2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE Complaints

CLOCKSPRING ON MY 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE WENT OUT. WHEN I CHECKED THE INTERNET I FOUND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAD THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THE EXACT SAME MODEL AND YEAR AS MINE. THIS PROBLEM DISABLES THE AIR BAG. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2001 SEBRING LXI CONVERTIBLE IN DEC 2003, WITH JUST OVER 500 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT HAD SUFFERED A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT THE ORIGINAL DEALER, HAD NEVER BEEN SOLD TO A CUSTOMER, WAS RETURNED TO CHRYSLER FOR A REPLACEMENT, THEN SAT ON A BACK LOT FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS BEFORE BEING RESOLD TO ANOTHER DEALER. I BOUGHT IT WITH A NEW CAR WARRANTY AND BOUGHT THE EXTENDED (7 YEAR/70,000 MILE) WARRANTY. AFTER INITIAL PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, HEATER AND WARPED BRAKE ROTORS (ALL FIXED BY THE DEALER), THE CAR SERVED ME VERY WELL FOR 50,000 MILES--NO SERIOUS ISSUES AT ALL. AT EACH SERVICE AFTER ROUGHLY 20,000 MILES, I WOULD TELL THE CHRYSLER SERVICE DEPT THAT THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT WAS COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. THEY WOULD DULY CHECK THE OIL LEVEL AND TELL ME NOT TO WORRY. THEN I TOOK IT TO A CHRYSLER DEALER (ROSENTHAL, ARLINGTON, VA) FOR THE 50K SERVICE AND TOLD THEM THAT THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT HAD BEEN COMING ON FREQUENTLY AT IDLE OR VERY LOW RPMS FOR THE PAST 10,000 MILES OR SO, BUT THE OIL LEVEL WAS FINE, AND ALSO THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEGUN TO USE OIL AT ABOUT 1 QUART EVERY COUPLE OF THOUSAND MILES. THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY, THAT THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE (2.7L) WITH THAT MUCH MILEAGE TENDED TO USE OIL. HE SAID JUST TO KEEP IT TOPPED UP. I KEPT CHECKING AND ADDING OIL FOR THE NEXT 5,000 MILES. JUST BEFORE I INTENDED TO TAKE THE CAR IN FOR ANOTHER OIL CHANGE, THE ENGINE BLEW WITHOUT WARNING ON AN INTER-STATE HIGHWAY. I HAD IT HAULED TO THE NEAREST CHRYSLER DEALER AND PAID TO HAVE THE OIL PAN PULLED AND ASSESSED. THE MECHANIC SAID THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND THE CAUSE WAS SLUDGE BUILD-UP, AND THAT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THAT CAUSE FOR ENGINE FAILURE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING WEST ON JEFFERSON AVE IN DETROIT. THERE ARE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AT BOTH ENDS OF A SHORT BRIDGE WHERE IT PASSES OVER I-375. I STOPPED AT THE FIRST AND, WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED, STARTED FORWARD, THE SECOND TRAFFIC SIGNAL TURNED RED. THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED, BUT, WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR AND PUT IT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR CONTINUED ACCELERATING AND, ALTHOUGH I WAS LITERALLY STANDING UP ON THE BRAKE, IT HAD NO EFFECT AND I HIT THE STOPPED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME GOING ABOUT 25 OR 30 MILES AN HOUR. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. SIMILAR EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED A HALF DOZEN OR MORE TIMES BEFORE, BUT NEVER WITH THE SAME CONSEQUENCES. ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, THE CONTINUING ACCELERATION STOPPED AFTER A DELAY AND I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP, ON TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, THERE WAS ANOTHER AUTO A CAR LENGTH OR MORE IN FRONT OF ME, AND THE DELAY BEFORE THE BRAKE TOOK OVER CAUSED ME TO BUMP INTO IT. IN NEITHER CASE WAS THERE ANY BODILY OR SERIOUS VEHICLE DAMAGE. IN OTHER INSTANCES, I WAS ABLE TO AVOID COLLISION, AFTER SUFFERING A SCARE. AFTER EACH EPISODE, I REPORTED THE PROBLEM WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT KEPT THE CAR SEVERAL DAYS TRYING TO REPLICATE THE OCCURRENCE. THEY WERE NEVER SUCCESSFUL. (IF THEY RETAIN COPIES OF THEIR SERVICE ORDERS, THEY WILL REFLECT THAT I REPORTED THE PROBLEM AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OR TO FIX IT.) MY VEHICLE IS SERIOUSLY DAMAGED AND, ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE PARKING LOT AT MY NEARBY OFFICE, I DO NOT EXPECT TO REPAIR IT OR, OF COURSE, TO EVER DRIVE IT AGAIN. WHEN CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS CALLED BY MY WIFE AFTER ONE OF THE EARLIER ACCELERATION EVENTS, THEY TOLD HER THERE WAS NO RECALL OR RECORD OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND TO TAKE THE CAR TO A DEALER. *TR

