2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING Complaints

2.7 LITER ENGINES MY MECHANIC SAID THEY ARE BAD DESIGNS HE HAS HAD ALOT OFCOME IN HIS SHOP WITH RODS KNOCKING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE REAR STRUT MOUNT DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE REAR STRUT WAS CORRODED, WHICH CAUSED IT TO FAIL. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO STATED THAT THE COMPANY THAT MANUFACTURED THE PARTS WAS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS; THEREFORE, THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE HER WITH AN ESTIMATE OF WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE PRODUCED TO MAKE THE REPAIRS. AS OF JULY 24, 2008, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 90,000.

IN MAY, WHILE DRIVING MY PASSENGER SIDE REAR STRUT MOUNT ON MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING BROKE. I TOOK MY CAR IN AND HAD IT FIXED AND HAD TO LEAVE IT AS THE DEALERSHIP (GOLLING CHRYSLER) ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD TO DRIVE WITH THE BROKEN STRUT MOUNT. ON 06/29/08, MY DRIVER SIDE REAR STRUT MOUNT BROKE. THIS TIME, THE DEALERSHIP (CLARKSTON CHRYSLER) STATED THAT THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AS THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE PART AND THEY HAD TO BE REENGINEERED. SO, I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR SINCE 06/29/08. MY CAR ONLY HAD 65,000 MILES BUT IT IS PARKED AND UNUSABLE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE IS A BACKLOG OF 10,000 PARTS ON ORDER. CHRYSLER CALLED TO STATE THAT THEY ESTIMATE THAT THE PARTS WOULD BE IN ON AUGUST 11TH. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY HAZARD - OR AT LEAST THAT WHAT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME AND I CANT IMAGINE THAT VERY MANY PEOPLE CAN SHELVE THEIR CAR FOR 6 WEEKS AND INSTEAD - LIKE ME, HAVE HAD TO DRIVE THERE CAR ON OCCASION. I WAS ABLE TO BURROW SOMEONE'S VEHICLE BUT THERE WERE STILL TIMES WHEN I DID HAVE TO DRIVE MY SEBRING WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE WASN'T AVAILABLE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OF THOSE 65000 MILES, WELL OVER 99 % WERE ON HIGHWAY AND PAVED ROADS. THERE ARE NO DIRT ROADS IN THE AREA AND IT IS RARE THAT I EVER DRIVE ON ONE. *TR

ON JULY 10TH,2008 I HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK OF MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING 4DR SEDAN. I PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THE REAR PASSENGER STRUT HAD FALLEN FROM THE MOUNTING BRACKET. I TOOK THE CAR ON JULY 11TH TO GET IT FIXED. THE REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THAT THE BRACKET REQUIRED (4879072AD) IS ON EXTREME BACKORDER AND IT COULDN'T BE FIXED. I CALLED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY SEARCHING FOR THIS PART. IT IS ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEALERS. THERE IS NO AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT. ALL DEALERS EVERYWHERE ARE OUT AND HAVE ORDERS PLACED ON CHRYSLER BUT NEVER GET THE PARTS. I CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ACTED AS IF THEY DIDN'T KNOW OF THE PROBLEM. AFTER BEING PERSISTENT, I FOUND THAT THERE ARE OVER 10,200 ON BACKORDER IN THE US AS OF 7/17. ASSUMING 2 PER CAR AND SOME DEALER "SAFETY STOCK", THIS COULD ADD UP TO 4000 CARS WHICH ARE NOT BEING DRIVEN BECAUSE OF THE PARTS AVAILABILITY OR ARE BEING DRIVEN UNSAFE. EVERY CHRYSLER PARTS DEALER I CALLED SAID THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR THE WHEEL TO FALL OFF WITHOUT THE STRUT ATTACHED. IT ALSO CAUSES DAMAGE TO TIRES AND OTHER COMPONENTS. I CHECKED WITH JUNK YARDS HOPING TO FIND A SET. I DID FIND THEM AND THEY ARE IN THE SAME CONDITION AS MINE. IF THE CARPET IN THE TRUNK IS PULLED BACK YOU WILL SEE WHITE DUST AND CORROSION EVERYWHERE. I HEARD FROM A DEALER THAT THE PARTS COME FROM MEXICO AND THE PLANT IS ON STRIKE, THERE HAVE BEEN CARS SITTING AND WAITING FOR THIS PART FOR UP TO 3 MONTHS, BEST CASE I CAN GET PARTS IN 1 MONTH. FROM A PARTS, SAFETY AND AWARENESS STANDPOINT, CHRYSLER HAS DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS ONE. UNACCEPTABLE. I AM OUT CAR RENTAL FEES AND HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE FOR DAYS! THEY COULD AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM! I AM CERTAIN THEY KNOW OF IT. *TR

