2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYLSER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR BECAME LODGED IN THE PARK POSITION. THE DEALER ADVISED HER TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000. UPDATED 11/16/10. *LJ

MY 2008 SEBRING SHIFTER IS STUCK IN PARK; THE CAR CANNOT BE MOVED. A DEALERSHIP SERVICE MECHANIC SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON SEVERAL CHRYSLER AND DODGE MODELS DUE TO A BROKEN PLASTIC PIECE ON THE 'BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK'. THE ENTIRE SHIFTER UNIT MUST BE REPLACED BECAUSE THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT PART. IT WILL COST $150-$200 SINCE MY SEBRING IS 3 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY (30,000 MILES). ON THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY THERE IS A BRIGHT PINK PLASTIC PIECE THAT HAS A SMALL 2/8" HOOK. THIS 2/8" SMALL PLASTIC HOOK IS ABOUT AS ROUND AS A SMALL PAPER CLIP. ONE END OF A SMALL 3/4" SPRING ATTACHES TO THIS PLASTIC HOOK AND THE OTHER END OF THE SPRING ATTACHES TO A HOOK ON THE SHIFTER HOUSING. THIS SPRING ALLOWS THE BRIGHT PINK PIECE TO MOVE WHEN THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED, WHICH DISENGAGES THE INTERLOCK ALLOWING THE SHIFTER TO MOVE OUT OF PARK. A BROKEN 2/8" PIECE OF CHEAP PLASTIC THAT CAN DISABLE AN ENTIRE CAR IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A POOR DESIGN AND A MANUFACTURING FLAW! IF YOU DO A WEB SEARCH ("CHRYSLER STUCK IN PARK" OR "DODGE STUCK IN PARK") YOU WILL FIND THOUSANDS OF HITS. BETTER YET, LOOK AT THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE YOU WILL SEE IT IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM THAT IS REPORTED IN 2007-2008 DODGE (AVENGER) AND CHRYSLER (SEBRING & 300) PRODUCTS. IT IS NEEDLESSLY COSTING THE OWNERS HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO DO AN OUT-OF-WARRANTY REPAIR ON AN UNDER-DESIGNED PART. A CHRONIC DESIGN FLAW THAT SPANS MULTIPLE YEARS ON MULTIPLE PRODUCT LINES DEMANDS A RECALL. *TR

2008 SEBRING CONVERTIBLE SHIFTER IS STUCK IN PARK; THE CAR CANNOT BE MOVED. DEALER SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK BREAKING. THE ENTIRE SHIFTER UNIT MUST BE REPLACED; COST $150-$200 SINCE THE SEBRING IS 3 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. THEY SAID THE PART BREAKS ON SEVERAL CURRENT CHRYSLER MODELS ALL THE TIME; A WEB SEARCH CONFIRMS IT. A BRIGHT PINK PLASTIC PIECE BREAKS WHERE A SPRING ATTACHES TO IT, THAT ALLOWS THE INTERLOCK TO DISENGAGE WHEN THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED. WHAT IF THIS COMMON PROBLEM HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE IN A REMOTE LOCATION WITH NO CELL PHONE SERVICE? WHAT IF YOU NEEDED YOUR CAR FOR A MEDICAL EMERGENCY? *TR

