Your vehicle report
1998 Chrysler Sebring
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 267
- Received May 1998 to Dec 2020
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Rear door latch fails to open or close29 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes17 complaints · 6.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Alloy wheel rims crack and lose air15 complaints · 5.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #00V421002Vehicle 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.
- Recall #98V183000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. The adjustment of the cable connecting the console shifter mechanism to the ignition key can cause a trapped key condition which can result in a low force required to depress the shift button. A combination of applying a mis-adjusted release button with a low force attempt to shift out of park with the key in the locked position, can break the connecting pin in the shifter.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 33 crashes, 5 fires, 23 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Rear door latch fails to open or close
- Water leaks into cabin during rain
- Frame rusts and corrodes through
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 17 |
| 1999 | 65 |
| 2000 | 41 |
| 2001 | 34 |
| 2002 | 25 |
| 2003 | 23 |
| 2004 | 15 |
| 2005 | 13 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 267 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 29 | 11% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 17 | 6.4% | – | |
| Alloy wheel rims crack and lose air | 15 | 5.6% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 14 | 5.2% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 11 | 4.1% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 9 | 3.4% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 7 | 2.6% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 6 | 2.3% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 6 | 2.3% | – | |
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 6 | 2.3% | – | NHTSA recall #00V421002 |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 6 | 2.3% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 5 | 1.9% | – | NHTSA recall #98V183000 |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 5 | 1.9% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 3 | 1.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #00V421002December 18, 2000393,796 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #98V183000August 6, 1998685,000 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: park/neutral start interlock switch
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. The adjustment of the cable connecting the console shifter mechanism to the ignition key Can cause a trapped key condition which Can result in a low force required to depress the shift button. A combination of applying a mis-adjusted release button with a low force attempt to shift out of park with the key in the locked position, Can break the connecting pin in the shifter.
If this happens, the "ignition-park" interlock system will be nonfunctional.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect for proper operation of the system. Any vehicles that are not functional after the inspection will have the shift mechanism and cable replaced with a "self-adjusting" design.
NHTSA recall #98V045002March 3, 199827,527 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The dash panel pad Can shift interferring with the throttle cable control.
The throttle cable control would not return to idle increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will remove a portion of the dash panel pad so it cannot interfere with the throttle cable control.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Chrysler Sebring.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN