Most common 2003 Chrysler Sebring problems
Share of the 74 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chrysler Sebring complaints by model year
Best Sebring years: 2009, 2003, 2010. Years to avoid: 1996, 2001, 2002, 1998, 2007. Compare all years →
2003 Chrysler Sebring recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2000-2005 Eclipse vehicles manufactured April 5, 1999, to December 17, 2004, 2001-2005 Eclipse Spyder vehicles manufactured January 19, 2000, to March 18, 2005, 2001-2005 Chrysler Sebring vehicles manufactured April 17, 2000, to February 21, 2005, and…
Remedy: MMNA will notify their owners, and Chrysler will notify the Chrysler and Dodge owners. Dealers will install a tether strap to retain the passenger sun visor, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel return line hose fitting on the electric fuel pump May be restricted, causing excessive fuel pressure to build up in the fuel injection system. Excessive fuel pressure May result in a leak in the fuel return hose.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the fuel pump pressure. Those vehicles exhibiting higher than normal fuel pump pressure will receive fuel pump modifications. Owner notification began on December 15, 2003.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2003 Chrysler Sebring:
Safety belt cinching latch plate
There are no injuries or fatalities associated with this alleged defect.while conducting this investigation, odi found that the subject cinches meet the load bearing requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 208, and that many of the reported failures were due to incorrect child safety seat installations.
What 2003 Chrysler Sebring owners say
Air bags
I was in a wreck on 11/06/2015, a women failed to yield and I t-boned her passenger side by back door/back tire, I was going 30 miles an hour the speed limit on the city road, I had my safety restraint on and still managed to hit the steering wheel and window, I had a loose car seat in front that hit the passenger dash, no airbags deployed, she was headed north and I was headed west, I was driving straight on the road when I hit her, so it felt like a brick wall at 30 MPH, I ended up in the er with a sprained wrist, my left side of my head was swollen, and I'm having issues in my back(doctor said neck and back pain is most likely due to whiplash, I am still having issues with back pain. From all the information I've found on recalls, there is not one for faulty airbags on my Chrysler lxi....
My daughter was driving our 2003 Sebring lxi and had just left our house on a sun. Morning heading back to college. We live in a rural area and only the center road bed is tar and the shoulder is gravel. She went slightly into shoulder and said something unusual happened as she could not steer and immediately remembers rolling a couple of times and awaking upside down in a steeper ditch in a corn field. She ended up rolling over a mail post that javelin through the front shield and just missed her head. She was taken by ambulance for head injury. We thought she over compensated. We just discovered that was not the case the mount above the strut was completely rusted and broke off which definitely is the cause of the accident. The air bags did not deploy. She was wearing a seat belt. Three different emergency workers said if she wasn't she would of died. …
Engine & cooling
Past few weeks been noticing issues with the car. 1. Sun visors hit me in the face 2. Car stalls to start 3. Lights hardly work even when you try to put on high beams 3. Fluid doesn't stay in the car 4. Car cuts off in mid driving 5. Car also can cut off when you apply brakes . Car back tire smokes. Was not in a accident with anyone car cut off on me while driving I was able to own my own bring car to stop
Start car, when in idle it shuts off with in a few seconds of hitting gas now. It use to idle and I would have to rev a little so it would not turn off. That worked for a little bit today to broke down. Luckily in my drive way this time instead of the middle of road like last week. Why is my car doing this?
Suspension
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chrysler Sebring. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH, he tried to turn left and the front passenger side tire turned outwards. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lower control arm and bonjoy was fractured it caused the axle to fracture. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that there was a recall under NHTSA campaign number: 10e059000 (suspension) however the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 131,389.
Start car, when in idle it shuts off with in a few seconds of hitting gas now. It use to idle and I would have to rev a little so it would not turn off. That worked for a little bit today to broke down. Luckily in my drive way this time instead of the middle of road like last week. Why is my car doing this?
2003 Chrysler Sebring engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 27 / 22 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Chrysler Sebring a good car?
Based on 74 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Sebring rates better than average: 73% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Sebring at the same age. It is one of the best Sebring years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Chrysler Sebring?
The air bags — 16 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the engine & cooling (15) and suspension (14).
How many recalls does the 2003 Chrysler Sebring have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2003 Chrysler Sebring, the most recent from June 2, 2015 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chrysler Sebring?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2003 and 2010. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1996, 2001, 2002, 1998 and 2007. See the full Chrysler Sebring years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Chrysler Sebring problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 58,000 miles; 46% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.