2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING Seats Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT DETECTED SMOKE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COASTED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS REALLY HOT AND HAD TWO BURN HOLES. THERE WAS ALSO A HOLE IN THE CONTACT'S JEANS. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS ALSO BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT COVER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

Mileage: 110,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT ELECTRICAL HEATING SYSTEM FAILED AND BURNED THROUGH THE MATERIAL. THE MANUFACTURER'S ENGINEER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONCLUDED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

Mileage: 97,000

THE SEAT WARMERS OVERHEAT. WHEN DRIVING, I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THE SEAT WARMERS BURNED A QUARTER-SIZE PLACE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS SITTING IN IT. SHE GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND I TURNED THE SEAT WARMERS OFF, BUT THERE IS A BLACK MARK IN THE CENTER OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AND WE CAN NO LONGER USE THE SEAT WARMER SAFELY. WHY HASN'T THE CAR MODEL BEEN RECALLED BY CHRYSLER? *TR

2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING LX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DRIVERS SEAT MALFUNCTION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HIS WIFE ENTERED THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED BACKWARDS INTO THE BACK SEAT. APPARENTLY, BOLTS HAD BROKEN CAUSING THE SEAT TO COLLAPSE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR PREVIOUS MODELS.

PASSENGER SEAT HAD BEEN FEELING WARMER THAN USUAL FOR A COUPLE MONTHS SO KEPT THE SEAT AT HEAT LEVEL 3 INSTEAD OF 5. IT WAS OK FOR AWHILE BUT THEN BURNED A HOLE THRU THE SEAT AS WELL AS MY JACKET. SMELLED THE BURNING SO I TURNED THE SEAT OFF. TURNING THE SEAT OFF STOPPED THE BURNING. *TR

Mileage: 90,200

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, HE ACTIVATED THE FRONT DRIVER'S HEATED SEAT WARMER AND THE SEAT BECAME EXTREMELY HOT. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A BURNT HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

Mileage: 70,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH WITH THE DRIVER SIDE HEATED SEAT ACTIVATED HE NOTICED THAT THE MECHANISM BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT WHICH CAUSED INJURY TO THE DRIVERS RIGHT LEG. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE HEATING ELEMENT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS AT 86,000.

Mileage: 86,000

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK I BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING FUNNY, THE DRIVE TO WORK TAKES ABOUT ONE HOUR, I CHECKED AROUND THE CAR FOR A REASON FOR THE SMELL BUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. ON MY WAY HOME THAT EVENING FROM WORK I COULD SMELL IT AGAIN. WHEN I STOPPED BY A STORE NEAR MY HOME I PICKED MY PURSE UP OFF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND NOTICED A HOLE ON MY FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THAT HAD BURNED THROUGH AND ALSO BURNED THOUGH A PIECE OF PAPER THAT HAD BEEN ON THE FRONT SEAT AND IT HAD ALSO BURNED THROUGH TO THE BOTTOM OF MY PURSE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF MY HEATED CAR SEATS BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVERS SEAT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF SOMEONE WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGERS SEAT AT THE TIME OR IF THIS WAS THE DRIVER SEAT THAT OVERHEATED AND BURNED THROUGH. I CALLED THE NEXT DAY TO CHRYSLER BUT THEY WERE CLOSED UNTIL MON. I PLAN ON CALLING THEM ON MONDAY TO REPORT THIS AND SEE WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS FOR DEFECT. *JB

