2004 CHRYSLER 300M Complaints

BOTH FOG LIGHTS ON MY 2004 300M SPECIAL STOPPED WORKING,. TOOK IN FOR SERVICE TO CHRYSLER DEALER 5/2/06 AND TOLD THE WIRING HARNESS WAS "BURNED". THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE HARNESS AT MY COST, $2000+ NEW OR $300+ USED FOR THE PART, PLUS LABOR. DECLINED REPAIR TO AWAIT OUTCOME OF COMPLAINT. THEIR WAS NO FIRE BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ONE COULD NOT HAVE DEVELOPED. *NM

IS THERE SOME REGULATION ABOUT THE NEW LED TAIL LIGHTS? MANY OF THEM FLICKER AT A LOW FREQUENCY, LIKE A STROBE LIGHT, THAT IS VERY DISTRACTING. TESTS IN THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY FOR CRTS HAVE SHOWN THAT 60HZ FLICKER, WHILE INVISIBLE FOR MANY, IS VERY DISTRACTING FOR AROUND 1/3 THE POPULATION. 72HZ IS BETTER, BUT 80HZ IS NECESSARY TO COVER 95%+ OF THE POPULATION. SINCE LEDS HAVE FASTER RESPONSE AND SINCE THERE IS LITTLE OR NO COST TO DO IT RIGHT, LED TAIL LIGHTS OUGHT TO FLICKER AT 200HZ OR HIGHER. THE REASON THEY ARE PULSED IN THE FIRST PLACE IS TO PROVIDE BETTER BRIGHTNESS ELECTRONIC CONTROL, BUT THERE IS NO REASON TO FLASH SO SLOWLY. *JB

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, CALM WEATHER MODERATE TEMP, THERE WAS A NOISE AND SUNROOF WINDOW EXPLODED. THE HEADLINER WAS CLOSED AND NOTHING STRUCK THE WINDOW THE GLASS SHATTERED. NO APPARENT REASON FOR THIS AS NO OVERPASS INVOLVED OR PASSING VEHICLES. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH THE AIR BAG LAMP ILLUMINATED. AS A RESULT, THE HORN DOES NOT WORK. THE CONTACT VERBALLY SPOKE WITH THE DEALER ABOUT THE PROBLEM. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT APPEARED. FUEL EMISSION CONTROL:CANISTER WAS LEAKING, AND DEALER REPLACED CANISTER. ALSO REPLACED HOOD LATCH. *AK

ON MARCH 10, 2006 MY FIANCE WAS ON HER WAY HOME FROM WORK. SHE HAD JUST STARTED MOVING WHEN A STOP LIGHT TURNED GREEN. ABOUT 150 FEET DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE STOP LIGHT THE TRAFFIC CAME TO A STOP BECAUSE OF A TRAFFIC JAM. WHEN MY FIANCE APPLIED THE BRAKES THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR HAD NO BRAKES WHAT-SO-EVER. SHE REAR-ENDED A FORD ESCORT THAT WAS IN FRONT OF HER. WE HAVE TWO WITNESSES TO THE FACT THAT 15 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STILL ON THE FLOOR. WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVED, THE OFFICER WOULDN'T EVEN PUSH THE CAR OFF OF THE ROAD WHEN WE TOLD HIM THAT IT HAD NO BRAKES. WE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL A TOW TRUCK MOVED THE CAR FROM THE ROAD SURFACE. I AM NOW FACING AN INSURANCE CLAIM FORM MY CAR AND THE OTHER CAR DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE CAR IS BEING TOWED TO THE BODY SHOP ON MARCH 13, 2006 WHERE I AM GOING TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE BRAKES. ONCE THE CAR IS REPAIRED I WILL THEM TAKE IT TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER AND HAVE THEM DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO THE BRAKES TO SEE WHY THE FAILURE HAPPENED. MY CAR IS A 2004 CHRYSLER 300M PLATINUM SERIES. *JB

2005 CHRYSLER 300M ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH AND THE VEHICLE RECEIVED A RECALL TO REPLACE THE HOOD LATCH.*MR THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE EVAP PUMP WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE EVAP PUMP WAS REPLACED TWICE IN AN EFFORT TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. *NM THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT HIS VEHICLE ONLY GET 15 MPG. THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN MOSTLY ON THE HIGHWAY. *NM

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE CHECK ENGINE AND AIR BAG LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE STALLED. AFTER STALLING, THE ENGINE GAVE OFF A BURNING ODOR THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO WAIT 5-10 MINUTES BEFORE TRYING TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. *JB

