2001 Chrysler Sebring

I HAD TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES AND HAD A PASSENGER IN THE CAR WITH ME. NOTHING DEPLOYED...BUT THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON THE NEXT DAY...WELL I TOOK IT TO DINOVOS AND THEY SAID THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT PRE TENSIONER WAS OPEN...CLEANED IT AND GREASED IT AND THE LIGHT WENT OFF...IF I WAS IN AN ACTUAL WRECK..WOULD I HAVE HAD AN AIRBAG..THAT IS THE QUESTION OF THE DAY.*JB

2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING 2.7 LITER DOHC PERFORMED ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON 9-11-05, DUE TO A LONG TRIP. EVERYTHING WAS GOOD AS FAR AS FLUID LEVELS, PERFORMED AN OIL CHANGE, VEHICLE RAN FINE OIL WAS NOT BURNT OR LOW OIL CHANGE INTERVAL WAS ON SCHEDULE. ON 9-12-05 AT 9:30 A.M., AT INTERSTATE SPEED VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, AS IT SHUT DOWN TEMP. GAUGE WENT TO THE MAX. MY WIFE AND SEVEN MONTH OLD CHILD WERE STUCK ON HIGHWAY OFF-RAMP. VERY HOT AND HUMID DAY ABOUT ONE-HUNDRED MILES FROM HOME. TOWED VEHICLE BACK TO HOME AREA. VEHICLE ACTED AS IF TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE. UPON REMOVAL OF INTAKE AND VALVE COVER, TWELVE INTAKE VALVES ARE BENT AND STUCK OPEN DO TO THE TIMING CHAIN JUMPING OR WATER PUMP FAILURE. HAVE NOT INSPECTED ANY LOWER IN THE ENGINE YET. VEHICLE HAS 88,374 MILES ON IT. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM. MADE CONTACT WITH CHRYSLER TO SEE IF THEIR WAS A POSSIBLE RECALL. CHRYSLER SAID THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY TIMING PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE, BUT WERE VERY EVASIVE WHEN CHALLENGED WITH QUESTIONS. OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE.*JB

WHEN CAR BOUGHT SHARED DRIVER INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE LOOSE. TOOK BACK IN FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. MONTHS LATER POWER WINDOW BUTTONS ARE FALLING THROUGH SAME DOOR HANDLE, RENDERING WINDOW INOPERABLE. UPON ME TAKING IT APART TO SEE IF I COULD FIX, FOUND THE PLASTIC STEMS THAT INTERLOCK POWER WINDOW BUTTONS TO THE HANDLE, ARE DISENTAGRATING.THAT WHEN I TOOK IN FOR ABOVE MENTIONED WARRANTY WORK, ALL THAT WAS DONE, THEY GLUED HANDLED TO UPOLSTRY. THE REAR WINDOW DRIVER SIDE HAS NOW ALSO BEDOME INOPERABLE DUE TO SAME DISENTEGARATION. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT AND/OR FIRE AND UNABLE TO OPEN DOOR TO ESCAPE ONE WOULD BECOME TRAPPED UNABLE TO LOWER A WINDOW TO GET OUT.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN IRREGULAR ENGINE SNAPPING SOUND COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE CONTACT FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS A NAIL IN THE TIRE, BUT UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO NAIL IN THE TIRE. THE ENGINE FIRST STARTED WITH THE SNAPPING SOUND, THEN VIBRATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN. THE NOISE HAS BEEN THE SAME SINCE IT STARTED. A CERTIFIED MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER; THEY STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL. *AK

