Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Steering reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest May 19, 2005
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 210 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1
What this page shows
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Chrysler Sebring submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Owner reports naming steering
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
SteeringSuspension
Filed May 19, 2005
Crash reported1 injury reported
ON APRIL 23, 2005, MY SON WAS TRAVELING TO WORK, ABOUT 12:30 IN THE AFTERNOON, TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON THE 210 FREEWAY. AT SOME POINT, HIS LEFT REAR TIRE WENT FLAT. HIS CAR LOST CONTROL AND SPUN COUNTERCLOCKWISE, ACROSS FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC, AND HEAD ON INTO THE CENTER DIVIDER. HIS CAR CONTINUED TO SPIN IN THE SAME DIRRECTION AND IMPACTED AGAIN AT THE RIGHT REAR QUARTERPANEL, AND THE RIGHT REAR BUMPER. MY SON GOT OUT OF THE CAR, AND THE CHP ARRIVED WITHIN TEN MINUTES TO HAVE HIS CAR TOWED. I CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN. THEY SENT AN INSPECTOR TO THE SALVAGE YARD. TWO WEEKS LATER I GOT A LETTER FROM CHRYSLER SAYING THAT THEIR RECALLED UPPER BALL JOINT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CRASH. I HAD A MECHANIC EXAMINE THE VEHICLE, HE HAD IT LIFTED UP WITH A FORKLIFT, AND SHOWED ME THE RACK AND PINION THAT WAS DANGLING DOWN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. HE SAID THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE REST OF THE UNDERCARRAIGE, THE BROKEN STEERING WAS WHAT CAUSED MY SON'S CAR TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL, AND CRASH INTO THE MEDIAN, INJURING HIM, AND THREATENING THE OTHER COMMUTERS.
NHTSA ID
10121428
Incident
Apr 23, 2005
Mileage
81,350 mi
Steering
Filed Feb 21, 2004
Crash reported
THE STEERING COLUMN AND RACK AND PINION BROKE WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AT A SPEED OF 35 - 40 AND AS A RESULT, MY HUSBAND HAD NO CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND WE VEERED ACROSS THE LANE OF THE ON-COMING TRAFFIC AND HIT A LIGHT POLE. *JB
NHTSA ID
10058671
Incident
Jan 26, 2004
Steering
Filed Oct 30, 2003
1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING LXI AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 75 - 80 MPH, I FELT THIS REALLY HARD JERK IN MY CAR WHERE I HAD TO RAPIDLY GRAB THE STEERING WHEEL WITH BOTH MY HANDS TO CONTROL THE CAR. THE JERK SLIGHTLY MADE MY CAR STEER TO THE RIGHT AND THE PERSON ON THE RIGHT OF ME HAD TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. LUCKILY NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT WHAT IF SOMETHING WOULD OF. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THESE THINGS AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS SAFE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO A PERSON'S SAFETY. I CONSIDER THIS BAD BUSINESS PRACTICE BECAUSE CHRYSLER DOES NOTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM TO THE ALREADY EXISTING CHRYSLER CAR BUYERS. GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE IS KEEPING THE CLIENT HAPPY, AND THIS GOAL IS NOT BEING MET BY THIS COMPANY. I'M 20 YEARS OF AGE AND NOW I'M STUCK WITH A CAR THAT DOESN'T WORK, I STILL OWE ON, AND IS MY ONLY WAY OF TRANSPORTATION. *LA
NHTSA ID
10045144
Incident
Aug 26, 2003
Mileage
104,000 mi
Steering
Filed Mar 27, 2002
CONSUMER STATES WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN THERE IS A GRIDING SOUND THAT COMES FROM THE STEERING THE HARDER THE TURN THE LOUDER THE NOISE. DEALER CONTACTED. NLM
NHTSA ID
8006516
Steering
Filed Apr 10, 2000
REPORTED NOISES TO DEALERSHIP IN RIGHT TIRE AND STEERING WHEEL. THEY FIRST TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. TOOK IT BACK BECAUSE NOISE GOT WORSE. THEY FINALLY FOUND THAT THE STEERING RACK WAS BROKEN. THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. ABOUT 1 1/2 WEEKS LATER WAS TURNING CORNER AT BUSY INTERSECTION. RIGHT WHEEL TURNED INWARD AND LOCKED. SPUN AROUND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. LUCKLY NO ONE WAS HURT. ALTHOUGH THEY SAY THAT THIS TIME IT WAS THE STEERING COLUMN. WE INVESTIGATED THE PART THAT WAS REPLACED AND FOUND THAT IT WAS STEERING RACK AGAIN. DEALER ADMITTED THAT THE PART INSTALLED WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK
NHTSA ID
721263
Incident
Mar 3, 2000
SteeringSuspensionTires & wheels
Filed Feb 16, 2000
Crash reported
DRIVER LOST STEERING CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A BARRIER. YH
NHTSA ID
550981
Incident
Dec 1, 1999
Steering
Filed Dec 17, 1998
FLOOR MAT BECAME JAMMED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING COLUMN. STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN. WAS EXTREMELY DIFFCULT TO REMOVE FLOOR MAT, HAD IT HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY INSTEAD OF THE DRIVEWAY, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE AT ALL.
NHTSA ID
701425
Incident
Dec 6, 1998
Body & structureBrakesEngine+5 more
Filed May 29, 1998
TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING GEARS TO STICK.
NHTSA ID
536146
SteeringSuspensionVisibility
Filed Apr 8, 1998
FRONT END SUSPENSION RATTLES AND SQUEAKS.
NHTSA ID
533888
Incident
Jun 25, 1997
ElectricalSteering
Filed Mar 20, 1998
THE VEHICLE HAD INTERMITTENT NOISE IN THE STEERING, AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FAULTY RACK AND PINION. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER DUE TO A FAILED BATTERY.
NHTSA ID
821635
Incident
Oct 17, 1997
SteeringSuspensionVisibility
Filed Dec 19, 1997
VEHICLE SHIMMIES CONSTANTLY, THE INTENSITY VARIES THE THE RATE OF SPEED AND ROAD CONDITIONS. STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES CONSTANTLY AND JERKS RIGHT AND LEFT WHEN VEHICLE HITS BUMPS. THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS SHAKE WHEN VEHICLE TRAVELS ON ANY NON-SMOOTH ROAD CONDITIONS.
NHTSA ID
527470
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own