2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE Complaints

2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE WITH 2.7L, 6 CYL ENGINE. ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY IN MICHIGAN; WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD, THE RADIATOR WAS STEAMING/BOILING. NO WARNING, NO "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHTS, NO OIL PRESSURE OR TEMPERATURE WARNINGS. HAD CAR TOWED TO MICHIGAN DEALER, THEY COULDN'T GET THE ENGINE TO MOVE; SAID I NEEDED ENGINE REPLACEMENT. CHRYSLER WOULDN'T HONOR ANY WARRANTIES BECAUSE CAR WAS JUST OVER 70K MILES (WARRANTY TO 70K). ALSO, DEALER I TOWED THE CAR TO HAD JUST LOST THEIR CHRYSLER FRANCHISE 3 DAYS EARLIER AS DID THE DEALER I HAD PURCHASED THE CAR FROM; CHRYSLER SAID THEY WOULDN'T EVEN TALK TO THESE DEALERS ANYMORE ABOUT THE CAR, I WAS ON MY OWN. I FOUND NUMEROUS WEBSITES SHOWING COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ENGINE THAT WERE EXACTLY LIKE MINE. THERE'S BEEN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED IN NJ REGARDING THIS ENGINE FAILURE BUT I HAVEN'T FOUND ONE THAT I CAN PARTICIPATE IN YET. I SURRENDERED THE CAR TO CHRYSLER AS I WASN'T READY TO PAY OVER $8000 FOR A NEW ENGINE (MORE THAN THE CAR WAS WORTH). *TR

WHILE DRIVING HOME ON THE FREEWAY MY OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINUTES THE CAR STOPPED, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING, THE BATTERY WAS FINE BECAUSE THE RADIO AND HEAD LIGHTS WERE WORKING, I KNEW HAD OIL, MY HUSBAND CAME OUT AND TRIED TO JUMP START IT BUT HAD NO LUCK, HAD IT TOWED TO CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THE ENGINE WAS SEIZED. I HAD NO WARNING SIGN THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY ENGINE, THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE OIL LEVEL WAS FINE AND THAT IT LOOK PRETTY CLEAN AS WELL. THEY TOLD ME A NEED A NEW ENGINE AT A COST OF $5500 FOR A USED ONE WITH A 6 MO. PARTS ONLY WARRANTY OR A FACTORY RECONDITIONED ONE AT A COST OF $7200. I CAN NOT AFFORD EITHER, AND STILL OWE APROX $6500 ON MY CAR LOAN. I FOUND A WEB SITE CALLED AUTO BEEF AND WITH LITTLE SURPRISE THERE WERE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEMS. I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A FAULTY PRODUCT. NOW I HAVE TO PAY FOR A CAR I CANNOT USE OR INVEST ALMOST $7200 PLUS TAX ON A CAR THAT ISN'T WORTH THAT MUCH TO PUT INTO IT ANOTHER $7200.00. *TR

OIL SLUDGE IN MY LOWER ENGINE. CHRYSLER 2.7 V6 ENGINE. I AM BEING TOLD I NEED TO PAY $8000.00 FOR A NEW ENGINE IN MY 2004 SEBRING WITH ONLY 48,XXX MILES ON IT. *TR

TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE TWO CARS GOT INTO A FENDER BENDER ANOTHER CRASHED INTO THEM AND I WAS TRAVELING BEHIND THE THIRD VEHICLE WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND SENT INTO A SKID. MY CAR SLID A GOOD DISTANCE UNTIL IT CRASHED RIGHT INTO THE BACK OF THE THIRD VEHICLE WHICH WAS A VOLVO IN WHICH THEIR AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. MY SEBRING DID NOT STOP NOR DID THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY. I WAS TRAVELING AROUND 30-40 MPH WHEN THE IMPACT HAPPEN. WILL NOT HAVE CONFIRMATION UNTIL TOMORROW BUT IT APPEARS THAT THE CAR WILL NOT BE SALVAGEABLE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ANTI-LOCK BRAKES SHOULD PREVENT A SKID ON A DRY SURFACE ON A CLEAR DAY. *TR

TICKING OF THE ENGINE, NO SLUDGE FOUND AS OF TODAY. STALLING AT LIGHTS OR SITTING IN TRAFFIC. *TR

VEHICLE HAS DIED FOR NO REASON ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND THEN RECENTLY STARTED KNOCKING. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUINED WITH SLUDGE. IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. WE HAVE DONE A FEW OF THE OIL CHANGES OURSELVES, AND HAD SOME DONE AT AUTO SERVICES OTHER THAN CHRYSLER SO THEY DO NOT WISH TO WARRANTY THE ENGINE. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM I DISCOVERED AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET AND CHRYSLER IS TRYING NOT TO HONOR THE WARRANTY BY CLAIMING THE OIL WAS NOT CHANGED CORRECTLY BY THE OWNER, AND OR, THE SERVICE COMPANIES OTHER THAN CHRYSLER. I CANNOT AFFORD TO CONTINUE PAYING FOR A CAR THAT DOES NOT RUN, AND I CANNOT AFFORD A NEW ENGINE FOR A CAR THAT IS A 2004 MODEL, OR ANY YEAR MODEL FOR THAT MATTER. A $20,000 VEHICLE SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 4 OR 5 YEARS. 20,000. *TR

