My experience owning a Premier…
When I purchased my first Premier in 1996 it was the result of a search to replace my incredible 1981 AMC Eagle Wagon, probably the best, most reliable, fun-to-drive car I’d ever owned. I originally tried to find another Eagle Wagon, but my wife didn’t really like the looks of the car and wanted me to have something more modern. So I began to think...what about the Premier. I knew nothing about the car, except that it looked good, was more unique than all of the other intermediate cars out there, and it was offered in a Limited model with all white paint. So the search began. I looked at several over the next few months, however most were totally ragged out. Then one day we went to Toys R Us and there it was sitting in the parking lot, just what I was looking for, a Limited model, no dents, clean interior, and a late 91 model. So I left a paper note under the wiper asking the owner to call me if they wanted to sell. That evening, the original owner called me and said she was having some problems with the car and would like to sell. My father and I went to look at the car, drove it around, took inventory of the small problems the car had (which would have turned away most any buyer). Coolant was leaking around the recall valve assembly, the ABS light was on, the CV joints were clicking loudly on both sides, the front passenger door wouldn’t open from the inside, power mirrors didn’t work. But the car did start right up and we could almost hear the car saying ‘save me’ as we drove it around the block. So after a little negotiation and $4500 later, we drove the car home. Almost instantly we realized several more small problems, the oil pressure light and gauge were flickering, the car seemed to stall while simply cruising down the road, would lose power and just die. It would always start right back up fine. Then the temp gauge barely moved unless sitting still. My father and I started to believe our decision was a bad one, but I knew inside that a little learning and effort on my part would make this a fine car to drive.
First repairs all went to the original dealer who sold the car. I immediately went to the dealership and purchased an extended power train warranty on the car to cover it thru 90k. I then drove over to the service department for the first in a long series of repairs. Both CV axles were replaced first and the front end aligned. We installed new Goodyear Eagle GT tires with white letters, we cleaned the car to better than new appearance. The ABS system was recalled and repaired by the dealer.
The car looked stunning and immediately got stares and questions as to ‘what is it?”.
After purchasing the service repair manual, many of the problems were simple to repair. The stall problem was caused by a faulty oxygen sensor, replaced in 1996 and it has been fine since. The front passenger door was a broken plastic cam, simply replaced it. The power mirrors faulted because of a broken power wire in the door jamb. It was during this time that I realized how awesome the CD factory sound system was. I was really enjoying the car and happily drove this unique hybrid every day. We took the car to have the trans fluid changed at 60k miles. The trans shop told us the fluid had lots of metal and clutch material in it, and that we needed to rebuild it. Since it was working fine, we declined and drove away.
The engine developed a distinct knock when warm. The dealer tried to diagnose but couldn’t. After 4 trips in, they decided to replace the whole engine assembly. So at 60k, the engine was replaced with a brand new assembly. Mobil 1 was installed and has never been without since.
In 1997 we moved to Raleigh, NC. And we drove the car 14 hours with no problems. Before the trip, my father and I completely flushed the coolant and replaced it with the new DexCool. Everything under the hood was checked. All hoses were replaced. The car performed flawlessly.
The trans began slipping at the 3-4 shift in 1998. Since it was covered by the extended warranty, the dealer checked it out and adjusted the throttle cable. Everything worked great. The ABS system went out again, so we took it to a Jeep dealer and it was repaired again under the recall.
From 1998 to 2001, the car was driven every day and has been the best car I’ve ever owned. It’s incredible to drive, feeling like a car on rails as you cruise down the road. Although off-the-line acceleration isn’t great, the power around 3000rpm going 70mph is awesome, the car will amaze you with ‘hidden’ power at cruising speeds. It holds the road incredibly well. During this time, nothing but normal repairs and maintenance was performed. Cost of ownership was around $1500 a year. In spring of 2000, I found a 90 Premier in a salvage yard with a perfect cloth interior and bought the whole interior for $150. I loved the original leather interior mine had, but the leather had cracked severely, despite cleaning and conditioning since 96. The original factory leather was spray dyed, not vat dyed, and was a typical Chrysler poor quality leather to begin with. The cloth interior has worked great for the past 3 years, and does a much better job of ‘holding’ you in quick maneuvers.
In 2002, the car began to have problems again. The crankshaft sensor went bad (easy fix), the trans began slipping, but this time it wasn’t downshifting to 1st when coming to a stop, so you would be starting in 2nd. I’ve driven it with this condition now for over 18 months, still pulls strong, just slips occasionally. The paint began peeling severely, so I had all of the top surfaces repainted. More minor electrical problems have begun to surface, including the odometer stopping at 126k. I replace this with an instrument cluster from a 92 from a salvage yard for $30. The rear window lock actuator stopped working on the right rear door, the part was only $10 from the salvage yard and it’s back in business.
2003 is drawing to a close and the car is still running strong. The ‘new’ engine now has over 70k miles on it, with Mobil 1 protecting since day one. The transmission is still slipping, worse in warm weather, rarely in cool weather (must be seal leakage internally) but has never lost it’s torque. Had to replace the power antenna mast, again about $10 from the salvage yard and it now works fine again.
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably a Premier owner also, and understand the love/hate relationship these cars demand. Many people email me to ask ‘is the Premier a reliable used car’ to which I have to be honest and say ‘no, it’s not for everyone; if you just want to get in the car, drive, and go from point a to b, then the Premier isn’t a good choice. It demands a whole lot more in terms of care, knowledge, and cost of repair. But it will reward an owner with an incredible driving experience, beautiful Italian design, and the comfort of being a unique, exclusive, and original automobile.
In February 2004, my first Premier, the white ES Limited was sold to John Ajori of Raleigh, NC. I will continue to search for my ultimate Premier (a 1992 Limited in Radiant Red with brownstone interior). I currently drive a 1997 Eagle Vision TSi as my daily transportation and have a 1991 Premier ES Limited in Colorado Red being restored.
I spoke with François Castaing a few months back and we was quite surprised anyone thought enough of the Premier to create a website for it. He knew the importance of the car to AMC and Renault, and just how the technology truly became the platform of the now famous LH cars. My personal thanks to Mr. Castaing, Jim Julow, and many others who became an integral part of the Chrysler team for their input and support of this website.
Derek Dorroh—January 2005