2003 Chrysler Sebring

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHILE DRIVING FROM MAINE TO SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS AT 30 MPH, THE REAR STRUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FAILED. THE VEHICLE DROPPED TO THE GROUND AND THE CONTACT HEARD A TERRIBLE NOISE. THE SALES DEALER INFORMED HER THAT THE STRUT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN VISIBLE AND WAS MADE OUT OF ALUMINUM INSTEAD OF METAL. THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE CONTACT'S WARRANTY AND SHE HAD TO PAY $130 FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,500. UPDATED 06/25/08 *BF

I AM A 2003 CHRYSLER SEBRING OWNER WITH A 2.7L ENGINE, RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT IT OF THE LOT PRE-OWNED IT HAD TO BE BOUGHT BACK TO GET CHECKED OUT BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A FEW TIMES AND THE WATER PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY IT JUST SEIZED ON ME, TURNS OUT THAT A ROD BARRING SPUN IN THE ENGINE COMPLETELY TOTALING THE ENGINE AND FROM WHAT IM TOLD THE WATER PUMP AND A FEW MORE COMPONENTS NEED TO BE REPLACE BECAUSE OF THE ENGINE, GOT WORD FROM THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE WAS NO BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE THE OIL WAS WELL MAINTAINED BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE CAUSE WAS. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND SINCE IT FELL OUT OF WARRANTY BY 8,000 MILES THE ONLY THING THEY WOULD DO IS REPLACE IT WITH A REBUILT ENGINE AT THE COST OF $6,758.69 BUT ONLY WOULD PAY 50% OF THAT COST. I TOLD THEM ITS CLEARLY A DEFECT IN THE ENGINE AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING BUT THEY WILL ONLY DO 50% AND A REBUILT ENGINE.*JB

I HAVE A 2003 CHRYSLER SEBRING LX, I BOUGHT IT USED WITH 21,000 MILES IN MARCH OF 2004, NEARLY NEW RIGHT? SINCE THEN, I HAVE GONE THROUGH 2 SETS OF ROTORS AND PADS FOR THE FRONT, 1 SET OF TIRES, PASSENGER SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT, TOTALING OVER $700.00 FOR REPAIRS, THAT I PAID OUT OF MY POCKET. THE FAN KNOB INSIDE THE CAR THAT CONTROLS THE SPEED OF THE HEATER FAN LABELED 1-4, NOW ONLY WORKS ON 3 AND 4. NOW THE LOWER TIE- ROD END ON PASSENGER SIDE IS BAD OR MAKING A THUMPING NOISE. A NEARBY MECHANIC SAYS THAT IT IS DRY AND NEEDS LUBRICATION BUT IS NOT ACCESSIBLE DUE TO CHRYSLER NOT PUTTING GREASE FITTINGS ON ANY OF THE IMPORTANT AREAS! I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I FOUND IT WOULD COST $850.00 TO FIX. THERE MECHANICS SAY THAT THEY DON'T SEEM LOOSE AND NOTHING IS GOING TO FALL A PART, BUT JUST IN CASE, SINCE YOU CAN'T JUST REPLACE THE TIE-ROD END, YOU HAVE TO BUY THE WHOLE RACK AND PINION, SO THEY SUPPOSEDLY HAVE IT ON ORDER. THE DEALER SAYS IF IT HAS TO BE REPLACED AFTER THEY LOOK THE CAR OVER GOOD, THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A $50.00 DEDUCTIBLE AND THE WARRANTY WILL COVER THE REST. I BOUGHT THIS CAR SINCE I HAVE ALWAYS BOUGHT DODGE/CHRYSLER VEHICLES ASSUMING IT WOULD BE A SAFE FAMILY CAR SINCE MY WIFE IS PREGNANT AND DUE IN NOVEMBER WHICH IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER! I HAVE HAD THE CAR LESS THAN A YEAR AND A HALF AND HAVE SUNK MORE MONEY IN IT THEN MOST VEHICLES 5 YEARS OR OLDER. I HAVE A LITTLE OVER 59,000 MILES ON IT WHICH WHEN I BOUGHT IT I GOT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY UP TO 75,000 MILES. AT THE RATE IT'S GOING, THE CAR WILL LUCKY TO MAKE IT THAT FAR. SAFETY IS MY MAIN CONCERN WHEN PURCHASING A VEHICLE, AND THIS CAR HAS PROVEN TO ME THAT IT IS A LEMON DUE TO THE FRONT END PROBLEMS AND IS A HAZARD TO MY FAMILY AND I. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING BACK FROM YOU. *NM

I OWN A 2003 CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH 4 CYLINDER ENGINE,AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND CRUISE CONTROL. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED IN MARCH OF 2005 WITH ABOUT 29,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT CURRENTLY HAS 39,000 MILES. ON A TRIP THROUGH MARYLAND AND WEST VIRGINIA ON AUGUST 4TH,2005, I EXPERIENCED A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE. WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 65 MPH, I WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE DOWN A 6 TO 8 % GRADE. THE CAR WOULD DOWN SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION AND ACCELERATE. WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER REACHED 75 MPH, I SHUT OFF THE CRUISE AND THE CAR WOULD UPSHIFT BACK TO HIGH GEAR AND WITH BRAKING I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE SPEED OF THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THIS ACTION WITH THE CAR UNTIL I TRAVELED ON INTERSTATE ROADS WITH 3% GRADES OR LESS,THEN THE CRUISE WORKS FINE. I TOOK THE CAR TO NORTH EAST DODGE ,MAIN STREET,NORTH EAST,PA. 16428 ON AUGUST 8TH,2005 AND EXPLAINED THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL. AFTER CONFERRING WITH CHRYSLER CORPORATION,I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY STATED THAT I SHOULD HAVE READ THE OWNERS MANUAL WHICH( I AM PARAPHRASING HERE) STATES NOT TO USE THE CRUISE CONTROL UNLESS IT IS A SUNNY,DRY DAY AND THE HIGHWAY IS FLAT. IN OTHER WORDS,CHRYSLER SAYS I SHOULD HAVE READ THE OWNERS MANUAL BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND IF I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF THE CAR GOING OUT OF CONTROL DOWN STEEP ROADS, THEN DON'T USE THE CRUISE CONTROL. BECAUSE CHRYSLER CORPORATION PUTS A DISCLAIMER IN THEIR OWNERS MANUAL ABOUT THEIR SELLING THE PUBLIC AN UNSAFE PRODUCT SHOULD NOT ABSOLVE THEM OF THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CORRECTING IT. *NM

DT: 2003 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CAR IS A 4 CYCLE AUTOMATIC WITH AIR CONDITIONER AND CRUSE CONTROL. WHILE DRIVING UP A 6% GRADE, AND WHEN GOING DOWN THE HILL TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTED AND THE CAR ACCELERATED 15-20 MILES FASTER THAN WHAT THE CRUISE WAS SET AT. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY STATED THAT THIS WAS ACCEPTABLE TO THEM. THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT CERTAIN CONDITIONS MUST BE MET FOR THE CRUISE TO FUNCTION IN A SAFE MANNER. *AK