NHTSA Complaint #10240881 — 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING COUPE

THE COOLANT IN MY AUTO WAS GONE, WHEN I HAD TO STOP IN TRAFFIC WHEN I SAW SMOKE. LUCKILY, I WAS NEAR 7/11 WHERE I COULD BUT THE PROPER MIX OF COOLANT. THE NEXT MORNING THE COOLANT HAD DISAPPEARED, I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. ADDED MORE COOLANT WENT TO THE AUTOMOTIVE STORE PURCHASED MORE COOLANT OPENED THE HOOD AND THE COOLANT HAD ONE AGAIN DISAPPEARED...THERE WAS NEVER ANY RESIDUAL ON THE DRIVEWAY PAVEMENT. THE MAN AT THE AUTOMOTIVE STORE LOOK AT THE RADIATOR AND SAID THERE IS YOUR PROBLEM, ITS LEAKING OUT OF THE CRACK, A HAIRLINE CRACK IN RADIATOR, WHICH CAUSED LEAKAGE IN COOLING SYSTEM. I CAUGHT THIS PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THESE RADIATORS ALWAYS HAVE PROBLEMS, CRACKING, BRAKING. CHRYSLER KNEW THESE RADIATOR ARE JUNK YET THEY CONTINUE TO INSTALL THEM...THEY ARE PLASTIC, NOT METAL. UNDER THE 100,000 MILEAGE WARRANTY ONLY THE ENGINE IS COVERED. THIS IS RIDICULOUS BECAUSE THE COOLING SYSTEM IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ENGINE...WITHOUT A RADIATOR (COOLING SYSTEM) THE ENGINE WOULD GET SO HOT, THE CAR WOULD CATCH FIRE. II HAVE NOW BEEN STUCK WITH A $1,000 BILL FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE RADIATOR.WHO KNOWS WHETHER THE PART BEING REPLACED WILL LAST 5,000 MILES OR CRACK NEXT WEEK. THE PLASTIC MOTOR EQUIPMENT IS DANGEROUS, IT IS A TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE DEALERSHIP VIS-A-VIS CHRYSLER NEEDS TO PAY FOR THIS POOR QUALITY MERCHANDISE AND PUT THESE ITEMS UNDER WARRANTY WITH THE ENGINE. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, JUST SUPPOSE I HAD BEEN ON THE I-495 IN FAST TRAFFIC. I HAD ON SEVERAL PREVIOUS OCCASIONS ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO CHECK THE COOLANT AND THE SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG EVEN THOUGH ITWAS ONLY HALF FULL. DISPOSITION RECALL ALL PLASTIC RADIATOR, REPLACE WITH MEDAL OR SOMETHING KNOWN TO BE SAFE. I'VE BEEN BUYING CARS SINCE 1961 NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. BY CHRSYLER OWN ADMISSION THEY KNEW THESE RADIATORS WERE FATALTY. HAVE RADIATOR REPLACE NO COST TO ME!