NHTSA Complaint #10349480 — 2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING

MY 2008 SEBRING SHIFTER IS STUCK IN PARK; THE CAR CANNOT BE MOVED. A DEALERSHIP SERVICE MECHANIC SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON SEVERAL CHRYSLER AND DODGE MODELS DUE TO A BROKEN PLASTIC PIECE ON THE 'BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK'. THE ENTIRE SHIFTER UNIT MUST BE REPLACED BECAUSE THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT PART. IT WILL COST $150-$200 SINCE MY SEBRING IS 3 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY (30,000 MILES). ON THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY THERE IS A BRIGHT PINK PLASTIC PIECE THAT HAS A SMALL 2/8" HOOK. THIS 2/8" SMALL PLASTIC HOOK IS ABOUT AS ROUND AS A SMALL PAPER CLIP. ONE END OF A SMALL 3/4" SPRING ATTACHES TO THIS PLASTIC HOOK AND THE OTHER END OF THE SPRING ATTACHES TO A HOOK ON THE SHIFTER HOUSING. THIS SPRING ALLOWS THE BRIGHT PINK PIECE TO MOVE WHEN THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED, WHICH DISENGAGES THE INTERLOCK ALLOWING THE SHIFTER TO MOVE OUT OF PARK. A BROKEN 2/8" PIECE OF CHEAP PLASTIC THAT CAN DISABLE AN ENTIRE CAR IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A POOR DESIGN AND A MANUFACTURING FLAW! IF YOU DO A WEB SEARCH ("CHRYSLER STUCK IN PARK" OR "DODGE STUCK IN PARK") YOU WILL FIND THOUSANDS OF HITS. BETTER YET, LOOK AT THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE YOU WILL SEE IT IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM THAT IS REPORTED IN 2007-2008 DODGE (AVENGER) AND CHRYSLER (SEBRING & 300) PRODUCTS. IT IS NEEDLESSLY COSTING THE OWNERS HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO DO AN OUT-OF-WARRANTY REPAIR ON AN UNDER-DESIGNED PART. A CHRONIC DESIGN FLAW THAT SPANS MULTIPLE YEARS ON MULTIPLE PRODUCT LINES DEMANDS A RECALL. *TR