NHTSA Complaint #10225447 — 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE

I HAVE A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY THE DEALER AND MAINTAINED ON A ROUTINE SCHEDULE AS YOU COULD IMAGINE (BEING THAT THE DEALERS WIFE DROVE IT) AND THEN I PURCHASED IT IN 2006 AND KEPT ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AS WELL, DOING OIL CHANGES AS SUGGESTED. WELL, I WAS RECENTLY DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING OR ANYTHING, I JUST STARTED HEARING THIS LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING AND THEN IT JUST DIED....RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY...I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE HIT. I HAD TO BE TOWED AND TOOK IT TO THE CLOSEST SERVICE SHOP AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE HAD JUST REPLACED AN ENGINE LIKE MINE IN ANOTHER CUSTOMERS CAR TWO WEEKS BEFORE THAT HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN. HE SAID THAT THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO LOW OIL PRESSURE FROM CLOGGED OIL PASSAGES, WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE ENGINE TO BE STARVED OF OIL, CAUSING THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE PARTS. I CALLED THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD MY CAR MAINTENANCE THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME "WELL THOSE WEREN'T THE BEST ENGINES THAT CHRYLSER EVER BUILT" BUT HE THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE, TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $7,000. I REGULARLY DID EVERYTHING I COULD TO KEEP THIS VEHICLE IN TIP TOP CONDITION AND HAD NO WARNING THERE WAS ANY ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE AND FEEL THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BY CHRYSLER. *TR