1996 Chrysler Sebring Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sebring years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 19 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 343 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Chrysler Sebring. That is the most of any Sebring model year in the database (19 years). The most reported problem area is suspension (70 complaints, 20%), typically at around 76,000 miles. Complaints mention 41 crashes, 10 fires, 25 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 5 defect investigations involving it.
- 343owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 5NHTSA investigations
- 41complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Chrysler Sebring problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension problems | 70 | 20% | 76,000 | “ball joint” (41%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 52 | 15% | 28,000 | “brake rotors” (12%) | — |
| Power Train | 47 | 14% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 39 | 11% | 37,903 | — | — |
| Structure | 39 | 11% | 46,805 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 37 | 11% | 99,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 31 | 9% | 70,700 | — | — |
| Visibility | 28 | 8% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 19 | 6% | 200,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 16 | 5% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 4% | 71,800 | — | — |
| Equipment | 9 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 2% | 168,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 1% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 1% | 109,008 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | 53,901 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 1% | 77,700 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 168,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 168,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Chrysler Sebring recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5l v6 engines, the throttle control cable can fray causing the throttle to bind or stick.
Risk: This could potentially result in a loss of throttle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the throttle cable assembly. Owner notification began august 5, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. If the rubber boots on the lower lateral arm ball joints of the front suspension were damaged during assembly, dirt and water can intrude. Also, mmc has added the potential of leaking moisture, which can cause the ball stud to corrode.
Risk: This condition could cause the lower lateral arm ball joint to separate, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. This campaign supercedes mmc's previous safety recall campaign, see 99v-066.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the lower lateral arm ball joint for wear. Ball joints that exhibit wear beyond the established tolerance will be replaced with newly designed lateral arm ball joints. Ball joints that are within the established tolerance will be cleaned and a special sealant will be applied to prevent intrusion of moisture.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. If the rubber boots on the lower lateral arm ball joints of the front suspension were damaged during assembly, dirt and water can intrude.
Risk: This condition could cause the lower lateral arm ball joint to separate, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rubber boots, and if the boot is damaged, they will replace the lower lateral arm and ball joint on the affected vehicles.
Power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. The adjustment of the cable connecting the console shifter mechanism to the ignition key can cause a trapped key condition which can result in a low force required to depress the shift button. A combination of applying a mis-adjusted release button with a low force attempt to shift out of park with the key in the locked position, can break the connecting pin in the shifter.
Risk: If this happens, the "ignition-park" interlock system will be nonfunctional.
Fix: Dealers will inspect for proper operation of the system. Any vehicles that are not functional after the inspection will have the shift mechanism and cable replaced with a "self-adjusting" design.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The lower control arm ball joint can separate due to loss of lubrication.
Risk: Separation of the ball joint could cause a loss of steering control increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the ball joint end housing cover seal for leakage with a high pressure air tester and the rubber boot will be visually inspected for damage. If the cover seal leaks or the boot is damaged, the lower control arm will be replaced.
Visibility:rearview mirrors/devices
Problem: The electrical contacts in the power mirror switch can accumulate road salt due to water entering into the switch.
Risk: This can result in a high resistance short circuit and possibly cause a vehicle fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the power mirror switch with a newly designed switch.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist
Problem: The power brake booster vacuum hose was improperly installed on the intake manifold vacuum nipple.
Risk: A disconnected vacuum hose causes an increase in engine idle speed and loss of power assist during brake application increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
Fix: Dealers will fully install the intake manifold vacuum hose to the vacuum nipple on the intake manifold.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Safety belt cinching latch plate (PE02082) — opened Nov 6, 2002, closed Apr 23, 2003.
- Lower contrtol arm ball joint (RQ00015) — opened Aug 2, 2000, closed Apr 20, 2001, led to recall 00V421001.
- Automatic transaxle ignition interlock (EA98014) — opened May 29, 1998, closed Sep 14, 1998, led to recall 98V183000.
- Convertible top cover disengagement (EA97025) — opened Nov 24, 1997, closed Nov 17, 1998, led to recall 99I004000.
- Convertible top cover disengagement (PE97029) — opened Jun 17, 1997, closed Nov 24, 1997.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving my car & listening to music. All of a sudden my passenger side dash speaker started smoking, then was shooting fire. I had a Bubbler drink & splashed it across the dash onto the speaker. It was scary, as I thought my engine might blow up. I took it to the shop, but they were so busy…
I was driving on the highway; all of a sudden my right dash speaker started on fire. I had a Bubbler in my vehicle, so I used that to put it out. Since then, my radio no longer works, nor does mileage show & gas gauge fluctuates, & cannot tell when it is actually empty.
Air bag comes on and the all dials on the dashboard go blank.
Air bag light goes off and on when starting and driving then the gages on the dashboard stop working. Sometimes just the red air bag light goes and the dials still work. When the red air bag light goes off usually the dials come back within 10 minites or 5 miles.
I took my car to get diagnostic for smog. The shop i took it to smog smart explain they have dismateled my car claiming engine, coolant, and timing belt. They have removed parts and claim they contacted chrysler and its company states its repairs is not worth the vehicle. The engine claim, the…
Other Chrysler Sebring years
← 1995 Sebring · 1997 Sebring →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Sebring | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 Sebring | 0 | 1 |
| 2011 Sebring | 3 | 1 |
| 2010 Sebring | 86 | 3 |
| 2009 Sebring | 43 | 2 |
| 2008 Sebring | 238 | 4 |
| 2007 Sebring | 337 | 7 |
| 2006 Sebring | 120 | 0 |
| 2005 Sebring | 75 | 3 |
| 2004 Sebring | 220 | 4 |
| 2003 Sebring | 42 | 2 |
| 2002 Sebring | 210 | 2 |
| 2001 Sebring | 242 | 9 |
| 2000 Sebring | 93 | 1 |
| 1999 Sebring | 172 | 1 |
| 1998 Sebring | 267 | 3 |
| 1997 Sebring | 210 | 5 |
| 1996 | 343 | 7 |
| 1995 Sebring | 132 | 3 |
See all Chrysler Sebring problems by year, every Chrysler model, or the Chrysler VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Chrysler Sebring?
Owners most often report suspension, service brakes, hydraulic, power train problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 70 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Chrysler Sebring?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Chrysler Sebring a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sebring model years, the 1996 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.