NHTSA Complaint #10458856 — 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING SEDAN

THE DASH, RADIO, & CD PLAYER LIGHTS FLASH OFF AND ON INTERMITTENTLY. THIS OCCURS ON RANDOM OCCASIONS, BUT SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN IN WET WEATHER. IT ALSO HAPPENS WHEN OPERATING THE TURN SIGNAL. THE LIGHTS WILL DIM LOW AND WILL NOT RETURN TO A "NORMAL" BRIGHTNESS UNTIL YOU ADJUST THE TURN SIGNAL ARM. ANOTHER ALARMING ISSUE IS ON OCCASION, SMOKE WILL APPEAR FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN TURNING ON THE LIGHTS. THE OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IS WHEN TURNING A CORNER AND ACCELERATING AFTER A STOP, THE CD PLAYER HESITATES, OR SKIPS AS IF THE POWER HAS BEEN SWITCHED OFF. THE SUSPENSION PROBLEM IS THE NOISE OF METAL AND BANGING IN THE SUSPENSION. WE HAD A VERY DANGEROUS INCIDENT HAPPEN WHILE ON A TRIP WHEN THE UPPER DRIVERS SIDE CONTROL ARM DISINTEGRATED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED (65 MPH). I FOUGHT TO CONTROL THE CAR AND MANAGED TO GET IT OFF THE HIGHWAY TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR INDICATION THAT A PROBLEM WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR. WE NEARLY DIED. THE REPAIR WAS EXPENSIVE, AND NOW IT APPEARS A SIMILAR PROBLEM MAY BE OCCURRING ON THE RIGHT SIDE. *TR