The 2000 Chrysler Sebring has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 8 recurring issue clusters, led by “Front lower ball joint failure.” Chrysler's Oil Change Indicator tracks engine load and duty cycle, then messages when oil life is used up — capped at 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 (300, Pacifica, Town & Country, Voyager) is long-interval by design: spark plugs at 100,000 miles and no timing belt. Minivans in family duty count as 'severe service' more often than owners think — frequent short trips shorten the oil indicator's countdown, and that's the system working correctly.
No open recalls on file. NHTSA lists no unrepaired safety recalls for this year, make and model. A recall can be issued at any time, and a specific car can still have one open — check yours by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2000 Chrysler Sebring.
SUSPENSION
6 NHTSA complaints · 2004-06 → 2012-11
“THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT FRACTURED”
“A MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRONT BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED”
“ALL 3 OF THE MECHANIC'S TOLD ME I NEEDED TO GET MY LOWER BALL JOINTS & CONTROL ARM CHANGED”
SEAT BELTS
7 NHTSA complaints · 2000-07 → 2020-02
“THE SEAT BELT MALE PART DOES NOT ALWAYS STAY ATTACHED WHEN INSERTED INTO FEMALE END”
“THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR MECHANISMS WOULD NOT RELEASE PROPERLY”
“THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAFETY BELT CABLE FAILED ON THE VEHICLE”
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
9 NHTSA complaints · 2000-03 → 2004-01
“UPON DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE A GRADUAL STOP, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND VEHICLE WENT THROUGH A STOP SIGN”
“THE FRONT BRAKE INNER PAD CAME APART ALL AT ONCE AND CAUSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO FEEL AS IF IT SANK TO THE FLOOR”
“FRONT BRAKE ROTORS ARE PREMATURELY WEARING,CAUSE UNKNOWN”
WHEELS
8 NHTSA complaints · 2000-11 → 2006-03
“CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DEFECTIVE BENT RIMS CAUSED A TOTAL OF THREE TIRE BLOWOUTS BETWEEN THE MONTHS OF SEPTEMBER 2001 AND JANUARY 2002”
“ALL FOUR ALUMINUM WHEELS WERE CAUSING LOSS OF AIR, DUE TO DEOXIDIZING OF WHEELS”
“THE VEHICLE'S REAR TIRE RIMS CRACKED AND AS A RESULT THE TIRES AIR PRESSURE WAS LOST”
STRUCTURE
4 NHTSA complaints · 2004-01 → 2007-10
“I HAVE OWNED MY SEBRING FOR 5 YEARS AND TWO YEARS AGO THE CLEAR COAT STARTED TO DISSIPATE”
“CLEAR COAT FAILURE! CAR HAS WHITE BLEMISHES!”
“PAINT IS DESOLVING DOWN TO THE CLEAR COAT. ON ROOF OF CAR”
STRUCTURE
4 NHTSA complaints · 2001-06 → 2008-12
“WHILE TRAVELING 55-65MPH ON FREEWAY WITH TOP DOWN PART OF THE DEVICE THAT HOUSES HARD TOP FELL OFF INTO STREET, RESULTING IN DEBRIS FLYING ONTO ON COMING AND PROCEEDING TRAFIC”
“THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUNK OCCASIONALLY DROPS DOWN DUE TO UNSTEADINESS”
“HE STATED THAT THE TOP HAS BEEN REPAIRED AND REPLACE 4 TIMES, AND NOW IT IS IN NEED OF A REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AGAIN”
AIR BAGS
7 NHTSA complaints · 2000-08 → 2008-08
“AFTER BEING CUT OFF BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, MY VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL HEAD_ON AND I WAS GOING ABOUT 60 MPH, AND UPON IMPACT NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED”
“I WAS DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE DAMP ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH”
“I WAS IN A 3 CAR COLLISION AND MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY”
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
7 NHTSA complaints · 2002-08 → 2013-07
“THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED”
“THE CRANK SENSOR FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN WHICH LEFT THE CONSUMER WITH NO BRAKES AND POWER STEERING”
“CAR DOESN'T ALWAYS START. MAY TAKE UP TO 32 TRIES TO START”
Issues on other model years
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 20, 2026.
