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I would not be so overly zealous in Chrysler bashing.
The smoke problem, at least from the mini-vans was due in many cases with a Mitusbishi based 3.0 liter V6 engine. A design flaw, in my opinion, was that the valve guides could slide farther into the head, if the engine over-heated. In consequence the valve guide seal would lose it attachment, which in turn allowed oil to leak down the valve guide and into the cylinder. It could be fixed, but you had to pull the heads, get new valve guides installed, which had a groove and a snap ring on the top of the guide to keep it from slipping into the head.
On the other hand, I had a 94 Town & Country that I got rid of at 180,000 miles because I was able to get a 98 pretty cheap. It has the Chrysler 3.8 liter V6 in it, which has given me very reliable service and I've been quite happy with.
As far as the Neon's go, I think their disappearance has a lot to do with their aftermarket value being poor, more than the car's being junk. For the money they cost, they seem to do an Ok job.
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