Problems · NHTSA complaints

2005 Chrysler Sebring problems

Owners filed 82 complaints about the 2005 Chrysler Sebring with NHTSA between Mar 2005 and Jul 2022. The most-cited component is air bags (23).

Complaints
82
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags23
  2. Electrical system22
  3. Power train8
  4. Engine and engine cooling8
  5. Steering7
  6. Suspension6
  7. Engine6
  8. Service brakes5
  9. Wheels5
  10. Fuel system, gasoline4
  11. Vehicle speed control3
  12. Seat belts3
  13. Equipment3
  14. Fuel/propulsion system2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20055
20065
20077
20087
20095
20108
20113
20121
20134
20148
201510
20167
20172
20181
20194
20203
20211
20221

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

23 reports3 crashes2 fires1 related recall
“THE HORN ON MY 2005 SEBRING WILL RANDOMLY SOUND AND WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THE STEERING WHEEL IS BEAT UPON OR VIOLENTLY SHAKEN UP AND DOWN. THE HORN DOES NOT WORK ON IT'S OWN AS A SAFETY FEATURE. IT WILL HAPPEN AT ANY GIVEN TIME, WHILE DRIVING OR SITTING PARKED. IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS, THE HORN MUST BE DISCONNECTED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 2, 2021Steering, Air bags, Unknown or otherODI 11398688

Electrical system

22 reports
“THE HORN GOES OFF AT ANY GIVEN TIME OF THE DAY. THE HORN RANDOMLY GOES OFF WHEN THE CAR IS POWERED ON AND IN MOTION (ON THE HIGHWAY OR ON A STREET), SOMETIMES WHILE STATIONARY AND POWERED OFF IN THE DRIVEWAY - THE VEHICLE BEING VACANT. THIS IS A REOCCURRING ISSUE, ALMOST EVERY DAY. I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 14 MONTHS. FOLLOWING SOME ONLINE RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS POSTED TO VARIOUS FORUMS BY OTHER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE ONLY PROPOSED PERMANENT SOLUTION BEING TO REPLACE THE CLOCK SWITCH, A COSTLY REPAIR (EST $1100). OTHERWISE, DISABLE THE FUSE CONTROLLING THE AIRBAG AND HORN, NOT SAFE!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 11, 2020Electrical system, Air bagsODI 11338778

Power train

8 reports1 crash
“The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Sebring. The contact stated while approximately 20 MPH, the entire wheel detached from the vehicle. The brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle was inspected. It was confirmed that the tire had detached. No further information was available for the wheel location. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence, then to a local independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed that the lower arm joint and rear axel fractured. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The VIN was not available.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 8, 2022Power trainODI 11472918

Engine and engine cooling

8 reports
“MY VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT JULY 2010, DAMAGE WAS TO THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE. UPON PICKING UP CAR I COMPLAINED OF AN ENGINE KNOCK AND AXLE NOISE. GEICO DETERMINED THIS WAS NOT DUE TO THE ACCIDENT. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE MY CAR BACK TO WHERE THE AXLE WAS REPLACED IN APRIL 2010 BY PEP BOYS. WHILE WAITING TO BE SEEN BY AN ADJUSTER FROM GEICO, MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. I THEN HAD MY BATTERY AND STARTER REPLACED BY PEP BOYS. MY VEHICLE STILL HAD ENGINE KNOCK WHICH GEICO SAID WAS NOT CAUSE BY ACCIDENT. I THEN HAD MY CAR TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED AN OIL PUMP PROBLEM. THEY LATER DETERMINED BEFORE REPLACING THE OIL PUMP THAT THERE WERE METAL SHAVINGS IN OIL PAN. THEY INSPECTED MY ENGINE BLOCK AND DETERMINE THAT ENGINE BLOCK WAS CLEAN DUE TO MY USE OF SYNTHETIC OIL, BUT WAS NOT OPERABLE. THE WARRANTY REGARDING THIS WAS NOT COVERED FOR THIS BY CHRYSLER. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 9, 2010Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemODI 10359885

Steering

7 reports1 crash1 related recall
“STEERING BECAME HARD TO CONTROL. WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT, A NOISE AND THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WAS SIDEWAYS THEREFORE UNABLE TO DRIVE. I JUST MISSED GETTING T-BONED...SCARED TO DEATH. I SEE 3 DIFFERENT RECALLS LISTED FOR THE MAKE AND MODEL YEAR. PER CHRYSLER, PER MY VIN, MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I FIND IT VERY INTERESTING THAT WHAT HAPPENED TO ME IS EXACTLY WHAT THE RECALL DESCRIPTION READS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 1, 2015SteeringODI 10731415

Suspension

6 reports1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER SEBRING. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A RUBBING SOUND AND ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO PULL OVER, THE PASSENGER SIDE BALL JOINT FRACTURED WITHOUT WARNING, WHICH CAUSED THE CONTROL ARM TO DISMANTLE THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HER HOME DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09E056000 (SUSPENSION). SAN ANTONIO CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (11910 I-35 FRONTAGE RD, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78233, 210-239-1808) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 15, 2019SuspensionODI 11268764
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.