Chrysler Sebring opinions

[crazy4offroad]

My sister is wanting to get a 2001 Sebring convertible Limited Edition for around $4k and I was wondering what's yalls opinions on those cars. I never was that crazy about em, looks or otherwise. I figured the same head gasket problems that haunted the Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth minivans would be prevalent in all their motors and just tried to stay away from them.

 

[89Suburban]

A buddy of mine online has one, I know the battery is mounted in the front wheel well. I'll have to ask him his overall opinion of the car, not sure what year it is, I know it's at least 8 years old or so.

 

[crazy4offroad]

I was reading reviews on edmunds (I always sort the reviews to display worst first) and one said the trans in these cars are known to go out around the 80,000 mile mark, which is exactly how many mile it has on it lol. I wish I could talk her into getting a truck, truck tires/suspension handle the terrible winter potholes we get better than cars do.

 

[davbell22602]

I was reading reviews on edmunds (I always sort the reviews to display worst first) and one said the trans in these cars are known to go out around the 80,000 mile mark, which is exactly how many mile it has on it lol. I wish I could talk her into getting a truck, truck tires/suspension handle the terrible winter potholes we get better than cars do.

Transmission going outat 80,000K is just like the CVT trany thats in the saturn view that later brought up a class action lawsuit against GM.

I know nothing about the Sebring. I'm a Ford and GM owner.

 

[skysurfer]

Chrysler has great designers and they've come out with some good looking cars over the years, (even their mini-van has good lines) but underneath are the same old fit-and-finish problems they've always had. The trick to owning a Chrysler is to buy new and get rid of it before 50,000 miles.

 

[bucket]

Working in a garage, I see them come in all of the time. I honestly feel they are some of the biggest pieces of **** ever produced. If you get a screaming deal on one (a lot less than 4K), it will be bearable for a while, but you will come to hate the car. If it has the 2.7 V6, run far away... and then keep running.

 

[crazy4offroad]

LOL yeah that's what I've been reading about the 2.7. My sis is a hard head about these cars though and I hope I can change her mind. She likes Jeep Wranglers too till I pointed out the frame problems they have. We started out shopping for a "gas sipper" but she ended up looking at a Mistu Eclipse GT and I had to remind her that it's a sports car, with sports car insurance rates. I dunno why she cant like a Toyota or Nissan "real gas sipper" car, car shopping with women it's gotta have that eye-appeal, and all that mechanical dependability issue is secondary. I have a feeling this is going to be a long, arduous task.

 

[bucket]

... car shopping with women it's gotta have that eye-appeal, and all that mechanical dependability issue is secondary.

And that's exactly how Chrysler has been able to keep selling cars the last 15 years or so.

 

[davbell22602]

LOL yeah that's what I've been reading about the 2.7. My sis is a hard head about these cars though and I hope I can change her mind. She likes Jeep Wranglers too till I pointed out the frame problems they have. We started out shopping for a "gas sipper" but she ended up looking at a Mistu Eclipse GT and I had to remind her that it's a sports car, with sports car insurance rates. I dunno why she cant like a Toyota or Nissan "real gas sipper" car, car shopping with women it's gotta have that eye-appeal, and all that mechanical dependability issue is secondary. I have a feeling this is going to be a long, arduous task.

Tell her to go to the chevy dealer and buy a Volt.

 

[89Suburban]

Here ya go C4, I asked him for ya:

we've had it about 4 years, if you want my honest opinion the thing is a piece of **** and I'll never buy another Chrysler ever. We got a good deal on it though $2500 with about 67,000 on it, it was my step moms.
First big issue was the water pump, it runs off the timing chain or something like that, cost us about $800 to fix that and the guy at her uncles garage wouldn't even touch it so we had to take it somewhere else.
It sits so low it feels like your ass is draggin the ground when you go down the highway.
They ran the exhaust right down alongside the oil pan, I guess alot of people had issues with the oil sludging up, I keep the oil changed every 3000.
Last winter out of the blue the horn just starts beeping for no reason and won't shut off, I guess it was the clock spring or something, hasn't done it since.
The a/c compressor went bad, the aluminum line for it broke too.
Had to replace the starter 2 or 3 times, they got that jammed up in there where it's hard to get at.
You seen where the A holes put the battery?


Overall, it rides real nice and it's pretty snappy with the 2.7 in it, good on gas too. Just don't get no junkyard parts for it, cause they won't last long either.

 

[bucket]

Don't leave out the lower ball joints that don't last long and you have to replace the entire arm, the cam and crank sensors that spontaneously crap out, the valve cover gaskets that dry out and leak like a sieve (and require removing the plenum to access), the distributors that fail that are BURRIED in there, the rear aluminum strut mounts that corrode and blow apart, the engine harnesses that get soaked in oil and fry all kinds of wiring, the convertible tops that always come apart in the rear window area, the ridiculous amount of cowl shake over bumps in the road... I could just keep going.

 

[Irishman999]

Chrysler has great designers and they've come out with some good looking cars over the years, (even their mini-van has good lines) but underneath are the same old fit-and-finish problems they've always had. The trick to owning a Chrysler is to buy new and get rid of it before 50,000 miles.

I had 2 dodge pickups there were total ****! I got a Dakota with 70k on it and within a year of driving it the truck was falling apart.

 

[Old77]

I'd tell her to pass...

 

[dhamp]

I wouldn't buy one with someone else's money! Every one I know that has owned a Stratus, Sebring, Intrepid, etc. has had more crap go wrong with it, that stuff that's gone right. My cousis just got out of his 2nd Intrepid (a 2002) with that damned 2.7. What a piece of ****. Bought it brand new and it was in the shop CONSTANTLY ffrom around 2005 until he quit driving it last month. Every friggin sensor on the thing has been replaced twice--cam sensor, speed sensor, 02 sensors, etc, etc. I would never buy a car that you have to disassemble the front clip to change the damn battery in it (as I have done for him 2x). Every thing under the hood that can possibly be made from plastic, is. **** was cracking and leaking all the time. I had to make him start parking on the street because the thing was leaving a mixture of coolant, oil and (maybe) gas everywhere it sat for more than 20 min. On top of all that, the window regulators are about as sturdy as a cotton ball, and the door handle linkages aren't much better. I can't remember the last time all of the doors and all of the windows were operational at the same time. I never would've bought the 2nd one after having to put an ENGINE in the first one before it ever hit 100k. The 300/Charger is a way better car (w/out the 2.7), but I wouldn't touch any of their FWD stuff.

 

[78shortandwide]

Well i just happen to have a 2005 Chrysler Sebring. I bought it brand new. It has 85000 miles now. I have had no major problems with it yet. Other than routine maintenance i have only had to change the front wheel berings, and i changed the cv axles while i had it apart. As far as the 2.7 mine runs great. I dont see why evreyone ha sso many problems with them.