We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.
Critical for safety and preventing major damage
Change oil when the indicator message appears — never beyond 10,000 miles or 12 months. Pentastar 3.6L uses 0W-20; PT Cruiser's 2.4L uses 5W-30. Short-trip city driving will trigger the indicator well before 10,000 miles.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$120–$160
Shop
~$85–$115
DIY
~$25–$55
Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.
Rotate every 8,000 miles or at every oil change. Front-heavy minivans (Pacifica, Voyager) chew front tires quickly without rotation.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.
Inspect pads, rotors, and parking brake at every oil change. Loaded minivans and the heavy 300 wear rear pads faster than expected — check both axles.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.
PT Cruiser's 2.4L is a timing-belt engine: replace around 100,000 miles (check your manual's exact interval for the year). Do the water pump and tensioner in the same job — the labor overlaps almost entirely.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$935–$1175
Shop
~$655–$825
DIY
Pro only
On interference engines, a snapped belt destroys valves. Worth doing on schedule. Bundle water pump + tensioner — labor is already there.
Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently
Minivans (62TE six-speed): ATF+4 service every 60,000 miles under family duty. 300 with the ZF/TorqueFlite 8-speed: Chrysler lists no normal-service interval, but specialists recommend fluid service around 60,000-100,000 miles. ATF+4 or the specified 8-speed fluid only.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$330–$500
Shop
~$235–$355
DIY
~$60–$180
Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.
Pentastar 3.6L: iridium plugs at 100,000 miles. PT Cruiser 2.4L: roughly every 30,000 miles with conventional plugs — check the manual for your year.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$390
Shop
~$200–$275
DIY
~$25–$100
Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.
Replace every 30,000 miles. On the Pentastar it's a quick top-of-engine job; inspect sooner in dusty climates.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.
Inspect from 60,000 miles and replace on evidence of cracking or glazing. A failed belt on the Pentastar takes the water pump drive with it — don't run it to destruction.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$195–$235
Shop
~$135–$165
DIY
~$20–$50
DIY-friendly if you can reach the tensioner. Inspect for cracks rather than swap on a strict mileage interval.
Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort
Replace every 20,000 miles — behind the glovebox on Pacifica, Voyager, and 300. Family-hauler duty (pets, gravel school lots) argues for yearly.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.
Stellantis OAT coolant: first replacement at 10 years or 150,000 miles per the schedule; many shops suggest refreshing by 100,000 miles. Use OAT-compatible coolant only — mixing types gels the system.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$330
Shop
~$200–$235
DIY
~$25–$60
Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.
Test annually once the battery passes 3 years old. Pacifica's stop-start system uses a pricier AGM or dual-battery setup — weak batteries throw confusing electrical faults first.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$225–$390
Shop
~$160–$280
DIY
~$130–$250
Most auto-parts stores test and install batteries free with purchase. Skip the dealer markup.
Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)
126 crashes 1990–2024
How the 126 occupant deaths break down
95
driver deaths
29
passenger deaths
2
not recorded by seat
126
occupant deaths
Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 1999 crashes. Older models have had more years on the road to appear in these crashes, so a higher count here does not by itself mean a vehicle is less safe.
FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number
FARS 2024 data is an annual report file. NHTSA revises these records when the final file is published, so this count can change.
Every vehicle has exactly one driver seat, so driver deaths line up fairly when you compare one model to another. Occupant deaths include passengers, so a three row SUV can show a higher number than a two seat car simply because it carries more people.
Both figures are plain counts, not rates. A rate would need to know how many of each vehicle are on the road, and that registration data is not public, so we do not publish rates or scores of any kind.
IIHS publishes driver death rates using this same driver only idea, paired with a registered vehicle years denominator we do not have. Their rates and these counts answer different questions, so do not read either number here as a safety rating.
Owner-reported problem signals
Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.
14
complaints mentioning a crash
3
complaints mentioning a fire
Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.
How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.
This maintenance schedule for the 2000 Chrysler Sebring reflects Chrysler's published service intervals and the Oil Change Indicator System system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.