I'll start with honesty - I've always been a Ford man, for 40 years. However, now my wife wants a convertible, and she doesn't like Mustangs. She loves the Sebring.

I'm definitely keeping an open mind, but I've heard nothing but negative input about these cars in my circles. When I go to craigslist to check out a few, I find dozens of cars 2006 and older for dirt cheap. Like, < $3k for a 2006 that 'runs perfectly'.

I figured I'd ask the folks who love their cars. Why are the Sebrings so cheap? Do they deserve the bad rep I hear? Can I get one and love it and depend on it without it being a money pit? (As I said, I'm not a hater, just want straight up honesty.)

I'm an accomplished home mechanic - from brakes to engine rebuilds to transmission swaps, I've done it all. So, I'm certainly not afraid to give my cars the TLC they need. So, are there any well known issues or indicators I should look for specifically as I begin to familiarize myself with and kick the tires on these cars? Are there any annoying 'special tools' needed for common jobs, etc? Just looking for some good feedback.

Many thanks, and hope to be joining the conversation soon with my new Sebring convertible.

 

Most of the bad rep comes from the 2.7 engine. The water pump design is a recipe for disaster. It is run by the timing chain. When it leaks it will leak into the crankcase causing sludge and eventually ruin the engine. Because of the design the timing chain is longer than normal and uses a hydraulic tensioner to keep it tight. If the tensioner goes so goes the engine. If you happen to get one where the water pump was replaced before it started leaking then the engine is pretty decent. I bought my 2001 convertible for $1000 with 113,000 miles. Knowing what know I wasn't going to pay any more than that. It has no signs of sludge or of a leaking pump and runs great. Of course it has the usual Sebring cowl shake but if you drive on smooth roads it's not an issue. The later 2.7's are better than the earlier ones but they still have the same design flaw.

 

I have a 2001 Convertible with about 105k miles that runs great, knock wood. Chrysler built a lot of these convertibles so they aren't rare at all. Also, they don't have nearly the performance of a Mustang so they aren't going to have much appeal for the hotrod set. You won't find nearly as much by way of performance mods that you find for a Mustang. Even if there were some mods, that 2.7L engine isn't going to ever smoke a Mustang V-8, so nobody even bothers. It's a nice pleasant car to drive on a summers day. Your wifie will love it and you'll have fun keeping it running smooth.
It's the same underneath as the Sebring Sedan and Dodge Stratus sedan. But it's a totally different car from the Sebring Coupe, which was built by Mitsubishi.

 

I owned a 98 Concorde with the first 2.7 I had 285k on it Had it for 14 years. Replaced the water pump chain bla bla Oil pressure sensor and all that good stuff. When i was last in t had no sludge issues ran like a top. Was just time to trade her in wife wanted something new lol. Haft to take note that I tell all my customers for every 1 bad comment you see there are 10 that are good that you dont see. The forums are manily filled with DIY people or people trying to find out an issue and other that found a place to vent there issues with a car. Take all info on fourms with a grain of salt.