NHTSA Complaint #10152676 — 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING

THE PROBLEM BEGINS IN THIS ORDER OF OCCURRENCE: I CAN IMMEDIATELY FEEL A DRAG LIKE THE ENGINE IS WORKING REALLY HARD. THE TACHOMETER GOES UP TO 3 OR 3.5. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I FEEL A STRONG VIBRATION AND I CAN'T PICK UP SPEED. THE CAR STARTS BUCKING. IT JUST FEELS LIKE I AM BRAKING AND ACCELERATING AT THE SAME TIME. THE TACHOMETER STARTS FLUCTUATING FROM 1 TO 3 AND SOMETIMES UP TO 4. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS START TO FLICKER. I START LOSING POWER AND BEGIN TO DECELERATE RAPIDLY AND THE SPEEDOMETER DROPS TO ABOUT 10 MPH WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. TRYING TO ACCELERATE DOES NOTHING EXCEPT MAKE IT BUCK EVEN MORE. THERE WERE TWO TIMES WHEN A WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED, ONCE WHEN I WAS DOING 55 AND SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THE CAR BEHIND ME HAD TO AVOID HITTING ME BY GOING OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ANOTHER TIME WHILE ACCELERATING IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A LEFT TURN ON A GREEN ARROW, THE CAR LOST POWER AND 3 CARS BEHIND ME HAD TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES AND SWERVE OUT OF THE WAY. EVERYONE WAS APPARENTLY PAYING ATTENTION BOTH TIMES SO THERE WERE NO COLLISIONS, OR DAMAGE TO ANYONE'S VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM IS COMPLETELY INTERMITTENT. *JB UPDATED