2002 Chrysler Sebring Coupe Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OUT OF A PARKING LOT, SHE HEARD A NOISE WHEN SHE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL AND TIRE WERE OUT OF PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT ARM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 99,000.

THE CAR IS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING COUPE AND WHILE DRIVING IT AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL BROKE AWAY FROM THE SUSPENSION ARM CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT I COULD HEAR A SQUEAKING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE FAILED PART WHEN DRIVING ON RELATIVELY SMOOTH SURFACES AS WELL AS OVER BUMPS. THIS LASTED ONLY A WEEK BEFORE THE PART FAILED COMPLETELY. THERE WAS NOT ONE SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT THAT STARTED THE SQUEAKING AND RUBBING SOUNDS. ULTIMATELY, THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED AND THE SUSPENSION ARM REPLACED. IF I WERE DRIVING ANY FASTER THAN 25 MPH WITH TRAFFIC AROUND ME, SEVERE CONSEQUENCES WOULD HAVE ARISEN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING COUPE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V545000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 10/06/16*LJ UPDATED 03/16/17*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING COUPE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V388000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE REPAIR FOR THE RECALL WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO HAVE A REMEDY OR PARTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING MY TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. WHEN I SLOWED DOWN, FIRST GEAR CATCH AND I COULD DRIVE UNTIL THE SPEED GOT OVER 15 MPH AND THEN STOPPED AGAIN. I MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO TOOK 13 DAYS TO WORK ON IT. THE INTERNAL TRANSMISSION (MOTOR) FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACE. THE CAR ONLY HAD 39,127 MILES ON IT. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS VERY POOR. EVEN WITH A 7 YEAR/100K POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, THEY WOULD NOT REIMBUSE FOR THE RENTAL CAR.*AK

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, SHE BACKED UP AS FAR AS SHE NEEDED, AND WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE SHE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT FROM REVERSE INTO FORWARD, SUDDENLY THE CAR LURCHED BACKWARD INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. LUCKILY THERE WASN'T ANYBODY BEHIND HER. SHE SAID SHE CAME TO A STOP, FOOT ON BRAKE, AND THEN MOVED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER INTO FORWARD.*AK

THE COOLANT IN MY AUTO WAS GONE, WHEN I HAD TO STOP IN TRAFFIC WHEN I SAW SMOKE. LUCKILY, I WAS NEAR 7/11 WHERE I COULD BUT THE PROPER MIX OF COOLANT. THE NEXT MORNING THE COOLANT HAD DISAPPEARED, I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. ADDED MORE COOLANT WENT TO THE AUTOMOTIVE STORE PURCHASED MORE COOLANT OPENED THE HOOD AND THE COOLANT HAD ONE AGAIN DISAPPEARED...THERE WAS NEVER ANY RESIDUAL ON THE DRIVEWAY PAVEMENT. THE MAN AT THE AUTOMOTIVE STORE LOOK AT THE RADIATOR AND SAID THERE IS YOUR PROBLEM, ITS LEAKING OUT OF THE CRACK, A HAIRLINE CRACK IN RADIATOR, WHICH CAUSED LEAKAGE IN COOLING SYSTEM. I CAUGHT THIS PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THESE RADIATORS ALWAYS HAVE PROBLEMS, CRACKING, BRAKING. CHRYSLER KNEW THESE RADIATOR ARE JUNK YET THEY CONTINUE TO INSTALL THEM...THEY ARE PLASTIC, NOT METAL. UNDER THE 100,000 MILEAGE WARRANTY ONLY THE ENGINE IS COVERED. THIS IS RIDICULOUS BECAUSE THE COOLING SYSTEM IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ENGINE...WITHOUT A RADIATOR (COOLING SYSTEM) THE ENGINE WOULD GET SO HOT, THE CAR WOULD CATCH FIRE. II HAVE NOW BEEN STUCK WITH A $1,000 BILL FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE RADIATOR.WHO KNOWS WHETHER THE PART BEING REPLACED WILL LAST 5,000 MILES OR CRACK NEXT WEEK. THE PLASTIC MOTOR EQUIPMENT IS DANGEROUS, IT IS A TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE DEALERSHIP VIS-A-VIS CHRYSLER NEEDS TO PAY FOR THIS POOR QUALITY MERCHANDISE AND PUT THESE ITEMS UNDER WARRANTY WITH THE ENGINE. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, JUST SUPPOSE I HAD BEEN ON THE I-495 IN FAST TRAFFIC. I HAD ON SEVERAL PREVIOUS OCCASIONS ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO CHECK THE COOLANT AND THE SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG EVEN THOUGH ITWAS ONLY HALF FULL. DISPOSITION RECALL ALL PLASTIC RADIATOR, REPLACE WITH MEDAL OR SOMETHING KNOWN TO BE SAFE. I'VE BEEN BUYING CARS SINCE 1961 NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. BY CHRSYLER OWN ADMISSION THEY KNEW THESE RADIATORS WERE FATALTY. HAVE RADIATOR REPLACE NO COST TO ME!

