AI Damage2008 Chrysler Sebring: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Chrysler Sebring filed 238 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 238
- involving a crash
- 19
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 37% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 18% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 14% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 5% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 88 complaints (37% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 48 complaints (20% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 42 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 34 complaints (14% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 26 complaints (11% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 2.7 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 238 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 88 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 48 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 42 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 34 | 6 | 0 |
| Air bags | 26 | 7 | 0 |
| Steering | 15 | 4 | 0 |
| Structure | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 7 | 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.
I was in a car accident on june 19 2015 the front end of my car total loss my car air bags didn't deploy. I was injured in this accident I would like information on what can be done...updated 03/08/17
The contact's vehicle stalled without warning. The contact made numerous attempts to restart the vehicle, but the gears were extremely difficult to shift and the vehicle suddenly reversed down a ravine. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop and was inspected by the insurance company.
During the course of a year since I've purchased this car, I have experienced issues with what I believe to be power steering. Twice while coming to a stop (stop sign or light), my steering would lock along with my brakes. When I took it to a shop I was told my thermostat needed replaced. I told them to fix the issue.
When I attempted to make a lane change, my car went out of control due to steering failure. I could not steer my car, my steering wheel was very loose and there was no connection between the steering wheel and the vehicle itself.
The contact stated that while traveling 55 mph the power steering went out. An accident occurred and the contact was injured. The vehicle was towed. The manufacture was notified. Repairs were completed on the vehicle. The failure recurred 3 times. The failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage was 87,000.
While driving the check engine light came on and the engine stalled. When tested the engine code came back as electrical short. The dealership where I purchased the car did not fix the problem but cleared the engine code. A few weeks later the check engine light came back on.
On june 24, 2011, I took it back to gandrud for another oil change at 33,572 miles on the dash and was told I had 4/32 of tire tread left on the tires. It was not two months later, I moved to milwaukee, wi. On august 18, 2011, amato hyundai was running a special for $12.00 an oil change.
I was pulling into parking space and had my foot off the accelerator when the car accelerated on its own and I hit the cement curb which was taller than most. There was substantial damage to the lower passenger side of the car. I was able to slam on the brakes getting it to stop before further damage.
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 1,703 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sebring has 158 complaints (18 years in the data). This year has 238, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
- Sebring 1995132 sources
- Sebring 1996343 sources
- Sebring 1997210 sources
- Sebring 1998267 sources
- Sebring 1999172 sources
- Sebring 200093 sources
- Sebring 2001242 sources
- Sebring 2002210 sources
- Sebring 200342 sources
- Sebring 2004220 sources
- Sebring 200575 sources
- Sebring 2006120 sources
- Sebring 2007337 sources
- Sebring 200943 sources
- Sebring 201086 sources
- Sebring 20113 sources
- Sebring 99995 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Chrysler Sebring?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, engine. Total complaints: 238. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (24%), warning lights, check engine (16%), windows, sunroof (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Chrysler Sebring?
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 2008 Chrysler Sebring 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 2008 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.