2001 Chrysler Sebring

REAR MOUNTING BRACKET ON THE STRUT BROKE, CAR WAS MAKING A BANGING NOISE IN THE REAR. I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME FROM WORK AND HAD THE CAR TOWED. COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT HAD THE CAR NOT BEEN TOWED. PART HAS BEEN UNAVAILABLE FROM CHRYSLER SINCE 6/26 AND WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL AT LEAST THE FIRST OF AUGUST. I AM TOLD THERE ARE 8000 OF THESE PARTS ON BACK ORDER NATIONALLY, AND THE WAY THE PART OXIDIZED, I'M CURIOUS WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND THIS IS NOT A COMMON PART TO HAVE TO REPLACE. ALSO CHRYSLER REFUSES TO OFFER ME A LOANER CAR UNTIL THE PART IS AVAILABLE. *TR

ON MY 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING ONE OF THE BALL JOINTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL SEPARATED IN A PARKING LOT, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO BECOME DETACHED. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED IT WAS RUSTED OUT WHICH WAS SURPRISING SINCE THE CAR ONLY HAD 37K MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MICHIGAN AND OHIO FOR 5 YEARS AND CALIFORNIA FOR 2 YEARS. THE MECHANIC WAS SURPRISED AND HE SAID IT NORMALLY TAKES OVER 100K MILES FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE CAR WAS REPAIRED (WITH REPLACEMENT OF ALL BALL JOINTS AND THE CONTROL ARMS) AND I HAVE THE PARTS. *TR

THE REAR SHOCK MOUNTS COMPLETELY CORRODED AWAY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I NOTICED A KNOCKING SOUND WHEN I WOULD HIT A BUMP AND THE SHOCK AND SPRING WAS COMPLETELY LOOSE FROM THE FRAME BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY BRACKETS THAT HAD FAILED. ALSO THE RADIO STOPPED WORKING WHEN THE BATTERY FAILED AND THE ONLY THING IT WILL DO NOW IS FLASH THE TREBLE/BASS LIGHTS AND WILL NOT FUNCTION.*CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY DETACHED WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, HE REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT AXLE AND BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS. APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART IT FOR IT TO PERFORM NORMALLY. AS OF DECEMBER 17, 2007, THE MECHANIC HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 138,888.

I HEARD A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK END OF MY 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING. I NEEDED TO PICK UP CHILDREN AND INTENDED TO LOOK INTO NOISE WHEN I GOT HOME. ABOUT A MILE FROM HOME ON A BUMPY COUNTRY ROAD, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. WHILE CHANGING THE TIRE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE STRUT SUPPORT HAD CORRODED AND BROKEN, THROWING THE SHOCK INTO MY TIRE. TIRE IS DESTROYED AND STRUT/SHOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC LOOKS AT THE OTHER SIDE AND FINDS THAT IT TOO IS CORRODED AND READY TO BREAK. A FRIEND IS A MECHANIC FOR A CHRYSLER DEALER AND SAYS HE HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE AND CHRYSLER KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM, BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. THIS MALFUNCTION SENT MY CAR INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE, AND I WAS JUST LUCKY THAT I WAS IN THE COUNTRY AND NO ONE WAS COMING THE OTHER WAY! THE WARRANTY ON MY CAR EXPIRED 2 MONTHS AGO. IS CHRYSLER IN ANY WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS? *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A PUDDLE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE COOLER HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 01V011002, REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION COOLER HOSE. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 8/14/2006 - THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE WORN. *NM

WHILE DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON A BUSY INTERSTATE, THE RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY AND THE FRONT END BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO STOP QUICKLY AND PULL INTO THE MEDIAN. I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP ONLY 2 MONTHS PRIOR WITH "POPPING" NOISES IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERFORMED AN INSPECTION AND SAID "ALL FRONT END COMPONENTS TIGHT AND SOUND /NO FAILURES DETECTED". LESS THAN 2,000 MILES LATER, THE BALL JOINT FAILED! WHAT IS EVEN MORE CONCERNING IS THAT THE SAME EXACT SYMPTOMS WERE EXPERIENCED 2 YEARS AGO AND MANY COMPONENTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION (INCLUDING BOTH BALL JOINTS) WERE REPLACED. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS AT 37,000 MILES AND COST ME $598.66 (SINCE THE WARRANTY ONLY COVERED TO 36,000 MILES - IRONIC, HUH?). THE MOST RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED AT 63,000 MILES AND COST ME $693.06. UPON DRIVING THE CAR INTO THE GARAGE AFTER BEING TOWED, THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT THE BALL JOINT POPPED COMPLETELY OUT OF IT'S JOINT AND SHOWED ME THAT THE TIRE WAS ONLY BARELY HANGING ON. HE ALSO SAID I WAS "LUCKY" THAT I HADN'T WENT 20 MORE FEET ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE THE TIRE WOULD HAVE FALLEN OFF AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DAMAGE AND POSSIBLY INJURY. THE DEALERSHIP MADE THE REPAIRS BUT WOULD NOT COVER ANY OF THE EXPENSES. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO WOULD NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY OR REFUND THE COST FOR THE FAULTY INSPECTION THAT WAS PERFORMED 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE BALL JOINT. *JB