NHTSA Complaint #10510762 — 2006 CHRYSLER SEBRING

AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS MY OWN INEPT USE OF THE HORN THAT I WAS NOT PRESSING IT RIGHT, BUT THE HORN WOULD NOT SOUND WHEN WARNING OTHER DRIVERS OF A DANGEROUS SITUATION SO I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE HORN WAS ACTUALLY DEFECTIVE. A CAR WAS TRAVELING THROUGH A RED LIGHT AND I NEEDED TO SOUND MY HORN TO WARN ON-COMING TRAFFIC THAT THERE WAS DANGER AND THE HORN WOULD NOT GO OFF AND THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. PERHAPS MY HORN MAY NOT HAVE PREVENTED THE ACCIDENT BUT IT WOULD HAVE HELPED. THE HORN SOMETIMES WORKED AND SOMETIMES DIDN'T BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT I WAS ALWAYS PRESSING THE WRONG PLACE ON THE STEERING WHEEL. SINCE MAY 1, 2013, MY HORN JUST DECIDES TO SOUND AT ANY TIME. IT SEEMS TO BE MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME!?! IT NOT ONLY CAUSES ME TO PULL OVER IN HEAVY TRAFFIC BUT IT MAKES OTHER DRIVERS PULL OVER AS WELL. PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR DANGER WHEN THERE IS NONE. IT IS A REAL PROBLEM AND I KNOW OTHERS WITH MY MAKE AND MODEL HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE HORN MUST BE FIXED FOR SAFETY ISSUES AND REQUIRES THE HORN AND AIRBAG TO BE REPLACED (MEGA EXPENSIVE). BUT, IF THEY REPLACE THE HORN WITH THE SAME ASSEMBLY, WHAT PREVENTS IT FROM BEING DEFECTIVE AGAIN? IS THE AIR-BAG PART OF THE PROBLEM, IF SO, IS IT DEFECTIVE TOO? THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT ANSWER. THE PART NEEDS TO BE REDESIGNED SO THAT THIS ISSUE DOES NOT POSE A PROBLEM AGAIN AFTER BEING FIXED. *TR