2004 Chrysler Sebring

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, SHE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. TWENTY MINUTES LATER, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE SUDDENLY BLEW OUT. A SPARE TIRE WAS INSTALLED; YET, WITHIN FIFTEEN MINUTES WHILE DRIVING TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, THE CONTACT SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, VEERED OFF OF THE ROAD AND CRASHED. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE POLICE REPORT LISTED A STATEMENT FROM A WITNESS INDICATING THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS NOT ON THE VEHICLE PROPERLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS THE SAME AREA WHICH SHE HAD THE TWO PRIOR FAILURES. SHE STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO NHTSA RECALL 09E056000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT). THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH HE HEARD A NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION HE NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE FAILED. HE REMOVED THE TIRE AND DISCOVERED CORROSION ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER REAR SHACKLE. HE SPECULATED THAT THE SHACKLES FAILED SINCE THEY WERE MADE OUT OF ALUMINUM. HE REPLACED THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR SHACKLES WITH METAL SHACKLES. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

I WAS TURNING RIGHT AFTER A STOP, AND MY FRONT RIGHT BALL JOINT FAILED, CAUSING THE CAR SUSPENSION TO FALL ONTO THE WHEEL RIM, AND I LOST MY STEERING. I BACKED UP TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF CROSS-TRAFFIC, AND INADVERTENTLY PULLED THE RIGHT BOOT OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION, AND THE FRONT PASSENGER CORNER OF THE CAR FELL ALL THE WAY TO THE GROUND. CAR WAS TOWED, INSPECTED, AND FOUND TAT THE LEFT BALL JOINT WAS ALSO LOOSE, SO I REPLACED BOTH SIDES, AS WELL AS A NEW RIGHT DRIVE AXLE AND BOOT. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THIS MODEL HAS GREASELESS BEARINGS IN THE BALL JOINTS, WHICH IS A PROBLEM HE HAS SEEN BEFORE. TOTAL REPAIR BILL WAS OVER $770. I FEEL LUCKY, IN THAT IN ANOTHER 5 MILES I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ALONG, AND SUDDENLY A RATTLING NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR OF THE CAR WHEN I WOULD HIT BUMPS. THE CAR'S HANDLING WAS THE SAME AND THE VEHICLE STILL FELT STABLE, SO I CONTINUED DRIVING UNTIL I GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. THE Y ADVISED THAT THE REAR STRUT MOUNTS HAD DETERIORATED, AND THAT CHRYSLER HAD REVISED THE MOUNTS AFTER MY VEHICLE YEAR BECAUSE OF SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. NOW I HAVE TO PAY $300 TO GET THEM FIXED! *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND STARTED TO HEAR A KNOCKING IN THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE. I STOPPED AT A MUFFLER/SHOCK DEALER AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE A BROKEN UPPER STRUT PLATE AND BEARINGS ON THE RIGHT REAR, BECAUSE THESE PARTS HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY. MY VEHICLE IS ONLY 4-YEARS OLD. ABOUT A MONTH LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE LEFT REAR OF MY VEHICLE, BUT THE SHOP COULD NOT LOCATE ANY REPAIR PARTS. THERE ARE SO MANY OF THESE PARTS BREAKING THE DEALERS CAN'T KEEP THE PARTS ON HAND. I WAS TOLD BY CHRYSLER CORP AND OTHER PARTS DEALERS; THAT THERE ARE OVER 9,000 OF THESE STRUT-PLATES ON BACK ORDER. THIS MAKES DRIVING THE CAR UNSAFE, AND WITH THESE MANY BREAKDOWNS THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A RECALL TO REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR THIS EXPENSE. *TR