Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
STRUCTURE - BODY - ROOF AND PILLARS
99I004000DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION I175000ODICHRYSLER GROUP LLC05/06/199902/17/2000
Defect SummaryThis is not a safety recall in accordance with the safety act. however, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. vehicle description: passenger vehicles. if the convertible top cover is not installed correctly, it can separate unexpectedly from the vehicle while driving.
Consequence SummaryIf the cover separates while driving, it could distract the driver increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective SummaryOwners will receive an improved convertible top cover instruction label and installation instructions.
NotesDaimlerchrysler has decided to conduct a customer satisfaction notification to send instruction labels to owners.owners can contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-992-1997.

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
STRUCTURE - BODY
233599REVA10/01/1999233599612160Subject on the child seat tether anchors. *mjs06/06/2000
23409910/08/1999232698REVA612178Subject on vehicles experiencing door cladding loose or falling off. *mjs06/06/2000
23499810/23/1998602882Some vehicles exhibit a whistle ( windnoise) coming from the a pillar area. *yc11/16/1999
#985009/21/1998603841Conditions regarding paint splatter, belvidere rail head storage yard. *yc03/08/1999
23579811/27/1998602595Information regarding headlining sagging above rear window due to hook and loop fastenerseparating from rear window curtain. *ak *yc01/05/1999
97639805/26/1997600565A change has been made to the transit coating used on vehicles. *yc05/26/1998
23059801/30/1998600481Painted surfaces of the vehicle may experience a milky or foggy discoloration. *yc05/18/1998
9742A09/25/199754412Experiencing improper sunroof operation. *yc04/07/1998
STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR
88410/01/2000618875On certain coupe vehicles, the door garnish moldings may move forward on the door and contact the rear edge of the front fender when the door is opened. *tt05/03/2001
23269810/16/1998602889Some vehicles may exhibit a condition where the lower door garnish clips do not hold properly. *yc01/20/1999
23159804/24/1998600747Experiencing door rattle when going over bumpsor other similar movements. *ak06/05/1998
STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
23269807/02/1998602336Some vehicles may exhibit a condition where the lower door garnish clips do not hold properly. *ak10/26/1998
STRUCTURE - BODY - ROOF AND PILLARS
23509709/19/19976089089Vehicle may experience convertible top being pinched between bows when lowered. *nlm01/13/2000
23329807/31/1998602330Convertible top operates slowly after a top pump/motor or hydraulic cylinder replacement. *ak10/26/1998
23069802/06/1998600305Conditions with convertible top binds or become inoperative while raising or lowering and/or hydraulic leaks from or around the hydraulic cylinder. *yc05/06/1998

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
STRUCTURE
PE00007CHRYSLER GROUP LLC02/02/200007/18/2000DOOR PANEL/GARNISH SEPARATION
 Alleged that the plastic garnish panels mounted on doors detach from their mountings, sometimes while the vehicle is in motion

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
STRUCTURE
10/28/20121310001
 I purchased a 1998 chrysler sebring lxi the car has numerous problems, one is the control arm in the vehicle. this is a list of other evac problems - i was told that there was a recall on my vehicle for various problems - please advice - need help - called chrysler dealerships and first they said my vehicle was not affected - then they tell me they can charge me $149.00 to reset the computer catalyst(g)/nmhccatalyst(d) evaporative system(g)/ unsupportive(d) 02 sensor(g) exhaust gas sensor(d) 02 sensor heater (g) pm filter (d) egr/vvt (g,d) po455 evaporative emission system leak detected (large leak) my headlamps are yellow and my rear window looks like there is some kind of mold sandwiched into the glass and defrost...almost impossible to see out of at night. *tr
07/13/2007890001
 Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chrysler sebring. while driving 10 mph in the turn lane, the contact's vehicle was struck by another vehicle crossing in the wrong lane. the passenger side, front fender, and alignment were severely damaged on the contact's vehicle. in addition, the trunk would not open, the doors were not installed correctly, and oil was leaking from holes in the engine. the vehicle has been inspected by five body shops and the dealer. there were no injuries, but a police report was filed. the contact has pictures of the damage. the failure mileage was 89,000 and current mileage was 100,000. updated 06/07/09 *bf the consumer stated the repair facility did a poor job of fixing the vehicle after an accident. updated 05/08/09.*jb
02/09/20051
 The structure inside of door panel warped between the glass and door panel. driver's hands were cut on numerous occasions. driver took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, but mechanic could not duplicate the problem. stated vehicle was operating as designed. *ak
1
