Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1997 record →
WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE VEHICLE HAD A DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT WITH A TRUCK AND BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER STATED DUE TO NOT ENOUGH DECELERATION IT DID NOT TRIGGER THE SENSOR, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED IN FRONT END. *AK
SUDDEN ACCELERATION.
THE DEFECTIVE BRAKING SYSTEM WARPED OUT SEVERAL TIMES. HAD REPLACED THE BRAKING SYSTEM 4 TIMES. HAD A 1996 SEBRING HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, HAD TO REPLACE BRAKING SYSTEM 6 TIMES. DEALER SAID THE 1997 SEBRING HAD A NEW BRAKING SYSTEM, BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK
VEHICLE SHIMMIES CONSTANTLY, THE INTENSITY VARIES THE THE RATE OF SPEED AND ROAD CONDITIONS. STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES CONSTANTLY AND JERKS RIGHT AND LEFT WHEN VEHICLE HITS BUMPS. THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS SHAKE WHEN VEHICLE TRAVELS ON ANY NON-SMOOTH ROAD CONDITIONS.
A SHEET METAL SCREW THROUGH FIRE WALL OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT PENETRATED IGNITION WIRING, CAUSING A SHORT THROUGH THE COMPUTER/ELECTRICAL FAILURES.
WHEN TRYING TO PUT ON SEAT BELTS THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE BELTS WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
VEHICLE STATIONARY, CONVERTIBLE TOP WENT DOWN TWICE; ON 3RD TIME, WENT DOWN OKAY, BUT GOING UP, IT KEPT GOING. TURNED TOP MOTOR OFF BUT IT KEPT RUNNING. WIRING HARNES BURNED. TAIL & DASH LIGHTS FLASHED QUICKLY & TRUNK LID POPPED OPEN.
VEHICLE WAS IN CRASH BECAUSE ABS FAILED. THE VEHICLE SLID INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. DEALER HAS VEHICLE. *AK
DONUT SIZE WHEEL IS ONLY FOR SLOW SPEED AND A FEW MILES, IF THE TEMPORARY SPARE IS USED FOR A LENGTH PERIOD OF TIME IT WILL BLOW.
UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE LEFT HAND SIDE THEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, PROBLEM HAS YET TO BE FIXED. *AK
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1997 Chrysler Sebring → · Every Sebring year → · How the figures are calculated →