1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE Complaints

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

DT: WAS DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED AND PULLED IN FRONT OF A BOWLING ALLEY TO PICK UP ANOTHER PASSENGER. TURNED THE ENGINE OFF WITH KEY IN IGNITION, WITHIN A MATTER OF SECONDS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL FORWARD. THE CAR GAINED SPEED AND WAS TOO QUICK BEFORE THE CONSUMER COULD GAIN CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WENT DOWN AN INCLINE AND CRASHED INTO A PARKING LOT POLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. BOTH PASSENGER HAD SEAT BELTS ON BUT PASSENGER SEAT BELT DID NOT REMAIN LOCKED AND PASSENGER STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD, THIS DID NOT UNLATCH BUT A GREAT DEAL SLACK CAME FROM THAT SEAT BELT. HAD RECEIVED A RECALL ON THE TRANSAXLES FLOOR SHIFT(NO NHTSA RECALL CAMP ID# AVAILABLE) THIS RECALL HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED. A INSPECTOR FROM CHRYSLER CAME OUT TO IMPASSES VEHICLE WHO LATER NOTED THIS INCIDENT WAS NOT DUE THE RECALL BUT CONSUMER DOES NOT KNOW HOW HE MADE THIS ASSUMPTION BECAUSE HE JUST LOOKED AT VEHICLE-THE VEHICLE WAS LOCKED UP AT THE TIME. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. DEALER DID MAKE AWARE THERE WAS ALSO A RECALL ON THROTTLE AS WELL(NO NHTSA RECALL ID AT THIS TIME.) DEALER AND CHRYSLER ARE UNWILLING TO COVER DAMAGES AS WELL THE RECALL REPAIR.*AK

DT: WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND CONSEQUENTLY, THE CONSUMER HIT ANOTHER MOTORIST. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO JUMPING OUT OF GEAR DUE TO THE RECALL ON THE TRANS AXLE FLOOR SHIFTER/IGNITION PARK INTERLOCK. *JB

RIGHT FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT FRACTURED AND RIPPED OUT THE DRIVE SHAFT FROM THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING. A NEW LOWER CONTROL ARM AND DRIVE SHAFT WAS INSTALLED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

IT'S A CONSTANT RATTLE NOISY AT THE FRONT OF THE CAR, WHEN WE BOUGTH THE CAR AND START DRIVING IT WE NOTICE THE NOISY WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T FOUND ANYTHING, DIDN'T DROVE THE CAR FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, MOVE TO DC, START DRIVING THE CAR AGAIN AND THE RATTLE GETTING WORST I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THEY FIX THE CAR I PAID ALMOST $900.00 AND THE PROBLEM STILL THERE, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC 1 MONTH AFTER THEY FIXED, THE INVOICE SAID 90 DAYS WARRANTY, NOW THEY SAID IT'S PROBABLY ANOTHER PROBLEM, IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM SAME NOISY. I JUST WANT MY CAR FIXED, FOR WHAT I PAID.

DT: CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF A VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL PROBLEM. BRAKE WOULD NOT WORK, VEHICLE REVVED, AND DID NOT STOP, VEHICLE OVER ACCELERATED, CAUSING IT TO RAM INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. AK

DT: CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN MARCH FOR THE TRANSAXLES FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION PARK INTERLOCK. CONSUMER TRIED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE DEALERSHIP. THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY THE CAR POPPED OUT OF GEAR AND HIT A POLE. THE WHOLE FRONT END OF THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK, AND THE BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CHRYSLER SENT SOMEONE TO LOOK AT THE CAR, THE CHRYSLER INVESTIGATOR SAID THAT EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. CONSUMER HAD TO CALL HIM BACK FROM CHRYSLER AFTER HE CAME AND LOOKED AT THE CAR. CHRYSLER INVESTIGATOR SENT A LETTER TO THE CONSUMER STATING THAT THE INCIDENT DID NOT LOOK LIKE IT WAS A RESULT OF THE RECALL.*AK