Used Chrysler LeBaron Buying Guide: 1987-95 Coupe, Convertible and Sedan

Most used Chrysler LeBarons for sale today are the 1987-1995 coupe and convertible, and the best of those is a 1990-or-later car with the Mitsubishi 3.0 V6, a top that seals and proof the automatic has been serviced. There was also a 1990-1994 LeBaron sedan built on the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim chassis, plus older LeBarons from before 1987, and they are different cars with different parts. Figure out which one you're looking at before you price it, because a listing that just says "LeBaron" can mean any of them.

I read Consumer Guide's used-car files on the 1990-95 coupe and convertible and the 1990-94 sedan, and pulled NHTSA's recall lists for 1985 through 1995 on Oct 20, 2026. Both Consumer Guide reviews were written in June 2014, so take their price ranges as old snapshots.

Which LeBaron is it?

Consumer Guide says the coupe and convertible "changed radically" for 1987 and kept that shape through 1995, and that by the 1990s the LeBaron was the country's top-selling convertible. That is the low, wedge-shaped car most people picture. The four-door that wore the name from 1990 to 1994 is a different body: a derivative of the Spirit and Acclaim, sold as a six-passenger sedan with a V6 at first and a 2.5 four added for 1992. Anything earlier than 1987 belongs to an older LeBaron line that this guide doesn't cover in depth.

The quick tells: two doors and a long hood, it's the coupe or convertible. Four doors with an upright roof, it's the sedan, and a vinyl roof usually means a Landau. When in doubt, run the VIN through our Chrysler VIN decoder and read the body style and engine it reports.

Coupe and convertible, year by year

• 1987-89: four-cylinder only, both turbo and non-turbo. A driver airbag has been standard since 1989.
• 1990: new dashboard, the 141-hp Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 as an option and a four-speed automatic. The GTC used a 174-hp 2.2 Turbo IV with variable-nozzle turbo, five-speed manual only.
• 1991: GTC gets the V6, a 152-hp 2.5 turbo becomes optional and the 2.2 turbo is gone.
• 1992: antilock brakes available; convertibles get rear shoulder belts.
• 1993: exposed headlamps, new grille and taillamps. Turbos dropped.
• 1994-95: only a GTC convertible with the V6 and dual airbags. The Sebring coupe replaced the coupe for 1995, and a Sebring convertible followed a year later.

Consumer Guide's verdict is that the V6 is the engine to have: smoother and quieter than the gruff fours even with less torque than the turbos. It also says every automatic "shifts sloppily," and that convertibles twist and flex over minor bumps more than most open cars. If you liked the later shape, our used Chrysler Sebring guide covers what came next.

The sedan in brief

Consumer Guide calls the 1990-94 sedan quiet and competent, with a touring suspension and a big flat-floored trunk. For 1990-91 it used only the 3.0 V6 and the four-speed Ultradrive automatic. For 1992 base and Landau got a 100-hp 2.5 four with a three-speed, and by 1994 every LeBaron sedan was a V6 again with a three- or four-speed automatic. It shares the Spirit's weak spots, listed below.

Trouble spots on both bodies

The two Consumer Guide files list the same mechanical problems: transmission shudder from a worn pump bushing (1990-95), a 41TE or 42LE that takes several seconds to engage at startup (1993-95), seal wear causing slipping and a bump when coasting to a stop (1993-95), and on 1990-93 V6 cars high oil use and smoke from exhaust valve guides sliding out of the heads. A broken left motor mount (1992-93) and a freezing A/C evaporator (1991-95) round it out.

For convertibles, add your own checks. Run the top up and down twice, look at the rear window and seams, and press on the carpet and trunk floor after the car has sat in rain. A soaked floor on a 30-year-old convertible usually means rust you can't see yet. Our post on whether CARFAX shows a convertible top replacement explains why a fresh top often won't appear on a report.

Recalls, and why the list is messy

NHTSA files coupe, convertible and sedan together under CHRYSLER LEBARON, so a campaign listed for your year may not apply to your body. Among what came back: 89V237 (1989-90 valve cover gasket oil leak), 92V017 (1989 disc brake linings that can separate), 90V080 (1990 air bag inflators missing diffuser holes), 90V194 and 90V162 (1991 air bag sensors and caliper bolts), 91V078 (1991 mismatched parking brake cables), 91V122 (1991 hard-to-latch front belts), and 92V015 and 92V070 (1992 steering coupling bolt and hood latch). The pre-1987 years have their own list, including 85V010 for a loose fuel hose clamp with a fire risk.

The 1993, 1994 and 1995 queries returned zero, including under the LEBARON CONVERTIBLE name NHTSA lists for 1993. Treat that gap as a reason to check by VIN. Our Chrysler recall check guide shows how, and a Chrysler-family dealer is the place to ask about old open campaigns.

Price and paper

Consumer Guide's 2014 good-condition ranges were $1,000 to $2,200 for the coupe and convertible and $1,000 to $1,600 for the sedan. A tidy late GTC convertible may cost more now, and that's exactly where the money goes wrong: a car that looks clean but had a flood or a totaled-and-rebuilt past. Check NMVTIS for brands, then a CARFAX or AutoCheck report for accidents and odometer readings. If you also looked at the New Yorker, our used New Yorker guide covers that bigger sedan.

CarVins sells CARFAX and AutoCheck reports as a licensed reseller; it isn't affiliated with either brand, Experian or Stellantis. Late October 2026 pricing was about $5.50 for a guest report, $4.50 for members and roughly $6.75 for the two-report bundle, versus around $39.99 to $44.99 retail. The checkout page has the final number, so look there first.

Sources

• Consumer Guide: 1990-95 LeBaron coupe/convertible
• Consumer Guide: 1990-94 LeBaron sedan
• NHTSA recallsByVehicle, make CHRYSLER, model LEBARON, 1985-1995, checked Oct. 20, 2026, e.g. 1991 LeBaron