2002 Chrysler Sebring

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

RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING LX I WAS SLOWING DOWN OFF AN EXIT RAMP AND THE CAR SUDDENLY GRABBED AT AROUND 32 MPH. I FOUND OUT BY MONITORING MY SPEEDS THAT YOU HAVE TO GO OVER 36 MPH AND SLOW DOWN TO 32 MPH FOR IT TO GRAB AND IT DOES IT EVERY TIME. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS NEVER CAME ON AND HAS BEEN CHECKED FOR WORKING OPERATION. I RECENTLY HAD THE CAR TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE PUT ON A DIAGNOSTICS MACHINE WHERE THERE THEY SAID THEY CAN'T EVEN SAY WHAT IS WRONG, THEY SAID SOMETHING IS WRONG BUT FOR THE MACHINE TO NOT EVEN PICK IT UP SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT. ALL FLUIDS HAVE BEEN CHECKED BY MYSELF AND THE MECHANIC AND THEY HAVE MAINTAINED PROPER LEVEL. WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE MAYBE A SENSOR OR JUST TO RESET THE WHOLE CAR ALL I KNOW IS THIS IS COSTING ME LOT OF MONEY. I WANTED TO REPORT THIS CASE. THIS MAY BE A START TO A RECALL ON THE CAR. IF THE DEALER AND THE COMPUTER CAN'T FIND IT MAYBE YOU CAN HELP? *JB

THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE SEIZED WHILE DRIVING. *NM THE VEHICLE HAD A CONTINUING BRAKE PROBLEMS AND WOULD DIE WHILE IN MOTION. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST PURCHASED AT 92 MILES, THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH LOW OIL. THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION LEAKED. THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUE TO LOSE POWER AND THE OIL LIGHT HAD COME BACK ON. OTHER PROBLEMS WERE: THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT, THE FRONT END WOULD VIBRATE, THE BRAKES SQUEALED, THERE WAS SLIGHT LEAK AT THE PROPORTIONING VALVE, THE TOP WAS PULLED DOWN AND THE RADIO HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE, THE SIDE MIRRORS AND THE POWER LOCKS HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE, AND THE BRAKE PADS HAD WORN DOWN TO 2/32. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON THE REMAINDER OF THE TIME WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK A RATTLING NOISE COULD BE HEARD IN THE DASH AREA. THE CONSUMER FOUND A NUT AND NOTIFIED THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE NUT DID NOT BELONG IN THE DASH AND THEY INSULATED THE DASH SO NO MORE NOISE COULD BE HEARD. THE CONSUMER FEELS THE NUT CAME FROM SOMETHING IN THE DASH. THE SEAT BELT PRE-TENSIONER WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID BEGAN TO LEAK. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE COOLER LINE CLAMPS BECAME LOOSE AND CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK. *NM

I HAVE NOW HAD TWO INCIDENTS WHERE I HAVE ACCIDENTLY/UNKNOWINGLY MOVED THE FLOOR TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING MY CAR. THEY HAVE BOTH BEEN WHILE PROCEEDING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURNS WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND WERE NEAR ACCIDENTS. *AK THE GEAR SHIFT MOVES SO EASILY FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WITH JUST THE SLIGHTEST PRESSURE CAUSING THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AS IT GOES INTO NEUTRAL. I DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT HAD HAPPENED WHEN JUST THE FORCE OF STOPPING, BEFORE TURNING, WITH MY HAND RESTING ON THE SHIFTER PUSHED IT OUT OF GEAR. THE SECOND TIME JUST MOVING MY PURSE ONTO THE CONSOLE PUSHED IT OUT OF GEAR. I HAVE OWNED 4 OTHER VEHICLES WITH FLOOR SHIFTERS AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THE MOVEMENT OF THE SHIFTER WITHOUT FIRST PRESSING IN THE RELEASE BUTTON. I THOUGHT THE REASON THE GEAR RELEASE BUTTONS WERE INSTALLED ON VEHICLES WAS TO PREVENT THE ACCIDENTAL MOVEMENT OF THE GEAR SHIFT. WHEN SITTING IN THIS VEHICLE THE ONLY PLACE TO COMFORTABLY REST YOUR RIGHT ARM IS ON THE ARM REST WHICH THEN EXTENDS TO YOUR FINGERS RESTING ON THE BALL OF THE SHIFTER. TO ACCESS THE RELEASE BUTTON YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY GO UNDER SHIFTER TO PRESS IT IN, THIS IS A SAFE PROCEDURE, BUT NOW THAT I FOUND OUT THAT IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY I AM CONSCIOUSLY AWARE OF GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF IT. I NOW FIND MYSELF SITTING ON MY RIGHT HAND WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE FRONT SEAT I WARN THEM NOT TO BUMP THE SHIFTER WHILE REACHING FOR THEIR DRINK IN THE HOLDER. I CALLED THE DEALER TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS NOT A DEFECT AND HE ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL DESIGN OF THE CAR. IS THIS A NORMAL DESIGN OF ALL CARS? IF IT IS, IT IS A VERY POOR DESIGN.