1998 Chrysler Sebring Convertible from North America - Comments

Since this is my 2nd Sebring Convertible, I have noticed many similarities in the problems or faults of these cars; most of them minor issues, however, 1 in particular is very serious and I am trying to track down others who have experienced the same.

Minor problems (on both my 1997 & 1998) include:

Noisy front brakes

Air Bag light on dashboard that goes on at random

Drivers door noise - hinge needs to be replaced

The seal on the outside/bottom of back window separates from the convertible top - easily repaired by using double sided foam mounting tape which has held up for over a year going thru the car wash frequently.

*Note regarding the convertible top:

The fabric top holds up much better than the plastic/vinyl convertible top.

Major Issue:

Has anyone experienced brake problems with their Sebring Convertible? Specifically in terms of performance. I have had (on both model years 97 & 98) instances where I've had to hit the brakes quickly and they feel almost as though they have "broken" and gone to the floor, but I am able to "re-break" without pumping them up. These occurences have happened at speeds ranging between 35-60 mph. Feedback anyone???

This girl loves her convertibles and I am thrilled that after totalling one Sebring I was able to pick up another one about a year later at a great price. Higher miles, but in good shape - I already knew what to look for and what to expect and it feels like going home again. While I was more of a GM fan prior, I'm a sucker for the comfort and styling of these Chrysler convertibles.

This is in response to both the minor and serious problems. I too have experienced the loud front brakes, as well as the back brakes. I've also had to deal with the window separation, and some moderate/heavy flooding in the trunk.

As far as the serious issue with the brakes. I too have experienced this, and I wasn't sure if it was the ABS activating, or not working correctly. It happened to me a few times going down icy hills, but one time I was travelling about 30 mph and had to hit the brakes hard, and it felt like something was going to break off of the car. It seemed, like you said, that the brakes went to the floor, but I just seemed to skid (the ground was wet). It really frightened me, because I didn't know what it was. I had never had a car with ABS, so I didn't know what to expect. I definitely didn't expect that.

Thank goodness I'm not insane...it's a terrifying feeling and Chrysler needs to examine this!

Word of advice on the major braking problem. Have your mechanic look over that braking system, because it sounds as though it might be related to the master cylinder, perhaps a leaking secondary seal. This is a general car problem, don't worry, it's not a Chrysler thing.

I am working on a friend's car to try and correct this serious problem with the brakes. As I don't drive the car myself everyday, I have never been able to get it to act up. It does it just every so often and under normal braking conditions. She said it feels as if there is no brakes at all, but on retry there are plenty of brakes. Sounds like this could be a very serious condition. If anyone has any repair tips it would be greatly appreciated. The car is a 97 Sebring V-6 convertible. I have tried cleaning rust and debris from the ABS sensors, but it still does it.