 The dealer replaced the driver inside panel, however the problem recurred. the consumer stated the vehicle no longer has a warranty. please provide further information. *jb
10/15/200366944
 I purchased this car on nov 2, 2003. when i purchased it, there was a rattling noise when you go over bumps, and also when the car goes up to 70 you could here a grinding like noise in (what i thought was the engine). they told me to go ahead and take the car and they scheduled me for service the following friday. when i brought the car in, they said they didn't work on chryslers and sent the car to tuffy. when it was time to pick up the car, the guy tore up the bill of service and said you're all set, so i really don't know what was done. when i asked for a copy he said he didn't have it, but could it order it for me. when i drove home, the rattling noise under the front left side was gone, but when i got off the freeway and tried to make a left turn, the car pulled away in the opposite direction and didn't want to turn. i almost ran into a tree. i called and told them about it, so they had me bring it in that following monday for service. when i picked it up again, they said they had to replace the bearings, that the bearings were bad. as i drove off the lot and onto the freeway, you could hear a grinding noise under your feet as the wheels turned and also anytime you tried to apply pressure to the brakes, the car would grind like the there was something going on between the wheels, brakes and steering. i waited 3 days to make sure it wasn't just me. but what appeared in the beginning to be a slight grinding when you get up to a certain speed evolved into a problem that was much worse. a problem that you could here more consistently, every time you applied pressure to the brakes, or just sometimes driving along the streets you could hear the grinding in the wheels, like something had rusted or gone bad, which caused the car to drive hard. it took a lot more power to accelerate, so much so that it feels like the overdrive doesn?t work (it takes that much power to get the car going, and it wasn?t that way before.
03/15/20030
 Don\\\'t know exact dates but had window trim repaired for leaking on left and right side windows and interior covers under door handles replaced for peeling away under orig. warranty. called dealership w/i 10 mos. because same problems came back and was told that i would be responsible for all costs (including rental car) and then i could submit my claim to see if i would even be reimbursed. car now has approx. 65,000 miles and took it to be diagnosed since i purchased a 75,000/7 yr. extended warranty. paid $75 for diagnoses and approx. $30 for rental car and am still told \\\tough luck\\\ on my repairs and that i am responsible even though they have been repaired previously. oh, and come to find out if i had been informed correctly the first time that my repairs would have been covered because they are warrantied for twelve months!! of course i relied on an answer from an employee at chrysler/jeep in southfield, michigan and since they misinformed me i am sol. i have also gone \\\'round and \\\'round with chysler customer service and they have been very unhelpful.
11/22/199807/01/1998
 The car was involved in an accident at 5400 miles, resulting in extensive damage to the front right side. since this time, the car will not stay in alignment. the steering knuckle, hub & low control arm were replaced but the right camber was still out. the upper control arm & upper strut bracket was then replaced, but the alignment was still out. next, the camber was raised but align. was out. the eng. cradel and porta-power cradel was loosened to adjust nonadjustable camber/caster and the toe was set. on 10/01/99 the car (13,100 miles) was again returned to repair and they found the right front camber again out of align. on 8/18/00, the car, with 19,300 miles was returned again, with two badly worn front tires (one flat). again, the car was out of alignment. the manager informed me that these vehicles do not hold an alignment (because they're high performance). is this alignment problem due to the accident at 5,400 miles, or is it an on-going problem with all chrysler sebrings?( dot number: tire size: p/215 55 )
210/01/1997
 Front end is to low, causing failure. *yc
STRUCTURE - BODY
06/15/2012132000
 Tl- the contact owns a 1998 chrysler sebring. while parked, the contact noticed water leaking onto the front driver side floor board. additionally, the distributor failed twice. the contact noticed a whining sound coming from the engine and an increase in the vehicle temperature. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic advised that the engine would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 132,000. kmj
06/15/2012132000
 Tl- the contact owns a 1998 chrysler sebring. while parked the contact noticed water leaking onto the front drivers side floor board. additionally, the distributor failed two different times. the contact noticed a whining sound coming from the engine and an increase in the vehicles temperature. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated the engine would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 132,000. da
04/21/200366000005/05/2000
 My panels on the side of my doors are becoming loose. *nlm
09/01/1998105/16/1998
 Sun visor failed.
