Chrysler Cirrus Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 1995 draws 5.42 complaints per run and the 1997 2.27, a 2.4-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 3 years of age, so 57.9% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Service Brakes, with 129 complaints, typically at 3 years.

Chrysler Cirrus years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Chrysler Cirrus — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2000	2.85	74	26	yes
1999	2.79	53	19	yes
1998	2.76	47	17	yes
1997	2.27	50	22	yes
1996	3.03	121	40	yes
1995	5.42	287	53	yes

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 6 Chrysler Cirrus years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 1995, 1996, 2000; the three worth hunting are 1997, 1998, 1999.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Chrysler Cirrus — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	95	18.5%	covered
1 year	71	32.4%	covered
2 years	50	42.1%	covered
3 years	50	51.9%	you pay
4 years	52	62%	you pay
5 years	37	69.2%	you pay
6 years	40	77%	you pay
7 years	31	83%	you pay
8 years	18	86.5%	you pay
9 years	23	91%	you pay
10 years	13	93.6%	you pay
11 years	13	96.1%	you pay
12 years	6	97.3%	you pay
13 years	4	98.1%	you pay
14 years	5	99%	you pay
15 years	5	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 42.1% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 57.9% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 30% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Chrysler Cirrus, the early trouble is Service Brakes and Hydraulic — reported at around 3 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Engine And Engine Cooling at 4.9 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Chrysler Cirrus — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Service Brakes	129	3 yrs	18	3
Hydraulic	122	2.9 yrs	18	2
Engine And Engine Cooling	95	4.9 yrs	—	13
Power Train	95	5.9 yrs	4	—
Electrical System	71	5.1 yrs	—	13
Steering	68	4.9 yrs	4	12
Suspension	65	5.1 yrs	4	1
Vehicle Speed Control	57	2.6 yrs	18	—

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Cirrus's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Camry draws 5.65, the Honda Accord 4.02 and the Dodge Challenger 3.27, against 3.72 for the Cirrus.

FIG.05·Chrysler Cirrus — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Cirrus	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota Camry	20,039	161	1983–2026
Honda Accord	24,369	415	1981–2026
Dodge Challenger	1,696	77	1981–2026
Toyota Prius	12,873	109	2001–2026
Hyundai Elantra	9,090	117	1992–2026
Nissan Altima	15,657	148	1993–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

Upgrade to Pro

Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.

Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
No ads, on every page
No ads, no tracking — and much more

See plans → Start free →

Free plan available — no credit card needed

Everything on the Chrysler Cirrus

Recalls53 campaigns Fuel economy22 mpg best Common problems1,017 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space16 cu ft Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car1995–2006

Frequently asked questions

Is the Chrysler Cirrus reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 3.72 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which Cirrus years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 1995, 1996, 2000. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 1997, 1998, 1999. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Cirrus problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 3 years of age. The most reported system is Service Brakes, typically at 3 years, followed by Hydraulic.

Will the warranty cover Cirrus problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 42.1% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 30% of the complaints here.

Is the Cirrus more reliable than the Toyota Camry?

Yes: 3.72 complaints per production run for the Cirrus against 5.65 for the Toyota Camry.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

Found this useful?

Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.

Prefer ForCar →