2002 Chrysler Sebring Convertible

THIS WAS A PROPERLY MAINTAINED VEHICLE WHICH HAD SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE AT JUST OVER 55,000 MILES. THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT FLASHED ON AND WITHIN SECONDS, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. LIKE MANY OTHER REGISTERED COMPLAINTS (ON THIS SITE AND OTHER SITES), INVESTIGATION REVEALED OIL SLUDGE AND EXCESS OIL BURNOFF WHICH LED TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. I WAS QUOTED A MINIMUM OF $3500 FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT, THOUGH RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT THE ENGINE FOR THE VEHICLE IS FLAWED (THOUGH CHRYSLER HAS APPARENTLY REFUSED TO ADDRESS ONGOING ISSUES WITH OIL SLUDGE AND ENGINE FAILURE). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE NOT A FACTOR. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE EXITING OFF OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT STRUGGLED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HE WAS INFORMED THAT A NEW ENGINE WOULD BE NEEDED AT THE COST OF $3,000. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT DID NOT WANT TO RESTART THE ENGINE BECAUSE THERE WAS TOO MUCH OIL ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND HE STATED THAT THE FAILURES WERE CAUSED BY A JUMP TIMING AND FAULTY PARTS. THERE WERE NO CRASHES, INJURIES, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE DONE TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE REPAIR SHOP, BUT NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN SPECULATED THAT THE OIL PUMP LOCKED UP, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO STATED THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AT THE COST OF $4,700. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 65,000.

PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE, 2.7 LITER CHRYSLER NO WARNING LIGHTS LEADING UP TO INEVITABLE ENGINE FAILURE. 10/27/08, 6:30 P.M. HEATER ABRUPTLY STOPPED WORKING. 10/28, 2 MILES INTO A.M. COMMUTE; STOPPED AT RED LIGHT, TURNED RIGHT ONCE TRAFFIC CLEAR. UPON ACCELERATION ENGINE HESITATES, NEARLY CAUSING DRIVER BEHIND TO REAR END ME. PULLED OFF STREET TO CHECK THAT CAR WAS RUNNING OK, SEEMED FINE. 9 MILES INTO COMMUTE. OIL LIGHT FLICKERS, PULLED INTO GAS STATION WITHIN 4 BLOCKS, SCARED ENGINE WOULD LOCK UP OR BLOW. CHECKED OIL, DRY DIPSTICK! PURCHASED 2 QUARTS, ADDED 1 & BARELY REGISTERED ON DIPSTICK. ADDED 2ND, NOW REGISTERED OVER FILLED (OIL IN ENGINE WAS HELD BACK DUE TO SLUDGE, & RELEASED WHILE ADDING NEW OIL?). OIL LIGHT STOPS FLICKERING & IS OFF. 1 MORE MILE TO WORK. ENGINE HESITATED A COUPLE OF TIMES DURING A.M. & P.M. COMMUTES. 9:58 P.M., 11 MILES INTO P.M. COMMUTE STOP AT GAS STATION, CHECK OIL. BEFORE OPENING HOOD, NOTICED ANTIFREEZE ODOR, COULDN'T TELL IF COMING FROM MY CAR OR OTHERS NEARBY. OIL STILL REGISTERED ON DIPSTICK AS OVERFILLED. NOTICED STEAM COMING FROM ENGINE NEAR MID FRONT OF CAR, PASSENGER SIDE, COULD NOT FIND EXACT LOCATION. PURCHASED COOLANT JUST IN CASE. FINAL 2 MILES OF COMMUTE, TEMP GAUGE REGISTERED HIGHER THAN NORMAL. 10/29, 8:00 A.M. TAKE CAR TO DEALERSHIP. DRIP MARKS ON DRIVEWAY FROM EVENING BEFORE. ARRIVED AT DEALERSHIP SERVICE, INFORMED ME THEY WERE NO LONGER CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP/SERVICE AS OF OCT. 1, (SIGN OUTSIDE & CARS IN THE LOT HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN AWAY). DIAGNOSIS: REPLACE WATER PUMP, OIL, AC & POWER STEERING BELTS, OIL SENDING UNIT, TIMING CHAIN & GEARS, TENSIONERS & UPPER CONNECTORS. ESTIMATE: $1,548. 2ND OPINION: REPLACE WATER PUMP, VALVE COVER GASKET, THERMOSTAT, BELTS, & OIL FOR $1,371. ALSO SUGGESTED REPLACING TIMING CHAIN, TOTAL $2,500. HOWEVER, THE SHOP HAD 15-YEAR FORMER CHRYSLER SERVICE VETERAN ON STAFF WHO SUGGESTED I NOT MAKE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE ENGINE WILL SEIZE SOON, AND I'D BE WASTING MONEY. STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND WHILE BRAKING AND ACCELERATING. THE NOISE PERSISTED FOR THREE DAYS. ON THE FOURTH DAY, WHILE BRAKING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. IN ORDER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, SHE HAD TO SHIFT THE GEAR INTO PARK. LATER THE SAME DAY, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY AND A DIAGNOSTIC INDICATED THAT THE MAP SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE, AND THE OXYGEN IN THE FUEL INJECTION WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. THE MECHANIC ADVISED HER THAT THE PART WOULD BE AVAILABLE THE FOLLOWING DAY; HOWEVER, SHE WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A NATIONAL BACK ORDER. THIS MEANT THAT THEY HAD NO IDEA WHEN THE PART WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT IS UNABLE TO REACH THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,500. UPDATED 10/30/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AT VARIOUS TIMES. UPDATED 10/30/08. *JB

I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW, ADDED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HAD SEVERAL THINGS GO WRONG. JUST TO NAME A FEW: ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WHEN IT WAS JUST OVER THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH OIL CHANGES AND REGULAR MAINTENANCE WAS DONE 3-4000 MILES, TRANSMISSION PAN HAD METAL SHAVINGS IN IT WHICH RESULTED IN POOR PERFORMANCE, CONTROL ARM HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS THE MOTOR MOUNTS(I DID NOT NEED THE MOUNTS REPLACED AND THE REPAIR WAS NOT DONE UNDER WARRANTY), WATER PUMP & THERMOSTAT HOUSING(WAS TOLD BOTH WEREN'T COVERED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN), REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER REPLACED AND/OR FIXED THREE TIMES, DRIVER POWER WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACED(GLASS HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF DAMAGE FROM THE REGULATOR, WHICH I PAID), VISOR VANITY LIGHT-PART ORDERED BUT "TOO LATE" WHEN TRIED TO HAVE IT REPLACED(WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT PART WAS IN), DASH LIGHTS-ON & OFF, HEADLIGHTS REPLACE SEVERAL TIMES, HUB SEAL REPLACED, PASSENGER SEAT ADJUST ARM BROKEN, LIGHTER INOPERATIVE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON FIRST MONTH I HAD THE CAR! *TR