1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. ON JULY 9, 2007, WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE CONTROL ARM DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE AXLE TO FALL OFF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTROL ARM AND AXLE WERE REPLACED ON JULY 11, 2007 FOR $1,080. THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM RECALL # 00V421002 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 135,000.

ODOMETER FUNCTIONS INTERMITTENTLY. THIS IS A KNOWN, COMMON PROBLEM, BUT CHRYSLER HAS NOT RECALLED. IT CAUSES PROBLEMS WHENEVER YOU NEED TO PURCHASE ANYTHING FOR YOUR VEHICLE (TIRES, OIL CHANGE, PARTS ETC). PLEASE RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE! *NM

WHILE DRIVING MY 1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING THE CAR FELT AS IF FELL OUT OF CAR AND TURNED COMPLETELY OFF. THIS HAPPENED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN NOTHERN NEW JERSEY AND COST SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO BE TOWED BACK TO PHILADELPHIA. THE PROBLEM IS BELIEVED TO BE WITH THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THERE WERE NO WORNIGN SIGNS AND THE CAR ONLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 76,000 MILES ON IT. MY LIFE AND THE LIFE OF THE PASSENGERS WERE VERY MUCH IN DANGER SINCE WE WERE STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY FOR SEVERAL HOURS UNTIL A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. THE FUEL PIPE WAS CORRODED AND DRIPPED GASOLINE, AND WAS LESS THAT ONE FOOT FROM THE MUFFLER. WHEN THE CONTACT WENT TO PURCHASE THE PART FOR CAR THE SALESMAN SAID HE WAS ABOUT THE 15 PERSON TO BUY THE PART. THE CONSUMER CALLED CHRYSLER, AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM. HE WAS GOING TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS THE CONTACT DAUGHTER'S CAR, AND HE WAS CONCERNED FOR HIS DAUGHTER'S SAFETY AND THOSE OF OTHERS. *AK

KNOWN ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH CHRYSLERS 2.4L - 4 CYLINDER ENGINES - DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS. WE PURCHASED A NEW 1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING JX W/ 2.4L DOHC 4 CYLINDER ENGINE IN MARCH OF 1998. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW AND MAINTAINED BY NALLEY CHRYSLER IN ROSWELL. VEHICLE HAS A LITTLE OVER 19,000 ACTUAL MILES AND SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE OR USE. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS FOR LEAKING COOLANT/OIL MIXTURE COMPLAINED OF LEAKS TO SERVICE REPS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, NOTHING FOUND. AT LAST RECALL - SHIFTER LINKAGE, ASKED SERVICE TECHNICIAN TO CHECK FOR COOLANT LEAKS WAS INFORMED THAT 2.4L ENGINE WILL NEED A NEW HEAD GASKET. INTERNET SEARCHES SHOW MANY OCCURRENCES OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS 2.4L ENGINE AS HEADS ARE MADE OF DIFFERENT MATERIAL THAN BLOCK AND THEY COOL AND HEAT AT DIFFERING RATES CAUSING EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT AND FAILURE OF THE HEAD GASKET. CHRYSLER HAS SILENTLY WARRANTED MANY OF THESE ENGINES BECAUSE OF HEAD GASKET FAILURES AND KNOWN PROBLEMS AND DEFECTS. WOULD REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT OR REPAIR. CHRYSLER REP HAD DENIED REPAIR. CLASS ACTION STATUS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR THESE KNOWN ENGINE PROBLEMS. *JB

DT: THE SEAT BELTS ON DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SIDES DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE STRAP WILL GET STUCK IN THE RETRACTOR, IT WILL NOT MOVE. MOST OF THE TIME ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IT HARDLY EVER WORKS. THIS STARTED ON AUGUST 24, 2004. CONTACTED THE DEALER THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE TO FIX IT. *AK THE CONSUMER THINKS THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD REPLACE THE SEAT BELTS FREE OF CHARGE. *NM

1) THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OUTSIDE SECURELY (DOORS AND WINDOWS CLOSED PROPERLY, TOP CLOSED PROPERLY, IGNITION LOCKED AND NO KEYS IN THE CAR). 2) AFTER A RAIN, I HAPPENED TO WALK BY THE CAR AND HEARD IT MAKING LOUD STRANGE NOISES THAT SOUNDED LIKE SPEAKER AMPLIFIED ELECTRICAL ARCING. THE NOISE SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM EVERYWHERE IN THE VEHICLE (NO APPARENT POINT SOURCE). SUSPECTING SOME TYPE OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEM I BEGAN PULLING FUSES WITH NO EFFECT ON STOPPING THE NOISE. I BEGAN SMELLING SOMETHING BURNING AND DISCONNECTED THE CAR BATTERY. THE NOISES STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND THE BURNING SMELL DISSAPATED. 3) THE DEALER ADVISES THAT THERE IS A DRAIN IN THE RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL OF THE CAR THAT IS NOT WORKING AND CAUSES WATER TO ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THERE IS AN AMPLFIER UNDER THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT FOR THE INFINITY SOUND SYSTEM THAT WATER HAD ENTERED INTO. DEALER ADVISES THAT THE FAILED PART MUST BE RETURNED TO THE MANUFACTURER TO GET A REPLACEMENT AND THAT FURTHER DAMAGE CANNOT BE DETERMINED UNTIL THE REPLACEMENT PART IS INSTALLED. THERE ARE TWO DESIGN DEFECTS IN THIS CAR, ONE OF WHICH IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. THE FIRST DEFECT IS THE REAR QUARTER PANEL DRAINS THAT CAN STOP WORKING AND FLOOD THE CAR RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.THE OWNER IS NOT MADE AWARE OF THIS DEFECT OR HOW TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM. THE SECOND DESIGN DEFECT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. AN AMPLIFIER UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT HAS NO FUSE PROTECTION WHATSOEVER. IF I HAD NOT HAPPENED BY THE CAR WHEN I DID, AND HAD NOT DISCONNECTED THE CAR BATTERY, THE CAR WAS BEGINNING TO CATCH FIRE (I SMELLED BURNING!). THIS AMPLIFIER CAN MALFUNCTION ELECTRICALLY AND START AN ELECTRICAL FIRE IN THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY ELECTRICAL INTERUPT PROTECTION AVAILABLE. HAD I NOT DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY WHEN I DID THIS CAR COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE AS A RESULT OF THIS LACK OF ANY SHORT CIRCUIT PROTECTION.

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER ON 3-15-05 CONCERNING THE TRANS AXLE FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION/PARK INTERLOCK SHE CALLED AT THE END OF MARCH OR THE BEGINNING OF APRIL AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE VEHICLE CHECKED. ON 5-7-05, BEFORE THE SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT, THE VEHICLE POPPED OUT OF GEAR AND HIT A POLE. AND THE ESTIMATED DAMAGE WAS $8,700. ON 5-12-05 CHRYSLER SENT AN INVESTIGATOR TO CHECK THE VEHICLE . THE CONSUMER WAS NOT PRESENT AT THE INSPECTION, BUT SOMEONE ELSE WHO WAS AT THE INSPECTION CLAIMED THAT THE INVESTIGATOR TRIED TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START. HE DID NOT THINK THE TRANS AXLE FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION/PARK INTERLOCK HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CRASH. THE CONSUMER DID NOT AGREE, STATING THAT THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER WERE INJURED IN THE CRASH. NEITHER THE SEAT BELTS NOR THE AIR BAGS WORKED IN THE CRASH.*AK

DT: THE SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER SEAT RETRACTED AND WILL NOT COME OUT, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PASSENGER TO BUCKLE THE BELT. THIS OCCURRED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY THE DEALER, AND THERE WOULD BE A CHARGE TO THE CONSUMER FOR THIS REPAIR. *AK *JB

DT: CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04V021000, ON MARCH 15, 2005. SHE HAD CALLED DEALER TO ARRANGE FOR REPAIRS, BUT THEY TOLD HER TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN AT HER CONVENIENCE. THE RECALL WORK WAS NEVER PERFORMED. ON MAY 7, 2005 SHE WAS PICKING HER DAUGHTER AND WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK IT WENT DOWN A SMALL HILL IN A PARKING LOT AND TRAVELED AT LEAST 200-300 FEET. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TURNED OFF. THIS HAPPENED SO FAST SHE COULD NOT REMEMBER WHETHER THE BRAKES WORKED AT THAT TIME. THERE WAS A TELEPHONE POLE THAT STOPPED THE VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN THE PASSENGERS. THE PASSENGERS HEAD WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND HER KNEES HIT THE DASH BOARD. THE DRIVER'S RIGHT ROTOR CUFF AND NECK WERE INJURED. THERE WAS $8700 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, AND IT WAS TOTALED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. A INSPECTOR FROM DAIMLER CHRYSLER INSPECTED VEHICLE ON MAY 12, 2005 AT 2 PM. HE NEVER SPOKE TO THE CONSUMER, BUT THE MANUFACTURER SENT A REPORT.*AK