Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1995 Chrysler Cirrus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While parked and the key out of the ignition, the vehicle came out of gear and rolled down the driveway colliding into a tree. Then six weeks later a recall issued for the floor shift assembly. The consumer has contacted the manufacturer for reimbursement, however they have denied her claim. Please provide additional information.
While parked in the driveway vehicle rolled backwards into the street. As a result, an oncoming vehicle collided with consumer's vehicle. It was totaled. Two months later consumer received a recall notice for the trans axle floor shift.
While driving at any speed the car will just lose power, start slowing down, the RPM will rise to over 5000 rpms. Have to drive at under 40 miles/hr just to try and keep the RPM under 4500. This is scarly when you got kids in the car and on a highway. This has become an everyday problem I could just start the car and the RPM will rise faster than the speedometer and wont go down, or I could just be driving and it will happen for no reason and you never know when it will happen. I have looked at nemerous car reviews related to the this model and year and in all of them eg http://www.carreview.com/midsize-compact/Chrysler/prd_230_1531crx.aspx#reviews. Just to mention one and in all of them several people are complaining about this problem, I also took time to read some of the complaints you have received over the years and found the same thing. …
I've had my engine checked back in May of 05 by the dealer they said it was engine misfire,the distributor ignition was bad. They charged me $321 just to check it,then I paid $276 to get it fixed. The car has had a drip ever since. In the past 6 to 8 months or longer I've had a drip from the engine that can't be fixed , I recently had my car worked on it was in the shop for a month it cost me $2500 to repair and it still has a leak. It's back there again because it needs that expansion plug and retaining bracket that only the dealer can provide according to every site but the place the car comes from. I'm also having transmission problems which I've had since I brought the vehicle. Because I need a shift mechanism and cable from the dealer according to every site but where the car comes from. …
Transmission without warning either shifts down into second gear and will not shift up or worse the transmission goes limp when driving at any speed in other words you end up coasting and could possibly cause a serious accident, the first time this happened to me I was going 65 MPH on the freeway. Fortunately, I was on the right hand side of the road so I could coast off and come to a stop. If I had been in heavy traffic in either the center or left hand lane there would be no way for me to avoid other cars and this would have resulted in a serious accident. I took the car to the Chrysler dealer and they said it was a faulty solenoid pack and they replaced it for $900+ dollars. The car ran for a couple of weeks and the shifting down and limp episodes began again. I now have a car with 45000 miles parked in my garage and am afraid to drive it. …
Dt: while driving on freeway placed car into cruise at about 77 or 78 MPH. When looked at speedometer it was at about 60. MPH. Engine was running but not in gear. Moved shift, but found it was still in neutral. Vehicle was coasting, when slowing to about 30 MPH it went in low gear. Have to pull over in emergency lane and shut off engine and restart to get vehicle to drive. Sometimes this May be have to be performed as much as 25 times. When it does go into drive at highway speed and May go as little as 20-25 miles before it goes into neutral and will have to repeat this ritual. Took to dealer 5 times for about 5-6 weeks. Dealer replaced ignition switch and lock. This did not help either. Last time changed sop shift solenoid. Vehicle is now worse than before and consumer spent $1,000 for repairs that did not help.
When driving 30-60 MPH transmission down shifts sending rpms through the roof. Sometimes I can pull over and turn off the car to reset the computer and sometimes not. This happened for the first time 1 month after purchasing car used. We took it to the dealership who did an overhaul on the transmission, gave it back to us, and problem recurred 5 days later. Turned out to be the transmission control module shorted. Now three years later this is happening again. It's not very safe to be traveling at 60 MPH on a freeway and all of a sudden only be able to go 30 MPH.
I bought a 1995 Chrysler Cirrus lxi and for the first little while it was great, then all of a sudden I was driving down the road at 62 MPH and the car shifted into neutral I slowed down to about 30mph and it dropped into gear but it would not shift from first gear. Now sometimes it will shift fine and other times it will not shift at all. And my A/C quit working and the RPM gauge stopped working at around the same time as the shifting issues started.
RPM's running high, transmission slipping, rough idle, ABS light consistantly on even after inspection, gear slips when placing into park, while driving the car reversed on its own. Have complained and wanted into another car due to having this one on a 24 lease, they denied me and have had to drive it and with 3 children and myself in the car it is not safe, but is the only transportation we have. We need help resolving this problem.
1995 Chrysler Cirrus is continually downshifting into 2nd gear and stays there. I have tried to have it fixed and to no avail. The solenoid pack was replaced twice and this did not solve the problem. This was a costly "repair" that accomplished nothing. I even got a second opinion from an independent mechanic and it was in error also. This is a very dangerous defect that is evidently being experienced by many Chrysler owners.
Related recalls
Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Floor shift
On certain passenger vehicles, the floor shifter ignition-park interlock May fail and allow the shifter to be moved out of the park position with the key removed. An inoperative interlock May also allow the key to be removed when the shifter has not been placed in the park position.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new load-limiting push rod into the floor shifter lever of the affected vehicles. Owner notification began on June 14, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Park/neutral start interlock switch
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. The adjustment of the cable connecting the console shifter mechanism to the ignition key can cause a trapped key condition which can result in a low force required to depress the shift button.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for proper operation of the system. Any vehicles that are not functional after the inspection will have the shift mechanism and cable replaced with a "self-adjusting" design.
NHTSA investigations
Auto trans ignition-park interlock
The manufacturer reports above are based on daimlerchrysler?s (dc) analysis of model year (my) 1998 (population = 356,384) and 1999 (population = 486,948) ja, jx and lh family subject vehicle data (earlier mys excluded).the population number includes all mys.the precise number of duplicates between odi and dc reports cannot be determined due to missing or incomplete information.the fatality incident involved an…
Transmission complaints in other Cirrus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1995 Chrysler Cirrus?
NHTSA has 66 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1995 Chrysler Cirrus, 18% of the model year's 369 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (44 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Chrysler Cirrus transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-021 (floor shift, Jan 13, 2004); NHTSA recall 98V-183 (park/neutral start interlock switch, Aug 6, 1998). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1995 Chrysler Cirrus transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 105,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.