AI Damage2005 Chrysler Sebring Convertible: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Chrysler Sebring Convertible filed 39 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 39
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 44% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 38% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 13% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 5% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 3% of all complaints
- Air bags: 17 complaints (44% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 15 complaints (38% of all).
- Seat belts: 5 complaints (13% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (10% of all).
- Steering: 4 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 39 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 17 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 1 | 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 backing out of driveway and the passenger side ball joint came apart. This let the control arm fall in to the rim. Breaking it and blowing out tire. Also damaged cv axle and passenger side fender. Prior to that about 3 months before the driver side ball joint did the same thing.
The independent investigator and the manufacturer provided no specific diagnosis on why the air bags did not deploy and sent a letter with a response. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
Going down curvey, hill, when started to brake my brakes malfunction.
The air bags deployed and smoke started to billow from the steering wheel area. The other bag broke the windshield. I turned off the ignition and got out of the car. I suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital.
My car lights on the inside do not turn on have tried replacing all fuses the radio also will not come on also have tried replacing fuses the right door does not latc and can only be opened from the inside the left door only can open from the outside the steering wheel makes a noise when trying to turn and tries to…
My air bag light stays on all the time. Cruise control does not work. I had the same problem in chevy tahoe and I know what the problem is. It is the clock-spring and I have searched and made calls to everyone and I will not pay $700-$1,000 for a small peace of plastic which from most of the complaints on this list is…
The seat belt light/ chime lights up and sounds when driving, even though the seat belt seems to be securely buckled. Wiggling the seat belt makes the light go off. This occurs at least once per drive 90% of the time I drive the car. This causes a distraction while driving.
My chrysler sebring has had oil changes on, and the last time it was change the mechanic has informed that there is sludge in the net and it is preventing the correct oil pressure to get to the engine and it could blow the engine. The cost however is more than I can afford (2500.00) to overhaul the engine.
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 6,011 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sebring Convertible has 73 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 39, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
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 2002121 sources
- Sebring Convertible 200324 sources
- Sebring Convertible 200462 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Chrysler Sebring Convertible?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, seat belts. Total complaints: 39. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (15%), seat belts (15%), warning lights, check engine (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 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 2005 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 2005 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.