1999 Chrysler Sebring Convertible JXi Convertible review from North America

I purchased a 1999 Chrysler Sebring JXi Convertible in 2007 with 63K miles on it. As of this writing, car has 94K miles.

Until recently, I have had only one major problem with the car. Last summer, the AC compressor went out and snapped a couple of belts along with it. Dealer wanted $1300 to fix that, Electric Labs wanted $1,000.00. Found a mobile guy on Craigslist who fixed it for $600.00 no problems since except the A/C needs to be recharged again.

The car was down for a month this summer because, after driving after an oil change, the car just died in the middle of the road. First attempt at repair was the crankshaft position sensor. That didn't fix the problem. Neither did the EGR valve or the timing belt. Finally had the car towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a distributor. New distributor from Autozone was $250.00 with a $55 core charge and the kid down the street put it in for me. Dealer wanted $1,300.00 to fix that too.

I'm now smelling fumes in the car and the engine light came on today, so, after being back on the road less than a week, it's got to get something else fixed again already! I need to register the car and I suspect it won't pass smog (required in California) if I don't get that repair taken care of.

Other than the above, I LOVE my Sebring. It's the perfect car for us because I have 3 kids, so it's big enough for them to ride in and pretty enough for mom! It takes a hit well - I got rear-ended in it and it sustained a two inch dent on the rear bumper and that's it. The guy who hit me was going about 45 and I was at a complete stop.

My stereo is great, the seats are comfortable and I love my car. I cried when I thought I'd have to get rid of it and I'd buy another in a heartbeat - you just have to be ahead of the game in maintenance, I think. My prior vehicle was a BMW (Bring My Wallet) and I felt much the same about that car, however the Sebring is MUCH more comfortable than the BMW was.