2005 CHRYSLER 300 Complaints

IN THE VERY LATE AFTERNOON OF 8/16/2013, AFTER GROCERY SHOPPING, I WENT BACK TO MY CAR THAT I PARKED EARLIER IN THE STORE'S PARKING LOT, PLACED THE GROCERIES IN THE TRUNK, CLOSED IT, GOT IN THE CAR, PUT ON MY SEAT-BELT AND STARTED THE ENGINE. SO FAR, EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND NORMAL. I THEN PRESSED THE BRAKES PEDAL, RELEASED THE HAND-BRAKE AND TRIED TO PULL THE GEAR SHIFTER FROM PARK TO REVERSE, NOTHING, IT DOESN'T WORK; IT'S STUCK. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, RESTARTED IT AND WENT TO THE SAME PROCESS TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. STILL, NOTHING, EVEN AFTER ABOUT 20 REPEATS. FOR SOME REASON, THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS DEFINITELY STUCK IN PARK. EVEN OVERRIDING THE PARK INTERLOCK SYSTEM (AS RECOMMENDED BY CHRYSLER, IN CASE OF AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION) DIDN'T HELP. AFTER 2 HOURS TRYING, IN VAIN, TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM WITH THE HELP OF A VERY KIND PASSERBY, ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED, I GAVE UP AND HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO MY RESIDENCE. AS I SEARCHED THE INTERNET THE NEXT DAY TO FIND OUT WHETHER ANY OTHER CHRYSLER OWNER HAD REPORTED SUCH AN EXPERIENCE, I FOUND HUNDREDS OF CHRYSLER AND DODGE OWNERS REPORTING SUCH AN EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR VEHICLE. THE CULPRIT IS A PIECE OF PINK PLASTIC THAT CHRYSLER HAS USED AS A PART IN THE PARK INTERLOCK MECHANISM OF THEIR 2005 - 2007 CHRYSLER AND DODGE VEHICLES. A REPEALING SPRING IS ATTACHED TO THAT PART BY A TINY TAB. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE, BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUS TO ANYONE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF COMMONSENSE THAT AS THAT PART IS FREQUENTLY USED (DURING PARKING AND GETTING OUT OF PARKING), THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF THE TENSION OF THE SPRING AND THE WEATHER CHANGES WILL RESULT IN HAVING THE TINY TAB ON THE PINK PLASTIC PART EASILY BREAK. THIS WILL HAPPEN TO EVERY CHRYSLER AND DODGE MODEL THAT IS USING THAT PIECE OF PLASTIC. CHRYSLER SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY MAKE SUCH A TERRIBLE AND UNACCEPTABLE ENGINEERING MISTAKE. *TR

CAR HAS BEEN STALLING AFTER EVERY GAS FILL-UP FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS UNLESS I AM TRAVELING AT A STEADY SPEED OF OVER 20 MPH FOR AT LEAST 15 MILES AFTER FILL UP. STOPPING AT A LIGHT OR MAKING A LEFT TURN AND STALLING OUT IS A NIGHTMARE! IT ONLY HAPPENS AFTER A FILL UP. AT THIS POINT I TRY TO GUESS AT WHAT POINT TO TURN OFF THE GAS WHEN REFUELING TO AVOID THIS VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC STATED THE THROTTLE BODY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,100. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS AND PANEL LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000. .... UPDATED 10-17-13 *BF UPDATED 10/29/2013 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR FAILED TO SHIFT INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE SHIFT INTERLOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 172,000.

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE STALLING AND DYING WHILE DRIVING NORMAL, AND AFTER STOP LIGHTS. I ALSO SMELL GAS WHEN CAR IS STARTED. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT SEVERAL OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE ARE HAVING THE SAME IDENTICAL PROBLEMS. I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL VAPOR CANISTER AND THE GAS TANK, WHICH IS POSSIBLY A FACTORY DEFECT. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE FUEL VAPOR CANISTER WAS ON BACK ORDER, WHICH INDICATES THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND ADDRESS THIS POTENTIAL DANGEROUS FACTORY DEFECT. *TR

I WENT TO THE POST OFFICE, PARKED AND CUT THE CAR OFF. WHEN I GOT READY TO DEPART. I CUT THE CAR ON AND ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE GEAR INTO REVERSE. THE GEAR WOULD NOT MOVE INTO REVERSE. SO I PUT THE CAR BACK INTO DRIVE, AND HAD ENOUGH SPACE TO GO FORWARD. I DROVE HOME. WHEN I ARRIVED, THE GEAR WOULD NOT STAY IN PARK. THE CAR START ROLLING AND I HAD TO CUT THE IGNITION OFF TO STOP IT FROM ROLLING. THE GEAR SHIFT IS STILL IN DRIVE. HAD TO SECURE IT IN PLACE BY PUTTING BRICKS BEHIND CAR TO KEEP IT FROM ROLLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PARKING GEAR FAILED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

DROVE TO WORK FINE BUT WHEN I RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE AFTER WORK IT WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM "PARK". HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE. NOT SURE WHY THERE WASN'T A RECALL? *TR

CAME FROM THE GAS STATION AND FILLED UP GAS. AFTER 3 BLOCKS FROM THE STATION, THE CAR STALLS WHILE I WAS MAKING A TURN: NO POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. I MUSCLED THE CAR TO MAKE THE TURN AND NEARLY HIT INCOMING TRAFFIC BUT CAME TO A FULL STOP. ENGINE LIGHT ON BUT NOT THE CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT. STARTED AND PROCEEDED SLOWLY. AFTER A FEW BLOCKS, THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHEN I REACHED AN INTERSECTION AND CAME TO AN IDLE. I PULLED THE CAR TO THE CURB AND RESTARTED THE CAR. I WAS WORRIED THAT IT WOULD STALL AGAIN SO WHENEVER I REACHED AN IDLE/STOP LIGHT OR SIGN, I DELIBERATELY PRESSED DOWN ON THE GAS AT NEUTRAL. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS EVENT, NEEDLESS TO SAY. *TR