AI Damage2002 Chrysler Sebring Convertible: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Chrysler Sebring Convertible filed 121 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 121
- involving a crash
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 34% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 19% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 13% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 8% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 7% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 41 complaints (34% of all).
- Air bags: 23 complaints (19% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 16 complaints (13% of all).
- Visibility: 10 complaints (8% of all).
- Electrical system: 9 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 121 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 41 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 23 | 3 | 0 |
| Suspension | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Wheels | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 4 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
While driving on the highway, the word "deck" appeared on the dashboard. Then a series of numbers appeared, along with a beeping sound. Before I could pull over, the steering and brakes locked up and I went into a 360 degree spin. I had no control of the car. The chrysler final came to a stop on its own.
His daughter crashed into another vehicle and the front air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The insurance company stated that the vehicle was destroyed and would not investigate why the air bags did not deploy. The contact's daughter received injuries to her face and neck.
Since owning the car several times as approaching a stop the vehicle will rev and surge forward. Once the vehicle surges forward has to slam on the brakes to get the vehicle to stop. Took it to a chrysler dealership, and they were unable to duplicate the problem.
Air bag didn't deploy. Car is in shop being repaired. Would like to know if this is happening on all chryler
Driving north on I-75 I lost control over my 2002 chrysler sebring convertible - the car veered left crossed one lane and hit the median concrete divider. 2 failures were the brakes and the steering became unresponsive as I was unable to apply the brakes and unable to steer the car.
11/7/2003 traveling north bound on sprinkle rd. In kalamazoo michigan, my fiancee was stopped at the red light at bl-i94 my vehicle came off the red light traveling at 35 miles per hour.
Airbags did not deploy. Dealer is aware of problem but has been unable to duplicate.
The airbag did not deploy. This is a the second time of an accident and the airbag did not deploy. My wife suffered a severe concussion again from the steering wheel although she was wearing a seat belt. Is there a sebring air bag problem similar to the chrysler mini-van deployment.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,120 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sebring Convertible has 73 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 121, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
- Sebring Convertible 199668 sources
- Sebring Convertible 199777 sources
- Sebring Convertible 199852 sources
- Sebring Convertible 199992 sources
- Sebring Convertible 200078 sources
- Sebring Convertible 2001120 sources
- Sebring Convertible 200324 sources
- Sebring Convertible 200462 sources
- Sebring Convertible 200539 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Chrysler Sebring Convertible?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, air bags, suspension. Total complaints: 121. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (12%), warning lights, check engine (11%), knocking, grinding or other noise (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 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 2002 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 2002 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.