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Chrysler SebringModel year report

2006 Chrysler Sebring Problems

Complaints
120filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
70,000miles, 90 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
22 mpgcombined, 2.4L 4-cyl FWD · 20 city / 27 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2006 Chrysler Sebring (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 Sebring most often describe the horn sounding on its own, sometimes while parked and sometimes while driving, often traced by mechanics to the horn pad or clock spring in the steering wheel. Because that circuit shares a fuse with the air bag, some owners pull the fuse and end up driving without either the horn or the air bag. A smaller group reports front suspension ball joint and control arm wear, and air bag non-deployment in crashes.

  1. Electrical system

    Horn sounds on its own or won't sound when pressed

    • 59 complaints (49%)
    • median 60,500 mi at 7.2 yrs old (48 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 13 quotes)
    • filed 2008–2017

    Owners describe the horn blowing by itself, sometimes for 30 seconds to several minutes, while parked, when unlocking with the remote, or at speed. Pressing the horn pad often fails to stop it, and in other cases the horn will not sound when the driver needs it. Mechanics reportedly pointed to the horn pad assembly or clock spring inside the steering wheel, with some owners told the air bag assembly must be replaced with it; quotes owners mention run around $1,000. Many owners pull the horn fuse to stop the noise. Reported from roughly 7,000 to 140,000 miles, with many complaints clustered between about 25,000 and 50,000 miles; several owners mention it starting in cold weather.

    What to check: Press the horn pad and listen for a delayed or stuck horn, and ask whether the horn pad or clock spring has been replaced. Confirm the horn fuse is in place, since some sellers leave it out to silence the problem.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “At around 40k miles the horn on my 2006 Sebring started to go off without being pressed. At first it malfunctioned when I unlocked the car with the keyless remote. Then it begin doing it while driving. It doesn't just beep the horn gets stuck so I am pounding on my steering wheel trying to get it to stop. My wife was pulled over on the highway because the police thought she was driving aggressively blaring the horn at everyone. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10322784, filed 2010-03, 40,000 miles

    “2006 Chrysler Sebring. Horn goes off at will when I'm driving or when the car is just sitting there. When I really need the horn, it will either not honk at all or get stuck and keep honking for about 3 minutes. This has been happening on and off for over a year now.”

    NHTSA complaint #10323010, filed 2010-03, 30,000 miles
  2. Air bags

    Air bag not deploying in a crash; horn fuse pulled

    Mentioned in 9 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe air bags failing to deploy in frontal impacts, in some cases with injuries reported by the occupants. Other owners say they removed the horn fuse or disconnected the air bag assembly because the horn would not stop sounding, leaving the air bag inoperative; a dealer reportedly attributed the horn behavior to an electrical fault shared with the air bag circuit in the steering wheel. Reported across a wide range, from a few hundred miles to over 100,000 miles, including both newer and higher-mileage vehicles.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether the air bag warning light works and whether the horn or air bag fuse has been removed or the air bag disconnected. A scan for stored air bag fault codes is worth requesting before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Horn started going off by itself on my ride to work on a very cold morning. Has gone on several other times since while driving. Horn remains on for several minutes each time until I can safely pull to the side and hit the horn area of the stearing whel with a hammer to get it to turn off. This is a huge safety issue, the horn doesnt work properly when I need it to and it turns on on its own when I dont need it to cauzing a driving hazard for myself and other drivers on the road. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10448620, filed 2012-02, 99,000 miles

    “In march or so of 2011, while driving, all of a sudden my horn just goes off for no reason whatsover and would not stop. I took it to a local mechanic and was informed that its a factory problem with the clockspring. This part however is attached to the air bag assembly & to replace it, the entire air bag assembly must be also replaced which is over $600 just for the part & another $1000 for labor. My only option was to completely disconnect the air bag assembly as its the only way to stop the horn. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10573200, filed 2014-03, 45,000 miles
  3. Suspension

    Front lower ball joint and control arm wear

    • 10 complaints (8%)
    • median 92,437 mi at 9.2 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2013–2023

    Owners describe metal-on-metal scraping or knocking from the front end, loose steering, and in some cases the ball stud separating from the control arm housing so the wheel folds in. Repairs reported include lower control arms, ball joints, axles and tie rod ends, with one owner citing over $1,000 in work. One complaint references a suspension recall campaign, though the vehicle's VIN was not included. Mostly reported between about 70,000 and 145,000 miles, with a few at much lower mileage.

    What to check: Have a shop inspect the front lower ball joints and control arms for play, cracking or noise, and ask whether they or the related recall work have been done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving I was hearing noise under car. Then front drivers wheel came off damaging car above the tire while I was driving on the street at about 35 miles. Car was towed in to firestone where they had to replace ball joint and arm. Among the maintenance after that I was then told on passengers side the lower control arm ball joint was about to fall off.”

    NHTSA complaint #11055279, filed 2017-12, 10,005 miles

    “My control arm and lower ball joint separated while I was driving. I was left blocking a busy intersection because I literally could not move my car because the tire had also separated from the axle. I had to replace the right axle, right lower control arm, left lower ball joint, and replace the outer tie rod end. This cost me over $1,000. I recently came across that a recall was issued for these very things that happened to me, however, I was never notified. I would like to be reimbursed for this expense.”

