Harryc8786

All,

I was just driving my 03 Sebring sedan down the street and then heard a loud rattling noise from the rear of my car. As I continued to drive it would happen every time I hit any bumps in the road (regardless of how soft or hard they were).

I pulled over (it was dark) didn't see anything obvious. I checked my trunk and things looked in check. The next day I looked in my spare tire storage and knew it wasn't my jumper cables that I store there. But I noticed the long pin that secures the tire wasn't fit in the groove. I fixed that and tightened things down thinking maybe the pin was rattling against the body of the car and seeming worse that it was.

Today while driving the sound continued and it sounds like something big could be broken. It sounds more like it's coming from the rear driver-side tire/suspension. When this all began it was sudden, I didn't drive over any large pot-hole or bump that I feel could have cause this to suddenly occur. I'm just curious what some of your opinions are on what might be rattling or broken?

Today I will probably remove everything from my spare-tire well and drive around the block just to ensure it isn't a loose item.

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KEVINP

check your rear strut mounts. just replaced both of mine.

cotcu

I also have an 03 and have the same issue when I go over bumps. I was told that part of the rear strut assembly was made of inferior metal that would discentagrate over time causing the rear struts to come loose from the trunk. I opened my trunk and peeled back the carpet and sure enough all that was there was "powder" where part of the strut assembly had corroded away. I haven't changed them yet but am told that you can get the part off of an older model at the junk yard that is not made of the "inferior" metal. Just FYI. Good luck with yours.

96SebringLXV6

Had the same thing happen in my '91 Colt Vista and '93 Ford Escort, was the strut mounts.