2004 Chrysler Sebring Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I GOT THE CAR ON JAN 1,14..SINCE I HAD THIS I HAVE PROBLEMS. IN JULY 14 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND THE FUEL PUMP WENT ON THE CAR..AND ITS READING GAS LEAK AS OF NOW .ALSO THE CAR ACCELERATES BY ITS SELF I WOULD BE DRIVING DOING 60 MPH AND IT WILL A ACCELERATES AND IT SCARES ME TO DRIVE THIS CAR SOME TIMES.ALSO THE SEAT BELTS WERE PUT IN THE WRONG WAY. THE HORN WORKS ONCE IN AWHILE..THIS CAR HAS GIVEN ME SO MANY PROBLEMS SINCE I HAD IT. *TR

WE HAVE A 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE WHICH HAS A PROBLEM WITH LURCHING FORWARD AND UNABLE TO STOP (NO BRAKES). THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES AND WE FEEL IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT HAS NOW BEEN DIAGNOSED AS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. WE FEEL WE SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DEFECT BUT CHRYSLER HAS REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. WHEN WE CONTACTED CHRYSLER, WE WERE TOLD WE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT NOW ARE TOLD WE DO NOT. WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AND FEEL STRONGLY THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD BE WILLING TO REPAIR OR TAKE IT OFF THE ROAD. *TR

FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS, MY 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING HAS BEEN HAVING WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN THE CAR IS PLACED INTO REVERSE TO BACK UP, THEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND THE GAS PEDAL PRESSED, THE CAR CONTINUES TO TRAVEL IN REVERSE. I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK, THEN SHIFTED TO DRIVE. THE CAR CONTINUED TO TRAVEL IN REVERSE. AGAIN, SHIFTED TO PARK AND BACK TO DRIVE. THE CAR THE DRIFTED FORWARD WHILE THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS REVVING. I CONTINUED TO SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE NUMEROUS TIMES, AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO DRIFT AND MAKE THE REVVING SOUNDS. FOR THE PAST 2 DAYS, I HAVE SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AND HAVE TO STOMP ON THE GAS PEDAL, AT WHICH POINT THE ENGINE SEEMS TO LURCH INTO GEAR AND THEN DRIVES FINE. AND WHEN I SAY STOMP ON THE GAS PEDAL, I MEAN STOMP - HARD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH DOWNHILL, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER NEAR THE SIDEWALK AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CV JOINTS, AXLE, AND RIM. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 72,300.

I HAVE A 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH A 2.7L V6 ENGINE. THE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM WHICH HAS COME UP NUMEROUS TIMES IS THE ENGINE RPM WILL SURGE CAUSING THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD. THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN COMING TO A STOP - THE ENGINE RPM WILL DROP TO THE POINT WHERE THE ENGINE WILL ALMOST STALL, THEN SURGE EXCESSIVELY CAUSING THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD. THIS SURGE OF RPMS HAS CAUSED ME TO ALMOST HIT CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND WORSE, SENDING ME INTO AN INTERSECTION WITH ONCOMING CARS. I HAVE CALLED ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO HAVE THIS ISSUE EXAMINED - THE ONLY THING THAT WAS DOES WAS TO REPROGRAM THE TRANSMISSION PCM. I DO SEE THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER OWNERS. *TR

I PURCHASED MY SEBRING TOURING FALL 2005. SINCE MY PURCHASED I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE IS A VIBRATION (THE CAR KIND OF SHAKES) BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 30 MPH AND 45 MPH. ONCE IT SHIFTS AGAIN (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) IT STOPS. *JB

I BOUGHT THE CAR USED AT IN 2005 WITH 23K MILES. AFTER ABOUT A MONTH WE NOTICED A HARD SHIFT PROBLEM BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND MAINLY. WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRS SEVERAL TIME BUT THE DEALER CLAIMED THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. FINALLY THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND DID A PARTIAL REBUILD ON THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS THE PROBLEM RESURFACED AND THE DEALERS STILL COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. I TRIED A DIFFERENT DEALER JUST AFTER THE CAR HIT 36K AND THEY ALSO CLAIMED NO PROBLEM AND CHARGED ME FOR THE SERVICE SINCE IT WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. THE DRIVING LIGHTS ALSO QUIT JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN OUT. AT THIS POINT I'M JUST LIVING WITH THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE DEALERS CAN'T SEEM TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *TR

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WILL BUCK , AND THE RPMS WILL GO UP TO 3000-4000 RPMS. IT WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF SECOND OR THIRD GEAR. IT WAS A HAZARD TO DRIVE. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. CHRYSLER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. CHRYSLER CHANGED PARTS VENDORS TO TRY AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM . HE RECEIVED VEHICLE BACK YESTERDAY, AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE PROBLEM FIRST BEGAN IN AUGUST 2005. AND HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE THEN. *AK UPDATED 11/15/2005 - *NM