CHRYSLER 300M (300M) PULLS TO EITHER SIDE (WILDLY TO VIOLENTLY DEPENDING ON BRAKING FORCE AND TEMPERATURE OF ENGINE). USUALLY AFTER PULLING DURING BRAKING, THE 300M WILL PULL IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHEN PROCEEDING FROM THIS STOP. THIS PULLING ACTION WILL CEASE AFTER THE ENGINE IS FULLY WARMED (ABOUT 15 MINUTES). THE INTENSITY OF 'PULL' HAS SEVERAL TIMES PULLED THE STEERING WHEEL FROM MY GRIP. PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT TO DEALER'S ATTENTION....DURING FIVE TRIIPS TO DEALER HE REPLACED THE ROTORS AND PADS AND ALIGNED THE FRONT END (TWICE), ALL TO NO AVAIL. ALL RIDES WITH DEALER WERE FRUITLESS SINCE THE 15 MINUTE WARM-UP HAD OCCURED DURING MY DRIVE FROM HOME TO DEALER(ONE MECHANIC DID SAY HE OBSERVED PULLING BUT LATER HEDGED ON STATEMENT. SINCE I DRIVE THE CAR EVERYDAY FROM A COLD START, I ALWAYS EXPERIENCED PULLING; TO LET THE DEALER OBSERVE A COLD ENGINE, I LEFT THE CAR WITH HIM FOR 3 (MAY HAVE BEEN 4) DAYS TO DRIVE AS HIS PERSONAL CAR. AFTER THE TIME PERIOD HE CLAIMED NOT TO HAVE EXPERIENCED PULLING (AN UNBELIEVEABLE STATEMENT SINCE I ALWAYS DID). IT IS ALSO INTERESTING THAT THIS PULLING PROBLEM EXISTS ON MY DAUGTHER'S MERCEDES 230?? AND HER FRIEND'S MERCEDES V12 AND ON THE CHRYSLER SEBRING (2006 ???) I AM RENTING FROM ENTERPRISE AT THIS TIME. *NM

DEAR SIRS, ANSWERS TO THE ABOVE THREE QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED BELOW: (1) SQUEAK IN FRONT BRAKES, NOTED ONE DAY PRIOR TO TAKING VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR. (2) FRONT ROTORS WERE WORN BEYOND REPAIR IN SLIGHTLY OVER 20K MILES. (3) I PAID FOR THE REPAIRS, $328.41 AND I AM ASKING CHRYSLER FOR REIMBURSEMENT. I HAVE HE DEFECTIVE ROTORS IF INSPECTION IS NEEDED. I OWN A 2004 CHRYSLER 300M SPECIAL, VIN [XXX]. YESTERDAY (10-5-05) I NOTICED A SQUEAK WHEN THE CAR WAS MOVING. I WAS ALMOST SURE THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I THEN LOOKED AT MY ODOMETER AND IT ONLY READ A LITTLE OVER 20,500 MILES. MY EXPERIENCE WITH CHRYSLER DISK BRAKES TOLD ME IT WAS WAY TOO EARLY FOR THE PADS TO BE WORN. I IMMEDIATELY MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH SUPERSTITION SPRINGS CHRYSLER JEEP, 6130 E. AUTO PARK DR., MESA, AZ 85206. THE SERVICE ADVISOR, GENE LANGEN, TOLD ME WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE THAT FRONT BRAKES GOING OUT AT 20,000 MILES WAS VERY COMMON FOR THE 300M. LATER TODAY IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE ROTORS HAD BEEN WORN BEYOND REPAIR BY THE PADS. THE SQUEAK I HEARD WAS THE SPRING THAT HOLDS THE PADS IN PLACE COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE ROTOR. THERE WAS STILL BRAKE PAD MATERIAL ON EACH PAD. THERE WAS NO METAL-TO-METAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR. I INSPECTED THE REAR DISK BRAKES AND THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE SAME PROBLEM IS HAPPENING WITH THEM, JUST AT A SLOWER RATE. IF THIS IS COMMON TO HAVE ROTORS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AT 20,000 MILES THEN SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOUR PRODUCT. EITHER THE ROTORS ARE TOO SOFT OR THE BREAK PADS ARE TOO HARD OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH. I FEEL THE COST OF THE NEW ROTORS THIS EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY CHRYSLER. SINCE THE REAR BRAKES SEEM TO BE HEADED IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE FRONT, I WOULD LIKE SOMETHING DONE TO THEM SO I WON'T BE LOOKING AT ANOTHER $300.00 PLUS IN A FEW MONTHS. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT: LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD FLICKER AND THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT LIGHT AND AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. HAS NO WARNING THAT THE LIGHTS ARE GOING TO STAY ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT RUNS THE BATTERY DOWN, AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. HAS HAPPENED ON EVERY VACATION HE HAS TAKEN. HAD IT FIXED 3 TIMES, AND IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR A MONTH NOW. MANUFACTURER IS OFFERING NO HELP. DEALER IS TRYING TO HELP. THE CAR IS A CHRYSLER 300C.*AK