2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, HE HEARD BANGING NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED TWICE AND SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. AS OF JANUARY 10, 2008, THE MECHANIC HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75,000.

ONE EVENING WHILE TRYING TO EXIT MY CAR, THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, WHO HAD TO ORDER THE PART. THIS PART HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER SINCE JULY 19, 2007. AS OF DEC. 10, 2007, CHRYSLER SAYS THAT THERE IS NOT ESTIMATED DELIVERY DATE FOR THE PART. NO DEALER ANYWHERE HAS THIS PART, SO BASICALLY IT DOESN'T EXIST. I STILL CANNOT OPEN MY DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE. *TR

CLOCK SPRING BROKE RENDERING AIR BAG, HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTIONS INOPERABLE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN IN TO DEALER BEFORE FOR AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION AND DEALER SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. TOOK IT TO SECOND SERVICE SHOP WITHIN A MONTH AND THEY STATED IT WAS A CLOCK SPRING AND THAT BREAKAGE ON CHRYSLER VEHICLES WAS COMMON. THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR SO I HAVE TO RETURN TO THE DEALER. AIR BAG AND HORN WOULD FAIL TO OPERATE IN AN ACCIDENT. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING ENGINE BEARING FAILURE. SHE STATED THAT THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE AND THE BEARINGS RUB AGAINST EACH OTHER. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMMON IN ALL THE VEHICLES OF THAT SAME MODEL. THE VIN AND SPEED WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 113,400.

I BOUGHT A USED 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH A 2.7 LITER V6 ENGINE FROM AN INDEPENDENT CAR LOT AROUND MAY 2006. THE CAR WAS VERY CLEAN AND HAD THE ORIGINAL MANUALS IN THE GLOVEBOX BUT NO SERVICE RECORDS FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER (THERE WAS ONLY ONE OWNER ACCORDING TO CARFAX). THE CAR HAD 99K MILES ON IT AND RAN WELL WHEN I TEST DROVE IT. I MOVED TO TN AND DID ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR - AN ALIGNMENT, NEW TIRES, AND REGULAR OIL CHANGES WITH SYNTHETIC OIL AT JIFFY LUBE. THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE RATTLING NOISES WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, WHEN ACCELERATING AND WHEN GOING UP HILLS IN EARLY JULY 2007. THE SOUND GOT WORSE AS TIME PROGRESSED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A FIRESTONE AUTO CENTER IN MID-JULY 2007. THE MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T FIX THE ENGINE AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE IT. I HAD ONLY PUT 11K MILES ON IT SINCE I OWNED IT AND I WAS STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE CAR. I ASKED THEM HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE PUT IN. THEY LOOKED UP THE PRICE FOR A REBUILT ENGINE AND WITH LABOR AND GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $7200. THEN THE MECHANIC TOLD ME PRIVATELY THAT HE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS WORTH IT TO FIX THE CAR. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE ENGINE COULD FAIL AT ANY MINUTE AND POSSIBLY LEAVE ME STRANDED OR IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I LOOKED UP THE VALUE OF THE CAR - IT WAS ONLY WORTH $6000 (I STILL OWED ABOUT $6500 IN PAYMENTS). I THEN WENT ONTO ONLINE CAR FORUMS TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE TO SEE WHAT MY OPTIONS WERE. THERE I FOUND OUT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE FAILING AND THAT SOME WHO HAD REPLACED THE ENGINE HAD THE SECOND ENGINE EVENTUALLY FAIL ALSO. SO I WENT SHOPPING FOR A NEW CAR USING THE SEBRING AS A TRADE-IN. I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE ENGINE (THE REST OF THE CAR WAS IN GREAT CONDITION). I GOT $1000 FOR THE TRADE AND BASICALLY LOST $5000 BECAUSE OF THE BAD ENGINE. I WORK IN A HELPING PROFESSION SO THIS LOSS WAS A CONSIDERABLE SET-BACK FOR ME. *TR

2001 SEBRING CONVERTIBLE - OIL LAMP APPEARS ON DASHBOARD, CAR STALLS, TOWED BY AAA, INFORMED I NEED NEW ENGINE. ONLINE HISTORY OF PROBLEMS WITH OIL SLUDGE/NEW ENGINES NEEDED, NHTSA RECALL I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT, I PURCHASED ADDITIONAL WARRANTY IN MAY 2001 (6 YEARS TOTAL) WHICH RAN OUT 2 WEEKS AGO HAVE NOWHERE TO TURN FOR HELP. I'M CURRENTLY COLLECTING SERVICE RECORDS (MY OIL CHANGES ARE UP TO DATE) - HOW CAN I HAVE A VOICE WITH CHRYSLER IN THIS MATTER?

THE AIRBAGS IN 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING DID NOT DEPLOY IN A FRONT IMPACT CRASH**CC THE CONSUMER SUBMITTED A CLAIM TO THE MANUFACTURER, HOWEVER IT WAS DENIED. THE MANUFACTURERS CLAIMED, THE IMPACT DIDN'T SIGNIFICANTLY INVOLVE THE FRAME AND IT DID NOT CREATE THE LONGITUDINAL (FRONT TO BACK) NECESSARY TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAGS. THE CONCLUSION WAS SUPPORTED BY THE READINGS FROM THE ONBOARD COMPUTER THAT DISCLOSED NO CODES-INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK OIL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE, AND THEN SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED, AND THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS ENGINE SLUDGE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 72,000. *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE PASSENGE'S R DOOR OF A 2001 DODGE RAM. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE CRASH DID NOT CREATE THE LONGITUDINAL BACK TO FRONT DECELERATION NECESSARY TO DEPLOY AIR BAG. THE ONBOARD COMPUTER REPORT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE OPERATIONAL. THE CRASH DESTROYED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85000 . *AK UPDATED 04/12/07. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE LXI, WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE OIL LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE. WHEN ACCELERATING THE OIL LIGHT TURNED OFF. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE ON 6 OCCASIONS DUE TO ENGINE NOISES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH WITHOUT A CRASH. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, WHON STATED THAT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 67,892. *AK