2004 SEBRING 4 DOOR SEDAN HAS OCCASIONALLY LUNGED OR SURGED FORWARD WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR IN TRAFFIC. THIS OCCURS WHILE MY FOOT HAS BEEN ON THE BRAKE AND I HATE TO THINK OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF I DID NOT HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN IT LUNGES FORWARD. I COULD HIT SOMEONE OR SOMETHING. HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THIS. THE 2ND TIME I HAD FOUND A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS WEBSITE DESCRIBING WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.(THE FIRST TIME THEY JUST SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T MAKE THE PROBLEM HAPPEN)WHEN I BROUGHT THE SERVICE BULLETIN TO THEM LAST DEC 2005, THEY SAID THEY FIXED IT. IT HAS NOW HAPPENED AGAIN, AND IS BACK INTO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS AT FIRST TOLD THAT IF THEY COULDN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN, THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. I TOLD THEM THIS WAS THE 3RD TIME IN THE SHOP FOR THE SAME ISSUE AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THEY ARE GOING TO TRY REPLACING A THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR. I WAS READING OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE AND DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO WRITE ONE BECAUSE THIS IS DEFINITELY HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IS CHRYSLER WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO GET HURT BEFORE THEY FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS? SOMEONE NEEDS TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. IT ONLY HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY SO IT IS HARD TO RECREATE IT WHEN YOU BRING IT TO THE DEALER, BUT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME TYPES OF PROBLEMS ON THIS SITE. *NM

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED THE WIRING. ALSO, TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS, SUCH AS DOWN SHIFTING. WHILE DRIVING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD GO INTO A LOWER GEAR AND REMAIN THEIR FOR AN EXTENSIVE PERIOD OF TIME. *AK

MY 2004 SEBRING HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS. TOMORROW 8/23/05 WILL BE MY FOURTH OR FIFTH ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THE ON GOING PROBLEM OF MY CAR SURGING FORWARD WHILE AT IDLE/COMING TO A STOP OR WHILE SETTING AT A LIGHT HOLD THE BRAKE. THE CAR STALLED WHILE CROSSING TRAFFIC. THE CAR SHAKES AS IF THE ENGINE IS ABOUT TO ROCK OUT OF IT. IT MISS-FIRES ON A REGULAR BASES. THE LAST TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE SPARK PLUGS THIS WAS 6/23/05.

PURCHASED 4 DOOR CHRYSLER SEBRING SEDAN (4 CYLINDER AT MCDONNOUGH CHRYLSER OF EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ 7/9/04 W/ 13 MILES. 2 DAYS FOLLOWING THE PURCHASE, CAR STALLED AT APPROXIMATELY 42 MPH ON A CROWDED INTERSTATE, AND STARTED RIGHT BACK UP. DROVE TO DEALER TO FIND THAT I NEEDED A COMPUTER SOFTWARE UPDATE. TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK, IDLING ROUGH, RPMS JUMPING ALL OVER THE PLACE. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN THIS TIME ON NJ TURNPIKE WHILE SLOWING DOWN, BUT NOT BEFORE SURGING FORWARD, MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR, AND AGAIN STARTED RIGHT BACK UP. RETURNED TO DEALER @ 994 MI, NOTHING REGISTERED ON DIAGNOSTIC CHECK, ANOTHER CPU UPDATE. CAR STILL IN SAME CONDITION ONLY DID NOT STALL. SURGING GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, FINALLY AT APPROXIMATELY 8,000 MILES CAR STALLED COUNTLESS TIMES IN THE 13 MILE RIDE TO DEALER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, COULD HARDLY DRIVE THE ENTIRE WAY. DEALER FOUND BAD IGNITION COIL, BUT ONLY BECAUSE THE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED COULD THEY DETECT A PROBLEM. DEALER KEPT CAR 3 DAYS, DID NOT OFFER RENTAL OR COMP CAR, NOR TRANSPORTATION TO MY WORK. PICKED UP CAR, NOT STALLING BUT STILL IDLING ROUGH, STEERING WHEEL VISIBLY SHAKING. CAR SURGES FORWARD AT EVERY STOPLIGHT, I HAVE JUST LEARNED TO CONTROL THE BRAKE TO AVOID ACCIDENT, NOT ACCELERATING PROPERLY & TRANSMISSION SLIPS AT LOW SPEEDS. WHY CAN'T THIS PROBLEM BE ERRADICATED, THIS IS MY FIRST BRAND NEW CAR, AND RUNS AS POORLY AS MY TRADE IN DID AT 230,000 MILES! I NEED A BREAK, AND I NEED A SOLUTION. IN ADDITION, CAR MAKES LOUD WHISTLING NOISE BETWEEN 68-73 MPH , AND HEADLIGHTS HAVE SHUT OFF 2 TIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING AT NIGHT AND FLICKERED BACK ON ALSO, NOT TRACABLE BY DEALER COMPUTER.*AK

TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AFTER ONLY 1,000 MILES. ALSO, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT POWER SURGES. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEN, DEALER STATED NO PROBLEM, GOOD-BYE. CONSUMER WAS EXTREMELY UPSET. *AK

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL FROM A STOPPING POSITION VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND LURCHED FORWARD, CONSUMER HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO GET THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED TWICE. *AK

ONGOING ISSUE WITH 2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE (LIMITED EDITION) AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION "CLUNKING WHEN CHANGING GEARS", "NOT ENGAGING GEAR SELECTED" AND TWICE TRANSMISSION SHIFT TO HIGH, THEN LOWER GEAR RESULTING IN VECHICLE SURGING. FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED IT CAUSED THE CAR TO JERK STRAIGHT FORWARD (WAS IN A CURVE) TOWARD A BRIDGE ABUTMENT. SECOND TIME THE SURGING OCCURED, WAS SLOWING DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT WITH A CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I BARELY MISSED HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION PUMP, THEN NOTIFIED ME THAT THE SHIFT CABLE WAS BROKEN. IT WAS REPLACED. VEHICLE CONTINUES ALL SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED, INCLUDING NEW PROBLEM WITH CLUNKING WHEN SHIFTED FROM PARK. THIS IS NEW AND WAS IDENTIFIED BY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 5/5/04. DEALER SAYS THEY CAN'T IDENTIFY THE CAUSE SO REPAIRS CANNOT BE MADE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK WITHIN DAYS OF TAKING POSSESSION IN AUGUST 2003 ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT IT WAS NEW AND NEEDED SOME TIME TO BREAK IN.*AK

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 SEBRING LIMITED CONVERTIBLE FROM EGOLF MOTORS, HENDERSONVILLE, NC IN SEPT., 2003. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE ENGINE IDLE WAS A PROBLEM BECAUSE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED WHEN SLOWING TO STOP, THE ENGINE SEEMS TO PULSE OR REV UP AND THEN DIE DOWN TO A NORMAL IDLE. NO ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED, BUT THE ENGINE HAS DIED ON TWO OCCASIONS WHILE IDLING. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS IT IS JERKY AND AT TIMES NOISY. I HAVE HAD THE SERVICE MANAGER AND TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AT EGOLF MOTORS INSPECT AND DRIVE THE CAR AND THEIR RESPONSE IS THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER, I DROVE ANOTHER NEW SEBRING ON THE CAR LOT AND FOUND THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT SMOOTHLY AND THE IDLE HAD NONE OF THE SURGING FEATURES OF MY CAR. I POINTED THIS OUT TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE SAID MY CAR IS NORMAL AND IF I COULD REPLICATE WHAT IS HAPPENING THEN TO BRING THE CAR BACK. I LEFT THE CAR OVER NIGHT FOR THEM TO EXAMINE UNDER COLD CONDITIONS AND THEY STILL SAID IT WAS WITHIN NORMAL RANGE ACCORDING TO THEIR COMPUTER ANALYSIS. GRANTED, THE IDLE, TRANSMISSION AND STALLING PROBLEMS ARE SOMEHWHAT INTERMITTENT, BUT I WOULD HOPE THEIR IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX THESE ANNOYING PROBLEMS. IN ONE ON-LINE SUGGESTION I READ THAT SOME OF THE PROBLEM COULD BE CAUSED BY A FAULTY IDLE CONTROL SENSOR.*AK

MY 2004 SEBRING CONVERTIBLE HAS MADE TWO DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT NOISES: 1ST AT ANY SPEED WHEN I RELEASE MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL I GET WHAT I CALL A CRICKET SOUNDING NOISE - VERY ANNOYING. 2ND AT SPEEDS OF 70 MPH AND UP I GET WHAT I CALL A WHISTLING SOUND THAT IS ALSO VERY ANNOYING AND STAYS ON WHEN I USE CRUISE CONTROL. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AT MASSEY YARDLEY, HOBE SOUND, FL ON AT LEAST 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND GONE FOR TEST DRIVES WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE RECOGNIZES THE PROBLEM TRIES TO FIX IT TO NO AVAIL. FINALLY HAVE HAD CHRYSLER LOOK AT THE PROBLEM - THEY ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, BUT TELL ME I HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT. I AM GOING TO ARBITRATION SHORTLY. *JB