2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING Complaints

ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FAILURE. HIT BLACK ICE AND STARTED TO SKID. APPLIED MODERATE AND THEN HEAVY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHEELS LOCKED UP WITHOUT THE ANTI-LOCK FEATURE ENGAGING AT ALL, INDUCING LOSS OF CONTROL, RESULTING IN SPIN AND CRASH.*JB

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ALTHOUGH NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE STALLING, THE CHECK OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTERWARDS. THE CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE TO A DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SUGGESTED REPLACING THE ENGINE. THE DEALER DISCOVERED SLUDGE AND OTHER FLUID CONTAMINATION IN THE ENGINE; HOWEVER BASIC MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED REGULARLY. *JB

ENGINE FAILURE IN 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH 2.7 L. ENGINE AT APPROX. 65,000 MILES WITHOUT ANY FOREWARNING. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR OVERHEATING OCCURRED. ENGINE MUST NOW BE REPLACED DUE TO CRACKED BLOCK. CHRYSLER WILL NOT PAY FOR ANY OF THE REPAIRS. *NM

WHILE DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON A BUSY INTERSTATE, THE RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY AND THE FRONT END BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO STOP QUICKLY AND PULL INTO THE MEDIAN. I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP ONLY 2 MONTHS PRIOR WITH "POPPING" NOISES IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERFORMED AN INSPECTION AND SAID "ALL FRONT END COMPONENTS TIGHT AND SOUND /NO FAILURES DETECTED". LESS THAN 2,000 MILES LATER, THE BALL JOINT FAILED! WHAT IS EVEN MORE CONCERNING IS THAT THE SAME EXACT SYMPTOMS WERE EXPERIENCED 2 YEARS AGO AND MANY COMPONENTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION (INCLUDING BOTH BALL JOINTS) WERE REPLACED. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS AT 37,000 MILES AND COST ME $598.66 (SINCE THE WARRANTY ONLY COVERED TO 36,000 MILES - IRONIC, HUH?). THE MOST RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED AT 63,000 MILES AND COST ME $693.06. UPON DRIVING THE CAR INTO THE GARAGE AFTER BEING TOWED, THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT THE BALL JOINT POPPED COMPLETELY OUT OF IT'S JOINT AND SHOWED ME THAT THE TIRE WAS ONLY BARELY HANGING ON. HE ALSO SAID I WAS "LUCKY" THAT I HADN'T WENT 20 MORE FEET ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE THE TIRE WOULD HAVE FALLEN OFF AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DAMAGE AND POSSIBLY INJURY. THE DEALERSHIP MADE THE REPAIRS BUT WOULD NOT COVER ANY OF THE EXPENSES. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO WOULD NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY OR REFUND THE COST FOR THE FAULTY INSPECTION THAT WAS PERFORMED 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE BALL JOINT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 35 MPH THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE CUSHION SPRING. THE STOCK REPLACEMENT PART PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER WAS AT LEAST FIVE TIMES HEAVIER THAN THE ORIGINAL PART. THE GAUGE OF THE ORIGINAL CUSHION SPRING WAS MUCH LESS THAN THE STOCK REPLACEMENT PART. AS THE CUSHION SPRING BEGAN TO DISINTEGRATE THE PARTS LODGED IN THE PUMP GEARS, RESULTING IN HAVING TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 00V299002 CONCERNING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE ENGINE STALLED AT SLOW SPEEDS. ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE COULD BE RESTARTED SOMETIMES THE ENGINE DIED WHILE IDLING. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH PRODUCED A CODE INDICATING AND ENGINE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. *AK

OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES. KNOCKING STARTED TO OCCUR. AS I WAS DRIVING TO GET IT LOOKED AT, MOTOR JUST STOPPED. 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING 2.7L MOTOR. 69000 MILES. DIAGNOSED AS BROKEN TIMING CHAIN, NEW MOTOR NEEDED $6,000-$7,000. GARAGE HAD SEEN QUITE A FEW RECENTLY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE OPTION WAS TO BUY A NEW ENGINE THAT HAD BEEN MODIFIED TO CORRECT ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, OR TO PURCHASE A NEW OR REBUILT ENGINE. SINCE REBUILT ENGINE WAS $1000 LESS THAN OTHER OPTIONS WENT WITH THAT OPTION. *JB

2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH A 2.7 LITER ENGINE PREMATURELY FAILED AT 74,000 MILES. STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AT 64,000 MILES WITH EXCESSIVE ENGINE NOISE AND SMOKE FROM THE TAIL PIPE. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW BY MYSELF AND MAINTAINED PER THE SERVICE SCHEDULE IN THE CHRYSLER MANUAL. THE ENGINE GAVE OUT ABOUT 4 BLOCKS FROM OUR HOME WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT, FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED. WE HAVE SINCE REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE MOTOR WITH A JASPER REMANUFACTURED ENGINE WHICH HAS SEVERAL DESIGN MODIFICATIONS AND A BETTER WARRANTY THAN THE FACTORY ENGINE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID 01V011002 CONCERNING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: COOLING UNIT AND LINES. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

I BOUGHT A USED CAR FROM HYANNIS HONDA, WEST MAIN ST., HYANNIS, MA THE LAST WEEK IN MAY 2005. RECENTLY, I GOT A NAIL IN MY BACK REAR TIRE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO CAPE AND ISLAND TIRE IN FALMOUTH, MA. AFTER EXAMINING THE TIRE, THE MANAGER SAID THAT THEY COULD FIX THE TIRE BUT IT WOULD BE USELESS BECAUSE ALL FOUR OF MY TIRES WOULD NEVER PASS THE STATE INSPECTION BECAUSE MY TIRES WERE TO BALD. AFTER PAYING FOR 2 NEW REAR TIRES($250), I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO HYANNIS HONDA. THE SALES MANAGER AGREED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FRONT 2 TIRE FOR FREE. A WEEK LATER, AFTER RETURNING FOR A TRIP TO CA AT 10:30 P.M., THE FRONT TIRE WAS FLAT BECAUSE HYANNIS HONDA DIDN'T SEAL THE TIRE PROPERLY AND THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. THE NEXT DAY I RETURNED TO HYANNIS HONDA WHO AGREED TO FIX THE TIRE BUT SAID THAT MY BATTERY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH CHARGE TO START THE CAR IN THE WINTER. I COULD PURCHASE A NEW BATTERY FOR $110. I DISCUSSED MY SITUATION WITH BRIAN PERRY IN HYANNIS, A CERTIFIED INSPECTION REPRESENTATIVE. HE SAID THAT IF HE INSPECTS A CAR AND NOTICES THAT THE TIRES ARE UNSAFE, EVEN IF THEY ARE BARELY WITHIN STATE GUIDELINES, HE WOULD WARN THE DRIVER OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER OF DRIVING ON UNSAFE TIRE ESPECIALLY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. I REALLY FEEL AS THOUGH HYANNIS HONDA DEFINITELY HAS A "CONFLICT OF INTEREST" IN BEING ABLE TO INSPECT THEIR OWN USED CAR. THE CAR THEY SOLD ME MIGHT HAVE PASSED THE TIRE REQUIREMENTS BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE WARNED ME THAT I WAS RIDING ON ALMOST BALD TIRE AND THAT THE BATTERY WAS SO OLD THAT IT WOULDN'T WORK IN THE WINTER. I FEEL THAT THEIR UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR ENDANGERED MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY FAMILY. I KNOW THE OLD ADAGE"BUYER BEWARE" BUT THIS IS TERRIBLE BEHAVIOR FROM A REPUTABLE HONDA DEALERSHIP. *JB