2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING Complaints

COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE AT 78, 895 MILES DUE TO OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP (DECEMBER 2004). HAD A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE PUT IN 2/21/2006 WHEN I COULD FINALLY AFFORD IT AND CHRYSLER WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I USED ONLY SYNTHETIC OIL IN THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE AND HAD IT CHANGED EVERY 3000 MILES AND YESTERDAY (9-1-2008), IT STARTED MAKING A FUNNY NOISE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP TODAY TO BE SAFE, AND THE VERDICT IS I NEED A NEW ENGINE - AGAIN DUE TO OIL SLUDGE. *TR

THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING INTO THE FAILURE. ONE DAY IT WOULD NOT START, AND UPON INVESTIGATION, THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE OIL PAN. THAT IS WHEN I BEGAN READING OF THE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE! *TR

LTR FROM SENATOR BROWN RE CONSTITUENT, WHO HAS CONCERNS ABOUT THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINING MODULE IN HER 2001 DAIMLER CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. A DIAGNOSTIC REVEALED, THE PROBLEM WAS THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT MODULE. *JB

THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT MODULE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WILL NOT DEPLOY. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS RUN AND THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED, THE RED LIGHT ON THE DASH CONTINUES TO BE DISPLAYED WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING. THE CHRYSLER DODGE & JEEP PLACE SAID THERE WAS A SIX MONTH BACK ORDER ON THE DEFECTIVE PART. THIS TELLS THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM THERE AND ARE NOT RECALLING IT, UNTIL YOU TAKE ACTION. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE BRAND NEW BACK IN 2001. FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, I'D BEEN HEARING A SLIGHT CLUNKING COMING FROM SOMEWHERE IN MY PASSENGER SIDE, REAR SUSPENSION. ON THE NIGHT OF JULY 10TH, 2008 MY WIFE AND I WERE ON THE HIGHWAY AND STARTING HEARING A MAJOR BANGING COMING FROM THE SAME AREA. I THOUGHT MY SHOCK HAD LOOSENED AS I HAD HEARD THAT BEFORE ON A PREVIOUS CAR. I WAS 140 MILES FROM HOME ON MY WAY FOR A WEEKEND VACATION. THEN ON MONDAY I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY MECHANIC TELLING HIM I THOUGHT I NEED NEW REAR STRUTS. AFTER LOOKING AT MY CAR, HE TELLS ME THAT IT WASN'T THE STRUT THAT LET GO IT WAS THE STRUT MOUNT PLATE THAT HAS RUBBER IN THE MIDDLE OF IT THAT RUSTED AWAY AND IT PUNCHED THROUGH UP INTO THE REAR DASH COMPARTMENT. HE SAID HE CALLED AROUND TO THE DEALERS AND EVERY ONE OF THEM SAID THAT PART WAS ON BACKORDER DUE TO A FACTORY CLOSING AND THAT AS OF THAT DATE THERE WERE OVER 11,000 CARS THAT NEEDED THEM AND WERE WAITING ON CHRYSLER TO GET THE PART FROM AN OUT OF COUNTRY FACTORY. THEN HE SAID EVEN WORSE, WHEN THE PART WAS AVAILABLE TO SHIP TO A LOCAL DEALER IT WOULD TAKE 5 WORKING DAYS TO GET IT INTO THE COUNTRY AND ANOTHER 5 WORKING DAYS TO GET IT SHIPPED TO THE DEALER. I'VE BEEN WITHOUT MY CAR NOW FOR OVER 2 WEEKS AND MY MECHANIC WAS TOLD THAT THE FACTORY IS ONLY PRODUCING AND SHIPPING OUT ONLY 500 EVERY OTHER WEEK OR SO .... WHERE I'M ABOUT NUMBER 10,999 ON THE WAITING LIST I'D SAY THAT PUTS ME AT AROUND 10 MONTHS WITHOUT A CAR !!!! UNACCEPTABLE ! THE FACT THAT THIS PART IS SO FAR BACK ORDERED TELLS ME THAT CHRYSLER WAS USING FAULTY PARTS TO BEGIN WITH OR THEY WOULDN'T BE ROTTING OUT LIKE THEY ARE SO CONSISTENTLY. MY MECHANIC SAID HE EVEN TRIED TO GET THE PART FROM A NETWORK OF JUNKYARDS AND THEY ALL SAID THAT THE EXACT SAME PART WERE ALL HALF ROTTED OUT OF ALL THE SEBRINGS IN THE LOT .... HELP !! *TR