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE AT APPROXIMATELY 74500 MILES. TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. CAR IS COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY, CASE PENDING. *NM

DRIVING DOWN A 4 LANE ROAD DOING AROUND 45 TO 50 MPH THE VEHICLE TOTALLY SHUT DOWN CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO PULL OVER AND RE START THE ENGINE. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO GUESS ON THE COMPONENT AS I DID NOT TAKE IT IN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT YET.

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, SHE BACKED UP AS FAR AS SHE NEEDED, AND WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE SHE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT FROM REVERSE INTO FORWARD, SUDDENLY THE CAR LURCHED BACKWARD INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. LUCKILY THERE WASN'T ANYBODY BEHIND HER. SHE SAID SHE CAME TO A STOP, FOOT ON BRAKE, AND THEN MOVED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER INTO FORWARD.*AK

MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING IN SOUTHERN MISSOURI FROM MEMPHIS, TN. WE WERE ON I-57 (I THINK THAT'S THE ROAD NUMBER WE WERE ON AT THE TIME). WE HAD A BLOW-OUT IN WHICH THE TIRE BODY (THE TREAD OF THE TIRE) SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. I RECALL SEEING THE INTACT (OR AT LEAST APPARENTLY INTACT) TREAD OF THE TIRE ROLLING INTO THE MEDIAN OF THE HIGHWAY, WHILE I WAS TRYING TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE CAR AND AVOID AN ACCIDENT WITH OTHER TRAFFIC OR EVEN HAVING THE CAR ROLL OVER. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE TIRE WAS FLAT, MY WIFE AND I WERE STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD MILES FROM OUR HOME IN MEMPHIS, TN AND WE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH THE TIRE AND THE WHEEL, WHICH HAD WORN DOWN SERIOUSLY SINCE THE TIRE WAS NO LONGER PRESENT. WE HAD TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO CHANGE THE TIRE BECAUSE WHEN I HAD THE TIRES ROTATED ON THE CAR, AN AIR-WRENCH WAS USED AND THE LUG NUTS WERE TOO TIGHT FOR ME TO REMOVE. UPON OUR RETURN HOME, WE ORDERED A NEW WHEEL AND PURCHASED A NEW TIRE WHEN THE WHEEL CAME IN. THE TOTAL OUT OF POCKET COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $1,100 (IF THIS GOES ANY FURTHER, I WILL SUPPLY DETAILS, BUT THE WHEEL COST APPROXIMATELY $775 AND THE REPLACEMENT TIRE WAS AROUND $300).*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING COUPE. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THERE WAS A LOUD POP SOUND THAT CAME FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS FRACTURED AND DETACHING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING PARKED IN THE SUN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V338000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,435.

THE BLACK WINDOW SEALING MATERIAL TAKES FOREVER TO DRY, AND MILDEWS CAUSING THE SMELL OF MILDEW TO PERMIATE FROM THE WINDOWS WHEN BEING ROLLED UP OR DOWN. *AK