1996 Chrysler Sebring Convertible: common problems

Owners of the 1996 Chrysler Sebring Convertible filed 68 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 68
involving a crash: 6

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
2 Vehicle speed control 15% of all complaints
3 Structure 13% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
5 Suspension 12% of all complaints
6 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
7 Steering 10% of all complaints
8 Equipment 9% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Electrical system: 14 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 10 complaints (15% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 9 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 8 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 8 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 68 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts7 · 10%
smoke, burning smell, fire5 · 7%
windows, sunroof4 · 6%
A/C or heater3 · 4%
knocking, grinding or other noise3 · 4%
stalls while driving3 · 4%
oil leak or consumption2 · 3%
rust, corrosion2 · 3%
brake failure1 · 1%
door locks, latches, handles1 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Electrical system	14	1
Vehicle speed control	10	2
Structure	9	1
Powertrain	8	1
Suspension	8	1
Seat belts	7	0
Steering	7	0
Equipment	6	2
Service brakes	6	1
Fuel system	4	0
Air bags	3	1
Engine and cooling	3	1
Visibility	3	0
Exterior lighting	2	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I was in florida at the time and I received a ticket for careless driving. The police officer said no matter what you have to have control of your car. There was no way to have control over the car. I had only owned this car 5 months. It shows that the car was in for a recall in aug of 2002 for throttle repair.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2004-03-30 · NHTSA complaint #10064148
Vehicle roll back occurred when gear shift was knocked out of park. While the vehicle was in park, the consumer's granddaughter accidentally hit the gear shift stick and the vehicle rolled backwards. (the consumer has since sold the vehicle)
Powertrain · crash · 2003-10-31 · NHTSA complaint #10044611
An accident occurred in peru, indiana, resulting in a collision. The air bag on the driver's side failed to deploy but the passenger's frontal airbag did. Driver was killed.
Air bags · crash · 2003-04-23 · NHTSA complaint #10016428
Drivers side window, electrical issues, abs, drivers side window has been repaired by dealer 4 times. Still not fixed, leaks water, electrical issues with door locks and lights coming on and off, and lighter also previously repaired, still a problem, brakes and rotors must be changed once a year, leaks oil.
Electrical system · crash · 2003-03-07 · NHTSA complaint #10010127
While traveling approximately 50 mph vehicle suddenly accelerated to 75 mph, and lost control. Vehicle crashed into the traffic barriers approximately three times before stopping. Dealership examined vehicle and determined that accelerator cable frayed. Please provide any additional information / attachments.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2001-09-28 · NHTSA complaint #897053
Brakes failed and immediately went to the floor when braking somewhat hard while hwy traffic was slowing quickly. If I hadn't pulled the emergency brake quickly, there is no telling what might have happened to my family and I. Brake lines rusted through.
Service brakes · 2013-09-18 · NHTSA complaint #10544185
I have a 96 chrysler sebring convertible jxi and the seatbelts "lock" in the retracted stage at various times. Both belts lock and unlock at the same time. I don't know how this happens and have been told that I need new seat belts but I can't believe that both belts went bad at the exact same time, and that the…
Seat belts · 2010-11-04 · NHTSA complaint #10364079
This car is a nightmare when it rains. I traveled one and a half hours in a storm. The water on the back drivers side floor where I had clothes in a small pile..they were literally floating from so much water that was pouring in.
Structure · 2010-05-20 · NHTSA complaint #10331333

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20007
20014
20025
200312
200413
200512
20062
20071
20082
20094
20103
20131
20151
20181

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,491 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Sebring Convertible has 73 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 68, about average.

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1996 Chrysler Sebring Convertible?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, vehicle speed control, structure. Total complaints: 68. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (10%), smoke, burning smell, fire (7%), windows, sunroof (6%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 Chrysler Sebring Convertible?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1996 Chrysler Sebring Convertible from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1996 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.