NHTSA Complaint #10251039 — 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING

PROBLEM # 1 - STARTED AS INTERMITTENT / NOW CONSTANT. SPEEDOMETER INTERMITTENTLY "WACKY". EARLIER IN NOV. 2008, EXHIBITED A PROBLEM THAT I FIRST SAW TWO WINTERS AGO. IN DEC 2006, HAD THE SAME SYMPTOM - SPEEDOMETER GOING WILD. IN THE REPAIR SHOP, THE REP REPLACED INNER & OUTER SPEED SENSORS BASED ON CODES HE SAW FROM COMPUTER. PROBLEM NOT SEEN SINCE 12/06 UNTIL RECENTLY. IN EARLY OCT 2008, ONLY ABOUT THREE BRIEF INSTANCES. NOW THE WACKY SPEEDOMETER IS FREQUENT / CONSTANT. GOING ALONG AT 55 MPH, SUDDENLY SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE FLIPS TO 10 MPH (PRESUMABLY THE CAR IS STILL REALLY TRAVELING ALONG AT 55 MPH). IN FRACTION OF A SECOND THE NEEDLE SWINGS BACK UP TO 60 MPH, THEN DOWN TO 20 MPH, THEN UP TO 70 MPH, THEN DOWN AGAIN TO 5 MPH... I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AT A LOCAL GARAGE. GARAGE TECH REPLACED BOTH INNER & OUTER TRANSMISSION SENSORS ON 12/5/2008 -BASED ON COMPUTER CODES, AND RESET ?CHECK ENGINE? LIGHT. SINCE REPLACING BOTH SPEED SENSORS THE ?WILD SPEEDOMETER? PROBLEM STILL HAPPENS; SWING OF THE NEEDLE IS JUST A LITTLE LESS, ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON (CONSTANTLY) AFTER HAVING SPEEDOMETER SWING WILDLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. PROBLEM # 2 - POSSIBLY RELATED (OR NOT) - AT LOWER SPEEDS (5-30 MPH), THE CAR TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO RESPOND FINE (OTHER THAN THE WILD SPEEDOMETER ISSUE). I MEAN THAT IS THE CAR REGISTERS 1000-2000 RPM, SOUNDS LIKE ENGINE IS RUNNING WELL. CAR SEEMS TO DRIVE FINE AT HIGHER SPEEDS AFTER DRIVING FOR SOME TIME AT 50-60 MPH, THEN SLOWING TO EXIT (DOWN OR UP A RAMP) WHEN SPEED IS SLOWED TO AROUND 20 MPH, TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO ABRUPTLY DOWNSHIFT TO LOWER GEAR (SMALL BUCK CAN BE FELT); THEN CAR SEEMS TO STAY IN LOW-GEAR. I CAN STILL DRIVE THE CAR BUT WHEN THE SPEED IS AROUND 30 MPH, THE RPM IS OVER 3000, CAN HEAR THE ENGINE STRAINING. I PULL OVER, TURN-OFF ENGINE, SIT A MINUTE, RESTART CAR, IT IS OK ONCE AGAIN TO DRIVE. IT CAN GO OVER 30 MPH OR HIGHER AND MAINTAIN AROUND 2000 RPM (UNTIL SPEED IS REDUCED TO 20 MPH (CYCLE CONTINUES). *TR