A second class-action lawsuit alleging that a major car manufacturer made and sold defective tire rims has been filed in Johnson County District Court.

The latest complaint, against DaimlerChrysler Corp. and DaimlerChrysler Motors Corp., seeks damages on behalf of owners or renters of Chrysler Sebring coupes, model years 1997-2001, and Dodge Avengers, model years 1997-2000.

The lawsuit alleges that the 17-inch rims on the vehicles tend to bend under normal driving conditions, causing tire deflation, flats and blowouts.

The named plaintiffs are Jeff Johnson, a Johnson County resident who says he is the owner of a 1998 Sebring, and Gary Feret, a New Jersey resident who says he is the owner of a 1998 Avenger.

Ann Smith, a spokeswoman for DaimlerChrysler, said the company had not yet been served with the lawsuit and had no immediate comment. But she confirmed that the 17-inch rims were installed on "the higher-end versions of these vehicles.

"They're built at the same plant," Smith said.

The lawsuit is similar to one filed in November by the same Kansas City law firm, Stueve Siegel Hanson Woody, against Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America Inc., Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America Inc. and wheel manufacturer Enkei International Inc. That lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of owners or renters of Mitsubishi Eclipses and Eclipse Spyders, model years 1997-2001.

"Our investigation has revealed that Mitsubishi, through its joint venture arrangement with DaimlerChrysler, made the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger and installed the same 17-inch rims on these models as the 17-inch rims on the Mitsubishi Eclipse," Stueve Siegel Hanson Woody LLP, partner Pat Stueve said.

Mitsubishi has denied the allegations and said it is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate. The agency has received dozens of complaints from consumers about the rims.

DaimlerChrysler is Mitsubishi's largest shareholder, with a 37 percent stake in the company. Smith said that "only a fraction of 1 percent of (Mitsubishi's) owners have ever complained about the rim, and any problems that have occurred weren't under normal use conditions."

The lawsuit against DaimlerChrysler says that more than 200,000 Chrysler Sebring coupes and Dodge Avengers have been sold in the United States since 1997. Most of them, it says, were equipped with the allegedly defective rims.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, including the costs of inspecting, repairing and replacing the rims.