2000 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE Complaints

ALL SEATBELTS IN THE CAR HAVE STOPPED FUNCTIONING. IT STARTED WITH THE BELTS RANDOMLY LOCKING, WHETHER DRIVING OR NOT. NOW, I HAVE TO KEEP CLIPS ON THE BELTS TO PREVENT THEM FROM FULLY RETRACTING. *JS

ON 6/18/13, I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT LATCH (THE RECEPTACLE PORTION) WAS BEING PUSHED BETWEEN THE SEAT AND THE CENTER CONSOLE WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO BUCKLE. THE FOURTH OR FIFTH TIME IT DID THIS, THE ENTIRE BUCKLE BROKE OFF. UPON INSPECTION, THE WIRE CABLE CONNECTING THE SEAT BELT LATCH AND THE ANCHOR HAD BROKEN. THE ANCHOR WAS STILL SECURELY BOLTED TO THE SEAT. I HAVE CONTACTED A DEALER AND CHRYSLER, TO NO AVAIL. *TR

THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM CONCERNS THE SEATBELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM ".THE SEATBELT CONTROL MODULE" HAS FAILED ON OUR 2000 CHRYSLER SEBRING 1. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEN ON A REGULAR BASIS AND AFTER SETTING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME THE BATTERY WAS LOW REQUIRING JUMP STARTING. 2. TWO DEALERSHIPS CHECKED OUT WHAT WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. 3. WITH THE BATTERY GROUND DISCONNECTED AND AN AMMETER BETWEEN BATTERY GROUND AND CHASIS GROUND MY INITIAL READING WAS .06 AMPS,. 4. WITH THIS SAME TEST SETUP IN PLACE THE DOORS WERE OPENED AND THEN CLOSED THE AMMETER READ .5 AMPS DRAW ON THE BATTERY AFTER THE CONTROL FOR THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TIMED OUT. NOTE:THE INITIAL BREAKING OF THE GROUND DISGUISED THE PROBLEM. (MAYBE WHY DEALERSHIPS DID NOT DETECT THE PROBLEM) . I PROCEEDED TO PULL FUSES UNTIL I DISCOVERED THE .5 AMP DRAIN WENT AWAY WHEN THE FUSE FEEDING THE SEAT BELT CONTROL MODULE WAS PULLED. I HAVE NOT YET HAD OUR CAR REPAIRED HOWEVER APPEARANCES ARE THAT THE MODULE IS DEFECTIVE. THIS PROBLEM MAY NEVER HAVE SHOWED UP HAD THE CAR BEEN DRIVEN ON A REGULAR BASIS KEEPING THE BATTERY FROM GETTING TOO LOW TO START THE CAR. EVEN WITH THE FUSE PULLED THE SEATBELTS COULD BE USED AS NORMAL WHICH WE DID SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THEY LOCKED TO WHERE THEY COULD NOT BE RETRACTED. WHAT LITTLE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE TELLS ME THIS MODULE HAS MANY SAFETY FUNCTIONS BESIDES JUST REMINDING US TO FASTEN THE SEAT BELTS. THE IMPACT SENSOR IS A COMPONENT OF THE SEATBELT CONTROL TIMER MODULE (SCTM) LOCATED UNDER THE CENTER CONSOLE. THE G-SENSOR IS SENSITIVE TO FRONTAL IMPACT AND TO A ROLL OR PITCH OR MORE THAN 45 DEGREES AND TO ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN 0.7G IN ANY DIRECTION. IN CLOSING MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE ARE MANY CARS BEING DRIVEN DAILY WITH THE OWNERS UNAWARE OF A MALFUNCTIONING "SEAT BELT CONTROL MODULE". *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS WERE LOCKED AND WOULD NOT RETRACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 157,000.

