24th Jan 2003, 12:34
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.
5th Feb 2003, 13:59
I have had problems with door panels. I have read that a lot of people have same problem and with door handle coming off.
5th Feb 2003, 18:23
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!
16th Aug 2003, 18:40
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.
5th Jan 2004, 12:05
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.
21st Mar 2004, 16:20
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.
6th Apr 2004, 15:48
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.
18th May 2004, 10:09
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,
28th Sep 2004, 20:55
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.
6th Jan 2003, 21:21
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.