1996 Chrysler Sebring Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the 1996 Chrysler Sebring, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 76,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “ball joint” (41% of reports).
- 70suspension complaints
- 76,000median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 17%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Ball joint: mentioned in 29 of 70 complaints (41%)
- Control arm: mentioned in 10 of 70 complaints (14%)
- Front wheel: mentioned in 9 of 70 complaints (13%)
- Please provide: mentioned in 7 of 70 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 11 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 70 complaints, 5 mention a crash.
Chrysler Sebring suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Sebring | 3 | 3% | 28,444 |
| 2008 Sebring | 4 | 2% | 72,000 |
| 2007 Sebring | 7 | 2% | 16,339 |
| 2006 Sebring | 10 | 8% | 93,000 |
| 2005 Sebring | 6 | 8% | 112,539 |
| 2004 Sebring | 26 | 12% | 80,000 |
| 2003 Sebring | 8 | 19% | 87,750 |
| 2002 Sebring | 37 | 18% | 77,000 |
| 2001 Sebring | 29 | 12% | 82,598 |
| 2000 Sebring | 15 | 16% | 110,000 |
| 1999 Sebring | 23 | 13% | 100,462 |
| 1998 Sebring | 26 | 10% | 129,000 |
| 1997 Sebring | 28 | 13% | 140,000 |
| 1996 Sebring | 70 | 20% | 76,000 |
| 1995 Sebring | 46 | 35% | 97,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
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.
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Lower lateral arm broke on our 1996 chrysler sebring. Dealer and chrysler have refused to fix the car under recall. This is the 3rd major failure and inconvenience of this part. The last failure was 8 moths ago. There is clearly a safety issue here as well as a mechanical defect. *jb
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 15 mph the front right tire flipped sideways, the front drive shaft sheered off the oil filter and knocked it from the manifold. This occurred on an icy road during normal braking without warning. The vehicle was pulled to the contacts home. The dealership and…
Dt: june 30 2005 the left front ball joint broke while driving. The consumer was driving 35 mph. There was a noise, sparks were flying, and the consumer lost steering control and bounced off a curve. There were no warning lights on the vehicle. The vehicle was recently inspected in may and no…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Chrysler Sebrings have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 70 owner complaints about suspension for the 1996 Chrysler Sebring (20% of the 343 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Chrysler Sebring suspension?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list suspension. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do suspension problems start?
The median reported mileage is 76,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the 1996 Chrysler Sebring?
The most frequent phrase is “ball joint”, in 29 of 70 complaints, followed by “control arm” (10).
Other 1996 Chrysler Sebring problems
See all 1996 Chrysler Sebring problems or suspension problems across all Sebring years.