NHTSA Complaint #10110392 — 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING

WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK AFTER PURCHASING A 2004 SEBRING CONVERTIBLE LIMITED, THE PROBLEM OF THE ENGINE ALMOST DYING OR DYING STARTED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS MORE OFTEN AT HIGHER AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. WHEN COMING TO A STOP THE ENGINE DROPS DOWN TO 200-250 RPM. WHEN IT RECOVERS IT OVERSHOOTS THE LOW IDLE SPEED CAUSING THE CAR TO LUNGE FORWARD. SEVERAL TIMES THE ENGINE HAS DIED. THE ENGINE WILL RESTART IMMEDIATELY. ONE DAY AS I WAS GOING THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT A CAR TURNED RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD TO MAKE A PANIC STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION AND THE ENGINE DIED. I ALMOST GOT REAR-ENDED BECAUSE THE CARS BEHIND ME WERE NOT EXPECTING ME TO HAVE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. YOUR WEB SITE DEFINES THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE DRIVER HAS AN UNEXPECTED EVENT THAT PUTS THE DRIVER IN A SITUATION WHERE THE DRIVER CANNOT SAFELY CONTROL THE VEHICLE. AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING LIKE A SEWING MACHINE. SUDDENLY THE ENGINE BEGINS TO RUN ROUGH. IT REMINDS ME OF THE DAYS OF CARBURETOR CARS WHEN THE CHOKE WAS STUCK ON. SUDDENLY IT STARTS RUNNING LIKE A SEWING MACHINE. MOST MORNINGS, BUT NOT EVERYDAY, AFTER BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE AND PUTTING THE CAR IN DRIVE THEN ACCELERATING THE CAR WILL STUMBLE 1-4 TIMES. THE ENGINE SPEED BEGINS TO COME UP AND THEN STOPS ACCELERATING, THEN SUDDENLY ACCELERATES AGAIN. THIS ONLY HAPPENS SHORTLY AFTER THE ENGINE HAS BEEN STARTED. ONCE THE ENGINE WARMS UP THIS PROBLEM WILL NOT HAPPEN. CONTINUED 1 OF 3 *JB THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE FUEL DRAINS BACK TO THE TANK WHEN THE VEHICLE SITS OVERNIGHT. AFTER THE VEHICLE IS STARTED THE FUEL SYSTEM IS NOT PROPERLY PRESSURIZED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH COULD BE A RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE COMPONET.