ON A RECENT TRIP OUT OF TOWN I SMELLED SMOKE WHICH I THOUGHT WAS COMING FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. AS I WENT FURTHER THE SMELL BECAME A BIT STRONGER AND I KNEW IT WAS COMING FROM MY CAR. I WOUND UP PULLING OFF THE INTERSTATE, PULLING INTO AN EMPTY LOT AND JUMPING OUT. WHEN I REACHED IN FOR MY POCKETBOOK I SAW SMOKE BILLOWING UP OUT OF THE PASSENGER SEAT OF MY CHRYSLER SEBRING. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THE CONTROL TO THE SEAT, WHICH HAD BEEN TURNED ON ACCIDENTALLY, THE SMOKE DISSIPATED. I TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE AND THEY IN TURN UNPLUGGED THE HEATING ELEMENTS AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD ORDER A NEW ONE AND A NEW SEAT CUSHION SINCE THAT WAS DAMAGED IN THE FIRE. MY HUSBAND CALLED TO CHECK ON THE PARTS HE WAS TOLD THEY HAD RECEIVED THE HEATING ELEMENT BUT WERE WAITING ON THE CUSHION. WHEN HE ASKED IF THEY WERE GOING TO REPLACE ALL THE ELEMENTS HE WAS INFORMED THAT ONLY THE FAULTY ONE WOULD BE REPLACED AT THIS POINT. I THEN CONTACTED CHRYSLER ONLY TO GET THE SAME RESPONSE FROM THEM. MY FEELINGS ARE THAT IF ONE ELEMENT WAS FAULTY THEN THE REST MOST LIKELY ARE. THE DODGE CARAVANS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS REASON. WOULDN'T IT SEEM THEY'RE USING THE SAME COMBUSTIBLE ELEMENTS IN THE SEBRING AS IN THE CARAVAN? I KNOW OF 3 OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR SMALL COMMUNITY THAT HAVE HAD THEIR SEATS GO UP IN FLAME. HOW MANY PEOPLE OR INJURIES DOES IT TAKE BEFORE THEY'LL DO A RECALL? THE WORST CASE SCENARIO WOULD HAVE BEEN IF MY OXYGEN-TOTING MOTHER-IN-LAW HAD BEEN IN THAT SEAT AS SHE IS ON MOST OCCASIONS! *JB

DT CONSUMER STATES THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL BREAK WHILE SNAPPING INTO THE LATCH. CONSUMER STATES THE DEALER S FIXED THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES TWICE. ALSO WHEN PUTTING ON THE BRAKES THE BACK SEAT IS ALL ONE PIECE AND IT WILL GO FORWARD AND WILL RISE UP GOING TOWARD THE FRONT SEATS. CONSUMER STATES ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE THE AIR BAG COVER IS WARPED, AND THE DEALERSHIP STATED IF INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER STATED THEY STARTED NOTICING THESE PROBLEMS ON JANUARY 16, 2005. *AK

HEATED SEAT FIRE ON 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING LIMITED. ON A TRIP WITH OUR FAMILY - THE PASSENGER HEATED SEAT WAS TURNED ON AT SOME POINT GETTING IN OUR OUT OF THE CAR. A STANDARD INSULATED COOLER WAS SITTING ON THE SEAT SO NOBODY KNEW IT WAS ON. WE CONTINUED TO SMELL A FOUL BURNING SMELL (SIMILAR TO DIESEL FUMES) AND BEGAN TO MOVE LANES, ROLL THE WINDOWS DOWN, ETC. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE SMELL BECAME SEVERE AND THE CAR BEGAN FILLING WITH SMOKE (WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY). I PULLED OVER, MADE SURE EVERYONE WAS OUT OF THE CAR AND STARTED TO LOOK AROUND THE INTERIOR. FOUND A PORTION OF THE COOLER MELTED TO THE SEAT BOTTOM. SEVERAL SANDWICH BAGS HAD MELTED TO SEAT ALSO. I TURNED THE SWITCH OFF, AND LET IT COOL, THEN CONTINUED DOWN THE ROAD. WITHIN 5-7 MINUTES, THE CAR WAS FILLING WITH SMOKE AGAIN - I HAD TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY IMMEDIATELY AND REMOVE THE RELAY FROM THE PDB TO CUT THE POWER SUPPLY TO THE SEAT. WE CALLED POISON CONTROL THAT NIGHT SINCE OUR NEWBORN INFANT WAS IN THE CAR WITH US AND INHALED THE BURNING BY PRODUCTS. I SCHEDULED AN APPT AT THE DEALERSHIP SHORTLY THERE AFTER TO HAVE THIS ADDRESSED - IT TOOK MONTHS TO GET THIS REPAIRED - AND WHEN DELIVERED BACK TO ME - WAS SUPPOSEDLY CHECKED BY TECHNICIAN. THE RELAY WAS NOT EVEN INSTALLED IN THE PDB! I HAVE MORE INFORMATION AND PICTURES - THE WEBSITE LIMITED INFORMATION IN THIS BOX. *JB

Mileage: 10,000

WHILE DRIVING, THE PASSENGER SEAT STARTED TO SMOKE DUE TO SEAT HEATER FAILURE. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *JB *MR

Mileage: 400