2003 CHRYSLER SEBRING COUPE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

DRIVER GOING APPROX 40 MILES AN HOUR AROUND CURVE, CLOCKSPRING BROKE CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME INOPERABLE. DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE WENT OFF ROAD HIT TWO TREES. AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CAR IS TOTALED AND DRIVER IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. *TR

AFTER PICKING UP VEHICLE FROM DEALER AND REPORTING "SLIPPING" ON THE TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION WAS STARTING TO BREAK UP. A NEW ONE WOULD COST $7,000, AND A REFURBISHED ONE WOULD BE $5,500, AND THERE WAS A WAITING LIST. I DECIDED TO DRIVE IT HOME AN EXPLORE OTHER AVENUES. THE VEHICLE LASTED MAYBE FIVE MILES AND IT DIED ON THE FREEWAY. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE ENGINE STARTED SMOKING, AND THE ENGINE JUST DIED. I LIFTED THE HOOD AND THE ENGINE WAS SMOKING AS THE TRANSMISSION HAD BROKEN AND IT HAD BEEN LEAKING ITS FLUID ON THE FREEWAY. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TOW IT HOME. AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP WILL CHARGE ME $1,800 TO REBUILT IT. I HAVE NO CHOICE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER SEBRING COUPE. THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS WARPED AND THE PADDING WAS LOOSENED FROM THE PANEL. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING TO THIS DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000.

I HAVE A CHRY SEBRING 2003 CONCERNING ISSUE- ABLE TO TURN OFF THE CAR AND PULL THE KEY OUT OF IGNITION WHILE CAR IS STILL IN GEAR. THIS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THE CAR ROLLED WHILE I WAS GETTING OUT. LUCKY THERE WAS NO INJURY INVOLVED BUT THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD LED TO SERIOUS INJURY. THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY FEATURE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW THE KEY TO COME OUT WHILE THE CAR IS STILL IN GEAR. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2003 SEBRING EXACTLY TWO MONTHS AGO, AND PRIOR TO SIGNING THE PAPERS TO SEAL THE DEAL, I HAD THE DEALERSHIP CHECK OUT THE REASON THERE WAS NO STEREO, INTERIOR LIGHTS, TRUNK LIGHTS AND WHY THE KEYLESS ENTRY DID NOT WORK WHEN I TEST DROVE THE CAR. THEY CAME BACK TO EXPLAIN THAT THE "FUSE HAD BLOWN" THEY "FIXED IT" AND ASKED ME TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME THAT NIGHT, AND TO BRING IT BACK THE NEXT DAY FOR FURTHER EVALUATION. THE NEXT DAY, I DROPPED THE CAR OFF AT 4PM, AND THE CAR STAYED OVERNIGHT- THE NEXT DAY I DROVE THE CAR HOME (WITH LESS THAN A HALF OF TANK OF GAS, AND IT WAS FULL WHEN I TOOK IT THERE) PARKED IT IN MY DRIVEWAY, AND TWO HOURS LATER WENT TO GO PICK UP MY SISTER FROM SCHOOL, AND THE KEYLESS ENTRY AGAIN DID NOT WORK, I UTILIZED MY KEY, AND WHEN I STUCK IT IN THE IGNITION- THE ALARM SOUNDED, AND THE RADIO DID NOT WORK, NO INTERIOPR LIGHTS, NO TRUNK LIGHTS, THE LOCKS DID NOT WORK AT ALL- AND IT WAS CHAOS. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND LEFT FOR SEVERAL DAYS TO AGAIN "FIX IT." I GOT THE CAR BACK, AND NOW, EXACTLY TWO MONTHS LATER, THE SMELL OF BURNT PLASTIC IS AGAIN AN AROMA IN MY CAR, I HAVE NO KEYLESS ENTRY, NO RADIO, NO INTERIOR OR TRUNK LIGHTS, NO LOCKS- AND WHEN I CALLED THE "FIVE STAR DEALERSHIP" THEY SAID THEY COULDNT SEE ME FOR FOUR DAYS! DO THEY REALIZE I HAVE TO COMMUTE TWO HOURS DAILY WITH THE HOPES THAT NOTHING ELSE ELECTRICAL FAILS IN MY CAR WHILE I WAIT FOR "CUSTOMER SERVICE. *AK