1997 Chrysler Sebring Convertible

DT: CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN MARCH FOR THE TRANSAXLES FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION PARK INTERLOCK. CONSUMER TRIED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE DEALERSHIP. THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY THE CAR POPPED OUT OF GEAR AND HIT A POLE. THE WHOLE FRONT END OF THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK, AND THE BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CHRYSLER SENT SOMEONE TO LOOK AT THE CAR, THE CHRYSLER INVESTIGATOR SAID THAT EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. CONSUMER HAD TO CALL HIM BACK FROM CHRYSLER AFTER HE CAME AND LOOKED AT THE CAR. CHRYSLER INVESTIGATOR SENT A LETTER TO THE CONSUMER STATING THAT THE INCIDENT DID NOT LOOK LIKE IT WAS A RESULT OF THE RECALL.*AK

PURCHASED CAR ON EBAY THREE YEARS AGO. NO RECORD OF ACCIDENT BUT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. PROBLEM BEGAN AFTER A HEAVY RAIN WHEN CAR PARKED OUTSIDE. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, CAR STARTS AND DIES SEVERAL TIMES, THEN WONT'T START FOR ANYWHERE FROM AN HOUR TO A DAY OR TWO. NO DEALER ABLE TO FIND PROB. OR GET IT TO THROW A CODE. PROBLEM SEEMED TO DISAPPEAR LAST YEAR WHEN WE MOVED TO CA AND PARKED CAR IN GARAGE. THEN IT RETURNED ONCE. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER AND HE WAS UNABLE TO FIND SOURCE OF PROB. OR GET IT TO REPEAT THE PROBLEM. FINALLY GOT ONE COMPUTER REPLACED. BROUGHT THE CAR HOME AND IT HAS REPEATED THE PROBLEM A FEW TIMES. NOW IT IS TURNING ON THE SECURITY LIGHT AS WELL AS THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, THEN, SUDDENLY, WHILE I AM DRIVING, THE GUAGES QUIT WORKING. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST OR HOW FAR I AM GOING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE THIS MONTH, BOTH TIMES WHEN WE WERE ON A LONG TRIP. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO REAL CORRELATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS PROBLEM THAT WE CAN FIND OTHER THAN POSSIBLE MOISTURE RELATIONSHIP. HAD TO DRIVE FROM LAKE TAHOE TO ORANGE COUNTY WITH NO SPEEDOMETER TWO WEEKS AGO. IT HAD RAINED HEAVILY AND THE CAR WAS PARKED OUTSIDE. THEN IT MAGICALLY "MENDED ITSELF" DURING THE WEEK AND WE TOOK IT FROM ORANGE COUNTY TO PALM SPRINGS ON MAY 21ST. THE GUAGES WENT OUT SHORTLY AFTER WE LEFT HOME AND CAME ON "MAGICALLY" AFTER WE PURCHASED GAS IN PALM SPRINGS. DATE LISTED BELOW IS MOST RECENT. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR THREE YEARS. HAS BEEN TO DEALERS IN ALABAMA AND ORANGE COUNTY. I REALLY CAN'T SAY HOW MANY TIMES IT HAS FAILED, BUT PROBABLY AROUND 30.

STRONG GASOLINE ODORS CAME INTO VEHICLE FROM THE OUTSIDE WHEN DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW WAS DOWN. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK.....PAINT ON VEHICLE WAS FADING-TURNING BLACK TO WHITE. FROM INSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE BACK OF VEHICLE. SEAT BELT ON PASSENGER'S SIDE HAD A BROKEN SEAT BELT RETRACTOR. IN ADDITION, PASSENGER'S LEATHER SEAT WAS CRACKING, AND STITCHING ON CONVERTIBLE TOP WAS COMING OUT. *AK

DRIVER & VEHICLE LEAVING TOLL PLAZA ON THE DALLAS NORTH TOLLWAY, HEADED SOUTH TOWARDS I-635, ABOUT 6 PM ON INCIDENT DATE. DRIVER ACCELERATED OUT OF THE TOLL BOOTH, UP TO ABOUT 40-45 MPH, AND FELT A SURGE IN ACCELERATION. ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE SPEED BY TAKING FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL, BUT THERE WAS NO REDUCTION IN SPEED. APPLIED BRAKE, BUT STILL NO REDUCTION IN SPEED. PULLED HAND BRAKE, NO REDUCTION. THE ACCELERATOR SEEMED TO BE STUCK OR HUNG UP. FINALLY THOUGHT TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL, AND AT SOME POINT THE ACCELERATOR FINALLY "LET GO." WAS ABLE TO EXIT FROM THE TOLLWAY. ON 635 ACCESS ROAD, ATTEMPTED ACCELERATION AGAIN, AND AGAIN THE ACCELERATOR SEEMED TO "STICK" AT ABOUT 15 MPH. BACKED OFF, AND MADE WAY SLOWLY TO A NISSAN AUTOMOTIVE DEALERSHIP OFF 635 IN NORTH DALLAS. THERE, A SERVICE REP LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND OBSERVED THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WAS BADLY FRAYED. AS THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE FURTHER, CALLED FOR A TOW AND HAD CAR TOWED TO CHRYSLER DEALER IN GRAPEVINE, TX. THE FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE TO DECELLERATE ON A BUSY AND FAST-MOVING TOLLWAY AT RUSH HOUR COULD HAVE BEEN CATATROPHIC, BUT DUE TO LUCK OR GRACE, THERE WAS NO COLLISION. HOWEVER, THE DRIVER SUFFERED MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ANGUISH, STRESS, AND FRANK TERROR DURING THE EVENT. THIS CAR HAD BEEN SUBJECT TO A RECALL ISSUED IN AUGUST 2002, AND HAD BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE DEFECT AT THE DEALER IN GRAPEVINE. HOWEVER, THE ACCELERATOR CABLE FAILED ANYWAY. THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION IS THAT THE DEFECT REPAIR WAS ALSO FAULTY, OR THE DEFECT WAS NOT REPAIRED PROPERLY. OTHER SYSTEMS IN THE VEHICLE WERE MOST LIKELY IMPACTED: BRAKES AND TRANSMISSION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING HORN FAILED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON JUNE 2004. DEALERSHIP FIXED IT, BUT THREE DAYS LATER HORN FAILED AGAIN. TECHNICIAN DISCONNECTED THE HORN, AND STATED THERE WAS SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE FRONT AIR BAGS. TO FIX THE HORN DEALER NEEDED TO REPLACE THE AIR BAG MECHANISM AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $1,700. *AK