Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chrysler sebring touring. While proceeding from a traffic signal at 15 MPH, the vehicle safety alarm system sounded without warning, and then deactivated. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired for the failure. Updated 1/28/10 *cn the consumer stated when the vehicle was started, the alarm and horn would sound.…
2006 Chrysler Sebring electrical problems
moderate 59 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $850 · see electrical across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
59
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
When does it fail?
Of the 59 electrical complaints filed for the 2006 Chrysler Sebring, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Electrical accounts for 43% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 10 categories tracked.
Owners have filed 59 electrical complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: The 2006 Sebring has a widespread horn defect that causes it to blare randomly (especially in cold/damp weather) and fail when needed—a serious safety issue. Fixing it costs $800–$1,100 and requires replacing the airbag assembly; many owners remove the horn fuse instead, disabling both horn and airbag.
The horn on 2006 Sebrings is a chronic, safety-critical headache. It activates on its own—sometimes for 30 seconds to several minutes—while the car is driving, parked, or sitting untouched in the driveway. Cold weather, moisture, and locking/unlocking the doors seem to trigger it. When owners need the horn, it often won't work. When it does work, it gets stuck honking and won't stop unless the driver strikes the steering wheel hard or pulls the horn fuse.
The root problem appears to be the clockspring or contact pad inside the steering column horn assembly, which is permanently bonded to the airbag module. Replacing it means replacing the entire airbag assembly—estimates run $800 to $1,100+. Because of this cost, many owners pull the horn fuse and drive without a horn. That also disables the airbag, creating a double safety violation: no horn to warn others, no airbag for frontal crashes.
Owners report Chrysler dealerships acknowledge the issue and cite the high cost, but decline to recall it. One shop owner stated they perform this repair four times per week nationwide. Online forums show dozens of similar complaints, yet no official recall or technical service bulletin (TSB) exists. For buyers, this means either accepting a broken horn-and-airbag system or paying well over $1,000 to fix what appears to be a design defect.
Same Chrysler Sebring electrical reports on nearby years: 2005 · 2007 · 2008
Failure modes owners describe
Horn activates spontaneously and continuously
Horn sounds without driver input, often for 30 seconds to several minutes. Occurs while driving, parked with engine off/on, triggered by keyless remote unlock/lock, door opening/closing, cold weather, high humidity, and sometimes in early morning hours. Once activated, horn may not stop until driver presses horn pad hard, beats steering wheel, or pulls fuse. Some owners report horn stuck honking until they physically strike the steering wheel.
When: Reported as early as 40,000 miles; failures span from warranty period through 146,000+ miles. Cold weather and moisture conditions seem to increase frequency.
Symptoms owners cite: Horn sounds continuously for 30 seconds to several minutes without driver input; Horn activates when keyless remote locks/unlocks vehicle; Horn activates when opening or closing doors; Horn activates while driving at various speeds; Horn activates while vehicle is parked with engine off; Horn activates in cold weather or high humidity; Horn will not stop when pressed normally; requires hard pressure, striking wheel, or fuse removal; Horn stuck in blaring state requiring physical force to stop
Repairs/costs cited: Dealerships and mechanics report horn assembly is integrated with airbag module in steering column. Repair requires replacement of entire airbag assembly (horn and airbag as single unit). Owners cite repair cost estimates of $800–$1,100+ (parts plus labor). One owner reported $600 for part and $1,000 labor separately. Some mechanics have simply disconnected horn relay or pulled fuse as temporary workaround.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Chrysler dealership told owners horn and airbag assembly must both be replaced for safety. Some dealers said they could not replicate issue or offered no assistance. One dealer said they perform this repair 4 times per week nationwide. No official recall or TSB mentioned in narratives despite owners finding 27–70+ complaints online.
Horn fails to sound when needed (no response or intermittent response)
Horn does not work when driver presses horn pad, or works only intermittently. Owner initially thought they were pressing horn incorrectly. One owner needed horn for emergency warning (oncoming car running red light) but horn failed to sound. Combined with spontaneous activation, creates scenario where horn is unreliable in both directions—fails when needed, activates randomly when not needed.
When: Appears early in some vehicles' service life; often coexists with spontaneous activation phase.
Symptoms owners cite: Horn does not sound when driver presses horn pad; Horn only works intermittently when pressed; Horn fails during emergency situations when warning needed; Horn eventually becomes completely inoperable after fuse removal
Repairs/costs cited: Same as spontaneous activation—horn/airbag assembly replacement needed. Owners pull fuse to stop spontaneous horn, which disables both horn and airbag, leaving vehicle unable to pass inspection.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership noted horn must work for safety inspection. No permanent fix offered once fuse is removed without expensive assembly replacement.
Clockspring/contact pad defect in steering column horn assembly
One mechanic explicitly diagnosed the issue as a factory defect in the clockspring, which is the electrical contact that allows horn signals to pass through the rotating steering column. Clockspring is integral to airbag assembly, requiring full assembly replacement.
When: Reported at unspecified mileage; one case documented diagnosis in March 2011.
Symptoms owners cite: Horn fails to function reliably or activates spontaneously; Electrical continuity issue in steering column horn circuit
Repairs/costs cited: Entire airbag assembly must be replaced (clockspring is integral to it). Cost: $600+ for part, $1,000+ for labor.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Chrysler representatives told owners they had never heard of the problem, despite multiple complaints online.
Soy-based sensor wiring chewed by rodents, control sensor fails
Vehicle experienced low power response when accelerator depressed and malfunction indicator light (MIL) illuminated. Dealer discovered sensor wiring had been chewed, reportedly by mice or squirrels. Upon investigation, owner learned sensor wiring was made from soy-based product. Failure recurred after repair once warranty expired. This is an isolated case (one complaint) but raises product material durability question.
When: Initial failure at 20,000 miles; recurrence noted after warranty expiration.
Symptoms owners cite: Low power response when accelerator depressed; Malfunction indicator light (MIL) illuminated and remained lit until engine turned off; Chewed/damaged sensor wiring visible upon inspection
Codes mentioned: MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) – cause: control sensor wiring damage
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer repaired damaged wiring. Vehicle repaired once under warranty; failure recurred and was not repaired after warranty expired.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer was notified of soy-based wiring material but took no action.
Vehicle fails to start after prolonged parking
One owner reported vehicle would not start after being parked for a long period, with ignition turned to on position. Failure was continuous and recurred. No diagnosis or repair attempted.
When: Failure mileage approximately 50,000.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle fails to start after extended parking; Continuous failure to start upon attempt
Repairs/costs cited: Not diagnosed or repaired.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer not notified.
Complete loss of power while driving
One owner experienced total power loss while driving at 11 mph, requiring vehicle to be towed. Dealer technician unable to diagnose failure.
When: Approximately 100,000 miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Complete loss of electrical power while vehicle in motion
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not repaired; technician unable to diagnose.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer not notified.
Alarm/horn activation related to moisture and keyless entry
Horn or alarm system (narrative references 'car alarm or horn') activates when vehicle is wet or damp, triggered by keyless remote unlock or manual key unlock. Initially sounded for about 30 seconds upon unlock. Later escalated to horn going off during driving for 20–30 second spurts. Owner disconnected horn relay to stop activation.
When: Described as occurring over past week in one narrative; no specific mileage given.
Symptoms owners cite: Horn/alarm sounds when vehicle unlocked with remote in wet/damp conditions; Activation for 30 seconds upon unlock; Escalation to spontaneous activation while driving (20–30 second spurts) in morning hours; Moisture/damp weather triggering conditions
Repairs/costs cited: Owner disconnected horn relay as temporary solution but noted concern about airbag safety. No permanent repair attempted; estimated cost over $1,000.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owner noted repair cost is well over $1,000 and even then is not a permanent fix.
Synthesized from 59 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 11 most recent
Car pulled out in front and hit the horn, which did not work, and now comes on only intermittently, or even on its own. This seems to be a common problem with the sebrings and from blogs seems to be due to a faulty switch inside the airbag cover on the steering wheel. This is a terrible safety hazard and should have been recalled. *tr
I have a 2006 Chrysler sebring and the horn in my car keeps going off for no reason while I am driving and while its parked its getting to the point where I cannot even use my horn at all when I need it but it will go off when I don't a few moments later and it wont stop even when I hit it. *tr
I have a 2006 Chrysler sebring and the horn in my car keeps going off for no reason while I am driving and while its parked its getting to the point where I cannot even use my horn at all when I need it but it will go off when I don't a few moments later and it wont stop even when I hit it. *tr
Horn just goes off on its on no matter f the car's engine is running or not. It occures at least 2 to 3 times a day till I pulled the fuse. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chrysler sebring. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the horn began to activate independently. The contact stated that the horn sounded for at least 20 minutes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The failure mileage was…
Horn goes off for no reason until fuse is pulled. Now that fuse is pulled I am driving around with no airbags. This has happened at least 4 times a week until I now go with the fuse out all the time. No safe driving around with out airbags!!!!! Please issue a recall on whatever is causing this issue and putting thousands of people at risk. (number of people based on internet forums and…
With soooo many complaints about the horn issue located in the same spot as the airbag no one has put the pieces together about hows this may be caused by the airbag issue. The horn only has major issues when the humidity is high. This is the same reason the airbags are having issues and deploying with shrapnel. Can someone fight for the consumer here there is over 70 complaints about the horn…
We noticed at around 40,000 miles that the horn will just start honking by itself. If you drive down the street the horn honks. It does make for a very dangerous situation and should be recalled in my opinion. I don't know how many times I've almost been run over now because I can't use my horn. Only way to keep it from blowing whenever it wants to is to pull the fuse. Seems to happen more…
2006 Chrysler sebring horn just comes on intermittently. It will not go off and then just comes on again now and then. Why? Is this a recall and if so how can I get it fixed free? Car has 47,000km an di am in canada. *tr
Had electrical trouble with your 2006 Chrysler Sebring?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the electrical problem on the 2006 Chrysler Sebring?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 59 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $850 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Across the 48 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most electrical failures cluster between 45,000 and 103,000 miles, with the median around 68,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 45,000; a quarter make it past 103,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $850 for electrical repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2006/Chrysler/Sebring.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.