Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Chrysler Sebring owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On May 17,2010 while driving to college, I noticed a loud whining rough sound, and every time I hit a bump it would sound like something was loose coming from my tires. Before, I could stop to see what the problem was, my steering wheel locked and my car ran off the road when I attempted to regain control my Sebring over corrected and entered a counterclockwise spin. I crossed 5 busy lanes before striking a ditch. My car stopped opposite direction of oncoming traffic!!! July of 2013 I had my lower control arms, and ball joints replaced. And again in February 14,2014 I had to take my car to the shop again for lower ball joint disconnect and replace lower control arms. And again this year February 24, 2015 for the exact same thing; replacement of lower control arms and lower ball joint. This car is very hazard I was blessed there were no injuries in 2010 when I had my accident! …
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 Chrysler Sebring. While driving approximately 25 MPH and attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel seized and caused the vehicle to crash into a concrete divider. The air bags did not deploy. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact was not sure if a police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
Driving north on I-75 I lost control over my 2002 Chrysler Sebring convertible - the car veered left crossed one lane and hit the median concrete divider. 2 failures were the brakes and the steering became unresponsive as I was unable to apply the brakes and unable to steer the car. There was no skid marks reported by the police report. The driver airbag ripped and did not successfully blow. The passenger airbag deployed properly. I suspect that the main cause cause of this accident was the lack of steering, which caused the car to veer left and hit the center concrete divider. The car is currently in storage in royal oak, michigan and is a total loss.
My front end control arm and ball joint collapsed, causing other parts to be damaged. Ever since this has happen my Chrysler has never been the same. My insurance company did try and fix the problem, but to my dismay nothing has been corrected. I am now being told that my car the Chrysler Sebring always have major front end suspension issues. Since this is the case, I believe Chrysler should correct the problems on these makes and model. I would like to feel safe in my car, however I do not. I have been spending money frivolous to figure out the problem. I hope that Chrysler can correct this issue immediately on my car. Please help.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chrysler Sebring convertible. While driving at approximately 30 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver without warning . In addition, the contact mentioned that smoke fumes appeared under the hood. The contact pulled the vehicle over and had it towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front ball joint on the control arm assembly fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 10e059000 (suspension). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I bought the car brand new, added the extended warranty and had several things go wrong. Just to name a few: engine shut down without warning and had to be replaced when it was just over the 100,000 mile warranty even though oil changes and regular maintenance was done 3-4000 miles, transmission pan had metal shavings in it which resulted in poor performance, control arm had to be replaced after Chrysler dealership told me the problem was the motor mounts(I did not need the mounts replaced and the repair was not done under warranty), water pump & thermostat housing(was told both weren't covered and should have been), rear window defroster replaced and/or fixed three times, driver power window regulator replaced(glass had to be replaced because of damage from the regulator, which I paid), visor vanity light-part ordered but "too late" when tried to have it replaced(was not notified that …
First I had continuous oil leak so the pan or some part was ordered and installed. The oil is still leaking out of that pan or part? That was a couple hundred bucks including checking the constant flickering oil light which now just flickers and I pay it no attention. The second issue was a computer chip or something, the car would just not start so I took it in that was 800 something by the time the car was going again. The third issue was the connecter that has three hoses to it went bad and smoke came from under hood and when I opened it the water was spraying leaking and of course empty which was another 300 bucks after towing parts labor etc... The current problem is the steering which I don't know what's wrong with I just do my best to stay in the lane. …
The problem to my car happened while it was sitting in the garage. My 2002 Sebring convertible has had a complete failure of the steering rack and tie rods at 28,000+ miles. The car is unsafe to drive. The dealer stated it was $1800. Repair. A call to Chrysler service resulted in am offer to pay for the parts not the $1000. Labor charge. I called back to negotiate this offer. I was promised a call back which I received by voice mail asking me to return the call and stating that was there best offer. . When I attempted to return the call to the person who left the message I was hung up on twice. I am still trying to communicate with Chrysler by phone so far after several hours I am still unsuccessful. After checking on the web I found many incidents of this kind reported by other Sebring owners. Why hasn't there been a recall on this obvious defect that could be life threating? …
On the way home from work the left front ball joint socket separated. I was going 50 MPH. On a straight road, no pot holes or bumps. There was a loud bang, front end dropped down, left front tire flipped sideways and there I was stuck on the side of the road. I have 35 years in the collision industry and do not understand how this happens, other than a poor part from the start. These parts should never separate. I checked for recalls and there are none on my car. But I would think there should be. I have insurance that will pay for repairs other than the ball joint. Going to have the other side replaced also. This happened at 5 pm on a busy road, there was lots of traffic. I was pleased that nobody creamed me while I tried to gain control of car and man handle it off the road. I see many of the same complaints on here. This could have been a lot worse.
My 2002 convertible Chrysler Sebring limited edition left steering axle ball joint fell out of place while I was driving at about 25 mile per hour. The vehicle has mileage of 80,000. I made a complaint to Chrysler corporation after I found that there is a recall since October 2009 on the same part that failed and the same make and model. I was told by Chrysler that my VIN was not on the list of cars recalled. I have already paid for the repair and seeking reimbursement from Chrysler corporation.
Steering complaints in other Sebring years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2002 Chrysler Sebring?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the steering of the 2002 Chrysler Sebring, 8% of the model year's 358 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Chrysler Sebring steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2002 Chrysler Sebring, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Chrysler Sebring steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.