2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE Complaints

I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK ON JUNE 28TH THE CAR BEGAN TO KNOCK AND SHAKE WILDLY. MY ENGINE JUST BLEW, I HAD OIL CHANGES REGULARLY. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH AND WORKING TO FIND ME A NEW ENGINE, MY MECHANIC SAID THAT THAT THIS ENGINE IS NOTORIOUS FOR BLOWING AND THEY USUALLY GO AT 50,000 MILES. AT LEAST I GOT 70,000. IT IS SITTING IN HIS SHOP RIGHT NOW, I CAN'T PAY FOR IT. THIS CAR COST $30,000. NEW. I LEASED IT NOW IT WILL COST $36,000. AND I WILL HAVE NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT COME DECEMBER! *NM

I HAPPILY BOUGHT A NEW SEBRING CONVERTIBLE IN JULY 2002. I BOUGHT THE "COMPLETE" 7/70 EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE I AM A SINGLE WOMAN AND DO NOT WANT TO WORRY ABOUT REPAIRS. DURING 2003 AND 2004, I EXPERIENCED FREQUENT "SOFT" TIRES. DURING A RAIN STORM, I HYDROPLANED ON HIGHWAY 41 AND LOST CONTROL. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ANYONE OR THE CAR. ONLY MY NERVES. I WOULD TEST AND FILL THE TIRES FREQUENTLY. I WAS FRIGHTENED TO DRIVE DURING RAIN/SNOW BECAUSE I DID NOT FEEL CONTROL DUE TO THE TIRES NOT GRIPPING THE HIGHWAY. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED NEW TIRES AND THAT THEY WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I BOUGHT NEW TIRES IN DEC. 2005 AT SEARS, HAD THE ALIGNMENT PERFORMED. I CONTINUED TO HAVE SOFT TIRES. SEARS REPLACED THE TIRE VALVES, AND HAD TO SMOOTH THE RIMS TWICE. I NOW HAVE TO CHECK AND FILL THE TIRES WITH AIR 2 - 3 TIMES A WEEK. I SPOKE TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS TOLD "THIS IS A FREQUENT COMPLAINT OF THE SEBRING CONVERTIBLE RIMS)AND WAS TOLD TO CALL CHRYSLER. AFTER BEING ON HOLD 30 MINUTES, I GOT THROUGH TO CHRYSLER, AND WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH CHRYSLER RECOGNIZES THIS DEFICIENCY IN THE RIMS, THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS BECAUSE I DID NOT REPORT THE PROBLEM WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD. HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE RIMS AND NOT THE TIRES? I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TIRES!!! PLEASE CHECK THE ACCIDENT RECORD OF CHRYSLER SEBRINGS DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROL. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE WAS DEFECTIVE DUE TO THE POOR QUALITY OF THE MATERIAL. THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE WAS REPLACED. WITHIN 1,000 MILES LATER, THE NOISE AND THE VIBRATION RETURNED ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE LEFT FRONT AXLE WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED THE LEFT FRONT AXLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE IS STILL A NOISE PRESENT. UPDATED 08/14/06. *JB

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAS COME ON SEVERAL TIMES FOR VARYING PERIODS OF TIME. UNDER WARRANTY THEY HAVE REPLACED RIGHT FRONT SEAT BELT TENSIONER AND SEAT BELT BUCKLE. WARNING LIGHT STILL COMES ON SOMETIMES. THEY SAID THAT THE BAGS WILL NOT OPERATE WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON. THE LIGHT MUST BE ON FOR THEM TO WORK ON IT AND IT WILL NORMALLY BE OUT BY THE TIME THAT I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND GET IT IN. *JB

BACK BUMPER ASSEMBLY HAS COME LOOSE FROM THE BODY. THERE HAS BEEN NO UNDO STRESS PUT ON THIS COMPONENT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS AS OF THIS DATE. ADEQUATE MEANS WILL BE TAKEN TO INSURE THE INTEGRITY OF THIS COMPONENT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LAMP INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE WIRING OF THE SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY HAVING THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE SEAT BELT CONNECTIONS REPLACED.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE FIRST TIME HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME, THEY REPLACED THE RETRACTING SPRING IN THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT. THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE CLOCK SPRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE RETRACTOR SPRING IN THE SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP BEING REPAIRED. *AK

"AIR BAG" LIGHT BEGAN ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY WHEN CAR WAS APPROXIMATELY 9 MONTHS OLD. COULD NOT DUPLICATE FOR REPAIR. PROBLEM CONTINUES INTERMITTENTLY AND BROUGHT IN TO A CHRYSLER DEALER ABOUT NOVEMBER OF 2004 AND RESULTED IN REPLACEMENT OF "SEAT BELT TENSIONER". PROBLEM CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY AFTER ABOUT 3 MONTHS. BROUGHT INTO A CHRYSLER DEALER FOR SERVICE A THIRD TIME IN DECEMBER OF 2005. DEALER WANTS $500+ FOR REPLACEMENT OF "SEAT BELT TENSIONER" AGAIN AND A CLOCK SPRING (?) IN THE STEERING COLUMN. *NM

MY CAR QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET BECAUSE THE ENGINE FAILED. COST OF REPAIR IS $3,600. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE STARTED TO KNOCK, IT WAS TAKEN TO A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP, AND THEY STATED THE CRANKSHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP THEN CALLED AND SAID IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE, AND CHRYSLER WOULD PROVIDE A REBUILT ENGINE. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE CONTACT'S NEGLIGENCE. HE CHANGED THE OIL HIMSELF, AND HAD NO PROOF TO SHOW IT WAS MAINTAINED PROPERLY. THEREFORE, CHRYSLER WAS NOT GOING TO FIX THE VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY. *AK