1987 Chrysler Lebaron problems & reliability
42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Chrysler Lebaron. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 12 | 29% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 21% |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 19% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 14% |
| Steering | 5 | 12% |
| Power Train | 3 | 7% |
| Structure | 3 | 7% |
| Equipment | 2 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Electronic Stability Control (esc) · filed Jun 26, 2013
“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…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jul 29, 2002
“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”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jan 22, 2001
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STEERING GEAR BOLTS LOOSEN
Preliminary Evaluation PE91065 · opened Apr 16, 1991 · closed Aug 30, 1991
- TRANS PARK SYSTEM FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA91010 · opened Dec 10, 1990 · closed Dec 31, 1991
- TIRE/FRAME INTERFERENCE
Preliminary Evaluation PE89168 · opened Sep 29, 1989 · closed Jan 30, 1990
Technical service bulletins
10 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1987 Chrysler Lebaron.
Return: Wiring Assy - Engine You have been identified as either having stock, or have stock in transit to your dealership. Please return stock packaged before 2016/07/31 (31 July, 2016)of follow ing part…
23027 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2016
05182535AD - Lamp Assy ?Tail Light LT You have been identified as either having stock, or have stock in transit to your dealership. Please return suspect stock of part number 05182535AD . See attachments for identifying…
23104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 22, 2016
Inspect and Return: Trim Cover Assy - A-Pillar Rt/Lt You have been identified as either having stock, or have stock in transit to your dealership. Please return suspect stock of part numbers: 1ZA04DX9AE, 1ZA05DX9AE. See…
23137 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 22, 2016
Warranty Operations Newsletter Updates from Warranty Operations
Volume 2, Issue · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 18, 2016
CBXDP361AA Return: Spacer Kit - Visor You have been identified as either having stock, or have stock in transit to your dealership. Please return stock of part number CBXDP361AA. Replacement part number is CBXDP361AB w…
20244 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 18, 2016
1NT30XDVAC - Inspect and Return: Panel - Instrument Panel You have been identified as either having stock, or have stock in transit to your dealership. Please return suspect stock of part number 1N T30XDVAC. See…
22958 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2016
Inspect and Return: Solenoid Module - Transmission You have been identified as either having stock, or have stock in transit to your dealership. Please return suspect stock of follow ing part numbers:52120000AA…
22867 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2016
Return: Lamp Assy - CHMSL& Cargo Light You have been identified as either having stock, or have stock in transit to your dealership. Please return all stock of follow ing part numbers:55372082AE, 55372082AD, 55372082AC…
22892 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2016
P/N CBSZR068AA: Inspect & Return: Module Kit - Occupant Restraint You have been identified as either having stock, or have stock in transit to your dealership. Please return part number CBSZR068AA as per the QIR…
20616 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 12, 2016
Warranty Operations Newsletter Updates from Warranty Operations
Volume 2, Issue · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 2, 2016
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1987 Chrysler Lebaron in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1987 Chrysler Lebaron?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.