1999 Chrysler Sebring Convertible: common problems

Owners of the 1999 Chrysler Sebring Convertible filed 92 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 92
involving a crash: 9

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 24% of all complaints
2 Seat belts 23% of all complaints
3 Structure 16% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
5 Suspension 11% of all complaints
6 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
7 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
8 Vehicle speed control 7% of all complaints

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

Powertrain: 22 complaints (24% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Seat belts: 21 complaints (23% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 15 complaints (16% of all).
Electrical system: 12 complaints (13% of all).
Suspension: 10 complaints (11% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 92 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts19 · 21%
stalls while driving8 · 9%
smoke, burning smell, fire7 · 8%
fuel system, fuel smell6 · 7%
knocking, grinding or other noise4 · 4%
warning lights, check engine4 · 4%
won't start3 · 3%
steering or power steering problems3 · 3%
windows, sunroof3 · 3%
airbags did not deploy2 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	22	2
Seat belts	21	2
Structure	15	0
Electrical system	12	0
Suspension	10	0
Engine and cooling	9	0
Fuel system	6	0
Vehicle speed control	6	3
Steering	5	0
Air bags	4	4
Engine	4	0
Visibility	3	0
Fuel/propulsion system	2	0
Seats	2	1

What owners report

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

Rear-ended a stopped vehicle while travelling 60 mph. Ir bags did not deploy.river sustained mild whiplash; 3 passengers in other vehicle(s) required medical treatment.
Air bags · crash · 2004-07-16 · NHTSA complaint #10081182
Involved in head-on collision seat belt or seat did not hold and neither of the front air bags did not deploy serious injuries occurred to driver of vehicle.
Seat belts · crash · 2003-11-21 · NHTSA complaint #10047314
The vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, and none of the air bags deployed. The vehicle was totaled.
Air bags · crash · 2003-05-06 · NHTSA complaint #10018299
In a head on collision seat belt let go and front air bags did not deploy serious injury occured
Seat belts · crash · 2003-05-01 · NHTSA complaint #10016857
The vehicle suddenly accelerated, it went airborne and crashed into a light pole, and killed the driver.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2003-03-05 · NHTSA complaint #10009949
After shifing gear out of park into drive vehicle suddenly took off and hit another vehicle. Dealer and manufactrer were not notified at this time. The vehicle was totalled.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2002-09-09 · NHTSA complaint #8018222
I am having several issues with the whole braking system, as it is very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of having no brakes. I have no type of brakes at all. When taken off parking, even with foot on brake, car will begin to move. This seems to be very common in these cars.
Electrical system · 2019-03-05 · NHTSA complaint #11184279
Driving down road, around 10 miles a hour, the car suddenly went clunk on the left side, and would not move. Got out to check, and the entire piece that holds the tire on was laying on the interior of the tire rim.
Suspension · 2019-02-13 · NHTSA complaint #11179780

When owners complained

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

20011
20027
200312
200422
20058
20065
20072
20086
200910
20105
20113
20145
20152
20172
20192

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 3,758 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Sebring Convertible has 73 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 92, above average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1999 Chrysler Sebring Convertible?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, seat belts, structure. Total complaints: 92. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (21%), stalls while driving (9%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 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 1999 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 1999 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.