Comments: 1-15, 16-17
Driver side door panel fell off twice, passenger door panel fell once.
Both front rims are bent causing two flat tires and constant air leakage.
Computer in the transmission has had to be reset.
Ball joints had to be replaced.
Windows leak in car washes.
Sunroof leaks.
The breaks had to be replaced.
Struts need to be replaced.
Tires became chopped and needed to be replaced because of damaged struts.
Front end of car is too low.
This car has had problem after problem since the day I bought it. I had it two weeks and the driver side panel fell off. I took it to the dealer and had it repaired and the other panels inspected. I was told that the door had been fixed and that the other panels were fine. Next week the passenger side panel fell off. I had that repaired and three weeks later the passenger panel fell off again.
After purchasing the Sebring I had heard that the rims were prone to bend easily. Knowing this I went to great lengths to avoid hitting pot holes, curbs and bumpy roads. Currently both of my front rims are bent so badly that it has caused two flat tires and requires me to put air in the tires almost daily.
The computer in the transmission went haywire and kept the car from shifting out of second gear (I have an automatic).
The ball joints were recalled.
I have to avoid car washes for the most part, because even though the windows are completely closed water leaks in. I took the car in to the dealer and had the seal replaced but, it has made very little difference.
At 20,000 miles the brakes had to be replaced, and I was told to expect to have to replace them every 20- 30,000 miles.
The struts have to be replaced and have apparently "chopped" the tires which causes the car to constantly sound like it has a flat tire. I put four new tires on the car when I bought it at 10,000 miles and now at 38,000 I needed to replace all four again.
All in all, after being a Chrysler owner for almost two glorious years now, I will never in my life time purchase another Chrysler product again. Before my present car I drove a '91 Nissan 240SX with 100,000 miles on it, and didn't have even a fraction of the problems I have had in under two years of driving the Sebring. I miss my little reliable 240SX every time I start the engine of this cursed car.
It sounds like this person got a former rental car! One of the many risks when buying a used car. I've had my 1996 Sebring LXi for 6 years, and haven't had any of these problems. I purchased it new. The ball joints had a recall, and the dealership replaced them and the struts (free of charge of course), and I've had no problems since. My car now has 110,000 miles on it, with no signs of stopping. The only non-maintenance repair I've had done, was to replace the A/C compressor. And, yes, I would consider buying another one!
Sounds like this guy treats his car badly, always having door panels fall off??? That's a joke. I have a 98 Sebring LXI that has never had anything wrong with it. Ever!!
Not only was it such a good car to me... It is now fully modded with a Twin Turbo. That's right a TT 2.5l V6 SOHC.
Oh and of course you are gonna have to replace brakes. It's a car. And by the way it seems you treat your car, expect to go through brakes in half the time.
I purchased my 1999 Sebring LX new and I because of problems and poor quality, I will most definitely not purchase another one. I have replaced the rims with an after market brand because the original rims bent easily and were too costly to keep replacing. I have also had to purchase several sets of tires which are very costly, not to mention the drivers door panel falling off. The Chrysler repair technician replaced the parts attaching the door panel while I watched. These are little white "plastic clips" he said and they don't last very long. I have put the car in the shop twice because of a black tar substance leaking from the door panel and staining the inside of the car. Overall, I am very unhappy and I would not recommend this car to anyone.
I have had problems with door panels. I have read that a lot of people have same problem and with door handle coming off.
I have a 2002 Sebring LXi bought in December 2001. It made a funny noise on the passenger rear side from the beginning and in March 2002 a rear strut was replaced. Now it is making the same noise and probably needs to be replaced again! The car only has 15,500 miles on it. Does Chrysler just use bad struts or does the design of the car ruin the strut? I do not drive fast on abnormally bumpy roads (i.e. dirt washboarded ones), just city streets and freeways.
Also, the fan motor on the heater sounds like the ball-bearings need lubrication; it is making a squealing noise.
Luckily the car is still under warranty, but I fear for the future. I won't buy another Chrysler after experiencing all this in just over a year!
Want a better car? Buy a Chrysler, not a Mitsubishi.
I bought a 1999 Chrysler Sebring Coupe LXi & I too have had numerous problems with the tires. It was purchased in April 1999 & after 2 weeks into the summer. I've had a tar lik substance leaking from both the driver's side & passenger side doors. I put up a big fuss, and even wrote the owner of Passport with a complaint. I received no response. This should've easily been something the factory knew wasn't due to anything I did to the car. However, The dealership wouldn't clean.. At 20,000 miles, my transmission wouldn't come out of first gear. I took it back to to the dealership and they fixed it under my warranty & told me the computer had to be reset & a speed sensor had to be replaced. At 23,000 miles I was putting air into my tire on an every day basis. By 40,000 miles, I went through 2 1/2 sets of tires. These rims do bend easy & air leaks constantly. Overall my engine has been fine. However, I've been stranded 3 times with 2 flats & only 1 donut.
