Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Chrysler Sebring submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
RECALL CAMPAIGN 984: THE VEHICLE'S FLOOR MATS BECAME SNAGGED IN STEERING COLUMN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT COUPLER PINCH BOLT RETAINING PIN AND LIMITED STEERING ABILITY. *BF THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *NM
I PURCHASED THIS CAR ON NOV 2, 2003. WHEN I PURCHASED IT, THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE WHEN YOU GO OVER BUMPS, AND ALSO WHEN THE CAR GOES UP TO 70 YOU COULD HERE A GRINDING LIKE NOISE IN (WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE ENGINE). THEY TOLD ME TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE CAR AND THEY SCHEDULED ME FOR SERVICE THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN, THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T WORK ON CHRYSLERS AND SENT THE CAR TO TUFFY. WHEN IT WAS TIME TO PICK UP THE CAR, THE GUY TORE UP THE BILL OF SERVICE AND SAID YOU'RE ALL SET, SO I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS DONE. WHEN I ASKED FOR A COPY HE SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE IT, BUT COULD IT ORDER IT FOR ME. WHEN I DROVE HOME, THE RATTLING NOISE UNDER THE FRONT LEFT SIDE WAS GONE, BUT WHEN I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY AND TRIED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, THE CAR PULLED AWAY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND DIDN'T WANT TO TURN. I ALMOST RAN INTO A TREE. I CALLED AND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT, SO THEY HAD ME BRING IT IN THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY FOR SERVICE. WHEN I PICKED IT UP AGAIN, THEY SAID THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE BEARINGS, THAT THE BEARINGS WERE BAD. AS I DROVE OFF THE LOT AND ONTO THE FREEWAY, YOU COULD HEAR A GRINDING NOISE UNDER YOUR FEET AS THE WHEELS TURNED AND ALSO ANYTIME YOU TRIED TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES, THE CAR WOULD GRIND LIKE THE THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING ON BETWEEN THE WHEELS, BRAKES AND STEERING. I WAITED 3 DAYS TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T JUST ME. BUT WHAT APPEARED IN THE BEGINNING TO BE A SLIGHT GRINDING WHEN YOU GET UP TO A CERTAIN SPEED EVOLVED INTO A PROBLEM THAT WAS MUCH WORSE. A PROBLEM THAT YOU COULD HERE MORE CONSISTENTLY, EVERY TIME YOU APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES, OR JUST SOMETIMES DRIVING ALONG THE STREETS YOU COULD HEAR THE GRINDING IN THE WHEELS, LIKE SOMETHING HAD RUSTED OR GONE BAD, WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO DRIVE HARD. IT TOOK A LOT MORE POWER TO ACCELERATE, SO MUCH SO THAT IT FEELS LIKE THE OVERDRIVE DOESN?T WORK (IT TAKES THAT MUCH POWER TO GET THE CAR GOING, AND IT WASN?T THAT WAY BEFORE.
ON JAN 1999 I WAS GOING TO WORK AN MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR SO I LOST CONTROL AND HIT AN ENBANKMENT. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO BE SERVICED AND THE SAID IT WAS MY FAULT BECAUSE THERE WAS A WIRE UNDERNEITH THE CAR THAT CAUSED THE BELT TO COME OFF BUT THE WIRE WAS THERE DUE TO ME HITTING THE ENBANKMENT.ALSO INSIDE THE CAR UNDER THE STEERING THE CARPET IS BURNED,AND THE CAR 'S STEERING IS NOT RIGHT IV'E TAKEN IT TO BE BALANCED AND ALIGNED AND NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP.ALSO THERE IS A RECENT RECALL. I WOULD LIKE PREVIOUS DAMAGE TO VEHICLE FIXED.DUE TO THE STEERING. I ALSO DON'T KNOW IF IT IS SAFE TOBE TRAVELING IN THE VEHICLE.*AK
STEERING LOCKS UP INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING. THEIR IS A LOUD POPPING SOUND BEFORE STEERING RETURNS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT WAS HESITATING, CONSUMER HEARD NOISES, THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED VEHICLE ,DROVE IT FOR ABOUT 100 FEET ,HEARD EXPLOSION ,VEHICLE HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE, WHICH RESULTED IN TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL. CHRYSLER INVESTIGATOR FELT POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKED ON TOP OF CATAYLIC CONVERTER, CAUSING FIRE. *YC
FLOOR MAT GOES UP THE UNIVERSAL JOINT. IT FRAYS AND IT PULLS THE FLOOR MAT. DRIVER NOT ABLE TO STEER.CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK
RMPS WILL REV UP, AND ENGINE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON . THE DEALER HAS REPLACED STEERING PUMP AND SWITCH. THE DEALER HAS BEEN HAVING TROUBLE DUPLICATING THE PROBLEM. THE POWER STEERING RACK HAS BEEN REPLACED AND LIGHT HAS NOT COME BACK ON BUT VEHICLE PERFORMANCE HAS NOT IMPROVED. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
BRAKE SYSTEM - CALIPER INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AT FACTORY CAUSING ROTOR AND PAD ON FRONT/DRIVER'S SIDE TO FAIL. REMAINING PADS/ROTORS IN FAIR CONDITION. PLASTIC EXTERIOR DOOR PANEL ON DRIVER'S SIDE FALLS OFF WILL SPEED ABOVE 45MPH. SUNROOF FAILS TO OPEN OR CLOSE. BATTERY DIED. ANTI-THEFT NOT WORKING
PURCHASED A 1998 CHRYSLER SEBRING JULY 1998. HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITHIN A FEW WEEK PERIOD THAT THE DEALER TOOK IT BACK, AND GAVE ME ANOTHER ONE IN AUGUST 1998. AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS, THE 2ND SEBRING DEVELOPED SIMILAR PROBLEMS. WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS PRIMARILY ON LEFT SIDE, A LOUD METALIC RAT-A-TAT-TAT SOUND COMING FROM WHEELS. ALSO, INTERMITTENT STEERING PROBLEMS. WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN, WITH FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL, STEERING WHEEL PULLS TO THE LEFT. SAME RESULTS WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN, STEERING WHEEL PULLS TO THE RIGHT. *AK
POWER STEERING HIGH PRESSURE AND RETURN POWER STEERING LINES FAILED. YH
SEAT BELTS CONTINUALLY LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING AFTER THIRTY MINUTES, UNABLE TO FIX.
DESIGN OF THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN IS UNCOVERED ABOVE THE GAS AND BRAKE PEDAL WHICH CAUSED FLOOR MAT THE BE STUCK RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING ABILITY.
WHEN DRIVING AND TURNING THE FLOOR MAT GETS CAUGHT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING COLUMN BECAUSE THERE IS NO BOOT SURROUNDING THE STEERING COLUMN, WHICH MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. ALSO, THE STEERING LOCKS UP. DEALER SAYS THAT IT IS JUST THE WAY IT'S MADE. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .