2005 CHRYSLER SEBRING Complaints

I HAVE A 2005 CHRYSLER SEBRING THAT HAS "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" THAT HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. ON DECEMBER 30TH '13 SHORTLY AFTER I REGISTERED THE CAR I WAS DRIVING OFF AN EXPRESSWAY RAMP I FELT THE CAR ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN - I COULDN'T STOP IT. I TURNED THE WHEEL INTO A SNOW BANK AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. THE SAME DAY ON THE WAY HOME IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I HAD SOMEONE DRIVE IT PERHAPS 50 MILES AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN FOR HIM. I DROVE IT A FEW MORE WEEKS, THEN ON FEBRUARY 27, 2014 PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IT HAPPENED AGAIN, I APPLIED MY BRAKES BUT IT WOULDN'T STOP AND THE SNOW BANK STOPPED US FROM GOING OVER AN EMBANKMENT. I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE WITH THE WHEELS STILL SPINNING UP AGAINST THE SNOW BANK I THEN SHUT THE CAR OFF. THE BRAKES JUST WON'T STOP IT THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. FINALLY ON MARCH 18, 2014 I PULLED SLOWLY INTO A PARKING SPOT AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP SO LOUDLY AND CROSSED OVER A CENTER STRIP AND THROUGH BUSHES INTO THE BACK OF A PARKED CAR WITH NO ONE IN IT. I HAVE NOT USED THE CAR SINCE THIS ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY MY HUSBAND WAS WITH ME EACH TIME AND WE KNOW I HANDLED THE SITUATION PROPERLY . I AM A GOOD DRIVER WITH NO ACCIDENTS OR TICKETS IN OVER 40 YEARS. EVERY DAY I DRIVE EITHER A HANDICAP VAN OR A THREE QUARTER TON CREW CAB PICKUP, I'VE NEVER HAD PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS CAR. I ALSO HAVE A SURCHARGE ON MY AUTO INSURANCE FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THEY HAD SOMEONE LOOK AT IT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO AND FROM THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. THE ENGINEER SAID, HE DROVE IT SEVEN MILES (BIG DEAL PERHAPS HE SHOULD HAVE PARKED IT A FEW TIMES). I RECEIVED A LETTER SAYING (SEE BELOW) THAT THE CAR WAS OKAY. THAT WAS IT! NO SATISFACTION AT ALL. IN THE MEANTIME WE HAVE FOUND ON THE INTERNET OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

DRIVING ON 195 WEST HEAVY RAIN VEHICLE HYDROPLATES IN FRONT OF US NO WHERE TO GO BUT TO HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE IMY MAIN QUESTION IS MY AIRBAGS NEVER CAME OUT..QUESTIONING DEFECT...MY VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND TOWED AWAY I AM THE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE.... UPDATED 4/24/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2005 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN MALFUNCTIONED AND WOULD SOUND INDEPENDENTLY WITH THE VEHICLE ON OR OFF. THIS FAILURE RECURRED FOR THREE MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE AIR BAG MODULE OR CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.

JUST AS EVERYONE ELSE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT MY HORN HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN AND GOES OFF ON ITS OWN AND LASTS FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. IT IS EMBARRASSING AND DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE REMAINDER OF TIME I HAVE NO HORN AT ALL. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I DESPERATELY NEEDED TO HONK MY HORN TO PROTECT MY SAFETY. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY AND UNINJURED THIS FAR. AS IS WELL KNOWN, TO FIX THE HORN I HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY. MY ESTIMATE WAS ABOUT $800 WHICH I SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD. I TOO THINK CHRYSLER SHOULD OWN ITS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS COMMON ISSUE AND COVER THE COSTS OF REPAIRS.. IT IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD AND WHOSE STUPID IDEA WAS TO CONNECT THE HORN TO THE AIR BAG ANYWAY? DUH! *TR

THE ENGINE IS CRAP. I BOUGHT AND THE THEN TWO WEEKS LATER IT HAS A BAD KNOCK. *TR

THE HORN ON THE VEHICLE STARTS TO RANDOMLY GO OFF AND WILL NOT STOP. HORN WILL BLOW EVEN WHILE DRIVING AT RANDOM TIMES. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS THERE IS ALSO A CLICKING NOISE THAT IS EMITTING FROM UNDERNEATH THE AIRBAG ASSEMBLY AS THE HORN STARTS TO GO OFF. I AM CONCERNED THAT AT SOME POINT DURING DRIVING THE AIRBAG MAY DEPLOY AT THE SAME TIME AS THE HORN IS RANDOMLY GOING OFF. I HAVE CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THEY SAY THEY ARE UNAWARE OF THIS ISSUE EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE LISTED WITH THE NHTSA AND DO NOT CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY CONCERN. REPAIR IS QUOTED AT $750+. THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA AND CHRYSLER NEEDS TO BE MADE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND ADDRESS FOR ME AND OTHER CUSTOMERS WHO ARE DEALING WITH THIS PARTICULAR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE HORN SOUNDED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED IN THE WINTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

HORN STARTS BLOWING SPONTANEOUSLY IN COLD WEATHER AND WILL NOT STOP UNTIL CAR IS WARMED UP. THIS PRESENTS A HAZARD TO OTHER DRIVERS AND IS A TRAFFIC VIOLATION. HORN SHARES A FUSE WITH THE FUEL PUMP, SO NO EASY WAY TO DISABLE IT AND DRIVE THE CAR, AND CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION IF THE HORN IS UNPLUGGED. A WEB SEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, BUT SINCE THE HORN SWITCH IS PART OF THE AIRBAG UNIT THE REPLACEMENT COST IS ALMOST $1000. *TR

SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING A USED CHRYSLER SEBRING 2005 FROM A LOCAL DEALERSHIP, A LARGE STREAM OF OIL BEGAN (AND CONTINUED) TO POUR OUT OF THE DRIVE SHAFT SEAL WHEN THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE CENTER WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BAD DRIVE SHAFT THAT HAD RUINED THE ENGINE BLOCK AND DRIVE SHAFT SEAL. THE ONLY FIX THEY OFFERED WAS AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT (WHICH WOULD COST MORE THAN THE ORIGINAL COST OF THE VEHICLE). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN FAILED AND THAT THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM WOULD ACTIVATE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AT THE DEALER BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,972.