IN MAY OF 2008, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH HER PURSE ON THE PASSENGER SEAT. SHE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND LOOKED OVER TO DISCOVER THAT HER PURSE WAS BURNING ALONG WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT. SHE PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY AND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE BOTTOM OF HER PURSE WAS CHARRED AND THE PASSENGER SEAT HAD A BURN WHOLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER. THE FIRE WAS DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE SEAT WARMER. THE SEAT WARMER HAS A RANGE OF 1-5 WITH 1 BEING THE LOWEST. THE WARMER WAS ON 3. I HAD BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY WITH THE COMPLAINT OF THE SEAT WARMERS OVERHEATING. I HAD FELT A BURNING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND WAS CONVINCED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE SEAT WARMER. ADDITIONALLY MY WIFE HAD MENTIONED THAT SHE FELT SIMILAR OVERHEATING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. EACH TIME I BROUGHT IT IN TO CHRYSLER, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. I HAD ASKED THEM TO SEARCH FOR RECALLS AS WELL AS TSB'S. I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NONE. THERE WAS IN FACT A TSB ISSUED FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM BEFORE I HAD BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO BE EXAMINED. IT SEEMS THAT THIS WAS EITHER IGNORED OR OVERLOOKED ON AT LEAST 2 OCCASIONS. WE KEPT THE CONTROL AT 3 OR BELOW AND THIS SEEMED TO HELP FOR A BIT, HOWEVER IT STILL GOT TOO HOT ON MANY OCCASIONS AND WE HAD TO TURN THEM OFF. I HAVE DISCOVERED RECENTLY THAT THE CHRYSLER JEEP FOR 2004 WAS RECALLED FOR EXACTLY THE PROBLEM THAT I HAD. NOW THE MERCEDES (DAMLIERCHRYSLER) IS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AS WELL. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 7/2/2008 HOPING THAT THEY WOULD HELP RESOLVE THIS. I WAS TOLD THAT A MANAGER WAS PUTTING A CALL INTO CHRYSLER TO SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE. I CALLED LATTER IN THE DAY FOR STATUS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE MANAGER WAS AT THE DENTIST. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, I WAS TOLD THAT HE NEVER RETURNED FORM THE DENTIST. I AM NOW (7/9/08) BEING TOLD THAT THE CHRYSLER FACTORY REP IS ON VACATION AND WILL NOT BE BACK UNTIL 7/14/08.

THE AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF AT RANDOM. CHRYSLER HAS REPLACED THE SEATBELT TENSIONER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IT IS NOW RECURRING AND THE LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATBELT TENSIONERS TO TURN OFF THE LIGHT. I BELIEVE, FROM ONLINE QUERIES, THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR MODEL SERIES. THE CONDITION IS CLEARLY UNSAFE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN WHEN HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CURB. THIS CAUSED THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AND THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE TO GO FLAT. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE MECHANIC AND AS OF APRIL 28, 2008, THE MECHANIC HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 92,000.

2004 SEBRING CONVERTIBLE TOURING EDITION WITH 25,700 MILES. LEATHER INTERIOR WITH HEATED SEATS. WHILE SITTING IN THE PARKING LOT OF MY SON'S SCHOOL, MY SON FELT SOMETHING HOT ON HIS BACK. THE HEATED SEATS WERE ON 1, THE HEATING ELEMENT BURNT THROUGH THE CUSHION AND LEATHER SEAT BACK AND ALSO BURNT A HOLE INTO HIS COAT. THE CUSHION OR THE POLYESTER FILL IN HIS COAT WAS IN A BLACK MOLTEN FORM AND BURNT THE TIP OF HIS FINGER AND HE JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR. THE HOLE IN THE SEAT WAS THE SIZE OF A QUARTER AND NEEDED TO BE EXTINGUISHED WITH A WATER BOTTLE TO STOP IT FROM BURNING,THE SEAT WAS ON FIRE! CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP WOULDN'T COVER REPAIRS, NOT A WARRANTY PROBLEM. SEPARATE WARRANTY THAT WAS PURCHASED DIDN'T WANT TO COVER DAMAGES, UPHOLSTERY IS NOT COVERED, BUT I ARGUED THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR, SEATS DON'T CATCH ON FIRE. THE FINAL OUTCOME, WARRANTY COMPANY SENT A USED SEAT TO MY HOME. CAR DEALERSHIP CHARGED 65.00 TO CALL WARRANTY COMPANY WITH A LIST OF PARTS TOTALING $ 3,200.00 FOR SEAT BACK. WHEN AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN WARRANTY COMPANY AND MYSELF TO INSTALL A USED SEAT, DEALER WANTED AN ADDITIONAL $ 85.00 TO INSTALL SEAT. THUS THE REASON THE SEAT WAS SENT TO MY HOUSE. HAD THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AN ACCIDENT WOULD'VE BEEN CERTAIN. *TR