2002 Chrysler Sebring

MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING'S ENGINE SEIZED UP WHEN I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ONE NIGHT TO TAKE MY HUSBAND TO WORK. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY DEALER JUST TO FIND OUT THAT I WAS 32 MILES OUT OF MY EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THAT I HAD APPARENTLY NOT CHANGED MY OIL AND THAT CAUSED MY ENGINE TO LOCK UP. WHEN MY ENGINE LOCKED UP I HAD FLOORED IT TO GO AROUND A SLOW-MOVING SEMI ON A LITTLE 2 LANE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A TERRIBLE KNOCKING SOUND AND I NOTICED THAT EVEN THOUGH I WAS PUSHING DOWN ON MY GAS PEDAL, THE RPMS WERE GOING DOWN INSTEAD OF UP. I FINALLY GOT BACK INTO THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND MY CAR SORT OF WOBBLED A COUPLE TIMES. IT KEPT LOSING SPEED AND WHEN WE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT THE ENGINE DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. NOW I AM STUCK WITH A $5500+ REPAIR BILL ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THIS ENGINE WAS AND HAS BEEN DEFECTIVE SINCE DAY ONE. I WANT CHRYSLER TO PAY FOR MY ENGINE AND ALL MY HEARTACHE. *TR

I PURCHASED THE 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING LX SEDAN IN OCTOBER 2003 USED WITH 43,000 MILES. I HAD RECEIVED FREE OIL CHANGES FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR FOR TWO YEARS. I DID NOT RECEIVE ALL OF THE OIL CHANGES FOR THE TWO YEARS, BUT OIL WAS CHANGED ON A REGULAR BASIS. IN OCTOBER 2005 I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FOR THE WEEKEND WHEN I NOTICED A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE ,AND AS SOON AS I STOPPED, THE ENGINE DIED. I WAITED ABOUT TEN MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. I DROVE TO A GAS STATION AND CHECKED THE OIL, NO OIL. I PLACED TWO QUARTS OF OIL IN THE ENGINE AND DROVE HOME. OVER THE LAST 1 1/2 YEARS I HAD FOUR MECHANICS, INCLUDING CHRYSLER MECHANICS, TELL ME THAT IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE DUE TO OIL SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. I HAVE BEEN PAYING ON THIS VEHICLE FOR OVER THREE YEARS, AND ONLY BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE IT FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS, I STILL OWE $5500.00 ON THE VEHICLE, AND AM NOT ABLE TO DRIVE. IF THIS WAS TO HAPPEN TO A PERSON IN THE RIGHT SITUATIONS IT COULD BE DEVASTATING, AND LIVES COULD BE LOST. CHRYSLER STATED IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE NOT TAKING CARE OF THEIR VEHICLES, BUT THEY WERE AWARE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE OIL RETURN HEATING UP THE OIL TOO FAST AND CAUSING THE OIL TO SLUDGE. TOYOTA, AUDI, VOLKSWAGEN HAVE ALL HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS, BUT THEY H OWNED UP TO THEM. THESE COMPLAINTS WERE BECOMING MORE NUMEROUS, AND WERE STARTING TO COME IN MORE DANGEROUS SITUATIONS, HOW LONG WILL THIS GO ON BEFORE SOMEBODY WAS ACTUALLY INJURED? I AM PERSONALLY OUT OF A LOT OF MONEY, AND WILL BE OUT OF THIS MONEY FOR AT LEAST 2 MORE YEARS, UNLESS I RUN INTO A WINNING LOTTERY TICKET TO PURCHASE A NEW ENGINE. EVERY BODY WAS MAKING MONEY OFF OF THESE ENGINES, EXCEPT THE CONSUMER. I KNOW IT SOUNDS BAD, BUT I HOPE SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE WILL GIVE THEIR LIFE TO GIVE YOU THE HINT THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR THESE 2.7 LITER V6 ENGINES IN THE SEBRINGS. *AK

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER SEABRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE BUILD UP IN HIS ENGINE ,AND NOW THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE SLUDGE CAUSED THIS PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE KEPT MAKING NOISES, AND HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. ON ONE OCCASION DURING A TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST POWER. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENGINE SHAKING AND MAKING NOISES AND WILL NOT USE THE VEHICLE, ALSO THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING. THE CONTACT HAD BEEN TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 12 HOURS THE PREVIOUS DAY WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN OVERHEATING THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY HAD MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE REGULARLY. THE WEATHER WAS NICE AND THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 65 - 70 MPH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE BOTH 73,298.*AK

TL* THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE NEAR HER FEET. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POP AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND TOWED IT TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,164. THE MECHANICS DIAGNOSIS STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CHRYSLER REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE THE ENGINE REPAIRS. *AK

SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE, THERE IS COOLANT LIKE INTO THE OIL LINE. WHICH HAS MADE THE OIL SPIT OUT FROM UNDER THE HEAD GASKET AND SPIT OUT ON TOP OF THE MOTOR COVER. THE WATER PUMP AND TIME CHANGE NEEDS TO BE REPLACE WHEN THEY NOTICE THE SLUDGE IN THE OIL PAN OF THE CAR. THEY IN TURN TOOK OF THE TOP OF THE ENGINE AND THE SLUDGE WAS JUST THICK AND GRITTY. I WAS TOLD BY A CHRYSLER TECHNICIAN THAT CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE 2.7 LITER ENGINES. *NM