2005 CHRYSLER 300 Complaints

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE TRAVELING SOUTH ON I5 JUST MERGING INTO I99 JUST SOUTH OF BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIA WHEN THE CAR LURCHED TO A ALMOST TOTAL HALT. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER. THIS OCCURRED ABOUT 6:00PM. WE DIDN'T ARRIVE HOME UNTIL AFTER 10:00PM HAVING BEEN TOWED OVER THE HILL TO SANTA CLARITA. NEEDLESS TO SAY HAVING OUR VEHICLE LOSE POWER LIKE THAT ON CROWDED FAST FREEWAY WAS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. *TR

I HAVE A CHRYSLER 300 THAT WITHIN THE LAST 25,000.00 MILES HAS HAD THE SHIFTER FAIL TWICE. THIS HAS RESULTED IN THE INABILITY OF THE CAR TO BE SHIFTED OUT OF PARK TO ANY GEAR. I HAVE FOUND THIS ISSUE REPORTED ON NUMEROUS WEBSITES WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT MY FAILURE IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE. CHRYSLER HAS REPAIRED THE SHIFTER BOTH TIMES ( ONCE UNDER WARRANTY AND ONCE OUT ) BUT I FEEL THAT THE PART AS BASIC AS A SHIFTER SHOULD NOT FAIL AND POSES A SAFETY ISSUE TO THE CONSUMER SINCE THE FAILURE COMPLETELY IMMOBILIZES THE CAR . *TR

LAST SUMMER I WAS DRIVING TOWARD MY GRANDSON'S BALLGAME. I SLOWED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. SUDDENLY, I LOST POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES AND AIR CONDITIONING. HOWEVER, MY MOTOR WAS STILL RUNNING. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO CODE SHOWING ANYTHING HAD HAPPENED. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS, PARTICULARLY FOR MY WIFE WHO WOULD PROBABLY PANIC OR NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FROM READING COMPLAINTS. AFTERWARDS, I HAD TO REPLACE AN O2 SENSOR FOR THE 3RD TIME AND THEN REPLACED THE EVAPORATOR ON THE AC. *TR

THERE WAS REALLY NO EVENTS TO THIS FAILURE, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT 2005 CHRYSLER 300'S ARE KNOWN FOR. ONE DAY, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE AIRBAG LIGHT TURNED ON IN MY CAR AND I TRIED TAKING OFF THE FUSE TO SEE IF IT WAS GOOD, WHICH IT WAS, BUT NOTHING CHANGED. I READ ONLINE VARIOUS FORUMS AND APPARENTLY THE 2005 300'S ARE KNOWN FOR THAT TO GO OFF BECAUSE THE HARNESS IN THE STEERING MODULE IS TOO SHORT AND UNPLUGS OR GOES BAD. WE HAD TO REPLACE THAT MODULE WHICH COST $33.00 PLUS LABOR FROM A MECHANIC WHICH WAS ANOTHER $100. THE DEALERSHIP WANTED $250, AND THE PROBLEM IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *TR

1. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF REPORTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT LONG TERM AND SYSTEMIC OIL SLUDGE PROBLEMS CAUSING SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURES IN DODGE AND CHRYSLER VEHICLES USING THE 2.7L V6 ENGINE SPANNING FROM APPROX 1998-2005. MY WELL MAINTAINED 2005 CHRYSLER 300 ENGINE FAILED SUDDENLY AND DANGEROUSLY WHILE DRIVING. AND THIS WAS 1 MONTH AFTER PAYING THE CHRYSLER DEALER $850 TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND COOLANT AT FACTORY SUGGESTED DATES. WITH ONLY 56,000 MILES AND OIL CHANGED EVERY 5000 MILES (OWNERS MANUAL SUGGESTS 7500) THE CHRYSLER DEALER INITIALLY WANTED OVER $2000 TO FIX AN UNEXPLAINED INTERNAL WATER PUMP LEAK, AND TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. ONLY AFTER HEATED DISCUSSION DID THEY BACK DOWN AND REPAIR IT FOR A $100 DEDUCTIBLE UNDER THE 7/70 DRIVEDRAIN WARRANTY. 2. THE FAILURE, HOW OFTEN IT OCCURS, ITS CONSEQUENCES. SIMPLY USING GOOGLE AND ENTERING "CHRYSLER 2.7L ENGINE FAILURE" LEADS TO HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF SUSPECTED OIL SLUDGE (DUE TO POOR ENGINE DESIGN AND OIL NOT FLOWING PROPERLY) THAT CAUSES SUDDEN AND DANGEROUS UNEXPLAINED ENGINE FAILURE INVOLVING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. CHRYSLER AND ITS DEALERS FIRST ATTEMPT TO BLAME CUSTOMERS FOR NOT CHANGING THE OIL ENOUGH OR USING THE RIGHT OIL ETC. IN MY CASE MY DEALER SAID "...CHRYSLER IS BEING VERY QUIET ASKING US TO USE ALL NEW PARTS AND NOT GIVING US ALOT OF INFORMATION...". 3. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; I.E, PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED (AND IF OLD PART IS AVAILABLE). MY DEALER SAID CHRYSLER TOLD THEM NOT TO TALK ABOUT IT AND TO USE NEW AND MODIFIED PARTS THEY GAVE THEM AND NOT TO USE ANY OF THE OLD PARTS. *TR

I HAVE 2005 CHRYSLER 300C, THE AIR BAG CONNECTION GOES BAD DUE TO AN AUTOMATIC TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL, ITS A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX AND AN ENGINEERING FLAW NOT TO MENTION A SAFETY ISSUE, THIS PROBLEM APPEAR TO BE TO BE POPPING UP ON MANY 2005 CHRYSLER 300C. *TR

ENGINE IN 2005 CHRYSLER 300 LIMITED HAS BEEN USING OIL SINCE BOUGHT. THE CAR WAS BUT FROM THE CAR DEALERSHIPS OWNER. IT WAS HIS WIFE'S CAR AND HAD 18,000 MILES ON IT. HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE AND HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE OIL USAGE. TO DATE THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO DETERMINE WHERE THE OIL IS GOING. HAVE NOTIFIED CHRYSLER BY CERTIFIED LETTER WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THEM AT ALL. *TR

ELECTRICAL FIRE BEGAN IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT DUE TO GROUNDING FAILURE IN THAT NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE WAS CONSUMED W/ NO DAMAGE TO POSITIVE CABLE OR SURROUNDING AREA. VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

CAR PULLS TO THE RIGHT. STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES/SHAKES AT HIGHER SPEEDS-WHEEL ALIGNMENT THAT DIDN'T CORRECT PROBLEM PASSENGER AIR BAG INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON AND OFF HEADLIGHTS COME ON AND OFF. LEFT COMPLETELY OFF NOW.-TOLD NEED NEW BALLAST BUT CANNOT AFFORD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER 300. THE VEHICLE HAS CONTINENTAL TIRES, SIZE P/225/60/R18. THE CONTACT NOTICED ABNORMAL TREAD WEAR ON THE TIRES. THE DEALER WOULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $785. THE CONTACT STILL HAS POSSESSION OF THE TIRES AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,000. UPDATED 3/19/09 *CN UPDATED 03/23/09. *JB