1995 Chrysler Sebring Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 1995 Chrysler Sebring most often write about the front lower control arm and ball joints, with many complaints describing a ball joint separating and the wheel dropping or detaching. Brake complaints, mainly vibration or shuddering and repeated rotor and pad wear, are the next most common theme. Both sets of complaints cluster on cars with high odometer readings, and several owners mention not receiving or not being covered by the related recall work.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Front lower ball joint separation / wheel drop

   • 25 complaints (19%)
   • median 103,000 mi at 9.4 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2010

   Owners describe the front lower control arm or ball joint letting go, sometimes while driving slowly or backing out, leaving the wheel dropped or detached and the vehicle hard to steer. Several say a dealer had inspected the car shortly before and found the joints acceptable, or that the recall repair had supposedly been done and the part still failed. Complaints also describe dealers telling owners the repeat wear was their responsibility, and some recall inspections where the dealer declined to replace the component. Reported across a wide mileage range, mostly from cars with tens of thousands of miles and up, and often at low driving speeds.

   Recall 00V421002Recall 99V066003Recall 97V201000

   What to check: Ask for documentation that the lower ball joint recalls were performed and whether the joints or control arms were replaced rather than just inspected. Have a shop check the boots and play in both lower ball joints before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On 06-28-03 I was driving my car at a speed of 35 MPH, while driving my lower ball joint broke and my car lost controll. I was later informed of the recall on the lower ball joint, which I was never informed of, and was never repaired. I took my vehicle directly to a Chrysler dealership on that same day 06-28-03. They have had my car for over three weeks now and I have yet to be informed of what will exactly happen as far as repairs go. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10028373, filed 2003-07, 96,000 miles

   “2 years ago, while driving between 5-10 MPH the right lower lateral ball joint broke in two, causing $10,000.00 in body repairs, recall repairs, all to the front end of my Chrysler Sebring.the local dealership had my car for 3 months working on my car. I never received a recall notice!!! Just minutes before I was on the interstate, we would have been killed. Now 2 years later and only 18,000 miles later my car is making a noise in the wheel. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10062063, filed 2004-03, 109,549 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brake vibration and repeated rotor wear

   • 23 complaints (17%)
   • typically at 3.8 yrs old
   • filed 1995–2002

   Complaints describe pedal pulsing and steering wheel or vehicle shaking when braking, with rotors needing resurfacing or replacement again after relatively short intervals. Some owners link excessive front pad and rotor wear to a brake sensor or relay, and a few describe the ABS warning light staying on with a costly hydraulic or modulator repair quoted. Dealers are reported to have replaced rotors, pads and relays repeatedly, with the symptoms returning. Described from a few thousand miles upward and recurring over the life of the car, often noticed at highway speeds under braking.

   What to check: Test the brakes from highway speed for shudder or pulsing, and check whether the ABS light comes on. Ask for service records showing how often rotors and pads were replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The ABS modulator pump failed just after buying the vehicle as is . I took it to the dealer, who had it all day before deciding that the pump was out, a $1600 repair. I could not afford that, nor understand why it had happened so soon, so I found a used pump, and payed to have it installed. The light went out and it worked fine. Two months later, the light came back on. I took it to the dealer and payed them again, and again they said it was the pump. Now the light intermittently comes on and goes off. …”

   NHTSA complaint #757697, filed 2002-02

   “The ABS light came on and stayed on, I took it to a dealership and the replaced a $5.00 wire for about $150.00. The next day the car was jerking and losing power and the ABS light was going on and off. I then took it to a different dealership and it took them all day from 8am till 5pm to find out it was the ABS hydraulic component for the front brakes. It cost $1600.00 dollars more to fix it. These brakes have been nothing but problems this car has now been in the shop 2 times for new brakes and 2 times for the ABS. …”

   NHTSA complaint #718930, filed 2000-02
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag not deploying in a collision

   • 16 complaints (12%)
   • typically at 4.4 yrs old
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2002

   Complaints describe airbags that failed to deploy in front-end collisions or a rollover, and in one case a passenger airbag cover sitting loose or raised from the dash. One owner reports the passenger airbag being replaced several times. These complaints are individual accounts rather than a single recurring repair pattern. Reported at unspecified mileages, generally in the context of a collision.

   What to check: Check that the airbag warning light goes out after start-up and that the passenger airbag cover sits flush with the dash. Ask whether the airbags have ever been serviced or replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My two biggest concerns are the door panels and passenger air bag. I saw the same make and model as my car yesterday and the same door panel was missing on that car also. This is a very dangerous problem. The door panel simply blew off as we were going down the road, posing a threat for others on the road. The passenger panel is loose. The passenger air bag looks as though it is about to deploy. The corners are turned up. People are afraid to ride in my front seat due to the danger the air bag could deploy. These are both safety issues. …”

   NHTSA complaint #756719, filed 2002-01

   “Vehicle was involved in a low speed frontal collision. Upon impact, driver's air bag did not deploy. Ak prior to accident, vehicle was taken to a garage due to a popping sound that came from underneath the vehicle, the garage repaired the distributor, shortly after those repairs while driving around a slow turn, steering was lost and the vehicle also accelerated on its own, hitting a fence, 1 week later consumer received recall 00v421002.”

   NHTSA complaint #8014592, filed 2002-07
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Stalling shortly after start or while driving

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the engine quitting without warning at various speeds, sometimes restarting after pulling over. Complaints describe dealers replacing the fuel pump, and in one case the distributor, without resolving the stalling. A separate bulletin in this file concerns valve body and overdrive cycling, which owners describe as erratic shifting. Reported at moderate mileages in the sampled complaints, generally while driving rather than at start-up.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel pump or ignition parts have been replaced and whether the car has stalled in recent use. A test drive that includes a cold start and a short highway run can help show up stalling or erratic shifting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 95 Chrysler Sebring has a squeaking noise on the passenger side towards the back tires I had it checked out they said the rubber piece on by ball joint is gone so the noise is from the metal rubbing and to be careful cause it can cause an accident if not fixed the balljoint will come off and tires. I also have a problem with my apr's shifting out of control while driving that I've almost had an accident couple times I have no choice but to drive the car that's all I have.”

   NHTSA complaint #10357262, filed 2010-09, 189 miles

   “Without warning vehicle stalled while consumer was driving at an undetermined speed. Consumer was able to pull off the road and restart the vehicle. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealership.”

   NHTSA complaint #10050163, filed 2003-12, 33,000 miles

Buying note. On a car this age, the front ball joints and control arms are the thing to verify first, including whether the recall work was actually completed. Budget for brake work and check the ABS light, and treat any history of stalling as something to diagnose before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.