STRUCTURE - BODY - BUMPERS
05/01/2098
 Front bumper gets caught on parking stops. design allows bumper to easily slide over stop, but gets caught when car is backing out. bolts holding bumper under airdam broken and bumper material torn at stress point. no repair possible. stayed stable for a couple of years, but then damaged section broke free without warning. had to cut section from bumper to avoid undercarriage damage. nlm
06/01/1998
 Engine-well maintained failed at 60k miles. oil pump and bearings. door assembly keeps coming loose, handle fell off. wheels too soft, bent all of the time. fuel pump failed at 17k miles. this car is a lemon.
07/01/20001
 Front bumper has completely cracked into twice. i bought the car 5/1999 at grubbs nissan in bedford.*ak
05/01/1998
 The front of the car drags on everything. no matter how slow or how carefully we drive, it either drags or gets the front caught. the front bumper has been damaged to the point that it is actually broken in some parts. we will be taking the car back to the dealer next week to see what can be done to replace the front bumper panel and fix the car so it does not continue to drag.
STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR
01/17/2006500002
 Dt*: the contact stated both outside door handles are plastic and have cracked. the doors will not open therefore; the vehicle has not been to a dealership. *nm
05/31/200521000405/28/1998
 Driver side door molding/paneling slid, becoming detached. passenger side has detached and been repaired twice, driver side one other time prior to this incident
04/07/200480000202/23/2002
 1998 chrysler sebring. last year sport moulding fell off passenger door. two weeks ago, passenger door handle broke when opening door. *ak
06/28/200385000212/21/2002
 In april 2003 my exterior driverside doorhandle broke off. in june2003, my exterior passanger side doorhandle broke off. both handles broke off in the same places. very weak plastic, dealer told me the car was old(1998). i have owned older cars and had no problems with the handles breaking off. i am not that strong i didn't rip it off. *ak
09/06/2002101/01/2098
 Outside door handle broke upon attempting to open unlocked door. one junk yard informed me he has 10 calls a week on the sebring door handles. *ak
05/31/20011
 Consumer states after having recall repairs completed to the door garnish molding trim clip, there was a minor vibration that could be heard on the passenger side of the vehicle, consumer noticed the passneger door molding had moved toward the front of the vehicle, when opening the the passenger door, the molding contacted the front fender, when closing the door and moving the molding away from the fender toward the reaer of the vehicle approximately half an inch, the vibration no longer occured. *slc
07/16/20022
 Consumer states that both outside door handles fell off, within three days apart. dealer and the manufacturer have been notified. feel free to provide any further information.*jb
07/01/2001202/01/1998
 Door handles are breaking off -- both doors on my vehicle -- average 8 per month at the colonial chrysler plymouth dealership in mesquite, texas. *ak
07/14/2001210/01/1998
 Exterior door handles break off and internal components fall inside of door. the door cannot be opened from an outside source. the door handle components are or appear to be made of some type of hard plastic, when exposed to elements it becomes brittle.*ak
05/20/20010
 Both door handles broke off in consumers hand when attempting to open door.*ak
 While driving down highway at 50-55 mph molding on passenger's side door flew off vehicle in middle of traffic. consumer has yet to contact dealer. but, this is a big problem with this year/ make a model. please provide any further details.*ak
06/01/1998
 Engine-well maintained failed at 60k miles. oil pump and bearings. door assembly keeps coming loose, handle fell off. wheels too soft, bent all of the time. fuel pump failed at 17k miles. this car is a lemon.
08/01/2000107/01/1998
 The trim on the outside of both driver side and passenger side doors have been fixed once and replaced once. the trim seems to fall of during the summer when tempuratures reach 105 or above for several days in a row. the trim has come loose from the passanger side door again. i have been talking with the dealer since september 15, 2000, i have brought my car into the dealer ship 3 since september, and i received a repair notice in the mail. the notice stated that chrysler world replace the part free of charge for my car. the last time i brought my car in, the dealer handed me a qoute for $276. i was told they will not replace for free unless i had the card, which i can not find. *ak
3
 The outer door panels on my automoble have at numerous occasions become loose & have fallen off & are unable to be professionally fixed.
08/01/2000
 Inside door panel plastic is falling off, especially when weather changes. dealer will fix it under warranty, but consumer feels that this has happened too many times. *ak
02/12/2000207/01/1998
 Tire rims are too soft!!!! have replace 2 rims and have owned vehicle less than 18 months. door panels are defective!!! sunroof upholstery is defective. engine roars. over drive button is located in a bad place. instructions are confusing between panel instructions and o/d manuel. i love to drive this car....but i hate it! am extremely disappointed!!!( dot number: )
2
 The left and right side door panels fall off continuously. yh
109/01/1998
 I have had nothing but problems out of this car!! the car was purchased in charlotte, but i live in spartanburg, so all service and maintenance had been performed at quality chrysler (1030 n. church st., spartanburg, sc 29303; phone: 864/596-4550). the transmission was not shifting correctly in 11/98, but they couldn't find anything wrong with it at the dealership. it would not move when put into reverse or drive. they finally found the problem in 6/98. started having additional problems in 11/99, and they stated once again that there was not a problem. - the door panels have come off of both doors on numerous occasions. blew a tire while driving approximately 25mph. rim appears to have cut through side wall. - horn on right side of steering wheel does not work. this is a safety issue in that i couldn't alert a vehicle that was about to shift into my lane. i had to drive onto the shoulder of the road to avoid an accident. - i have had other problems that are not safety issues, including : spots in paint on spoiler, alarm sounding when unlocking passenger door with key, spots on back window. i am very unhappy with the quality of this car, especially since it is my very first new car. *ak
7
 Outside panel of the driver's side door came loose and hung out on the side. dealer has repaired driver side door seven times, and one time on passenger side. but problem still exists. *ak
06/14/1999406/01/1998
 The lower outside door (garnish)panels have parted from the car. the problem seems to advance when the outside air temp is high, causing panels to warp. at that point the plastic clips fail and panel parts from car. dealer has made several attempts to repair but problems are not remediated. design of molding clips may be defective.
08/01/1998306/01/1998
 Side door panels keep falling off. advised by dealer due to design flaw air gets under panels during driving and causes the panel to come off. advised by dealer that there is no permanent fix...that they have several customers with same problem...one man has had his door panels replaced at least six or seven times. i have been fortunate in that panel has not come off during driving. however, if it does, it could very easily cause another unsuspecting motorist to have a fatal accident since panel is very large. i have my third appointment to get this fixed again on sept 29, 1999. please note my e-mail address is pbd5332@aol.com (i was unable to go back and correct this error).
 The clips that are attached to the door panel are plastic and easily break, causing the door panel to disengage from the door frame. plesase give any further details. *ak
 The outside molder panel on the door is held on by plastic clips that do not hold. panel has fallen off vehicle when door was opened. the dealer has been contacted. *ak
10/01/1998105/01/1998
 Right-side passenger lower panel fell off.
08/07/1999
 While in a parking lot the siding on the front passenger door side fell off. on july 19th while driving about 20-25 mph the siding fell off. the siding has been completely replaced once and reattached twice by the dealership. *ak
03/01/1997312/31/1997
 On three occasions the exterior door side panel plastic rivets fell off. *yc
05/01/1998804/01/1998
 Passenger door panels fallen off multiple (10+) times. dealer has not offered a solution. *ak
05/31/1999
 Consumer was driving on a toll road when passenger's side exterior door panel disconected. dealership says they will repair it. *ak
05/29/199911/01/1998
 Brake system - caliper installed incorrectly at factory causing rotor and pad on front/driver's side to fail. remaining pads/rotors in fair condition. plastic exterior door panel on driver's side falls off will speed above 45mph. sunroof fails to open or close. battery died. anti-theft not working
12/01/199809/01/1998
 At 300 miles all inside panels had be replaced. ( the panels had what looked like sun spots in them. but after getting new panel's which had the same spots in them. it seems to be a production problem. on the 3rd set panels.) at 400 miles driver's window trim started coming loose. the car's insulation or lack of is so poor that you hear the exhaust system grinding on the frame of the car. when you press on the brakes the l/h front wheel starts to vibrate. both door's leak when it rain's or when you wash the car. on dec 24, 1998 it rained and with weather droping down below freezing and with no ice on the outside of the car showing i could not open the door's on the car for about one hour. on dec 23, 1998 i called daimlerchrsler motors corportion customer assistance center ( 1-800-992-1997 ) to find out chrysler meaning of quality. the answer was mitsubishi build's the sebring and that chrysler has no control over there quality and that what you have warranty for. *ak
11/18/1998802/01/1998
 Car is falling apart, unsafe to drive, can't see out of it due to icing and other problems took to dealer for repairs, repairs were not completed
10/25/1997310/08/1998
 Door paneling fell off on interstate causing damage to the rim, repairs made several times for door panel.
 While driving the door moulding fell off, resulting in loss of control and causing damage to the to the rim. dealer has been notified. *ak
STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
08/12/2007138000112/07/1997
 Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chrysler sebring. while driving 55 mph, the driver side door detached from the vehicle. the dealer stated that the door clips were not tightly secured and offered to replace the door. there were no injuries. the current and failure mileages were 138,000.
