1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING Complaints

STRONG GASOLINE ODORS CAME INTO VEHICLE FROM THE OUTSIDE WHEN DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW WAS DOWN. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK.....PAINT ON VEHICLE WAS FADING-TURNING BLACK TO WHITE. FROM INSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE BACK OF VEHICLE. SEAT BELT ON PASSENGER'S SIDE HAD A BROKEN SEAT BELT RETRACTOR. IN ADDITION, PASSENGER'S LEATHER SEAT WAS CRACKING, AND STITCHING ON CONVERTIBLE TOP WAS COMING OUT. *AK

ODOMETER AND TACHOMETER STOP AND START FUNCTIONING INTERMITTENTLY. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A KNOWN AND COMMON PROBELM WITH THIS YEAR/MODEL. WHY WON'T CHRYSLER RECALL AND REPAIR THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THE CAR?

VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE OF A GARAGE , IT JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED CAR. DRIVER DROVE VEHICLE HOME AND WILL CONTACT THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY. *AK

DRIVER & VEHICLE LEAVING TOLL PLAZA ON THE DALLAS NORTH TOLLWAY, HEADED SOUTH TOWARDS I-635, ABOUT 6 PM ON INCIDENT DATE. DRIVER ACCELERATED OUT OF THE TOLL BOOTH, UP TO ABOUT 40-45 MPH, AND FELT A SURGE IN ACCELERATION. ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE SPEED BY TAKING FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL, BUT THERE WAS NO REDUCTION IN SPEED. APPLIED BRAKE, BUT STILL NO REDUCTION IN SPEED. PULLED HAND BRAKE, NO REDUCTION. THE ACCELERATOR SEEMED TO BE STUCK OR HUNG UP. FINALLY THOUGHT TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL, AND AT SOME POINT THE ACCELERATOR FINALLY "LET GO." WAS ABLE TO EXIT FROM THE TOLLWAY. ON 635 ACCESS ROAD, ATTEMPTED ACCELERATION AGAIN, AND AGAIN THE ACCELERATOR SEEMED TO "STICK" AT ABOUT 15 MPH. BACKED OFF, AND MADE WAY SLOWLY TO A NISSAN AUTOMOTIVE DEALERSHIP OFF 635 IN NORTH DALLAS. THERE, A SERVICE REP LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND OBSERVED THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WAS BADLY FRAYED. AS THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE FURTHER, CALLED FOR A TOW AND HAD CAR TOWED TO CHRYSLER DEALER IN GRAPEVINE, TX. THE FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE TO DECELLERATE ON A BUSY AND FAST-MOVING TOLLWAY AT RUSH HOUR COULD HAVE BEEN CATATROPHIC, BUT DUE TO LUCK OR GRACE, THERE WAS NO COLLISION. HOWEVER, THE DRIVER SUFFERED MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ANGUISH, STRESS, AND FRANK TERROR DURING THE EVENT. THIS CAR HAD BEEN SUBJECT TO A RECALL ISSUED IN AUGUST 2002, AND HAD BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE DEFECT AT THE DEALER IN GRAPEVINE. HOWEVER, THE ACCELERATOR CABLE FAILED ANYWAY. THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION IS THAT THE DEFECT REPAIR WAS ALSO FAULTY, OR THE DEFECT WAS NOT REPAIRED PROPERLY. OTHER SYSTEMS IN THE VEHICLE WERE MOST LIKELY IMPACTED: BRAKES AND TRANSMISSION.*AK

THE BRAKES WERE NOT OPERATING AND WERE MAKING NOISE WHEN THEY WERE APPLIED. CONSUMER PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AFTER REPAIRS, AND WHILE PULLING OUT THE BRAKES FAILED ONCE AGAIN. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS AGAIN, AND RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. OWNER WAS DRIVING TO AN INTERSECTION. UPON APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION, DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. ALTHOUGH, THE DRIVER HAD THERE FOOT ON THE BRAKE. *AK

WHILE PULLING INSIDE THE PARKING LOT VEHICLE COLLASPSED TO THE GROUND. DRIVER NOTICED THAT RIGHT SIDE COLLASPED,BUT THE LEFT SIDE WAS NORMAL. DRIVER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE, AND THEN CONTACTED A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT UPPER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. *AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN SYSTEM, CAUSE UNKNOWN.DEALER REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAD THE OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED AGAIN ALONG WITH A EXHAUST MANIFOLD- STILL DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AGAIN! DRIVING AT ABOUT 65MPH ON BUSY HIGHWAYS THE CAR JUST SHUTS DOWN. ANY INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN ACTING UP SINCE THE CAR HIT AROUND 57,000 MILES. I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED, HOWEVER, THE ENGINE KEEPS RACING AND THE SPEED DOESN'T KEEP UP. THE CAR NOW HAS 87,000 MILES ON IT AND IS SLIPPING AGAIN. *JB

1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING LXI 6 CYL. TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 69,000 MILES HAD TO BE REPLACED $1,808.00. ENGINE FAILED 86,000 MILES $2,500. HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALUMINUM WHEELS EASILY DAMAGED REPLACED ALL 4. I WOULD NEVER IN LIFE BY ANOTHER CHRYSLER. WOULD NOT EVEN TAKE A FREE ONE! BOUGHT IN 1997 AS A DEMO. PROBLEMS SINCE 1 WEEK OF OWNERSHIP. I DON'T LOOK THEIR DIRECTION WHEN PASSING DEALERSHIPS. HAD A TOYOTA CAMRY FOR 3 YEARS PRIOR TO SEBRING. NO MAINTENANCE ISSUES. *JB