1998 Chrysler sebring tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1998 Chrysler Sebring, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 215/50R17 OEM | R17 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
Best all-season
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
all-season touring, UTQG 800, 80,000-mi warranty
Best budget
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
Lowest cost per mile in this size; UTQG 820
Best quiet
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
68 dB cabin noise (EU label); quietest in this size
Best winter
Bridgestone
Blizzak WS90
Dedicated winter (premium compound); ice/snow grip
See the best tires for the Chrysler Sebring, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Chrysler Sebring →
Compatible alternative sizes for 215/50R17
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
185/65R16 |
0.02% | winter narrower | Safe |
205/40R19 |
-0.03% | plus 2 | Safe |
235/35R19 |
0.05% | plus 2 | Safe |
195/55R17 |
-0.08% | winter narrower | Safe |
205/65R15 |
0.11% | alternative | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 215/50R17 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 215/50R17 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 235/40R18; one rim size up, -0.25% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 205/40R19; two rim sizes up, -0.03% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1998 chrysler sebring lxi-coupe
The 1998 Chrysler Sebring LXi-Coupe ships from the factory on 215/50R17 tires mounted on R17 wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Chrysler Sebring comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1998 Chrysler Sebring LXi-Coupe owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1998 Chrysler Sebring LXi-Coupe, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1998 chrysler sebring
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (8) · Tread / Belt (4) · Sidewall (2)
Reported across: 1998 – 1998 (1 year)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 12% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 50 reports covering every model year of the Chrysler Sebring that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 12% | 20% | 0.6× |
| Pressure-monitoring (TPMS) fault | 10% | 2% | 4.2× |
| Tread or belt separation | 8% | 13% | 0.6× |
| Sidewall failure | 8% | 15% | 0.5× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 6% | 8% | 0.7× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 4% | 6% | 0.7× |
Mileage at failure
25 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 39,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 17,611 and 86,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Chrysler Sebring. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE TPMS SENSOR FAILED AND WHEN IT DID IT CRACKED IN HALF RELEASING ALL TIRE PRESSURE THROUGH THE BROKEN VALVE LUCKILY MY WIFE HAD ALREADY PARKED THE CAR WOULD SHE HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. THIS IS THE SECOND SENSOR WE HAVE HAD DO THIS I CAN NOT REMEMBER THE DATE OF THE FIRST.
LOVE MY CHRYSLER CARS, YES, I HAVE TWO. THE STEM VALVES/SENSORS HAVE BEEN BREAKING OFF OF OUR 2007 MODEL SEBRING. JUST WANTED TO NOTE THIS IN THE DATABASE. HAD SECOND STEM VALVE/SENSOR BREAK THIS WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9TH, 2014 AND WHILE IT WAS GETTING FIXED, I HAD THE CAR REPAIR SHOP CHECK TIRE PRESSURE ON THE OTHER TIRES AND ANOTHER STEM VALVE/SENSOR SNAPPED OFF. THESE ARE NOT CHEAP TO FIX. THAT'S THREE SO FAR, TWO WITHIN DAYS OF EACH OTHER. I PLAN ON GETTING THE LAST STEM VALVE/SENSOR REPLACED SOON AS WHEN THIS HAPPENS, YOU HAVE ONLY FEET BEFORE YOUR TIRE IS COMPLETELY OUT OF AIR. HOPING CHRYSLER WILL POSSIBLY REPAIR WITH BETTER PARTS OR CHANGE IN HOW THEY'RE MADE. I BELIEVE THIS HAS ALREADY HAPPENED BUT JUST RECENTLY. WOULD LOVE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THESE PARTS BUT I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH. THANK YOU.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE PRIMEWELL TIRES, SIZE: 215/65/R15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE CONSTANTLY PLACED AIR IN THE TIRES. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000. THE VIN AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A NOISE. SHE PULLED OVER AND NOTICED LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION, AND A KNOT WAS COMING FROM INSIDE, OUT OF TIRE. RIGHT FRONT TIRE LOOKED LIKE IT IWAS DRY ROTTEN. GOODYEAR, PR21550R17. SHE WILL CONTACT GOODYEAR.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1998 Chrysler Sebring?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1998 Chrysler Sebring?
Where can I buy tires for my 1998 Chrysler Sebring?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1998 Chrysler Sebring?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1998 Chrysler Sebring?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1998 Chrysler Sebring?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Chrysler Sebring is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1998 Chrysler Sebring.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.