EXCESSIVE PLAY IN STEERING.
Compare 1988CHRYSLERLEBARON to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 7 Open
RQ25005Recall QueryOpen
Recall 23V-413 Post Remedy Failures
PE25009Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Intermittent Loss of Electric Power Steering
RQ25002Recall QueryClosed
Recall 19V-293 Post Remedy Failures
PE24018Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Engine Stall With Intermittent Restart
RQ24004Recall QueryOpen
Loss of motive power due to an internal wiring connector short.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 CHRYSLER LEBARON have?▼
The 1988 CHRYSLER LEBARON has 40 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 6 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 CHRYSLER LEBARON?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 CHRYSLER LEBARON is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS.
Is the 1988 CHRYSLER LEBARON safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
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.