2001 Chrysler Sebring Convertible Reviews - Page 2 of 4

Purchased this car (used) a week ago with very low miles for a 2001.

Existing issues @ time of purchase were as follows:

Oil leak (source undetermined, I'm hoping it might just be some spillage from someone adding oil).

Bad front brake rotors (replaced today @ 20K miles).

Broken visor clip - seems to be typical for all of these cars.

I've long admired the styling of these cars, and though I am almost exclusively a GM owner for all my vehicles, I could not find a comparable GM vehicle.

Having only put 300 miles +/- on it so far, and being winter in New England, I can't say too much about the overall experience as yet, but am impressed in how it rides compared to some other convertibles I've driven. I'm hoping that the negative comments are the exception and not the rule for most of these cars.

I had my mechanic look at it before I bought it, and discovered that he's a Chrysler mechanic by training - asked about the 2.7L engine & sludge issue - he recommends frequent oil changes and/or synthetic oil (which I had done today) - here's hoping for the best.

The convertible top is a total piece of junk. When I first got the car, the first time I put it down, the back window got tangled in it and the top folded up underneath it. The dealer replaced the top for me, but it began doing it again only a year later. This time, it broke the defroster wire connector. So now the rear window defroster doesn't work. Also, it began leaking towards the front driver's side corner. This top is only one year old. There's no reason for it to act like this.

The rod bearings are worn out. This can quickly become a serious problem. I don't drive the car anymore until I can afford to fix it ($5000). This is too serious of a problem to have on any car with only 88,000 miles on it. However, it did used to be a rental car, so it may be attributed to that. Who takes good care of a rental?

The lighting in the instrument panel flickers from high to a lower setting, but only when it's set as high as possible.

The airbag light comes on at random times. I haven't had it checked because I know that if anything, it wouldn't deploy during an accident, and being how short I am and how close to the wheel I have to sit, the airbag would probably kill me.

Despite those problems, this car is absolutely fantastic.

The engine is very powerful. Passing on the freeway is easy and quick. And it even gets 29 mpg highway (with cruise control on at the speed limit). Just to let everyone know, I once got 36 mpg with it while travelling at a constant 55 mph. But that was once, and how often would you want to travel at 55 mph?

The trunk was very small, mostly to accommodate the convertible top, but it made trips difficult, especially with four people.

The seating for four was perfect. Tons of foot and head room for all passengers and each person gets one cup holder. The driver's seat was incredibly comfortable. After a few hours of travelling, I would get sore, but with a quick readjusting of the seat, I could start off in a completely new position.

For a convertible, wind noise was incredibly low. I could have normal conversations with people in the back at freeway speeds.

With the top down and the windows up, the front passengers could enjoy the sun with virtually no wind, and still be able to talk with semi-normal volume levels.

The radio was too good for it's own good. The speakers were capable of very loud levels and even a lot of bass (the back seats especially would vibrate) but the door panels rattled even at low volumes, let alone high.

The instrumentation was beautiful. The lighting was very subtle and effective.

The A/C could have been stronger. Where I'm from, summers reach 120 degrees. In weather like that, the car's A/C would have to be on full blast and MAX A/C to make it comfortable, and even that took awhile. Plus when the fan was on high, it's kinda loud and obnoxious.