MY WIFE OWNS A 2000 CHRYSLER SEBRING JXI CONVERTIBLE. ON SEPTEMBER 6., 2011 MY WIFE WAS LEAVING FOR WORK AND WHEN SHE WENT TO BUCKLE HER SEAT BELT THE ENTIRE SEAT BELT'S FEMALE RECEPTICLE (DRIVER'S SIDE) BROKE OFF IN HER HAND (THE ENTIRE CABLE SNAPPED). UPON INSPECTION WE DISCOVERED THE CABLE THAT BOLTS THE RECEPTICLE TO THE SEAT FRAME HAD BROKEN IN THE MIDDLE WHERE THERE IS VERY LITTLE BINDING OR BENDING. WE CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY STATED IT "WASN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY...." MY WIFE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO OUR LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD HER IT WOULD COST $300 TO REPLACE IT. AS A TEMPORARY FIX I MOVED THE SEAT BELT RECEPTICLE FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT TO THE TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE SINCE IT'S ILLEGAL IN MISSOURI TO DRIVE WITHOUT A SEAT BELT. WE FEEL THERE SHOULDN'T BE A WARRANTY PERIOD FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON A VEHICLE - IF A PART FAILS THROUGH NO FAULT OF THE OWNER THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPLACE THEIR SUBSTANDARD PARTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S A DEFECTIVE PART THAT COULD COST THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE THEIR LIFE. AFTER DOING AN ONLINE SEARCH WE FOUND WE WEREN'T ALONE IN SEAT BELT RECEPTICLES BREAKING ON CHRYSLER SEBRINGS. WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF MY SEARCH I FOUND 5 COMPLAINTS DESCRIBING THE SAME MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT - ONE MENTIONED THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED AFTER AN ACCIDENT WHERE "SEVERE HEAD INJURIES" RESULTED. THE COMPLAINTS I READ ONLINE STARTED WITH THE MODEL YEAR 2000 AND GO THROUGH 2005. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR FEAR OF THE SEAT BELT RECEPTICLE I MOVED TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE FAILING IN AN ACCIDENT. IF I GET ONE FROM A JUNKYARD TO SAVE MONEY ON THE REPAIR WHO'S TO SAY IT WON'T BREAK IN AN ACCIDENT TOO RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH? *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT TIMES, THE SEAT BELT CONNECTORS WOULD FAIL TO ALIGN PROPERLY, RENDERING THEM INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 164,000. UPDATED 8/29/11 *CN THE SEAT BELT RELEASE MODULE DOES NOT RANDOMLY BELTS. UPDATED 09/21/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CONTACT HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHENEVER THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPORADICALLY FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. THE CONTACT HAD NOT ALLOWED THE DEALER TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CONTACT WAS USING HOME REMEDIES TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, IT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CONTACT STATED THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE COULD LEAVE HIM STRANDED ON THE ROAD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BUTTON TO THE CONVERTIBLE TOP WOULD NOT WORK UNLESS IT WERE PRESSED REPEATEDLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE COMPRESSOR TO THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT FAILED; YET, THEY WERE NOT SURE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CONVERTIBLE TOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2000 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE JXI - SEATBELTS MALFUNCTION SEATBELT RETRACTOR LOCKS UP (BOTH SEATS AT THE SAME TIME) SO THE SEAT BELTS CANNOT BE USED. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM BUT VERY PROBLEMATIC. I HAVE REPLACED THE SEATBELT FUSE. I HAVE CONSULTED WITH A CHRYSLER SERVICE DEPT. TECHNICIAN WHO STATED THAT REPLACING THE RETRACTOR WOULD BE $508 PER SEAT BUT COULDN'T GUARANTEE THAT THIS WOULD BE THE SOLUTION. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE INTERNET; HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F11C283 WHICH HAS NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND WWW.ALLEXPERTS.COM. *TR

I OWN A 2000 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE JXI. THE SEAT BELTS OCCASIONALLY WILL NOT RETRACT FROM BOTH FRONT SEAT. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN AN HOUR AND SEVERAL DAYS. BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS LOCK AT THE SAME TIME. *TR