Lower lateral arm broke on our 1996 chrysler sebring. Dealer and chrysler have refused to fix the car under recall. This is the 3rd major failure and inconvenience of this part. The last failure was 8 moths ago. There is clearly a safety issue here as well as a mechanical defect.
1996 Chrysler Sebring suspension problems
70 complaints (20% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 90,000. 5 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 70
- of this car's complaints
- 20%
- typical mileage
- 90,000
- crashes
- 5
- recalls
- 3
Which part fails
- Front: control arm: lower ball joint41
- Front: control arm: lower arm8
- Front: control arm7
- Front6
- Rear4
- Front: wheel bearing3
- Front: control arm: upper ball joint3
- Front: macpherson strut2
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Chrysler Sebring suspension problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Chrysler Sebring suspension
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. If the rubber boots on the lower lateral arm ball joints of the front suspension were damaged during assembly, dirt and water can intrude. Also, mmc has added the potential of leaking moisture, which can cause the ball stud to corrode.
- Risk
- This condition could cause the lower lateral arm ball joint to separate, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. This campaign supercedes mmc's previous safety recall campaign, see 99v‑066.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the lower lateral arm ball joint for wear. Ball joints that exhibit wear beyond the established tolerance will be replaced with newly designed lateral arm ball joints. Ball joints that are within the established tolerance will be cleaned and a special sealant will be applied to prevent intrusion of moisture.
Recall number 00V421002 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. If the rubber boots on the lower lateral arm ball joints of the front suspension were damaged during assembly, dirt and water can intrude.
- Risk
- This condition could cause the lower lateral arm ball joint to separate, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rubber boots, and if the boot is damaged, they will replace the lower lateral arm and ball joint on the affected vehicles.
Recall number 99V066003 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The lower control arm ball joint can separate due to loss of lubrication.
- Risk
- Separation of the ball joint could cause a loss of steering control increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the ball joint end housing cover seal for leakage with a high pressure air tester and the rubber boot will be visually inspected for damage. If the cover seal leaks or the boot is damaged, the lower control arm will be replaced.
Recall number 97V201000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Lower contrtol arm ball joint
There is no summary currently available
RQ00015
What 1996 Chrysler Sebring owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 15 MPH the front right tire flipped sideways, the front drive shaft sheered off the oil filter and knocked it from the manifold. This occurred on an icy road during normal braking without warning. The vehicle was pulled to the contacts home. The dealership and manufacturer was notified however, no repairs have been made.
Dt: june 30 2005 the left front ball joint broke while driving. The consumer was driving 35 MPH. There was a noise, sparks were flying, and the consumer lost steering control and bounced off a curve. There were no warning lights on the vehicle. The vehicle was recently inspected in may and no problems were reported. There was a recall, but the consumer was not aware of it. The consumer noticed there was a corrosion problem with the ball joint. The consumer didn't have the recall number. The vehicle is now having repair work done. Chrysler is willing to pay the repairs. The bearings had to be replaced, the left front wheel bearing was replaced twice.
The federal safety agency campaign 00v421002; daimler chrysler issued a lower ball joint recall. This vehicle is not included in the recall. The consumer was driving 55 miles per hour when all of a sudden he heard a popping noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The consumer lost control of the vehicle before coming to a complete stop on the side of the road. The consumer took the vehicle to the shop and results showed that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *jb ball joint snapped and resulted in the wheel turning sideways. As a result the driveer lost control of the vehicle. When vehicle finally came to rest the tire was totally destroyed and under carriage sustained damage. *sb
The consumer received recall notice in 1999. The federal safety agency's recall # 99v066003. When taken to get serviced, they did not service the vehicle, they only inspected it. The consumer was told that the ball joints where fine. Recently, the consumer was involved in an incident where he was driving on the highway at approximately 55 MPH. The front left ball joint broke causing him to loose control of the vehicle, he was able to avoid an accident. He again took the vehicle to get serviced and was told that they would only cover the ball joints and not the additional damage.
Problems with ball joints on 1996 chrysler sebring.*mr the vehicle was recalled in dec 1997 and the dealer stated they were only required to visually inspect the front ball joints and elected to replace the left side only under recall #750. In nov 2002 the right front ball joint assembly fell apart without warning.
While turning, the front passenger side lower ball joint failed. The consumer had the vehicle towed to a dealership. The dealership's mechanic repaired the problem once, but the consumer is still experienced having problems. Recall number 97v‑201-000. Please provide more information.
While driving 5-10 MPH the front passenger side wheel fell off due to the separation of the lower lateral arm ball joint. The vehicle was recalled for this problem before the current consumer owned the vehicle. Please provide any additional information.
2.4 head gasket. Exhaust manifold. Mileage illumination. Popping noise front suspension. Rattle rear suspension, poping when lft door glass window put up.low fuel lite . Car only has 46805 miles when you can read mileage
Dealership is not performing recall oov421002 for the lower ball joints within a reasonable time frame.
Questions about the 1996 Chrysler Sebring suspension
Does the 1996 Chrysler Sebring have suspension problems?
Owners have filed 70 complaints about the suspension of the 1996 Chrysler Sebring, 20% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 1996 Chrysler Sebring suspension problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 90,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Chrysler Sebring suspension?
Yes, 3 recalls: 00V421002, 99V066003, 97V201000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chrysler Sebring have bad suspension?
The Chrysler Sebring model years with the most suspension complaints are 1996 (70 complaints), 1995 (46 complaints) and 2002 (37 complaints).
Other 1996 Chrysler Sebring problems
Brakes 54Transmission 47Engine 41Body 39Electrical 37Airbags 31Visibility 27Acceleration 19Seat belts 16Steering 13Wheels 7Fuel system 6Tires 5Lights 4Locks 3Seats 1
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