My mother has been driving her 1999 Sebring LXi, bought it new. I've been taking care of it for her and its had none of the listed problems except the black tar in the doors, wich I believe is melted sound-proofing. The car is just "delicate" if you will, and not one that takes a beating well.
The rims are flimsy, but don't hit curbs and their fine. The factory recommended tire is expensive, but you can get much better tires for less going with Kumho. The front air dam is low, but if you don't hit parking logs it'll be fine.
Take care of it and it'll take care of you, for the most part. It's a US model and isn't expected to have the quality of import autos, even if the car is half Mitsubishi.
I don't believe that it is the owners who are at fault. Perhaps some people got lucky and received cars that were built of a higher quality. Like many, many others, I have had continuous problems with my car since I bought it 1-1/2 years ago. I'm saving now so I can replace the car next year. I had to replace 4 rims and 1 door panel in 8 months' time. Ridiculous.
I own a 1998 Chrysler Sebring LXI coupe. After buying the car in June of 1998, two months later my passenger side door panel fell off. I had the door panel replaced and a week later the same side door panel fell off again. I had four replacement door panels performed on the car. Three on the passenger side and, one on the driver side. Also had numerous flats with both front tires. I had so many flats that I keep my 2 1/2 ton jack in the trunk. The rims on the car bend easy. Both front rims have several damaged spots. The last problem so far I experienced with the car is the paint. The top and the back trunk, the paint is wearing off. I bought my car with clear coat, and purchased a warranty to add another layer of clear coat to protect the paint. I have noticed other older Chrysler's with this problem.
I never had any engine problems, struts or brake problems with the car. I had the car serviced for the recall for the ball joints. Besides the door panels and tire problems, I still believe it's a great car with a a cheap paint job.
I have a 1999 Chrysler Sebring LX 2dr coupe and I've also had the same problems as stated in the above entries. The a604 transmission is built to fail at 60,000 miles, and I go through tires like they're going out of style. I have aftermarket rims, and they don't bend thank god. My windows have both gotten off alignment, and the dealership couldn't even fix the passenger side window. The Mitsubishi engine is basically the only thing that hasn't gone wrong. I think most of these problems stem from the 1999 model. And I found out afterward that it was a rental car before I bought it.
What do I say about my 2001 Sebring LX?
It was just what I was looking for at the price.
But I too have had problems. Only two problems, but they are not completely solved and I don't expect anything, but further problems.
Now at 72,000 miles, I have little confidence that the transmission will hold up. The last maintenance done required that the codes had to be reset. Why? This only causes me to suspect further problems. At 30,000 miles the transfer gear, differential seal, and not sure what else had to be fixed. It made a whining noise that is coming back, though subtle. (it took several extended shop visits to cure that)
Then there is the A/C problem!
They say that they don't know if it has happened before, but air-flow from the registers would get diverted to the floor. This problem took perhaps 10 trips to solve and about 30 days in the shop.
It goes into full defrost mode without heat for no explained reason.
Now that they have corrected this, the heat/cool/defrost functions even with the fan in the off position.
This car can-not be fixed.
I love this car, but now I am so frustrated that I am telling myself to SELL it and never buy another one.
Thanks,
I have to agree with most of the posters here. I was very proud of my Sebring when I bought it in 1998, but after the car was about a year old the problems started.
I have replaced the brakes twice, the clear coat on the bumpers is peeling off, my driver's side door panel is falling off, something in my suspension or drive-train vibrates badly, I've had to replace one of my rims, something under the hood vibrates like a tin can every time I accelerate, the convertible top is deteriorated so badly that if I put it back one more time, I'm afraid it will rip apart at the seams.
I've put thousands of dollars into "fixing" this car, and am now to the point that I'm not putting another nickel into it. As a result of the bad design/workmanship in this vehicle, I will never purchase another Chrysler product again.
We haven't had these types of issues with our Toyota, our Ford, or our previous Honda.
I bought a 2000 Sebring Coupe JXi at a salvage auction with 76,000 miles on the clock. I have since put a hood, both front fenders, upper radiator support, fiberglass bumper, and plastic front cap and a strut (which was also damaged in the crash) on the vehicle. The only complaint on the car is the tar leaking from the passenger side door. But as far as replacing brakes... does one even call that a problem? They're brakes... they wear out. I guess I need to gripe about having to turn the rotors, too?? That stuff isn't made to last forever. Transmission prog'd to quit at 60,000...i think not. Door panels falling of AND struts going out, keep it off rough roads. seems kinda weird that both happen at the same time. Treat the vehicle with respect and care and it will last just as long as any other vehicle. Like I said, mine has been in a crash and it's a better vehicle than my 99 Chevy Blazer.
2000 sebring jxi
only problem is with speed sensor had to replace it twice. brakes last an average of 30,000 miles which is normal, tire wear has been normal for a soft compound tire, haven't had all the problems everyone else is talking about such as rims, door panels, etc. would buy another.