2001 Chrysler Sebring

MY SON BOUGHT HIS FIST CAR, A USED 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH THE 2.7 ENGINE. DAY TWO OF DRIVING THE CAR HE BLEW THE MOTOR. DEALER SAYS HE CAN'T FIND A REPLACEMENT MOTOR SO I TALKED TO MY MECHANIC ABOUT IT AND HE SAID THE 2.7 CHRYSLER MOTOR HAS A PROBLEM WITH OIL SLUDGE THAT CAUSES THE MOTOR TO FAIL. IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. NOW MY SON IS MAKING CAR PAYMENTS ON A CAR THAT ISN'T FIXABLE. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING LXI 2.7L V6 SEDAN. ON FEBRUARY 28, 2009, ENGINE OVERHEATED AND FAILED ON HIGHWAY I-77 NORTH. I PULLED OUT OF TRAFFIC AS ASAP. ENGINE LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT START. ENGINE RUINED. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED FROM HWY. CAR RAN PERFECTLY BEFORE GOING ON THE HWY. I HAVE SERVICE RECORDS TO PROVE THE OIL WAS CHANGED WITH SYNTHETIC OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES. I HAVE A RECEIPT TO PROVE I TOPPED OFF THE COOLANT PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILURE. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DENIED THE CLAIM ON MARCH 3. I FOUND THAT EXTENDED WARRANTIES EITHER REJECT THESE CLAIMS AUTOMATICALLY OR PAY THEM AND THEN CANCEL YOUR COVERAGE. AFTER DENIAL, I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THIS CHRYSLER MODEL HAS HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS DUE TO ENGINE AND COOLING DEFECTS, INCLUDING THE ENGINE ITSELF, THE WATER OUTLET/COOLANT ARM, AND HEAD GASKET. ENGINE FAILURE HAPPENS FREQUENTLY TO CONSUMERS DRIVING 60 MPH OR FASTER (HIGHWAY CONDITIONS). CONSUMERS REPORT THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURS DESPITE PROPER MAINTENANCE OF THE CAR. THERE IS NO WARNING PRIOR TO ENGINE OVERHEATING AND FAILURE. YOU DON'T KNOW THERE'S A PROBLEM UNTIL SMOKE STARTS. MY CAR SMOKED LONG BEFORE THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED RED HOT. THE HAND WAS STILL IN THE MIDDLE WHEN SMOKE FIRST STARTED. LOCAL MECHANICS, SALVAGE YARDS, AND EVEN CHRYSLER MASTER TECHS CONFIRMED THESE PROBLEMS AND THAT YOU CANNOT FORESEE THEM. CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL REGARDING THESE PROBLEMS BUT NEVER DID. THE ONLY ENGINE-RELATED RECALL ACTUALLY ISSUED WAS FOR THE HARNESS FOR THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. OBVIOUSLY, CHRYSLER HAS TRIED TO AVOID SUCH COSTLY REPLACEMENTS. A NEW, REMANUFACTURED ENGINE (WITHOUT THE ORIGINAL DEFECTS) COSTS AROUND $6200 IN MY AREA. MY PROBLEM CAME FROM CHRYSLER DEFECTS. CHRYSLER SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO INSTALL A BRAND NEW, REMANUFACTURED ENGINE AND ALL OTHER DAMAGED PARTS AT NO CHARGE TO ME. CHRYSLER SHOULD ALSO PAY FOR THE TOWING OF MY CAR TO A CHRYSLER SERVICE SHOP AND REIMBURSE ME FOR THE PREVIOUS TOWS. *TR

2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING 4.7LITER ENGINE. HAD OIL CHANGED TWO WEEKS AGO. THE NEXT MORNING OIL WAS ALL OVER TOP OF ENGINE. RETURNED TO SHOP AND DETERMINED THAT OIL PRESSURE LOW. MAKING LOUD KNOCKING NOISE WHEN IDLE SOUNDS LIKE DIESEL ENGINE! MECHANIC STATED ENGINE FIXING TO GO.IT HAS ONLY 92,000 MILES. UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A DESIGN ISSUE WITH ENGINE AND HAS STILL NOT BEEN RECALL. CHRYSLER IS WELL AWARE OF THIS CONTINUOUS ISSUE AND ASSUME THEY FEEL ITS THE CONSUMERS PROBLEM NOW SINCE YOU PURCHASED IT. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM CHRYSLER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING. INTERMITTENTLY, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE ALSO LOCKS UP WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT'S SON IS A MECHANIC AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE WITH THE OIL DIPSTICK. HE STARTED THE ENGINE AND HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND, AND THEN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXPENSES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,100.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHENEVER THE CONTACT COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. OCCASIONALLY, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY RESTART. HE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL WHILE ACCELERATING PAST 60 MPH. IN ADDITION, THE RADIO AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS STOP WORKING WHENEVER THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 82,000. UPDATED 11/28/08 *BF THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR WAS RUBBING THE WIRING CAUSING IT TO HEAT THE WIRING UNDER THE PROTECTIVE SHIELD AND SLOWLY GROUNDING OUT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. UPDATED 12/02/08.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING. SHE HAD A MECHANIC PERFORM AN OIL CHANGE AND REMOVE ALL OF THE SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. TWO DAYS LATER, WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. SHE WAS RELATIVELY CLOSE TO HER HOME AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE; THEREFORE, SOME OF HER PEERS PUSHED THE VEHICLE BACK TO HER HOUSE. THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS A CONTINUOUS ISSUE WITH SLUDGE BUILD UP AND THEY ALSO NOTED THAT THE TIMING CHAINS WERE FAILING. THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V299002 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE). THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 71,000.

SMOKING (OIL BURNING EVERYWHERE) OIL PRESSURE SWITCH FAILED APR. 07. HAD MAJOR TUNE UP DONE IN AUG. 07. THEN HAD BATTERY TROUBLE CAR DIED HAD TOWED TO SHOP, MEC. CHECKED BATTERY AND RECHARGED IT SAID TO REPLACE IT SOON, THEN THE NEXT DAY HEARD A TICKING NOISE AND A BIG CLUNK ON MY WAY TO WORK BUT WENT TO THE SHOP INSTEAD THEY FOUND INTERMIX THROUGH-OUT, HEAD GASKET FAILURE. *TR