AI Damage2002 Chrysler Sebring Sedan: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Chrysler Sebring Sedan filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 45% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 18% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 9% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 9% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 9% of all complaints
- Suspension: 5 complaints (45% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (9% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (9% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 11 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 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.
My engine knocks it's really loud 3 different people told me 3 different things so I brought it into a chrysler shop and they told me that I should just buy a new car that this happens to a lot of the 2002 chrysler sebrings. So I asked them what's wrong and they told me I would need a new engine
While driving at 30 mph, the driver side air bag warning light illuminated. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,000.
I have always had issues with the ball joint on the control arm assembly can fail causing the ball stud to wear through the control arm housing resulting in noise and/or separation of the ball stud from the housing.
I was finally told that it was a problem with the wheel rims due to corrosion/flaking of the chrome. I have been told by several other people with this make of car that they have the same problem and the tire dealer told me the same thing. It is a chrysler problem.
Corrosion will happen if you install alum. Next to sheet metal, also they were not painted. The new ones are at least painted. It does not seem to me to be very smart to have alum.. Mounts and unprotected." "the contact stated at various speeds, a noise was heard coming from the rear section of the vehicle.
Consumer writes in regards to the catastrophic disintegration of the left rear suspension the consumer stated extensive corrosion led to the suspension failure. The consumer stated it was not the first time, he experienced the failure.
Rear upper strut mounts degraded due to oxidation and corrosion. This degradation causes the mounts to weaken and eventually to break, allowing the struts to detach at the top. The strut mounts must be replaced to correct the issue.
The manager stated they found oil leaking onto the spark plug, had to perform a combustion chamber cleaning,chemically cleans intake chamber .mopar fuel injection and fuel rail. Remove the throttle body and chemically clean carbon from throttle body.
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 10,520 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sebring Sedan has 9 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 11, above average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- 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.
- 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 2002 Chrysler Sebring Sedan?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, engine and cooling, air bags. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (36%), knocking, grinding or other noise (18%), oil leak or consumption (18%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Chrysler Sebring Sedan?
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 Sedan 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.