1996 Chrysler Sebring

Vehicle had a Salvage-Floor title which the seller did not disclose. The vehicle battery failed. The body was great except for a few minor dings. The driver door frequently will not close. The parking brake would not function. The deficiencies are or have been fixed. Top works, power equipment works, jack and rubber is good. Basically the only difficulty is waiting for the State to inspect the vehicle safety items. That inspection is awaiting the parking brake lever replacement.
Should have gotten a car facts report before bidding.

This car is nice overall, More work than I anticipated for an older car ---but it IS very fun to drive after the work.
Good on gas---nice pep to it.
a little uncomfortible....for a long ride anyway...

Purchasing the vehicle was a mistake. I purchased the vehicle in Ohio, would not suggest doing that if you do not live in Ohio. Took car to PA and tried to get it inspected and found that the car needs $1000.00 worth of work to be able to get inspected. So I have a car that I cannnot drive. Will not make this mistake again.

I did not buy the car because the seller was a total liar!!!!! He said the interior was typical of a car that age...it looked worse than my uncovered 1970 boat interior with huge cracked seats that I would never sit on. Since he could not give the car away after a month, he gave me a bad strike so i can not bid on anything on ebay....so i think ebay is a bunch of crap.

There are so many problems with this car. I dislike this car because it does not run. I bought it because we needed a second car.

Just getting to know this car. But for a role of the dice, from 3000 miles away, I'm pretty happy. The Sebring has a few problems, no doubt related to its age. But at a $1425 purchase price, there's a little in the budget for fixing. In the $2,000 plus range you can buy a Sebring, pretty much turn key. I'm willing to fiddle with my cars, so dont figure on getting perfect for $1400.
This particular Sebring has a noisy wheel bearing, and the heater control door seems to be stuck. Both of these will be quick fixes, and I dont really count them against the car.
My wife and daughter drove the car from the east coast home. While the wheel bearing was a worry, it did make it the 2700 miles home. If I was to do this again, I would have the repair made in a shop, before attemting a trip like this.
Now to the car. The 2.5 liter V-6 is a wounderful little motor. Based on a larger, turbo charged engine, the lower end of this motor is over built for the power, and should last a long time. That and givin the horror stories I've heard about the 2.7 that replaced the 2.5, I think the older Sebring with the 2.5 might be the best bet.
Fuel economy was a surprise, and a good one considering the power. While bringing the car home, it ran from Ontario, Oregon to Portland, Oregon on less than 3/4 tank of fuel, taking less than 11 gallons for a 380 mile trip.
Handleing is quite good, not sporty, although I think it could be firmed up with different struts. In 70s terms think Cordoba, not Cuda. Not a canyon racer, and really I like my M.G. Midget better, but for a long drive, the Sebring is the better car.
Seats are nice with 6-way power adjust. Controls are right where your hands fall to them. Heater controls are straght forward, and east to understand. Trunk is large for a car this size, not quite like my Intrepid, but nothing built these days is.
Rearward visibility could be better, with the top up. The fabric panels that wrap to the rear window do block a lot of space. This is a good car to have those stick on spot mirrors on. Of course with the top down vision is great, unlike a Rabbit convert I had once, the top folds very flat, and out of the way.
The Sebrings have good looks, and fit in anywhere you would take them. Impression is of a car costing much more. Take this to the beach, or the golf club, no problem.
There are a couple of things I've been told to look for on Sebrings. First is to call your Chrysler dealer and have the VIN run against a recall for lower ball joints. In most cases this will have already been taken care of, but if not, they should be replaced by Chrysler.
I've also been told that the Sebrings are hard on their front brake pads. Haven't found this to be true, but it's worth keeping an eye on. Could be that these are a good car to use the best ceramic pads on.
All in all the Sebring Convert is a good pick for those that want a convertible, and don't have the luxury of have that convertible be a summer only car. Fun to drive, good on gas, dependable, good looking, and a true four seater. Yes the back seat is big enough for big people.
With most of these falling in the $2,000 to $4,000 price range these days (early 2008) you could spend much more for much less.
For the price of an old Mini Van have some fun instead.

I owned a Light Purple (Lilac) 1996 Sebring Convertible for 11 years and put 145,000 miles on it. I decided to trade for a 2005 Sebring convertible. It was the best car I have ever owned as for as cost to maintain and fun to drive. For those that have owned Chryslers and continue to purchase them, like I do. We know that some where around 80,000 miles the transmission is going to fail. That is why I always buy an extended warranty that I know will cover that expense. Usually once the transmission is fixed, I have never had any other problems with the transmission. Front Brakes wear out quick, but as long as you keep them checked and pads replaced, it is not a big expense. Because the doors are so heavy, the hinge stop had to be replaced twice in 11 years, costing me $50 each time. I would recommend if you have the top down to have the windows down when getting in and out. Because the banging of the windows on each other without the top to support them can cause them to get out of alignment, which can be fixed, but can be a hassle. Do not take the car through and automatic carwash with the blowers, it will cause the rear window to seperate from the material. This car should be babied and hand washed or ask them to turn off the blowers and hand dry it for you.I know I seem telling all the negatives of the car, but these are things that I learned over the years as I owned it. Like I said in the beginning this is the best car I have ever owned (I liked it better than my Mercedes) and I would trade back for the 1996 any time. A matter of fact I keep watching on Ebay for one like I had before. If you decide to get one, make sure you ask about the transmission and the other items I mentioned to see if they have been fixed or be prepared to have them done. Enjoy the car, it is a real eye catcher.

I love the vehicle however the seller is a con artist the car has problems he didnt list on the listing he lied about the mileage took my deposit and ebay does nothing about just keep sending me in circles when i try to report it clear listing violation i dont see why when i speak to someone in the chat rooms they cant follow up on the issue i have to go some where else to report it and gets no answers what so ever personalyy i will not spend my money trying to buy any thing over $100.00 on ebay any more it dosent seem safe any more

Super deal. Cheap car with all information correct from seller. Ended up with about $700. in it and traded it for a $2500. pick-up!!