STARTED THE CAR PUSHED IN ON THE BRAKE AS USUAL TO RELEASE THE SAFETY ON THE GEAR SHIFTER SO IT'D GO IN REVERSE AND IT WOULDN'T GO IN GEAR. I MASHED THE BRAKE HARDER & STILL NOTHING. I TRIED TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THINKING MAYBE IT WAS THE SAFETY THING LOCKING UP IN THAT BUT IT WAS REAL LOOSE! BY NOW MY KIDS WERE LATE FOR THERE APPTMENTS SO I GAVE UP AND WENT INSIDE AND STARTED CALLING AROUND. THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS A LINE RUNNING FROM MY SHIFTER TO MY BRAKE UP TO THE STEERING I NEEDED TO TOW IT IN COST MY $50-300. MY HUSBAND TOOK MY CONSOLE APART THAT EVENING AND FOUND THAT THE SHIFTER IS LOCKED IN PLACE BY A SMALL PINK PLASTIC DEVICE WITH A WIRE RUNNING THROUGH IT WHICH IS ATTACHED TO YOUR BRAKING SYSTEM SOMEHOW ON ONE END YET ON THE OTHER END ITS ATTACHED TO SOME KIND OF SPRING WHICH IS ATTACHED TO YET GET THIS, ANOTHER PIECE OF PLASTIC! WELL MY SPRING BROKE AND THE PINK PLASTIC THING CRACKED!!! I FIND THIS TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD BE HAVING TO DEAL WITH AND FIX THESE ISSUES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SLIPPED OUT OF THE LOCKED POSITION. THE SEAT BELT CONTINUED TO LOCK IN POSITION, BUT IF PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE SEAT BELT IT WOULD COME OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 22000. UPDATED 11/05/10. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE GEAR SHIFT BECAME STUCK IN THE PARK POSITION AND WOULD NOT MOVE. SHE TRIED ALL OF THE HELPFUL HINTS THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD GIVEN HER BUT NONE OF THEM WORKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 57,000.

2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING. ON AUGUST 6TH, THE CAR GEAR SHIFTER KNOB WAS SEIZED IN THE PARK POSITION. UPON READING THE INTERNET, IT BECAME VERY APPARENT THAT THIS IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT ON CHRYSLER'S PART. THE SHIFT KNOB IS ATTACHED TO A SMALL PLASTIC PINK "FLIPPER" TYPE PART, THAT EASILY BECOMES DETACHED FROM THE SPRING. THE ONLY FIX BY PROFESSIONALS IS A $400.00 REPAIR. THE SAD REALITY IS THAT THE ACTUAL FIX IS A $5.00 PART... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR FROM THE PARK POSITION. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO MOVE THE SELECTOR BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 71,058. UPDATED 12/08/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE GEAR SHIFT OUT OF PARK, BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE FROM PARK TO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE NECESSARY REPAIRS WERE MADE. UPDATED 12/13/10*JB

JUST HAD GOT OFF WORK AND CAR HAS BEEN PARK FOR OVER 6 HOURS. WHEN I GOT INSIDE OF THE CAR I WENT TO CRANK IT UP AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. AFTER I TRIED TO SWITCH TO REVERSE TO BACK UP THE GEAR WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO PULL IT BACK OUT OF PARK. TRIED TURNING IT OFF AND ON BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK. *TR

2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING..GEAR SHIFT GETS STUCK IN PARK AND CAN NOT BE RELEASED FROM PARK. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE PART ON AVERAGE OF 20 CARS PER MONTH. THE DEALER SAID HE HAS REPLACED THE SAME PIECE ON SAME VEHICLE WITHIN A 12 MONTH PERIOD. IT IS A LITTLE PLASTIC PIECE THAT HOLD THE GEAR SHIFTER IN PLACE AND WHEN PLASTIC PART BREAKS THE GEAR SHIFT CAN NOT BE REMOVED FROM PARK. IF THIS PART WOULD HAPPEN TO BREAK WHILE CAR IS IN DRIVE POSITION AND GEARING DOWN TO 3RD GEAR FOR GOING DOWNHILL THERE WOULD BE NO WAY A PERSON WOULD BE ABOUT TO GET CAR OUT OF DRIVE AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH IF PERSON WAS UNAWARE THAT THE PART BROKE WHILE DRIVING. CHRYSLER IS NOT TAKING THIS SERIOUS AND TOLD ME TO GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND PUT IN COMPLAINT AND MAYBE COULD GET A RECALL PUT ON THAT PART, BUT UNTIL RECALL IS PUT ON THERE CUSTOMERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR $200 WORTH OF REPAIRS TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN IN JUST A COUPLE MONTHS. THIS PART COULD EASILY BE REPLACED WITH A METAL PIECE INSTEAD OF PLASTIC. *TR