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1998 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE — STEERING

firecrash1 injured · 637180 · 2007-09-04

Vehicle

Make
CHRYSLER
Model
SEBRING CONVERTIBLE
Year
1998
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
STEERING
Miles at failure
133,480
Speed
65 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
1
Fire
Yes
Crash
Yes
Police report
Yes
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

AFTER EXPLAINING TO MY MECHANIC THAT MY FRONT END WAS RUBBING AND GRINDING AT A SPEED OF 40 AND ABOVE, AND THAT IT WAS WORSE WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT OR BEARING LEFT, WHILE BEARING RIGHT THE RUBBING AND GRINDING LESSENED A LOT. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT HE REPLACED FRONT BRAKES & BALANCED WHEELS. THE SAME SITUATION STILL EXISTED. HE STATED THAT MY FRONT AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, & HE WOULD REPLACE IT WHEN HE CAME BACK FROM VACATION. I EXPLAINED TO THE MECHANIC THAT IT WAS GETTING WORSE AND IF MY CHILDREN AND I WOULD BE SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL HE RETURNED, HE SAID IT WOULD BE FINE TO DRIVE. ON JUNE 30TH 2007 ,THE CHILDREN AND I NOTICED IT WAS GETTING WORSE. I DROVE THE CAR HOME. I THEN DECIDED TO GO FOR A RIDE WITH IT, ALONE. I STARTED DRIVING ON ROUTE 195 EAST IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE WITH MY CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 65 MPH. SHORTLY AFTER CROSSING THE RI/MA LINE THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE AND I HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG. MY CAR THEN STARTED TO LIFT OFF THE GROUND. LIFTING THE RIGHT SIDE & THEN THE RIGHT. I TRIED TO APPLY MY BRAKES BUT WITH TWO TIRES OFF THE GROUND THEY WERE NOT WORKING. I TRIED STEERING THE CAR IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAT WAS BEING LIFTED OFF THE ROAD. I HAD NO STEERING AT ALL. THE CAR ROCKED SIDE TO SIDE WHILE HEADING INTO THE NEXT LANE OF TRAVEL AND AS IT DID THE ROCKING TURNED THE CAR OVER AND OVER AND OVER SEVERAL TIMES. AFTER THE FIRST ROLL OVER I DO NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING. I BECAME UNCONSCIOUS. THE STATE POLICE WHO INVESTIGATED THE ACCIDENT STA

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10201876
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown