NHTSA Complaint #10247397 — 1999 CHRYSLER SEBRING

CAR HAD BEEN CUTTING OUT WHILE DRIVING FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF. TODAY WHILE DRIVING ON A 4-LANE VERY BUSY DIVIDED HIGHWAY ABOUT 55 MPH, CAR SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. THEN WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED TO TURN AND CROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC THROUGH MEDIAN TURN-OFF, CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. CAR WOULD CRANK BUT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. LUCKILY A FRIEND CAME BY AND PUSHED CAR OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY TO A SAFE AREA. I CALLED THE TOWING COMPANY AND THEN TRIED TO START THE CAR. IT HAD BEEN APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MINUTES AND CAR RESTARTED. I GOT THE CAR HOME AND PARKED IT. I WILL BE HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT. I HAVE LOOKED UP INFORMATION REGARDING THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE AND HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN 1996-1999 SEBRINGS. MOST OWNERS HAVE PAID A LOT OF MONEY TO GET THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. SOME OWNERS NEVER COULD GET THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. FROM THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE GATHERED, IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM IS THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR OR THE EGC SENSOR. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL ITEM AS THE VEHICLE DIES WHILE DRIVING. IT IS JUST BY LUCK THAT THE CAR RESTARTED WHILE DRIVING AND DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART IN THE MEDIAN. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. THE CAR HAS A LITTLE OVER 107,000 MILES AND I EXPECT THINGS TO GO WRONG WITH IT MECHANICALLY, BUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AS A NORMAL MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. I DO NOT WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, NOR DO I WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY REPAIRING THINGS THAT DO NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE READ THAT PLUGS,FUEL PUMPS, SENSORS, ETC. HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED UNTIL PROBLEM IS CORRECTED. I FEEL CHRYSLER NEEDS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL. *TR