1988 Chrysler Lebaron problems & reliability
32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1988 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.
5 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1988 Chrysler Lebaron vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 6 | 19% |
| Steering | 6 | 19% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 16% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 13% |
| Structure | 4 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 6% |
| Power Train | 2 | 6% |
| Seats | 2 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Sep 20, 2000
“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.”
Power Train · filed Dec 6, 1999
“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…”
Steering · filed Sep 29, 1999
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
Technical service bulletins
13 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1988 Chrysler Lebaron. The 10 most recent:
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 1988 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 1988 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.