    NHTSA complaint #10677071, filed 2015-01, 99,875 miles
  4. Engine cooling

    Overheating and coolant loss from the water pump

    • 13 complaints (11%)
    • median 37,075 mi at 3.2 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2007–2021

    Complaints describe the engine overheating after a water pump leak, in one case with the temperature gauge still reading normal until the engine shut off at a stop. Other owners report rough idle and a check engine light at startup that persisted after ignition parts were replaced. Reported from very low mileage up to about 160,000 miles, with several at 25,000 to 55,000 miles.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check coolant level and look for residue or staining around the water pump, and confirm the temperature gauge responds as expected during a test drive.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I purchased a Chrysler Sebring new around march of 2007. I have taken this car back 3 times now for what has been called a motor fan they have replaced it 2 times and are now saying they can't find anything wrong. The car is making the same irritating noise it made the first 2 times they replaced this fan. It is almost a humming sound with vibration I say it sounds like I am driving a diesel and its a car.”

    NHTSA complaint #10200490, filed 2007-08, 500 miles

    “My engine overheated due to a water pump leak. The temperature gauge remained in the normal operating range during my trip which was about 30 miles of mostly highway driving. I had no indication that anything was wrong with my car until it shut off at a stop light.”

    NHTSA complaint #11309315, filed 2020-02, 162,800 miles

Buying note. Check the horn and air bag circuit carefully on this model year, including whether the horn fuse is present, and have the front suspension and engine seals inspected. Service records showing the horn pad or clock spring work and any suspension repairs are worth asking for.

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.

NHTSA recorded 120 consumer complaints for the 2006 Chrysler Sebring. 90 of the complaints include a mileage, and 36% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 70,000 miles. Of all complaints, 10 involved a crash, 11 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 40 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Seat belts (4), Fuel system (3), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (3), Wheels (3), Exterior lighting (2), Vehicle speed control (2), Equipment (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Electrical system: “I was driving at minimum speed to turn right and then I lost control of my steering wheel almost hit some cars and a pole but the sidewalk stopped the car from going anywhere I looked up online because I saw a recall that was related to my situation called dealership they said there was no recall for my car. Car is drivable like if nothing ever happened but I don't feel safe driving it.”

NHTSA complaint #10577561, filed 2014-04, 127,000 miles

Air bags: “Horn goes off for no reason until fuse is pulled. Now that fuse is pulled I am driving around with no airbags. This has happened at least 4 times a week until I now go with the fuse out all the time. No safe driving around with out airbags!!!!! Please issue a recall on whatever is causing this issue and putting thousands of people at risk. (number of people based on internet forums and complaints!)”

NHTSA complaint #10488799, filed 2012-12, 26,000 miles

Steering: “This is a safety issue not only for the driver of the car the others on the road with them! I was just going down the road and the horn starting going off all by itself. Finally took out the fuse. The horn just goes off randomly. It went off when hitting unlock button on remote and or just driving. Then took it to my mechanic and he said that the horn pad assembly which was a dealer only part had to be replaced some sensor or something. So right now I have just left the fuse out, because it is an expensive fix. $1000.00. …”

NHTSA complaint #10547953, filed 2013-10, 74,000 miles

Engine cooling: “I bought my Sebring sedan in may of 2006 with 5 miles on it. For starters, I immediately had issues with the radio cutting out. I took it back to the dealership asap, and they claimed to have fixed it, but didn't. My second problem was my horn. It all of a sudden started sounding muffled, if it sounded at all. I called about that problem and they told me to bring it in. Which I would have, but over that weekend out of nowhere, my car stalled out on me without any kind of warning lights or gauges. …”

NHTSA complaint #10253773, filed 2009-01, 28,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

36% of the 90 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 45,000 and 105,000 miles.

4%0–103%10–2528%25–5018%50–7518%75–10024%100–1504%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (90 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 70,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’05’08’11’1420’17’21’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2006 Chrysler Sebring. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Sebring · C FWDnot rated3 / 3———
Sebring · sedan FWDnot rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2006 Chrysler Sebring version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Sebring 4 Door FWD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic202722$3,050
Sebring Convertible FWD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic202722$3,050
Sebring Convertible FWD2.7L 6-cyl4-speed automatic192521$3,200
Sebring 4 Door FWD2.7L 6-cyl · flex-fuel4-speed automatic192521$3,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2006 Chrysler Sebring in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 40 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 40 bulletins →

Other model years of the Chrysler Sebring

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20108671,5003—2250 · TypicalFalling
20094355,0002—2230 · FewerFalling
200823870,0004—2291 · MoreFalling
200733765,0007—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200612070,0000—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20057572,5003—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200422039,9604—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20034259,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200221064,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200124265,0009—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20009380,0001—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199917285,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199826783,5003—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199721088,7885—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199634376,8507—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199513298,0003—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Chrysler Sebring model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Chrysler Sebring?

Owners of the 2006 Sebring most often describe the horn sounding on its own, sometimes while parked and sometimes while driving, often traced by mechanics to the horn pad or clock spring in the steering wheel. The issues reported most often: Horn sounds on its own or won't sound when pressed; Air bag not deploying in a crash; horn fuse pulled; Front lower ball joint and control arm wear.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2006 Chrysler Sebring have?

NHTSA recorded 120 consumer complaints for the 2006 Chrysler Sebring as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2006 Chrysler Sebring is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 58 complaints (48% of the total), followed by air bags with 30.

Has the 2006 Chrysler Sebring been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2006 Chrysler Sebring get?

The EPA rates the 2006 Chrysler Sebring (Sebring 4 Door, 2.4L 4-cyl) at 22 mpg combined, 20 city and 27 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,050 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2006 Chrysler Sebring reported?

Among the 90 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 70,000 miles and the middle half falls between 45,000 and 105,000 miles; 36% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.