1997 Chrysler Sebring

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER BALL JOINTS FAILED WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPAIRED IN 1998 ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 97V201000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT). IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V421002 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT) IN 2000. THE CONTACT DID NOT REMEMBER THE FIRST RECALL REPAIR; HOWEVER, IT IS IN THE SYSTEM AS BEING REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. HE BELIEVES THAT THE REPAIR WAS NEVER PERFORMED, BUT WAS DOCUMENTED AS COMPLETED IN ORDER TO GET PAID BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

I WAS DRIVING IN A 1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING LXI, WHEN I BEGAN GETTING LIGHT-HEADED, AND KNEW THAT I WAS ABOUT TO PASS OUT. I TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT TO GET OFF THE ROADWAY, AND THE LAST THING THAT I REMEMBER WAS TURNING INTO THE LOT (BECAUSE I INDEED DID PASS OUT, DUE TO A MEDICAL CONDITION). MY VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE PARKING LOT, I STRUCK A RAISED CONCRETE SIDEWALK (AT A STORE FRONT) THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 12 INCHES HIGH, THEN STRUCK THE BRICK WALL AND STORE FRONT WINDOW, ENTERED THE BUILDING AND STRUCK DISPLAY CASES, FURNITURE, ETC. UPON ENTERING THE BUILDING. WHEN I CAME TO, I WAS STILL IN THE VEHICLE, VEHICLE WAS RUNNING, AND THE AIRBAGS (NEITHER ONE) HAD DEPLOYED. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 9-1-1 FROM MY CELL PHONE TO SUMMON POLICE, FIRE & EMS. THE INVESTIGATORS FROM THE LOCAL POLICE INDICATED THAT WHEN I PASSED OUT MY FOOT HAD TO HAVE HIT THE VEHICLES ACCELERATOR TO CAUSE ME TO TRAVEL THE DISTANCE, HIT THE SIDEWALK, AND CONTINUE INTO THE STRUCTURE (BUILDING). I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE SAFETY FEATURES (AIR BAGS) DID NOT DEPLOY! *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A SIDE ROAD AT 15 MPH, AFTER GOING THROUGH THE 2ND OF 2 SMALL DIPS, THE FRONT BALL JOINT BROKE ON THE 1997 SEBRING AND THE CAR STOPPED. WE GOT OUT, SAW FRONT WHEEL TURNED OUT AT SHARP ANGLE, THE RIGHT FRONT OF CAR DROPPED. SHERIDAN POLICE DROVE BY,WE MADE AN ACCIDENT REPORT. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED 2 BLOCKS, THE INS. CO. WAS CALLED WE CONTACTED PHIL LONG CHRYSLER IN LITTLETON CO. TO FIND PRICE ON THE PART. THEY ASKED FOR VIN NUMBER AND DETERMINED THERE WAS RECALL ON THAT VEHICLE. THEY SAID CAR WAS FIXED ONCE UNDER RECALL, THEY WANTED TO SEE IT. WE HAD IT TOWED THERE. BERNIE SAID THEY WOULD AT LEAST FIX THE BALL JOINT. THEY ESTIMATED THE DAMAGE AND CALLED DISTRICT REP TO COME SEE THE CAR. WE WERE CALLED AND TOLD DISTRICT REP SAID NO, THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE CAR UNDER THE RECALL. WE ALSO OWED THEM $100 (DIAGNOSTICS).WE WERE TOLD BY SERVICE MANAGER, SCOTT VANSICKLE, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THE CAR WAS 10 YEARS OLD, HAD 160,000 MILES. [RECALLED PART WAS FIXED AT 20,000 MILES IN 1998.] DECISION WAS MADE BY THE DISTRICT REP. AND, BESIDES, THOSE PARTS WEAR OUT. I ASKED FOR NAME AND NUMBER OF DISTRICT REP - CHRIS G. AT 1-800-992-1997. I CALLED, WAS TOLD BY ALEX, AFTER MUCH REFERRAL WITH HIS SUPERVISOR, THAT CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN FIXED AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I TOLD HIM I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH DISTRICT REP, CHRIS G, HE SAID HE WAS NOT AT THAT NUMBER, THEY DIDN'T HAVE A DISTRICT REP THERE, I NEEDED TO GO THROUGH DEALER FOR THAT. I ASKED HIM FOR HIS NAME, ALEX, AND SUPERVISOR'S NAME,RYAN.CHRYSLER'S REP, ( CHRIS G.) HAS OFFERED TO DO ABSOLUTELEY NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM AND IS UNWILLLING TO DO ANYTHING. I AM LUCKY I WAS GOING SLOW AND NOONE WAS HURT.THIS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE HAPPENED AT 65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY AND THE 3 OF US COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I FIND IT APPALLING THAT CHRYSLER CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAULT OF THIS PART.

