Seat complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 | 2% | 5,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 5% | 23,000 miles |
| 2008 | 4 | 2% | 100,000 miles |
| 2007 | 5 | 1% | 56,000 miles |
| 2005 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2004 | 9 | 3% | 90,000 miles |
| 2003 | 1 | 1% | 2,000 miles |
| 2002 | 3 | 1% | 40,000 miles |
| 2000 | 5 | 3% | 128,000 miles |
| 1999 | 3 | 1% | 170,000 miles |
| 1998 | 2 | 1% | 28,000 miles |
| 1997 | 5 | 2% | 50,000 miles |
| 1996 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 1995 | 8 | 6% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Ticking noise coming from passengers compartment glove box seat belt light on and seat moves when come to a stop and driver side door handle just came off on the passenger side can't open the door from outside of vehicle there should be recall for this
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Sebring. While driving with the front driver side seat heater activated, the seat suddenly became very hot. The contact turned off the seat heater and the seat cooled down. Several days later the contact noticed that her coat was burned. The contact inspected the front driver's seat and discovered several burnt spots. The vehicle was taken to a dealer were an inspector from Chrysler inspected the vehicle; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact stated that she would be responsible for the seat damage since there were no recalls. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. Updated 04/12/17 lj updated 06/23/17 ...updated 07/20/17 the consumer requested a status updated for her complaint. Updated 07/25/2017 updated 08/08/2017
Having continual issues with lights on dash flickering: 2 repairs completed in last 18 months and still broke. Cosmetically, the car is crappy since the day I bought it; paint flaking off, tire rims have pitted, inside door handles flaking off paint too, among a few others. However, my heated seats burning through is what has me very irate! I was driving and had two adult passengers with me. Both of us in the front had the heated seats turned on returning home from running errands in the city 45 miles away. My passenger is 8 months pregnant and I have low lumbar issues, so heated seats are always used. We had both complained that we found it weird that if we made quick stops during our running, when we got back into the car and turned the heated seats on, it felt warmer than usual. However, if we were somewhere for a longer period of time, the seats didn't get terribly hot right away. …
My 2007 Chrysler Sebring (38000 miles) had a complete burn through on the fabric of the front drivers seat while the heated seat function was turned on. The burn through was about 12 inches long on the vertical back part of the seat. This could have burned me or (shocked me?). Shouldn't there have been a fuse that would have blown or some other safety feature to keep this heating element from continuing to burn through? I called my local Chrysler dealership and since my warranty ran out in April, they wouldn't even look at the car unless I gave them $89.00. This incident happened on 12/23/10. This whole burn through on the seat happened while the car was turned off!
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible. When the contact turned on the vehicle to warm it up, she left and noticed smoke inside the vehicle upon her return. The contact stated that the passenger seat was smoking and contained a hole. The contact did not see any flames. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chrysler Sebring. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, he activated the front driver's heated seat warmer and the seat became extremely hot. The contact stopped the vehicle and noticed that there was a burnt hole in the middle of the seat. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
I was driving on a surface street at approximately 35mph and slowing down to make a stop at an approaching red light when the driver side seat back collapsed throwing me backwards while the car was in motion. At that point my leg was stretched straight and I had difficulty reaching the brake pedal. I was able to pull myself back up by pulling on the steering wheel with both hands only to see that I was quickly approaching a car that had stopped for the light in front of me. Once sitting back up in my seat I was able to apply the brakes in time to avoid rear-ending the car in front of me with only inches to spare. The car at that point was barely drivable but I did manage to drive to my mechanic without a seat back. …
Car takes forever for the engine to warm up, sometimes stalling & hard to start. The heater most of the time does not work in my 2002 Chrysler Sebring lxi, it only blows cold air. The seat heater works, however it has a loud noise on the drivers side when operating.
Related recalls (2)
Seats
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A number of incorrect driver side seat mounting bolts were installed into vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the seat mounting bolts and then replace the bolts if necessary. Owner notification began February 5, 2001.
Seats › Front assembly › Head restraint
The headrest guide bracket was improperly welded to the seat back frame on the passenger side seat back assemblies only.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger seat back assembly with a new assembly.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chrysler Sebring years have seat problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (9), 1995 (8), 1997 (5), 2000 (5) and 2007 (5) model years. Seat complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Chrysler Sebring seat problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 01V005002 (seats, Jan 8, 2001); 97V081002 (head restraint, Aug 8, 1997). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chrysler Sebring seat problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles; 43% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front assembly › recliner (7 mentions), followed by the front assembly › power adjust (2).
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.