NHTSA Complaint #10286033 — 2000 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE

I HAVE A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE WITH EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM: THE HORN GOES OFF WHENEVER IT WANTS TO. THE FIRST TIME IT COMPLETELY BURNED OUT BOTH OF THE HORNS, WHICH I HAD TO PAY FOR TO BE REPLACED, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS LONG OUT OF WARRANTY. OF COURSE, THE HORN ALWAYS ACTIVATED ITSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. THE CHRYSLER DEALER DIAGNOSIS REVEALED THAT THE HORN SWITCH IS SOMEHOW DEFECTIVE, SOMETHING I FIGURE OUT AFTER BANGING ON THE PAD DURING ONE SCENARIO ONLY TO DISCOVER THIS CAUSED THE HORN TO TURN OFF. THE HORN SWITCH IS DESIGNED AS SOME SORT OF MEMBRANE AND IS NON-CONVENTIONAL BY ANY MEANS. TEMPERATURE EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION CAUSES THE TWO SIDE OF THE SWITCH TO CONNECT ON THEIR OWN. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, YOU CAN ONLY REPLACE THE SWITCH IF YOU REPLACE THE ENTIRE AIRBAG ASSEMBLY, A PART WHICH IS QUITE COSTLY. SO, INSTEAD OF PAYING THE OVER ONE GRAND REPAIR COST FOR SOMETHING THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, I WIRED IN A SWITCH TO THE SIDE DASH FUSE COMPARTMENT IN BETWEEN THE HORN RELAY AND THE CONNECTOR AND MOUNTED THE SWITCH IN THE CENTER OF THE PANEL DOOR. NOW, WHEN I LEAVE THE VEHICLE, I SIMPLY THROW THE SWITCH AND MY HORN WORRIES ARE OVER. A HASSLE? MAYBE, BUT AT LEAST I DON'T HAVE TO RUN OUT TO THE CAR IN MY UNDERWEAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO TAP THE STEERING WHEEL PAD TO STOP THAT INFERNAL BLARING OF THE HORN. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL BY CHRYSLER--WHICH IT NEVER WAS--AS THE SWITCH DESIGN IS DEFECTIVE. SLIPSHOD ENGINEERING IS MY ANALYSIS. CHRYSLER SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE REPAIRS BUT THEY ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY, PROBABLY BECAUSE THIS MODEL HAS SO MANY ELECTRICAL, COMPUTER, AND ALARM ISSUES THAT THEY WOULD HAVE GONE BROKE FIXING ALL OF THEM. MY DASH LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF AT RANDOM AND I'M ALSO HAVING ALARM AND KEY FOB ISSUES. I REALLY LOVE MY CONVERTIBLE, BUT I'LL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCT. *TR