1999 CHRYSLER SEBRING Electrical System Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHRYSLER SEBRING. PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WAS NOT INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED EXTENSIVE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT REQUESTED REIMURSEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

Mileage: 200,000

CAR HAD BEEN CUTTING OUT WHILE DRIVING FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF. TODAY WHILE DRIVING ON A 4-LANE VERY BUSY DIVIDED HIGHWAY ABOUT 55 MPH, CAR SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. THEN WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED TO TURN AND CROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC THROUGH MEDIAN TURN-OFF, CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. CAR WOULD CRANK BUT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. LUCKILY A FRIEND CAME BY AND PUSHED CAR OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY TO A SAFE AREA. I CALLED THE TOWING COMPANY AND THEN TRIED TO START THE CAR. IT HAD BEEN APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MINUTES AND CAR RESTARTED. I GOT THE CAR HOME AND PARKED IT. I WILL BE HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT. I HAVE LOOKED UP INFORMATION REGARDING THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE AND HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN 1996-1999 SEBRINGS. MOST OWNERS HAVE PAID A LOT OF MONEY TO GET THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. SOME OWNERS NEVER COULD GET THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. FROM THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE GATHERED, IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM IS THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR OR THE EGC SENSOR. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL ITEM AS THE VEHICLE DIES WHILE DRIVING. IT IS JUST BY LUCK THAT THE CAR RESTARTED WHILE DRIVING AND DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART IN THE MEDIAN. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. THE CAR HAS A LITTLE OVER 107,000 MILES AND I EXPECT THINGS TO GO WRONG WITH IT MECHANICALLY, BUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AS A NORMAL MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. I DO NOT WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, NOR DO I WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY REPAIRING THINGS THAT DO NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE READ THAT PLUGS,FUEL PUMPS, SENSORS, ETC. HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED UNTIL PROBLEM IS CORRECTED. I FEEL CHRYSLER NEEDS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL. *TR

Mileage: 107,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY DOES NOT ALWAYS TURN WHEN INSERTING IT INTO THE IGNITION. THIS FREQUENTLY PREVENTS HER FROM OPERATING THE VEHICLE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER BOTH TIMES AT THE COST OF $400 EACH. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,640 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

Mileage: 72,640

FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH LOCKS UP STEERING WHEEL. *TR

Mileage: 154,205

RECALL CAMPAIGN CONCERNING TRANSAXLE FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION/PARK INTERLOCK, CONSUMER REQUEST THIS PART TO BE INSTALL. *BF SINCE THE INSTALLATION OF THE TRANSAXLE FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION/PARK INTERLOCK RECALL, THE POWER TOP SWITCH ON THE CONSOLE DID NOT SEAT PROPERLY AND OTHER PROLEMS WERE; THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED, A GROAN WOULD BE PRESENT IN THE FRONT END WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN, WHEN GOING DOWN HILL OR WHEN BRAKING FAST. *SC THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION EVEN WHEN THE GEAR IS NOT IN PARK. *JB

WHILE DRIVING BLACK SMOKE BEGAN COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THERE WAS NO INDICATION ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL OF ANY MALFUNCTION. THE CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *NM THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE FIRE WAS UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. *SC THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY A DAIMLER CHRYSLER INSPECTOR THAT THE FIRE WAS DUE TO A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHICH STARTED IN THE GENERATOR SYSTEM. *JB

THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT FROM THIRD GEAR. THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING AS WELL. THE DEALER STATED A SENSOR IN TRANSMISSION HAD BLOWN. THIS WAS CAUSED BY CHANGING THE BATTERY. *NLM

VEHICLE STALLS REGULARLY AFTER TAKING IT THROUGH CAR WASH. DEALER HAS REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND SPARK PLUG WIRES. HAS NOT STALLED SINCE THESE WERE REPLACED. *AK

VEHICLE WAS HESITATING, STALLING, CHOKING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO DEALER BUT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED, WHEN CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER THE SECOND TIME SHE WAS INFORMED THAT A TUNE- UP WAS NEEDED AND THE FUEL INJECTION NEEDED TO BE SERVICED AND THAT WAS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL, HOWEVER CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS ANOTHER TWO TIMES, BEFORE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MOTOR FUSE BLEW OUT AND THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.*JB

VEHICLE WAS HESITATING, STALLING, CHOKING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO DEALER BUT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED, WHEN CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER THE SECOND TIME SHE WAS INFORMED THAT A TUNE- UP WAS NEEDED AND THE FUEL INJECTION NEEDED TO BE SERVICED AND THAT WAS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL, HOWEVER CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS ANOTHER TWO TIMES, BEFORE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MOTOR FUSE BLEW OUT AND THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.*JB

BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, 3 SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, TAR LIKE SUBSTANCE DRIPPED FROM THE DOOR PANELS ONTO THE INSIDE OF CAR AND WAS TAKEN IN TO SHOP SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE CORRECTED, COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER OF WIND NOISE BUT THEY NEVER RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP VERY HARD TO DEAL WITH WHEN THERE ARE PROBLEMS. I AM OPEN TO ANY SUGGESTIONS WHILE LOOKING FOR A HONDA ACCORD. *AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON FOR ONE DAY. VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN FIRST GEAR. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. DEALER STATED THAT COMPUTER BOARD WAS LOCATED TOO CLOSE TO ENGINE, CAUSING COMPUTER BOARD TO OVERHEAT AND BURN OUT. *AK DEALER DIAGNOSE AND REPLACE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE AND CHANGE INPUT SPEED SENSOR, TOP OFF WITH ATF. *YH

VEHICLE ACTS LIKE IT WANTS TO STALL WHEN ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING AROUND 5-10MPH(INTERMITTANT).HAD TO DEALER 3 TIMES AND KEPT OVERNIHGT ON ONE OCCASION AND FOUND NOTHING.NOTE(USING 87 OCTANE).*AK

VEHICLE ACTS LIKE IT WANTS TO STALL WHEN ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING AROUND 5-10MPH(INTERMITTANT).HAD TO DEALER 3 TIMES AND KEPT OVERNIHGT ON ONE OCCASION AND FOUND NOTHING.NOTE(USING 87 OCTANE).

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN SYSTEM, AND SUDDENLY VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

IGNITION SYSTEM REPLACED, CONSUMER COULD NOT GET KEY INTO SWITCH. MJS