WHILE DRIVING MY 1997 CHRYSLER SEBRING THE CAR FELT AS IF FELL OUT OF CAR AND TURNED COMPLETELY OFF. THIS HAPPENED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN NOTHERN NEW JERSEY AND COST SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO BE TOWED BACK TO PHILADELPHIA. THE PROBLEM IS BELIEVED TO BE WITH THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THERE WERE NO WORNIGN SIGNS AND THE CAR ONLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 76,000 MILES ON IT. MY LIFE AND THE LIFE OF THE PASSENGERS WERE VERY MUCH IN DANGER SINCE WE WERE STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY FOR SEVERAL HOURS UNTIL A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. *NM

DT: THE SEAT BELTS ON DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SIDES DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE STRAP WILL GET STUCK IN THE RETRACTOR, IT WILL NOT MOVE. MOST OF THE TIME ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IT HARDLY EVER WORKS. THIS STARTED ON AUGUST 24, 2004. CONTACTED THE DEALER THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE TO FIX IT. *AK THE CONSUMER THINKS THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD REPLACE THE SEAT BELTS FREE OF CHARGE. *NM

DT: CONSUMER WAS AWARE OF MANUFACTURER'S RECALL, 967 ISSUED ON MAY 16, 2001. CONSUMER STATED THAT THIS RECALL REPAIRS WERE NEVER DONE. ON JUNE 23, 2005 SHE WAS TRAVELING, THROUGH SAINT CLARESHORES, MICHIGAN ON I94, GOT OFF AT EXIT AND MADE A RIGHT TURN AND VEHICLE CAME TO A DEAD STOP. RIGHT FRONT TIRE WENT INTO WHEEL WELL, WHICH DID A LOT OF BODY DAMAGE. FROM THERE MECHANIC HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO GARAGE AT WATERFORD AUTO, IN WATERFORD, MICHIGAN. MECHANIC THEN CALLED CHRYSLER TO FIND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL 967 ON PART THAT BROKE. CONSUMER DID NOT RECEIVE A NOTICE, HER EX-HUSBAND RECEIVED THE NOTICE. MECHANIC HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO CLARKSTON CHRYSLER 8105 BIG LAKE ROAD, PO BOX 1015, CLARKSTON, MICHIGAN 48347. DEALER LOOKED AT VEHICLE AND SAID THERE WAS A RECALL, BUT THEY NEEDED AN INVESTIGATOR FROM CHRYSLER TO LOOK AT VEHICLE. INVESTIGATOR CAME OUT ON JULY 6, 2005. CONSUMER HEARD FROM MANUFACTURER ON JULY 19, 2005. THEY DENIED RECALL REPAIRS BECAUSE THE PART HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED BY SOMEONE ELSE. HOWEVER THEY DID NOT HAVE A RECORD OF IT.*AK

ON APRIL 23, 2005, MY SON WAS TRAVELING TO WORK, ABOUT 12:30 IN THE AFTERNOON, TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON THE 210 FREEWAY. AT SOME POINT, HIS LEFT REAR TIRE WENT FLAT. HIS CAR LOST CONTROL AND SPUN COUNTERCLOCKWISE, ACROSS FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC, AND HEAD ON INTO THE CENTER DIVIDER. HIS CAR CONTINUED TO SPIN IN THE SAME DIRRECTION AND IMPACTED AGAIN AT THE RIGHT REAR QUARTERPANEL, AND THE RIGHT REAR BUMPER. MY SON GOT OUT OF THE CAR, AND THE CHP ARRIVED WITHIN TEN MINUTES TO HAVE HIS CAR TOWED. I CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN. THEY SENT AN INSPECTOR TO THE SALVAGE YARD. TWO WEEKS LATER I GOT A LETTER FROM CHRYSLER SAYING THAT THEIR RECALLED UPPER BALL JOINT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CRASH. I HAD A MECHANIC EXAMINE THE VEHICLE, HE HAD IT LIFTED UP WITH A FORKLIFT, AND SHOWED ME THE RACK AND PINION THAT WAS DANGLING DOWN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. HE SAID THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE REST OF THE UNDERCARRAIGE, THE BROKEN STEERING WAS WHAT CAUSED MY SON'S CAR TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL, AND CRASH INTO THE MEDIAN, INJURING HIM, AND THREATENING THE OTHER COMMUTERS.