JULY 1 DRIVING ON BLUEWATER BRIDGE RIGHT REAR STRUT SNAPPED OFF. TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE IN ST. THOMAS ONTARIO THE DRIVERS SIDE STRUT SNAPPED OFF. BOTH OF THEM HAD ROTTED RIGHT OFF. REPLACED WITH RECONDITIONED STRUTS - $500.00 + TOWING. *TR

WAS DRIVING HOME AND HEAR LOUD NOISE GOT OUT AND CHECKED AND FOUND THAT THE STRUT BRACKET HAD BROKEN ON THE REAR OF MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEABRING. I GOT HOME AND CALLED THE DEALER TO GET A NEW ONE THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PART WAS ON BACKORDER AND THAT THERE WAS AROUND 8000 ON BACKORDER SO I CALLED CHRYSLER AND ASKED WHY THEY HAVEN'T RECALLED THIS PART YET WITH 8000 PARTS NEEDED THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS PART. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WASN'T ANY OF THESE PARTS IN THE USA. NOW WHY IS THIS? THIS PART IS KNOWN TO GO BAD THEY TOLD ME. THEN WHY CAN'T THEY ISSUE A RECALL AND GET THESE PARTS MADE SO THESE CARS CAN BE FIXED.

I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW, ADDED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HAD SEVERAL THINGS GO WRONG. JUST TO NAME A FEW: ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WHEN IT WAS JUST OVER THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH OIL CHANGES AND REGULAR MAINTENANCE WAS DONE 3-4000 MILES, TRANSMISSION PAN HAD METAL SHAVINGS IN IT WHICH RESULTED IN POOR PERFORMANCE, CONTROL ARM HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS THE MOTOR MOUNTS(I DID NOT NEED THE MOUNTS REPLACED AND THE REPAIR WAS NOT DONE UNDER WARRANTY), WATER PUMP & THERMOSTAT HOUSING(WAS TOLD BOTH WEREN'T COVERED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN), REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER REPLACED AND/OR FIXED THREE TIMES, DRIVER POWER WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACED(GLASS HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF DAMAGE FROM THE REGULATOR, WHICH I PAID), VISOR VANITY LIGHT-PART ORDERED BUT "TOO LATE" WHEN TRIED TO HAVE IT REPLACED(WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT PART WAS IN), DASH LIGHTS-ON & OFF, HEADLIGHTS REPLACE SEVERAL TIMES, HUB SEAL REPLACED, PASSENGER SEAT ADJUST ARM BROKEN, LIGHTER INOPERATIVE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON FIRST MONTH I HAD THE CAR! *TR

2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH BROKEN BALL JOINT. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BALL JOINT BROKE AND ALMOST KILLED HIM. HE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF SHE SHOULD FILE A LEMON LAW COMPLAINT. *KB

MOTOR FAILED AT 75,600 MILES WHEN THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED EVERY 3-4,000 MILES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING 30 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. HIS DAUGHTER CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND WOULD NOT INVESTIGATE WHY THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER RECEIVED INJURIES TO HER FACE AND NECK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.