2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING Complaints

I OWN A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH APPROX. 35K MILEAGE. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED ACTING FUNNY ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO. IT WOULD NOT BUDGE WHEN IN DRIVE GEAR OR WOULD STALL AT RED LIGHT. IT WAS WORSE WHEN COLD. I TOOK IT TO CHRYSLER DEALER IN GREENVALE, NEW YORK. THEY INDICATED A TRANSMISSION LEAK REQUIRING CHANGE OF TRANSMISSION OIL AND CLEANING, EVEN THOUGH CHRYSLER MANUAL ITSELF DOES NOT INDICATE TRANSMISSION SERVICE BEFORE 45K MILEAGE. THEY CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION LINES AND HOSES AND CHARGED ME OVER $400 FOR THE SERVICE. CHRYSLER FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE A DESIGN DEFECT REQUIRING THIS SERVICE. ULTIMATELY, I DISCOVERED THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE AND ALSO OUTRIGHT TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHICH CHRYSLER FAILS TO ADDRESS. I KNOW THAT A RECALL WAS ISSUED BY NHSTA FOR 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING REGARDING SIMILAR ISSUES. PERHAPS IT IS TIME YOU ISSUE THE SAME RECALL FOR 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING. EVEN BETTER, PLEASE ISSUE A CEASE AND DESIST ORDER AGAINST ALL AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS OF CRAP THEY CALL MOTOR VEHICLES, SO WE NEED NOT MAKE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS IN THE FUTURE. *JB

UPON ROTATING TIRES ON JAN 2, 2007, I NOTICED SEVERE CORROSION ON THE REAR STRUT MOUNTS OF MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING LXI. HAD THESE MOUNTS NOT BEEN REPLACED IT COULD HAVE CAUSED SEVERE INJURY TO THE PASSENGERS AS THE SPRINGS WOULD HAVE LET LOOSE THROUGH THE EXTERNAL WHEEL WELL AND ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THIS COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS BODILY INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS. FAILURE OF THESE PARTS ALSO COULD HAVE CAUSED THE DRIVER TO EXPERIENCE A DEGRADED RESPONSE IN HANDLING. I PURCHASED 2 NEW (MODIFIED BY MANUFACTURE) STRUT MOUNTS AND INSTALLED THEM. THE STRUT MOUNTS COST WERE MINIMAL. REAR STRUT MOUNTS ARE SEVERELY CORRODED, CRACKED AND BROKEN. *NM

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

TL* - THE CONTACT WAS AT A STOP WITH THE GEAR IN PARK; WHEN SHE APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE GEAR SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. THIS INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT HAS RESEARCHED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE RELATED TO THE 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT'S MECHANIC STATED THE FAILURE IS DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE DRIVE SHAFT. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC ON DECEMBER 18, 2006 FOR REPAIR. THE POWER TRAIN IS UNDER WARRANTY.

CHROME ON RIMS OF 2002 SEBRING ARE FLAKING OFF. I HAVE HAD 6 FLAT TIRES IN THE 14 MONTHS I OWN THE CAR. I PUT AIR IN THE TIRES 2X WEEK. RIMS HAVE BEEN CLEANED BY A TIRE SHOP, BUT HE SAID THE CORROSION OF THE WHEELS ARE MAKING THE TIRES LEAK BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HOLD A SEAL. EACH TIME I HAVE THE CAR SERVICED (EVERY 3K MILES) I COMPLAIN THAT THE TIRES LEAK. DEALER SERVICE DEPT DOES NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH WHEELS, PUTS AIR IN THE TIRES. CAR HAS A FULL SIZE SPARE WITH SAME RIMS. WHEN I NEEDED TO FIX ONE OF THE FLATS AND PUT THE SPARE TIRE ON,THE SPARE WAS ALSO FLAT.. IT HAD BEEN RETURNED TO THE TRUNK AFTER BEING REPAIRED 6 MONTHS EARLIER, BUT IT HAD ALSO BEEN ON THE CAR, BECAME FLAT, WAS REPLACED BY THE SPARE, THAT WAS NOW FLAT AGAIN. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SWITCH GEARS. THE NON SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION TO CORRECT THE ISSUE.

DRIVING ON I-295 IN THE EVENING WHEN ENGINE SUDDENLY, DRAMATICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING LOST POWER AND STARTED STALLING. MY WIFE WAS VERY NEARLY STRUCK BY TRAFFIC FROM BEHIND DUE TO THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. WE WERE INFORMED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC THAT THE ENGINE IS BLOWN AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *NM

WAS DRIVING ALONG US 27 SOUTH IN INDIANA WHEN THE CAR MADE A TERRIABLE NOISE AND STOPPED RUNNING....MOTOR LOCKED UP....(STILL HAD ABOUT 1200 MORE MILES BEFORE THE NEXT OIL CHANGE

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH ON A DRY SMOOTH HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE STARTED BACK, BUT THERE WAS A VERY LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE CONTACT MAINTAINED OIL CHANGES EVERY 3,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THIS WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTOR.

AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY AT VARIOUS TIMES, WITH NO OBVIOUS TRIGGERS. SOMETIMES IT'S ON FOR DAYS OR WEEKS, OTHER TIMES IT COMES ON AND GOES OFF EVERY FEW SECONDS, OTHER TIMES IT STAYS OFF FOR MONTHS. TOTALLY BIZARRE. I'M SICK OF IT, BUT I CAN'T TRADE IT IN WITH THE LIGHT CONSTANTLY DOING STUPID STUFF LIKE THAT. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2003. IT'S A 2002 SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 400 TIMES. *NM