09/20/20052
 Dt: the contact stated the outer door handles broke. this happened one time on both doors. the second time, the contact's daughter was inside the vehicle and it was running. the vehicle has not been to a chrysler dealership. he purchased the parts and was going to fix this himself.*ak
04/07/200480000202/23/2002
 1998 chrysler sebring. last year sport moulding fell off passenger door. two weeks ago, passenger door handle broke when opening door. *ak
03/31/2000109/26/1998
 Consumer noticed rust on door hinge. as a result of rust door would become unlocked and come open while traveling.*ak consumer states door post rusted around bolt heads, consumer is not satisfied with investigation from dealership.*jb
411/01/1999
 Door cladding falling off / brake rotors warp easily. *ak
STRUCTURE - BODY - ROOF AND PILLARS
03/17/2004110/24/2003
 While parking, the convertible top unraveled from the rear window seal. this caused water to leak inside the vehicle. consumer was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer there were no recalls on this vehicle. *ak this problem remained current. *sc *jb
05/11/2002
 When it rains vehicle floods due the convertible top drain being clogged.*ak
 Frame of convertible top is cracking and cannot be used. vehicle has never been involved in an accident.*ak
04/03/2000002/01/1998
 Cylinder and pump motor that raises and lowers roof top malfunctioned. *ak *ml
 In rainy weather conditions rain enters the vehicle from the convertible top, cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak
STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS
05/01/1998
 The car is designed so that any speed bump, driveway,or parking lot block can cause damage to the front of this car. it is about half the distance from the ground as any other car and the fiberglass body splits and must be repaired for hundreds of dollars. this is not normal wear and tear. i know that when i see an elevated drive ahead of me, i must slow down to 3 miles an hour and enter at a diagonal so as not to hear that scraping sound*ak.
08/29/2000
 Side molding fell off on the freeway. brakes vibrated. dealer said it was normal wear. rims have bent several times. front end was very low to the ground. engine died becuase serpentine time belt came off, causing engine to cease. dealer tried to repair problem, but it still squealed. dealer couldn't remedy the problem.*ak
05/21/1998310/01/1997
 The side panels would fall off as you are driving.once the right panel and it was destroyed. the left came off on highway and cars behind me had to swerve and ran over the panel .it was destroyed.*ak
02/02/1998
 When drving at any speed the outside frame panel on the driver's side and the passenger's side is coming off. also, all four wheel rims are bend and sticking in the tires. *ak
09/01/1998507/01/1998
 The sebring has multiple structural and functional defects which devalue the car. no safety defect (s) mentioned in summary. *ak
12/01/199809/01/1998
 At 300 miles all inside panels had be replaced. ( the panels had what looked like sun spots in them. but after getting new panel's which had the same spots in them. it seems to be a production problem. on the 3rd set panels.) at 400 miles driver's window trim started coming loose. the car's insulation or lack of is so poor that you hear the exhaust system grinding on the frame of the car. when you press on the brakes the l/h front wheel starts to vibrate. both door's leak when it rain's or when you wash the car. on dec 24, 1998 it rained and with weather droping down below freezing and with no ice on the outside of the car showing i could not open the door's on the car for about one hour. on dec 23, 1998 i called daimlerchrsler motors corportion customer assistance center ( 1-800-992-1997 ) to find out chrysler meaning of quality. the answer was mitsubishi build's the sebring and that chrysler has no control over there quality and that what you have warranty for. *ak
11/13/1998202/01/1998
 The passenger-side door panel, called cladding, continues to come loose. the first time, i heard a loud rattling sound and had to pull over. the side panel, a very large plastic piece which extends the length of the door was hanging on by only one plastic clip. i took the panel off because i was afraid that it might fly off and hit someone else's vehicle. i waited for approximately two months before the part even came in because it was on a national back order. i am curious to know if this part is in such a high demand because other owners of this vehicle are having the same problem. the second time, i simply closed my door and noticed that the side panel was once again, barely hanging on. the same part is still on national back order. this time i had the body shop look at the panel to see if they could repair the panel and they did have to remove the piece because the plastic clips on this piece were also broken.
STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS
03/19/20081
 I bought a used car from a licensed inspection station and used car dealer 28 days after i bought the car i found out the frame was rotted and it should have never passed inspection the place i bought the car inspected it when i told the dealer about it he refused to refund my money or return my calls i don't believe that a used car dealer like this should be in business and would like something done this could have caused injuries to my family. *tr