2002 Chrysler Sebring

2.7 LITER V6 ENGINE- SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. REGULAR OILS CHANGES AT 3000 MILES. ENGINE FAILED AT 76000 MILES ON THE CAR DUE TO WATER MIXING WITH THE OIL..(A DIRECT RESULT OF A HEAD GASKET FAILURE- I ASSUME) THE MECHANIC NOTED THAT THERE WAS SEVERE OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST > $5000. HE ALSO INDICATED CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PENDING. CHRYSLER HAS SINCE MODIFIED THIS ENGINE FOR ITS NEWER VEHICLES. *JB

WHILE SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL. I MUST SHIFT BACK AND FORTH TO GET VEHICLE MOVING AGAIN. THIS USUALLY IS NOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT USUALLY HAPPENS IN A PARKING STALL, WHERE NOT A LOT OF MOVING CARS ARE AROUND TO HIT ME. ALMOST ALWAYS AFTER THE NEUTRAL/DRIVE PROBLEM, THE TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT DOWN HARD WHEN GOING FROM SECOND DOWN TO FIRST GEAR, CAUSING A JERKING MOTION. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO TAKE IT INTO THE SHOP TWICE NOW, AND IT WAS DIFFERENT PROBLEMS EACH TIME. THE FIRST WAS A SENSOR, THE SECOND, A "TSB" NEEDED UPDATING. EACH TIME I TAKE IT IN, I AM GUARANTEED ABOUT A $200 CHARGE. *JB

I AM EXTREMELY DISSATISFIED WITH A PARTICULAR QUALITY OF MY 2002 SEBRING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I AM BRINGING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF CHRYSLER AND I AM DEMANDING FURTHER INQUIRY AND RESOLUTION BE OFFERED ON MY REQUEST. I AM VERY ADAMANT ABOUT THIS REQUEST AS IT HAS PUT MY CHILDREN IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND COULD CAUSE HARM OR EVEN DEATH TO OTHERS. THE PROBLEM ITSELF IS RATHER SIMPLY TO UNDERSTAND BUT CAN HAVE VERY DANGEROUS RAMIFICATIONS. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK DOES NOT HAVE A SAFETY FEATURE PREVENTING THE DRIVER DOOR TO BE LOCKED WHILE THE KEYS ARE IN THE IGNITION OR IN THE VEHICLE. ON EVERY OTHER MANUFACTURER VEHICLE I'VE OWNED THERE WAS A FEATURE THAT PREVENTED THIS FROM HAPPENING - WHETHER THE CAR WAS RUNNING OR NOT. IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, MY 1 1/2 SON WAS IN HIS CAR SEAT AS MY WIFE PARKED OUR SEBRING IN FRIENDS DRIVE WAY. SHE ACCIDENTALLY DEPRESSED THE CAR LOCK WHILE CLOSING THE DOOR. THE CAR WAS LOCKED, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND MY CHILD INSIDE THE CAR. IT TOOK OVER A 1/2 HOUR FOR ME TO DRIVE TO THE LOCATION WITH THE SPARE KEYS TO UNLOCK THE CAR. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND NERVE RACKING AND COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE IN EXTREME HEAT OR WINTER CONDITIONS WITHOUT PROPER VENTILATION. I WOULD VERY SURPRISED IF CHRYSLER HAS NOT BE NOTIFIED OF THIS COMPLAINT AND WILL BE EXTREMELY DISSATISFIED IF I DON'T RECEIVE RESOLUTION TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR AT THE VERY LEAST A COMPENSATION FOR THE SITUATION, FRUSTRATION, TIME AND MONEY SPENT. UNFORTUNATELY TO DATE, CHRYSLER HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING OTHER THAN TO GUIDE ME TO THIS SITE. THIS SERIES OF EVENTS (IF UNRESOLVED) WILL SERIOUSLY SWAY MY DECISION OF CHRYSLER PRODUCTS IN THE FUTURE. *JB

THESE ARE SAFETY/DEFECT ISSUES REGARDING MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING ENGINE: I HAVE A 2.7 LITER V6 ENGINE AND I HAVE RECENTLY READ ABOUT COMMON PROBLEMS AFTER EXPERIENCING A KNOCK IN THE ENGINE. JUST TODAY, I HAD A MECHANIC LISTEN TO THE ENGINE NOISE AND HE SPECULATES THAT IT IS A ROD OR ROD BEARING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SYMPTOM OF THE SLUDGE PROBLEM THAT YOUR WEB SITE HAS DOCUMENTED. I HAVE NOT YET CONFRONTED A CHRYSLER MAINTENANCE REP AND WOULD BE INTERESTED IN TACTICS THAT HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED AS SUCCESSFUL. I HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT REGULAR ABOUT OIL CHANGES, BUT I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER, SO WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM PROVING THE MAINTENANCE INTERVALS. STEERING: LAST SUMMER I FIRST EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING TIGHTENING. BASICALLY THE GENERAL FEEL OF THE STEERING WAS TIGHT AND IT WOULD NOT RETURN TO A 'HOME' POSITION AFTER TURNING. A MECHANIC ESTIMATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE $1500 TO REPLACE THE RACK ASSEMBLY AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP. ON A HUNCH, I HAD THE POWER STEERING FLUID REPLACED AND WITHIN A WEEK THE STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. AROUND OCT/NOV, THE SYMPTOMS RETURNED AND I HAD ANOTHER POWER STEERING FLUID REPLACEMENT. THIS TIME THE SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN INTERMITTENT AND HAVE NOT COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED. I HAVE READ A FEW COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET OF OTHER SEBRING OWNERS HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *JB