2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT ANY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,000.

ON JUNE 3 2012 I HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM MY ENGINE ON THE WAY TO CHURCH. WHEN I LEFT I HAD PROBLEMS GETTING THE CAR TO START. I FINALLY GOT IT STARTED AND RETURNED HOME. THE NEXT MORNING IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL. I CALLED AROUND TO SEE IF I COULD HAVE SOMEONE LOOK AT IT. WHEN I TOLD THEM THE MAKE, MODEL AND ENGINE SIZE OF MY VEHICLE THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE TYPE OF ENGINE THAT I HAVE ARE KNOWN FOR FAILING. IT HAS A 2.7L ENGINE WHICH IS KNOWN FOR SLUDGE BUILD UP. I HAD THE OIL CHANGE REGULARLY. I FOUND THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS LEAKING FLUID WITH THE OIL CAUSING IT TO FAIL. NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WHICH IS GOING TO COST $3000 INCLUDING LABOR. *TR

ON FEBRUARY 10,2012 I JUST GOT OFF THE EXPRESS WAY AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN SUDDENLY I HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND UP FRONT. I GOT OUT TO LOOK AND FOUND THAT MY WHEEL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS TURNED ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT. AFTER I HAD IT TOWED TO THE SHOP THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE CONTROL ARM BROKE. I HAD TO PAY $450 TO GET IT REPLACED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY AND ENGINE GAVE OUT AND I GOT STUCK ON SHOULDER, HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK AND MY MECHANIC SAID MY ENGINE SEIZED. I HAVE MY CARE SERVICED REGULARLY AND DID NOT KNOW OF THIS ENGINE/OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. I CANNOT AFFORD A NEW ENGINE OR TO BUY A NEW CAR. *TR

WHY IS CHRYSLER ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THEIR RIM PROBLEMS? WE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH TWO SEPARATE CHRYSLER VEHICLES' RIMS BEING UNSUITABLE FOR CONSUMER SAFETY. ONE CAUSED A BLOWOUT ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE OTHER CAUSES CONSTANT AIR PRESSURE ISSUES. THE RIM ACTUALLY HAS A CORROSION CRACK ON THE FLAT PART OF THE RIM, NOT EVEN ON THE BEAD (THAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE OTHER RIM). IF YOU HAVE A CHRYSLER, HAVE YOUR RIMS CHECKED REGULARLY. CHRYSLER CONVENIENTLY KEPT THIS OFF THEIR WARRANTY PROGRAM. PERHAPS THEY KNEW SOMETHING??? *TR

DUE TO AN OIL SLUDGE ISSUE, MY ENGINE CUT OUT ON ME AND NOW I AM HAVING TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND POSSIBLY THE MOTOR. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE FULL REPORT BACK YET. *TR

THIS COMPLAINT FOLLOWS OTHERS THAT OWN THE SEBRING CONV. AND THE SLUDGE BUILDUP,.I ALSO DO REG. MAINT. ON THE VEHICLE AND NOW HAVE AN ENGINE THAT HAS SEIZED & FAILED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY ALMOST CAUSING A PILEUP. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM, NOT ONLY ON THIS SITE BUT SEVERAL OTHERS, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT A CLASS ACTION SUIT IS BEING BROUGHT AGAINST CHRYSLER ON THE 2.7LTR ENGINE FOR THIS FACT. THE OIL LIGHT KEPT FLICKERING TOOK IT IN TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, LEVELS CORRECT, IT WOULD GO OUT FOR A WHILE AND THEN BOOM. THIS WOULD GO ON LIKE EVERY 3 MONTHS OR SO SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR .NEVER AGAIN CHRYSLER. WILL IT TAKE A DEATH FOR YOU TO ORDER A RECALL ON THESE ENGINES??? *TR

ENGINE DIED DUE TO OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, WE KEPT THE CAR IN GOOD CONDITION AND PERFORMED MAINTENANCE REGULARLY. *TT

THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE 2002 SEBRING THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE PARTS! REAR UPPER SHOCK MOUNTS BROKE. MADE OF ALUM.. WHY? CORROSION WILL HAPPEN IF YOU INSTALL ALUM. NEXT TO SHEET METAL, ALSO THEY WERE NOT PAINTED. THE NEW ONES ARE AT LEAST PAINTED. IT DOES NOT SEEM TO ME TO BE VERY SMART TO HAVE ALUM.. MOUNTS AND UNPROTECTED." "THE CONTACT STATED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR SECTION OF THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE DRIVER SIDE REAR STRUT MOUNT WAS CORRODED AND FELL APART. THE PART WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS LOCATED IN A SALT BELT STATE." "THE REAR MOUNT THAT HOLDS THE REAR MCPHERSON STRUT IN PLACE, DISINTEGRATED. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS MADE OF ALUMINUM. IT FELL APART AND THE PART MADE A RATTLE SOUND, WHICH WAS THE STRUT MOVING AROUND. THE CONSUMER WAS GOING 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY REPLACED IT."I AM ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEALER STATEMENT THAT REPLACEMENT MOUNTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND ARE "BACK ORDERED BY THE THOUSANDS"!!!! *TR

ON MAY 22, 2011, I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE ONTO A MAIN ROAD HERE IN FLORIDA AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THERE WAS A HUGE THUD, MY CAR CRASHED TO THE GROUND, AND IT JOLTED FORWARD AFTER FORCING A STOP. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND THE BODY OF MY FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HAD FALLEN ON TOP OF MY TIRE. THE POLICE ARRIVED AND SAID THAT IT WAS MY CONTROL ARM. I SPENT OVER $150 GETTING IT TOWED NUMEROUS PLACES AND I WAS FINALLY TOLD THAT IT WAS MY FRONT CONTROL ARM AND LOWER BALL JOINT. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS GOING TO BE $1500 TO REPAIR BECAUSE MY DRIVERS SIDE CONTROL ARM AND LOWER BALL JOINT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO DO THE SAME THING. I WENT TO THE VEHICLE CENTER SECTION ON MY CAR INSURANCE WEBSITE AND TO MY SURPRISE THERE ARE THREE VEHICLE RECALLS FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL. I DID NOT THINK THAT I WAS GOING TO FIND ANYTHING, BUT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE EXACT THING THAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY SAID THAT MY VIN DOES NOT MATCH FOR ANY RECALLS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE EXACT THING THAT IS BEING RECALLED HAPPENED TO ME, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER. SHOULDN'T MY SAFETY BE NUMBER ONE? THE POLICE AND TOWING COMPANY, AS WELL AS MY PARENTS, SAID THAT I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY THAT I WAS HEADED TO AND THE CONTROL ARM AND BALL JOINT WOULD HAVE BROKEN/FALLEN OFF, I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE. THERE NEEDS TO BE JUSTIFICATION FOR THEM TO DENY MY CLAIM. JUST BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FALL UNDER THEIR RECALL LIST DOESN'T MEAN IT SHOULDN'T. THESE TYPES OF PARTS ARE MADE TO LAST IN ALL OTHER CARS. MY CAR IS NOT THAT OLD, AND THIS DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN OUT OF THE BLUE. I THINK THAT MY CAR SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT FOR THE RECALL, OTHERWISE THE OTHER ONE IS GOING TO DO THE SAME THING, AND NEXT TIME I MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. *TR