NHTSA Complaint #10080475 — 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING

SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT, THE VEHICLE'S RPMS INCREASED AND IT TRIED TO SURGE FORWARD, BUT FOOT WAS STILL FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE SO THE CAR DIDN'T MOVE MORE THAN A COUPLE OF INCHES. THE NEXT DAY A TRUCK STOPPED IN THE ROAD AND IT HAD NO BRAKE LIGHTS, SO MY WIFE HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES. SHE RELEASED THE BRAKE AND AS SHE DID THE ENGINE'S RPMS REVVED UP VERY STRONGLY AND THE CAR SURGED FORWARD. THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED AGAIN AND THE CAR CAME TO A STOP AND HELD THE CAR BACK UNTIL THE ENGINE'S IDLE SPEED RETURNED TO NORMAL A FEW SECONDS LATER, BECAUSE OF THE SURGE AN ACCIDENT ALMOST OCCURRED. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY LOOKED AT IT AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS, SAID IT MAY HAVE BEEN A COMPUTER GLITCH. A FEW WEEKS LATER, WHILE LETTING OFF THE BRAKE THE CAR SURGED AGAIN, BRAKE WAS APPLIED AND CAR CAME TO A STOP. THEN A WEEK OR TWO AFTER THAT WHILE STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE AND THE BRAKE APPLIED, THE CAR REVVED UP AGAIN AND TRIED TO SURGE FORWARD, BUT AGAIN ONLY MOVED A COUPLE OF INCHES BECAUSE THE BRAKE WAS FIRMLY APPLIED. LATER CAR DIED, BUT WAS ABLE TO RESTART RIGHT AWAY. CAR TAKEN BACK TO DEALER IN REGARD TO BOTH PROBLEMS. THE DEALER SAID THE STALLING PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF THE OIL FILTER. THEY REPLACED THE OIL FILTER AND THE OIL SWITCH, AS FOR THE SURGING PROBLEM THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, AND AGAIN IT COULD HAVE BEEN A COMPUTER GLITCH. *JB