Hi everybody,

I'm new here, so I guess a quick presentation would be appropriate. My name is Remy, I lived in the US for 2 years where I owned a 1998 Dodge Neon Coupe and a 2001 Dodge Stratus 2.4L (a car I loved btw). Then I moved to France and got a first gen Renault Laguna 2.2L turbo-diesel (liked it too).

In France, well... we don't have a lot of american cars over here. But I could get a deal on two cars (I'll buy only one ), sold at about the same price:
2001 Chrysler Sebring LXi Sedan 2.7 with 130'000 km (74'500 miles)
2001 Chrysler 300M 3.5 with less than 80'000 km (50'000 miles)

2.7 engines are well known for sludge problems, caused by the water pump. DOHC design, water pump run by the timing chain.

3.5 engines use timing belts (which need to be replaced someday), and the water pump is run by the timing belt... I don't really like that kind of design btw!

So what do you think, what would be your advice here?
I know engines long term reliability depends on the maintenance you make, so I'm planing on changing engine oil every 3'000 miles and trans fluid every 5-6'000 miles or so. But what about "huge" (read costly) maintenance like water pump replacement, a/c failure, etc... I guess the 2.7 is cheaper to maintain than the 3.5, right?

How expensive that kind of cars can be, on a year basis?

By the way, unleaded fuel here costs around 7.5 USD per gallon... So "fuel efficiency" is one of my concern (maybe the last anyway...)

 

Are you serious $7.5 per gallon?? In that case I'd choose the Sebring, but the 300M looks too much and better and also has better reputation than the Sebring.

 

I agree that the Sebring will save you a smidge in gas money, but based on my problems with my 1997 Sebring LXi Coupe, I'd stay away from Sebring. However, being that reliability can change with each year, I looked up reliability for both of the models you're looking at:

The Sebring: Red flag engine issues on engine for this year 2001 Chrysler Sebring Reliability - MSN Autos

The 300M: 2001 Chrysler 300M Reliability - MSN Autos

There are more reliability guides out there -- I'd look at those, too. Now, these guides aren't perfect, of course -- they can't tell you if you will get a lemon out of a relatively good bunch. My Sebring model year has good overall reliability with no red flag problems, yet I've had to have the transmission rebuilt *twice*, the first with very few miles (I think the car was like 2-3 years old and driven very little) and the 2nd time was at 117K miles ($2,000 USD). The second biggest problem has been the O2 sensors going out on me. I believe there are four on my model (don't quote me on that) and I think I've had to have like 3 replaced. Very expensive if you must have a mechanic do it -- I got ripped off by Firestone at like $200-$300 per sensor, but I had an extended warranty (whew!) If you can do it yourself, one of my sensors was around $70, but I just read here that the code won't go out if you don't use a Chrysler part, so that could be a lot more... The Mitsubishi engine in my car, however, :knock wood: has been solid. I'm guessing the 2001 doesn't have the same engine based on the red flag problems see in that year.

Just my 2 cents from an owner, not a mechanic, but I'd go with the 300 M.

 

Coupe was built by Mitsubishi, car, engine, everything. You can't draw any conclusions from your experience with a '97 Coupe and project that onto a 2001 sedan.

 

I *totally* missed that it was a sedan and not a coupe :facepalm: And I agree with you...I should have worded my post better. And I threw in my experience just to warn against leaning *too much* on general yearly reliability reports since for my year, I think under transmission was green -- no major problems were seen repeatedly over whatever sample size they used, but I've had nothing but trouble with the transmission.

I knew for sure my engine was built by Mitsubishi, but the transmission was too?

 

Wow, I just peeked in your garage, dcotter. . . If anyone should know their Sebring LXis, it would be you!

I must say, despite my transmission troubles, I have always been in love with the LXi styling. I could not have ever imagined how well my car has aged aesthetically when I first set eyes on it fifteen (!!!!) years ago. People's jaws drop when I tell them how old my car is. I don't really feel like I'm driving an old car, even though she's getting way up there, year-wise.

 

Hey thanks for your answers!

By the way it's not a 2001 300M, but a 2000. I have another concern though... When I tried the 300M, I noticed the transaxle fluid was white translucid, not red at all like the ATF+4... I'm gonna post about it in the correct section maybe.