2001 Chrysler Sebring Convertible

I AM WRITING IN REGARDS TO MY 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING WHICH CONTAINS A 2.7L ENGINE THAT FAILED IN DECEMBER 2006 WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON I-75, A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN OHIO (CINCINNATI) DURING A BUSY HOUR OF THE DAY (BETWEEN 6PM & 7PM). THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. I HAD MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES AT A DEALERSHIP. I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND MY ENGINE LOCKED UP. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THE FAILURE. IT WOULD COST MORE TO GET THE ENGINE FIXED THAN THE CAR IS WORTH, AND I HAVE NOT FOUND ANYONE (BESIDES A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP, WHICH QUOTED ME $8,900 TO REPAIR MY ENGINE) THAT WOULD AGREE TO REPAIRING MY CAR BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO WORK ON THAT ENGINE MODEL. MY ENGINE HAD 80,000 MILES ON IT WHEN IT FAILED. I HAD MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES AT A DEALERSHIP, THERE IS NO REASON MY ENGINE SHOULD HAVE FAILED. MY ENGINE IS STILL NOT FIXED. NOT ONLY DID THIS ISSUE PUT ME IN HARMS WAY WHEN THE CAR STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT IT HAS CAUSED A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. PLEASE ADVISE IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO. *TR

MY CAR HAD JUST REACHED 100,000 MILES WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A KNOCK SOUND. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE . SEEMS THERE IS A PLASTIC COVER THAT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE CARS. ONCE THIS HAPPENS REQUIRES A NEW ENGINE AND FACTS SHOW THAT A REPLACEMENT ENGINE WILL DO THE SAME THING WITHIN THE 70,000-100,000 MILE RANGE. I HAVE HAD THE CAR LESS THEN 2YRS. I CAN'T TRADE IT DUE TO OWING TOO MUCH. WHY IS CHRYLSER NOR BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS KNOWN DEFECT. LOOK AT THE HISTORY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, HE HEARD BANGING NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED TWICE AND SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. AS OF JANUARY 10, 2008, THE MECHANIC HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75,000.

ONE EVENING WHILE TRYING TO EXIT MY CAR, THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, WHO HAD TO ORDER THE PART. THIS PART HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER SINCE JULY 19, 2007. AS OF DEC. 10, 2007, CHRYSLER SAYS THAT THERE IS NOT ESTIMATED DELIVERY DATE FOR THE PART. NO DEALER ANYWHERE HAS THIS PART, SO BASICALLY IT DOESN'T EXIST. I STILL CANNOT OPEN MY DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE. *TR

CLOCK SPRING BROKE RENDERING AIR BAG, HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTIONS INOPERABLE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN IN TO DEALER BEFORE FOR AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION AND DEALER SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. TOOK IT TO SECOND SERVICE SHOP WITHIN A MONTH AND THEY STATED IT WAS A CLOCK SPRING AND THAT BREAKAGE ON CHRYSLER VEHICLES WAS COMMON. THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR SO I HAVE TO RETURN TO THE DEALER. AIR BAG AND HORN WOULD FAIL TO OPERATE IN AN ACCIDENT. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING ENGINE BEARING FAILURE. SHE STATED THAT THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE AND THE BEARINGS RUB AGAINST EACH OTHER. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMMON IN ALL THE VEHICLES OF THAT SAME MODEL. THE VIN AND SPEED WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 113,400.

I BOUGHT A USED 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH A 2.7 LITER V6 ENGINE FROM AN INDEPENDENT CAR LOT AROUND MAY 2006. THE CAR WAS VERY CLEAN AND HAD THE ORIGINAL MANUALS IN THE GLOVEBOX BUT NO SERVICE RECORDS FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER (THERE WAS ONLY ONE OWNER ACCORDING TO CARFAX). THE CAR HAD 99K MILES ON IT AND RAN WELL WHEN I TEST DROVE IT. I MOVED TO TN AND DID ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR - AN ALIGNMENT, NEW TIRES, AND REGULAR OIL CHANGES WITH SYNTHETIC OIL AT JIFFY LUBE. THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE RATTLING NOISES WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, WHEN ACCELERATING AND WHEN GOING UP HILLS IN EARLY JULY 2007. THE SOUND GOT WORSE AS TIME PROGRESSED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A FIRESTONE AUTO CENTER IN MID-JULY 2007. THE MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T FIX THE ENGINE AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE IT. I HAD ONLY PUT 11K MILES ON IT SINCE I OWNED IT AND I WAS STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE CAR. I ASKED THEM HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE PUT IN. THEY LOOKED UP THE PRICE FOR A REBUILT ENGINE AND WITH LABOR AND GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $7200. THEN THE MECHANIC TOLD ME PRIVATELY THAT HE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS WORTH IT TO FIX THE CAR. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE ENGINE COULD FAIL AT ANY MINUTE AND POSSIBLY LEAVE ME STRANDED OR IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I LOOKED UP THE VALUE OF THE CAR - IT WAS ONLY WORTH $6000 (I STILL OWED ABOUT $6500 IN PAYMENTS). I THEN WENT ONTO ONLINE CAR FORUMS TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE TO SEE WHAT MY OPTIONS WERE. THERE I FOUND OUT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE FAILING AND THAT SOME WHO HAD REPLACED THE ENGINE HAD THE SECOND ENGINE EVENTUALLY FAIL ALSO. SO I WENT SHOPPING FOR A NEW CAR USING THE SEBRING AS A TRADE-IN. I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE ENGINE (THE REST OF THE CAR WAS IN GREAT CONDITION). I GOT $1000 FOR THE TRADE AND BASICALLY LOST $5000 BECAUSE OF THE BAD ENGINE. I WORK IN A HELPING PROFESSION SO THIS LOSS WAS A CONSIDERABLE SET-BACK FOR ME. *TR

2001 SEBRING CONVERTIBLE - OIL LAMP APPEARS ON DASHBOARD, CAR STALLS, TOWED BY AAA, INFORMED I NEED NEW ENGINE. ONLINE HISTORY OF PROBLEMS WITH OIL SLUDGE/NEW ENGINES NEEDED, NHTSA RECALL I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT, I PURCHASED ADDITIONAL WARRANTY IN MAY 2001 (6 YEARS TOTAL) WHICH RAN OUT 2 WEEKS AGO HAVE NOWHERE TO TURN FOR HELP. I'M CURRENTLY COLLECTING SERVICE RECORDS (MY OIL CHANGES ARE UP TO DATE) - HOW CAN I HAVE A VOICE WITH CHRYSLER IN THIS MATTER?

THE AIRBAGS IN 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING DID NOT DEPLOY IN A FRONT IMPACT CRASH**CC THE CONSUMER SUBMITTED A CLAIM TO THE MANUFACTURER, HOWEVER IT WAS DENIED. THE MANUFACTURERS CLAIMED, THE IMPACT DIDN'T SIGNIFICANTLY INVOLVE THE FRAME AND IT DID NOT CREATE THE LONGITUDINAL (FRONT TO BACK) NECESSARY TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAGS. THE CONCLUSION WAS SUPPORTED BY THE READINGS FROM THE ONBOARD COMPUTER THAT DISCLOSED NO CODES-INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. *JB