2001 Chrysler Sebring

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN I HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE. MY CAR STALED, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND DRIVE HOME. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ROD BEARING HAD GONE OUT AND THE MOTOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF TALKING TO CHRYSLER THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO ONE OF THEIR DEALERSHIPS SO THEY CAN LOOK AT IT AT MY COST. THE CAR HAD 82,121 MILES ON IT SO THERE WAS NO WARRANTY. CHRYSLER GAVE ME THE RUN AROUND FOR ABOUT A WEEK. THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME 200 TO 400 $ JUST TO LOOK AT IT. I WAS TOLD THAT CHRYSLER WOULD NOT PAY FOR ANY THING BECAUSE OF EXCESS SLUDGE IN THE MOTOR. NEED LESS TO SAY I WENT TO A DIFFERENT COMPANY TO PUT IN A REMANUFACTURE MOTOR. THESE 2.7 LITER APPARENTLY HAS A LOT A DEFECTS. *AK

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN I HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE. MY CAR STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND DRIVE HOME. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ROD BEARING HAD GONE OUT AND THE MOTOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF TALKING TO CHRYSLER THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO ONE OF THEIR DEALERSHIPS SO THEY CAN LOOK AT IT AT MY COST. THE CAR HAD 82,121 MILES ON IT SO THERE WAS NO WARRANTY. CHRYSLER GAVE ME THE RUN AROUND FOR ABOUT A WEEK. THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME 200 TO 400 $ JUST TO LOOK AT IT. I WAS TOLD THAT CHRYSLER WOULD NOT PAY FOR ANY THING BECAUSE OF EXCESS SLUDGE IN THE MOTOR. NEED LESS TO SAY I WENT TO A DIFFERENT COMPANY TO PUT IN A REMANUFACTURE MOTOR. THESE 2.7 LITER APPARENTLY HAS A LOT A DEFECTS. *AK

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

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 35 MPH THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE CUSHION SPRING. THE STOCK REPLACEMENT PART PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER WAS AT LEAST FIVE TIMES HEAVIER THAN THE ORIGINAL PART. THE GAUGE OF THE ORIGINAL CUSHION SPRING WAS MUCH LESS THAN THE STOCK REPLACEMENT PART. AS THE CUSHION SPRING BEGAN TO DISINTEGRATE THE PARTS LODGED IN THE PUMP GEARS, RESULTING IN HAVING TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION. *AK

OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES. KNOCKING STARTED TO OCCUR. AS I WAS DRIVING TO GET IT LOOKED AT, MOTOR JUST STOPPED. 2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING 2.7L MOTOR. 69000 MILES. DIAGNOSED AS BROKEN TIMING CHAIN, NEW MOTOR NEEDED $6,000-$7,000. GARAGE HAD SEEN QUITE A FEW RECENTLY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE OPTION WAS TO BUY A NEW ENGINE THAT HAD BEEN MODIFIED TO CORRECT ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, OR TO PURCHASE A NEW OR REBUILT ENGINE. SINCE REBUILT ENGINE WAS $1000 LESS THAN OTHER OPTIONS WENT WITH THAT OPTION. *JB

2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH A 2.7 LITER ENGINE PREMATURELY FAILED AT 74,000 MILES. STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AT 64,000 MILES WITH EXCESSIVE ENGINE NOISE AND SMOKE FROM THE TAIL PIPE. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW BY MYSELF AND MAINTAINED PER THE SERVICE SCHEDULE IN THE CHRYSLER MANUAL. THE ENGINE GAVE OUT ABOUT 4 BLOCKS FROM OUR HOME WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT, FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED. WE HAVE SINCE REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE MOTOR WITH A JASPER REMANUFACTURED ENGINE WHICH HAS SEVERAL DESIGN MODIFICATIONS AND A BETTER WARRANTY THAN THE FACTORY ENGINE. *NM

CONSUMER REPLACED REAR DEFROST ON CHRYSLER SEBRING ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. *TS THE REAR DEFROSTER DOES NOT WORK. THE REAR VISION GLASS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CHRYSLER OFFERED THE CONSUMER A 50/50 SPLIT. ALSO THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW RATTLED, RED FLUID WAS FOUND IN THE CONSUMER'S DRIVEWAY DUE TO TRANSMISSION PAN AND COOLER LINE LEAKAGE, THE CONVERTIBLE WAS LEAKING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW AREA DUE TO WEATHER STRIP AND THERE WAS A SLOW LEAK IN THE R/R TIRE DUE TO A HOLE. *SC

CONSUMER HAD A LEAK IN ENGINE, DUE TO SLUDGE IN CHRYSLER SEBRING. *TS THE CONSUMER READ AN ARTICLE WHICH MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST 797,000 QUESTIONABLE CHRYSLER ENGINE THAT COULD EXPERIENCE SLUDGE PROBLEMS. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY REFUSED TO PROVIDE THE CONSUMER WITH ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE SLUDGE WAS THE RESULT OF OIL MAINTENANCE NEGLECT. *NM