2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING Suspensionrear Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD, ABNORMAL POP FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE THEN COLLAPSED AS THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED, INDEPENDENTLY STEERING RIGHT. THE VEHICLE SKIDDED AND CRASHED INTO A POLE. THERE WERE THREE PERSONS REPORTED INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A FIELD INSPECTOR WAS SENT FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BALL JOINT HAD SEPARATED FROM THE UPPER CONTROL ARM AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AS THEY DID NOT CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE OR THE CRASH. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000. UPDATED 05/16/11 *BF UPDATED 2/8/12 *CN

IN MAY, WHILE DRIVING MY PASSENGER SIDE REAR STRUT MOUNT ON MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING BROKE. I TOOK MY CAR IN AND HAD IT FIXED AND HAD TO LEAVE IT AS THE DEALERSHIP (GOLLING CHRYSLER) ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD TO DRIVE WITH THE BROKEN STRUT MOUNT. ON 06/29/08, MY DRIVER SIDE REAR STRUT MOUNT BROKE. THIS TIME, THE DEALERSHIP (CLARKSTON CHRYSLER) STATED THAT THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AS THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE PART AND THEY HAD TO BE REENGINEERED. SO, I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR SINCE 06/29/08. MY CAR ONLY HAD 65,000 MILES BUT IT IS PARKED AND UNUSABLE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE IS A BACKLOG OF 10,000 PARTS ON ORDER. CHRYSLER CALLED TO STATE THAT THEY ESTIMATE THAT THE PARTS WOULD BE IN ON AUGUST 11TH. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A...

ON JULY 10TH,2008 I HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK OF MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING 4DR SEDAN. I PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THE REAR PASSENGER STRUT HAD FALLEN FROM THE MOUNTING BRACKET. I TOOK THE CAR ON JULY 11TH TO GET IT FIXED. THE REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THAT THE BRACKET REQUIRED (4879072AD) IS ON EXTREME BACKORDER AND IT COULDN'T BE FIXED. I CALLED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY SEARCHING FOR THIS PART. IT IS ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEALERS. THERE IS NO AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT. ALL DEALERS EVERYWHERE ARE OUT AND HAVE ORDERS PLACED ON CHRYSLER BUT NEVER GET THE PARTS. I CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ACTED AS IF THEY DIDN'T KNOW OF THE PROBLEM. AFTER BEING PERSISTENT, I FOUND THAT THERE ARE OVER 10,200 ON BACKORDER IN THE US AS OF 7/17. ASSUMING 2 PER CAR AND SOME DEALER "SAFETY STOCK", THIS COULD ADD UP TO...

JULY 1 DRIVING ON BLUEWATER BRIDGE RIGHT REAR STRUT SNAPPED OFF. TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE IN ST. THOMAS ONTARIO THE DRIVERS SIDE STRUT SNAPPED OFF. BOTH OF THEM HAD ROTTED RIGHT OFF. REPLACED WITH RECONDITIONED STRUTS - $500.00 + TOWING. *TR

WAS DRIVING HOME AND HEAR LOUD NOISE GOT OUT AND CHECKED AND FOUND THAT THE STRUT BRACKET HAD BROKEN ON THE REAR OF MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEABRING. I GOT HOME AND CALLED THE DEALER TO GET A NEW ONE THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PART WAS ON BACKORDER AND THAT THERE WAS AROUND 8000 ON BACKORDER SO I CALLED CHRYSLER AND ASKED WHY THEY HAVEN'T RECALLED THIS PART YET WITH 8000 PARTS NEEDED THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS PART. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WASN'T ANY OF THESE PARTS IN THE USA. NOW WHY IS THIS? THIS PART IS KNOWN TO GO BAD THEY TOLD ME. THEN WHY CAN'T THEY ISSUE A RECALL AND GET THESE PARTS MADE SO THESE CARS CAN BE FIXED.

DRIVING 5 MILE P/HR (LUCKILY) UPPER CONTROL / ARM BAL JOINT, LEFT REAR, CRACKED, SEPARATED...TIRE FELL OFF TBD (PROBABLY REPLACE BOTH PARTS OR MORE DEPENDING ON EXTENT OF RESIDUAL DAMAGE.

LOUD CLANGING NOISE FROM REAR. MECHANIC ADVISED THAT BOTH BOTH STRUTS AND SHOCKS WERE BROKEN AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. ESTIMATED $600.00 . *AK

UPON ROTATING TIRES ON JAN 2, 2007, I NOTICED SEVERE CORROSION ON THE REAR STRUT MOUNTS OF MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING LXI. HAD THESE MOUNTS NOT BEEN REPLACED IT COULD HAVE CAUSED SEVERE INJURY TO THE PASSENGERS AS THE SPRINGS WOULD HAVE LET LOOSE THROUGH THE EXTERNAL WHEEL WELL AND ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THIS COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS BODILY INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS. FAILURE OF THESE PARTS ALSO COULD HAVE CAUSED THE DRIVER TO EXPERIENCE A DEGRADED RESPONSE IN HANDLING. I PURCHASED 2 NEW (MODIFIED BY MANUFACTURE) STRUT MOUNTS AND INSTALLED THEM. THE STRUT MOUNTS COST WERE MINIMAL. REAR STRUT MOUNTS ARE SEVERELY CORRODED, CRACKED AND BROKEN. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR SECTION OF THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE DRIVER SIDE REAR STRUT MOUNT WAS CORRODED AND FELL APART. THE PART WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS LOCATED IN A SALT BELT STATE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE STRUT BRACKET FRACTURED AND PENETRATED THE TIRE. THE STRUT BRACKET AND TIRE WERE REPLACED.

VEHICLE CONTROL ARM ON RIGHT REAR WHEEL BROKE WHILE DRIVING. *TS *JB

DT: THE REAR MOUNT THAT HOLDS THE REAR MCPHERSON STRUT IN PLACE, DISINTEGRATED. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS MADE OF ALUMINUM. IT FELL APART AND THE PART MADE A RATTLE SOUND, WHICH WAS THE STRUT MOVING AROUND. THE CONSUMER WAS GOING 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY REPLACED IT. *JB