2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE 2.7 L, 89500 MILES, ENGINE LOOSES OF POWER AT 70 MPH ON I95 WITHOUT WARNING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, FORCING DRIVER TO MAKE A UNSAFE LANE CHANGES TO COAST OFF OF THE ROADWAY. INVESTIGATION ON INTERNET HAS RESULTED IN FIND OUT THAT CHRYSLER CORP HAS HAD A BIG PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE FAILING BUT TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE AND CONTINUES TO BLAME IT ALL ON THE CONSUMER FOR IMPROPER MAINTENANCE, OIL CHANGES. THE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED ONCE THE EXACT COMPONENT FAILURE MOST LIKELY A ROD BEARING IS FOUND, THIS WILL RESULT IN TOTAL REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $6,000 - $8,000 OR MORE AT MY EXPENSE WHEN IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE VEHICLE WARRANTY

THE ENGINE FAILED ON MY 2001 SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. THE OIL LIGHT FLICKERED ON AND OFF AND THEN THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHO KEPT THE CAR FOR 2 WEEKS IN DEC , BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY THING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THREE WEEKS LATER THE MOTOR HAS MAJOR DAMAGE FROM A OIL PUMP FAILURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH THE FRONT SUSPENSION COLLAPSED CAUSING THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE TO COME OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE SO THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED BOTH OUTER TIE-RODS, LEFT DRIVE AXLE, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM, AND THE LEFT LOWER BALL JOINT. A LOCAL MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RIGHT LOWER BALL JOINT ALSO WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED SOON. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING A RECALL FOR THE SUSPENSION FRONT, CONTROL ARM LOWER BALL JOINT BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,039 UPDATED 4/19/10 *CN CHRYSLER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE MATTER WOULD NOT BE INVESTIGATED DUE TO THE HIGH MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED. UPDATED 06/18/10.*JB

MY 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE CRUISE CONTROL COMES ON UNCOMMANDED. THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL COME ON AT A STOP, WHILE AT IDLE, AND AT ALL SPEEDS. *TR

WAS DRIVING MY 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE THAT I HAD ONLY OWNED FOR 2 MOS. FOR MY DELIVERY JOB. WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS SMOKING BAD AND ALSO STARTED RUNNING REALLY ROUGH WHEN STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. ADDED QUART OF OIL AFTER LETTING THE ENGINE COOL AND IT SEEMED TO RUN FINE. TRIED TO USE FOR WORK THE NEXT DAY AND IT DID THE SAME THING + DIED 2X. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT ONE OF THE HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN AND WAS ALSO LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE AND A LOT OF SLUDGE. AFTER GETTING A QUOTE OF $850 I LEFT IT AT HIS SHOP HE DID FURTHER RESEARCH & CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT THE 2.7 DOHC V6 IN THE SEBRING CONVERTIBLE HAS A HISTORY OF PROBLEMS LIKE THIS AND THE ONLY SURE SORT OF LONG TERM SOLUTION WAS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. ALSO HAVE FOUND OUT AFTER MY OWN RESEARCH THAT CHRYSLER IS DOING NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS DEFECT. I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO SEE CHRYSLER RECALL THESE PIECE OF JUNK ENGINES AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS DEFECT. *TR

WAS DRIVING HOME FROM A LOCAL STORE. WAS AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I APPLIED GAS, CAR STALLED ( WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED). WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR STARTED, BUT NOW A LOUD NOISE IS COMING FROM THE FRONT END, AND WHEN I GO TO APPLY GAS, THE CAR WANTS TO STALL OUT. WAS ABLE TO COAST DOWNHILL AND PULL ONTO A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND DRIVE AT 5 MPH AND GET CAR INTO MY DRIVEWAY. THAT WEEK, WHILE WAITING FOR MY NEW EXTENDED WARRANTY PAPERS TO COME IN, LEFT CAR IN DRIVEWAY, TRIED STARTING IT BUT NOISE STILL THERE, SO LET THE CAR SIT. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, OPENED ENGINE, WAS TOLD CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, BECAUSE WARRANTY COMPANY WILL NOT REPLACE ENGINE. HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW BATTERY TO BE INSTALLED SINCE WHEN I LEFT CAR SITTING IN DRIVEWAY, THE BATTERY DIED. TO OPEN THE ENGINE UP FOR THE WARRANTY COMPANY TO SHOW THAT I MAINTAINED ENGINE ALSO COST AROUND 400.00. SINCE NOVEMBER, MY CAR WITH MY HANDICAP PLATES ON IT SITS AT THE DEALERSHIP. I SEE THAT THEIR IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT GOING ON FOR THE 2.75 LITER V6 ENGINE PUT IN THESE CARS BY CHRYSLER, BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS CONDITION, I WAS JUST LUCKY I WASN'T REAR-ENDED AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY CHILD IN THE CAR. *TR

I OWN CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE, 2001. THE ENGINE GOT BROKEN ON THE HIGHWAY AS A RESULT OF OIL SLUDGE. *TR