2002 Chrysler Sebring Problems, Recalls & Reliability

436 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Chrysler Sebring, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 67/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 76,000 miles.

436Complaints
67/100Trouble index
5Recalls
69,100Typical trouble mileage

Below average

Where 2002 sits among all Sebring years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Engine 104 complaints (24%) · typically ~76,000 miles
“Car completely stalled when driving on highway. Mechanic said it was extremely common in these cars.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Sebring
Suspension 56 complaints (13%) · typically ~86,713 miles
“When slowing down, transmission jumps very hard when going into 1st gear. When driving 45 to 55 mph, when hitting a bump in the road, there is a thump in the passenger side front. Not consistlently, but enough to cause concern.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Sebring
Airbags 39 complaints (9%) · typically ~44,525 miles
“Ran in back of vehicle. Air bag didn't deploy. Car is in shop being repaired. Would like to know if this is happening on all chryler”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Sebring
Transmission & drivetrain 35 complaints (8%) · typically ~45,598 miles
“While driving the vehicel at 40mph the automatic trasmission broke causing consumer to pull off the road. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further information. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Sebring
Electrical 34 complaints (8%) · typically ~74,500 miles
“2002 sebring convertible lxi with multiple still yet unresolved "electrical" problems : door locks (8+ times attempted repair) front passenger power window(2x attempted repair) , airbag light resulting failed seat belt tensioner(2x), wiper moter failed, stereo sytem (2x), other issues.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Sebring
Steering 30 complaints (7%) · typically ~48,000 miles
“While driving the vehicle at any speed the steering wheel is hard to control the vehicle also when consumer make left or right turn make a noise. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further information. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Sebring

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 296 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 69,100 miles. Half of those reports fall between 38,000 and 91,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (5)

AIR BAGS 16V401000 2016

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2001-2002 Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Stratus vehicles, equipped with beige interiors. The affected vehicles were previously repaired for a recall issue using an incorrect part. The…

Fix: Chrysler will notify the affected owners. Dealers will install the correct tether strap to retain the passenger sun visor, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2016, owners will be sent a…

AIR BAGS 15V338000 2015

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…

Fix: 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…

SUSPENSION 09E056000 2009

QUALIS AUTOMOTIVE IS RECALLING CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BALL JOINTS SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SOCKET MAY HAVE BEEN EXCESSIVELY HARDENED WHICH COULD CAUSE IT TO CRACK NEAR THE RETAINING RING GROOVE ALLOWING THE BALL STUD TO SEPARATE UNDER…

Fix: QUALIS AUTOMOTIVE WILL REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 9, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT QUALIS AUTOMOTIVE AT 1-800-493-4128.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 09E012000 2009

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…

Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 07E023000 2007

CERTAIN CARDONE MASTER CYLINDERS WITH PART NUMBERS 10-2925, 10-2987, 10-2987MZA, 10-3083, 11-3015, 11-3042, 11-3044, 11-3045, 11-3047, 11-3064, AND 11-3156, AND WITH DATE CODES LOWER THAN DCA7078 SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED…

Fix: CARDONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE ANY DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDERS. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING APRIL 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT CARDONE AT 1-800-777-4780.

Federal defect investigations

SAFETY BELT CINCHING LATCH PLATE PE02082 opened 2002, closed 2003

Technical service bulletins

91 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2002 Chrysler Sebring. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2002 Sebring TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2002peak 56 in 20082021

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2002 Chrysler Sebring reliable?

The 2002 Chrysler Sebring drew 436 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 67/100, scored against the model's worst year (1996).

What are the most common 2002 Chrysler Sebring problems?

The top reported problems for the 2002 Chrysler Sebring are engine (104 complaints), suspension (56), and airbags (39).

At what mileage do 2002 Chrysler Sebring problems show up?

Owners most often report 2002 Chrysler Sebring problems around 69,100 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 38,000 and 91,000 miles.

Does the 2002 Chrysler Sebring have recalls?

5 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 Chrysler Sebring. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

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Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.