REAR TOP STRUT BRACKETS ARE MADE OF ALUMINUM AND HAVE DISINTEGRATED. THIS ALLOWS STRUT TO SHIFT OUTWARD RESULTING IN COIL SPRING RUBBING ON INSIDE OF REAR TIRE. I AM WAITING ON THE REPLACEMENT BRACKET, BUT DEALER TELLS ME THERE ARE 10,000 ON BACK ORDER! THIS IS APPARENTLY A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE TOP REAR STRUT BRACKETS ON SEBRING CONVERTIBLES AND SEDANS. SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED LONG BEFORE BRACKETS DESINTEGRATE. *TR

ENGINE FAILURE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC- JUST LUCK I WAS NOT HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE... WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO CURBSIDE WITH FORWARD MOMENTUM AND THEN GET VEHICLE TOWED. COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC ON A BUSY DAY OR ON A MORE CROWDED HIGHWAY. *TR

WELL THE FIRST TIME MY WATER PUMP FAILED,I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK. THEN AFTER A 1400$ REPAIR, I GOT ME VEHICLE BACK AND AFTER ANOTHER 5000 MILES. I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK AND THERE WAS NO NOISE NO NOTHING IT JUST STOPPED. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CONNECTING ROD HAD GOTTEN HOT AND BROKE DESTROYING THE BLOCK. I WAS ALSO TOLD IT WOULD BE A 8,000$ REPAIR JOB. I WAS ALSO TOLD IT WAS STARVED OF OIL,THE TEMPERATURES GAUGE NEVER GOT HOT NOTHING,MY VEHICLE BROKE DOWN AFTER 4 BLOCKS OF DRIVING. *TR

REAR MOUNTING BRACKET ON THE STRUT BROKE, CAR WAS MAKING A BANGING NOISE IN THE REAR. I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME FROM WORK AND HAD THE CAR TOWED. COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT HAD THE CAR NOT BEEN TOWED. PART HAS BEEN UNAVAILABLE FROM CHRYSLER SINCE 6/26 AND WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL AT LEAST THE FIRST OF AUGUST. I AM TOLD THERE ARE 8000 OF THESE PARTS ON BACK ORDER NATIONALLY, AND THE WAY THE PART OXIDIZED, I'M CURIOUS WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND THIS IS NOT A COMMON PART TO HAVE TO REPLACE. ALSO CHRYSLER REFUSES TO OFFER ME A LOANER CAR UNTIL THE PART IS AVAILABLE. *TR

I AM FED UP WITH THIS CHRYSLER SEBRING I BOUGHT 2 YEARS AGO. ITS HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS AND NOW A MAJOR ONE AND A POPULAR ONE I SEE IS HAPPENING AND BEFORE AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS LORD WILLING I WILL MAKE IT TO THE DEALER TOMORROW. MY STEERING IN MY 2001 SEBRING STARTED UP LAST WEEK WHEN I WENT TO TURN THE WHEEL IT WAS SUPER TIGHT AND I KNEW INSTANTLY SOMETHING WAS WRONG. NOW IT IS MAKING CRACKING SOUNDS AND IS STILL HARD TO TURN. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE ITS MY RACK AND PINION. I HAD TAKEN IT TO MY OWN MECHANIC WHO COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING VISIBLY WRONG WITH IT AND SAID IT MIGHT BE THE RACK AND PINION. AFTER READING ALL THE PROBLEMS THIS CAR HAS HAD WITH THE STEERING I AM NOT SURPRISED MINE IS RIGHT THERE WITH THEM ALL. I HAVE ONLY 51,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I AM FURIOUS. I DON'T WANT TO PAY TO GET THIS FIXED. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO. ITS CHRYSLERS FAULT. MY AIR BAG LIGHT IS ALSO ON. WHO KNOWS WHAT THAT IS ALL ABOUT. MY CAR STARTED LEAKING OIL FROM THE OIL PAN GASKET A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT IT AT 32,000 MILES AND 2 OF THE MOTORS HAVE GONE OUT IN THE POWER WINDOWS. THIS IS REALLY A PIECE OF JUNK! *TR