(1) THE COURSE OF ACTION WHEN LEAVING MY EMPLOYMENT WORKPLACE ON THURSDAY, JULY 21, APPROXIMATELY 6:00 P.M. CST: I STARTED MY 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH MY REMOTE START (WHICH I HAVE DONE DAILY SINCE 2002), GOT INTO THE CAR TO LEAVE THE PARKING LOT, SECURED MY SEAT BELT, AND DEPRESSED THE BRAKE IN ORDER TO PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE (NO CARS WERE PARKED IN FRONT OF MINE). (2) THE MOMENT I PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR (DRIVE) IT TOOK OFF LIKE A BULLET WITHOUT ANY ACCELERATION. THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING INDEPENDENTLY (RUNAWAY) AND HEADED TOWARD A 4-LANE, BUSY STREET. BRAKING HAD NO EFFECT ON SLOWING THE CAR BUT I COULD STEER. I TURNED TO AVOID ENTERING THE BUSY STREET BUT CRASHED INTO THE CORNER OF A BRICK BUILDING. ELAPSED TIME FROM THE POINT OF FAILURE TO THE CRASH WAS VERY SHORT; I ESTIMATE IT TO BE 5 SECONDS. I WAS INJURED AND HOSPITALIZED WITH A FRACTURED HEEL BONE, ANKLE BONES, AND RIBS. (3) THE CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS SO THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. *NM

AFTER I RECEIVED A TUNE UP OF MY VEHICLE, IT STARTED A PROBLEM. AFTER MY CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR ABOUT 20 MIN, THE ENGINE STARTS TO ALMOST DIE OUT, THEN COME BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS W/O USING AC OR HEAT. HOWEVER, IF I USE MY A/C OR HEAT, IT BECOMES MUCH WORSE. IN BOTH SITUATIONS, W/OR W/O AC & HEAT, THE PROBLEM BECAME SO BAD MY CAR DIED OUT. THE DEALER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY CAR, AND CLAIMED IT DID NOT DO THIS TO THEM WHEN THEY HAD IT IN THEIR POSSESSION. I MYSELF, HAVE CHANGED THE AIR FILTER, GOT AN OIL CHANGE, CHANGED MY TRANS FLUID, PCV VALVE, & PUT IN FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT STOPPED. WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO MURRAYS AUTO PARTS, THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, GIVING IT THE CODE P1391 MISFIRE CODE. I CALLED THE DEALER TO FIND OUT THIS CODE, NOBODY HAD ANY IDEA WHAT IT MEANT. EVERY TIME I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE DEALER, THEY DENY THEY HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT, AND PUT ME OFF LIKE I DON'T KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT. I JUST WANT MY CAR FIXED. *NM

DT: WHILE DRIVING MY CHRYSLER SEBRING THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED. IT STARTING MAKING A LOUD NOISE AND THEN THE CONSUMER HEARD A CRUNCH. WHEN THE CONSUMER OPENED THE HOOD THE TIMING CHAIN HAD CUT A SLICE OUT OF THE PLASTIC VALUE COVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN DID BREAK. HE ALSO TOLD THE CONSUMER TO SEARCH THE INTERNET TO FIND OUT IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SAME MOTOR. THE CONSUMER HASN'T DONE ANY RESEARCH TO SEE IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE YET. *NM

DECEMBER OF 2002 - REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER QUIT. WIRE CONNECTOR CAME LOOSE FROM REAR WINDOW. COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. WINDOW HAD TO BE REPLACED TO FIX PROBLEM. MAY OF 2004 - AIR BAG INDICATOR CAME ON AND CHIME SOUNDED. SENSOR OR SOME SORT REPLACED AT AN EXPENSE OF OVER $300.00 JUNE OF 2005 - REPEAT OR ABOVE PROBLEM. APPOINTMENT TO BRING CAR IN FOR SERVICING ON JUNE 28TH. JUNE OF 2005 - REPEAT OF REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER. ITEM HAS NOT WORKED FOR MONTHS. I HAVE RUN A REPORT ON MYCARSTATS.COM AND HAVE FOUND BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MODEL. APPEARS WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR THE AIR BAG PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME AND I CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY NEXT WEEK WHEN I BRING IT IN FOR SERVICING.