1999 CHRYSLER 300M Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S DASHBOARD HAD DEVELOPED A SMALL CRACK TO THE RIGHT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO REPAIR THE CRACKED DASHBOARD UNLESS THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD WAS REPLACED. THE CRACK GREW LARGER WITH TIME AND WENT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THIS TO BE A SAFETY DEFECT BECAUSE IT COULD OBSTRUCT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. UPDATED 7/18/2006 - *NM

MY PROBLEM IS WITH MY 1999 CHRYSLER 300M. THIS IS MY WIFE'S PRIMARY SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION. SHE IS A STAY AT HOME MOTHER. THE VEHICLE HAS RELATIVELY LOW MILES, 77K BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN LITTLE AND ONLY FOR ERRANDS AND SHORT TRIPS WITH OUR (2) SMALL CHILDREN. THE VEHICLE IS STORED IN A GARAGE. OUR EXPERIENCE WAS UPON RETURNING HOME 6/17, WE TURNED ONTO A RESIDENTIAL STREET APPROX. 1/4 MILE FROM OUR HOUSE. WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE. WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO FIND THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL ASSEMBLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CHRYSLER SERVICE TECHNICIAN HAS SINCE TOLD US THE FAILURE WAS THE FRONT BALL JOINT BREAKING IN TURN SNAPPING OFF THE SPINDLE AND BENDING THE STRUT AND FRONT FENDER. HE TOLD US " WE DON'T EVEN STOCK THESE PARTS BECAUSE THEY NEVER GO BAD." AND " THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED." MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS HAPPENED AT A LOW SPEED. 15-20 MPH. AT HIGH SPEEDS, IT SEEMS CERTAIN TO ME SERIOUS DAMAGE AND BODILY INJURY COULD OCCUR. CHRYSLER HAS OFFERED NO COMPENSATION OR EXPLANATION FOR THIS PROBLEM. I WAS REBUFFED TO EVEN GET INFORMATION FOR A POSSIBLE RECURRENCE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. CAN YOU TELL ME IF THIS VEHICLE IS SAFE? CHRYSLER DID TELL ME PART OF THE REASON THEY REJECTED RESPONSIBILITY WAS BECAUSE THE CAR HAD MULTIPLE OWNERS AND THE PREVIOUS ONE MAY HAVE MIS-HANDLED THE VEHICLE. WE KNOW THE PREVIOUS OWNER. IT WAS MY FATHER-IN-LAW. HE ENJOYED THE CAR SO MUCH HE LEASED ANOTHER ONE. THIS CAR HAS REGULAR MAINTENANCE CHECKUPS. NOTHING IN MY SERVICE MANUAL INDICATES THERE MAY BE A FAILURE OF THIS MAGNITUDE AT THIS POINT IN THE VEHICLES LIFE. I'M REPORTING THIS TO NHTSA SO THERE IS A FORMAL RECORD ON FILE IN THE EVENT THERE IS A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT AGAIN. I FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN ON A SURFACE STREET AS THE ENTIRE FAMILY WAS IN THE CAR. THE BILL FOR THIS REPAIR IS EXCESSIVE. THE CHRYSLER 300M, TO MY KNOWLEDGE WAS CHRYSLER'S MOST EXPENSIVE VEHICLE IN 1999. *JB

OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, I HAVE DEVELOPED A 7 INCH CRACK IN THE DASH ABOVE MY PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG OF MY 1999 CHRYSLER 300M. CRACK CONTINUES TO GROW AND CONCERNS SAFETY. NO REPAIRS DONE DUE TO PROXIMITY OF AIR BAG. *NM

THE VINYL ON THE DASHBOARD OVER THE PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG HAS SPONTANIOUSLY CRACKED OPEN ALL ALONG THE CREASE THAT WAS DESIGNED TO BREAK WHEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYS. I WONDER IF THIS AFFECTS THE FORCE OF AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *NM

IT IS SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ALIGN A 1999 CHRYSLER 300M, AND THIS HAS BEEN QUITE AN ALARMING RECENT EXPERIENCE FOR ME, HAVING JUST BOUGHT A USED ONE AND HAVING CHANGED A LOT OF FRONT-END SUSPENSION PARTS BEFORE ALIGNING AND RE-ALIGNING. I FEEL SO HORRIBLE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT AND CONTINUE TO BUY THESE 300 CARS TODAY. IN COMPARISON TO MY OTHER CARS, (A 1993 PONTIAC FIREBIRD AND EVEN AN OLDER CHRYSLER PRODUCT, A 1986 DAYTONA) WHICH CAN BE EASILY ALIGNED IF ALL THE RIGHT PARTS ARE IN AND WORK WELL, THE 300M SIMPLY CANNOT BE ALIGNED IT SEEMS, NO MATTER WHAT PARTS ARE CHANGED. WHAT A SHAME FOR AMERICA MANUFACTURING! SHAME!*JB

ON 04/26/06, WHILE AT A SAMS CLUB STORE, I NOTICED A LARGE BULGE IN THE SIDEWALL OF ONE OF THE TWO GOODYEAR EAGLE LS 225/55R17BW TIRES THAT I PURCHASED FROM WALMART AND HAD INSTALLED BY WALMART ON 03/28/06. THE TIRE WAS DETERMINED BY A TIRE ASSOCIATE AT THE SAMS CLUB STORE TO BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON, SO HE REMOVED THE WHEEL AND REPLACED IT WITH THE SPARE. I AM TAKING THE TIRE BACK TO WALMART ON 04/27/06 TO GET A CREDIT TO BE APPLIED TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF A REPLACEMENT TIRE. *NM

1999 300M CHRYSLER "STEERING WHEEL PROBLEMS". WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2000 AT A USED DEALERSHIP WITH 30,000 MILES, EVER SINCE WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND COST US A LOT OF MONEY. ON ONE OCCASION WHERE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ALL OF SUDDEN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED ITSELF AND LUCKILY IT WAS NOT BUSY ON THE ROAD AND SAFELY PULLED ON THE SIDE. I TOOK IT TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER AND PAY $1400 TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING WHEEL. AS OF TODAY, AGAIN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOOSES ITS STEERING AND IT JUST KEEP ROLLING AND IT SO LOOSE. I CONTACTED AND DID NOT WANT TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY OR EVEN OFFER ME A DISCOUNT TO FIX IT. THEY SAID WARRANTY WAS UP. I CANNOT BELIEVE THE LACK OF ATTENTION FROM CHRYSLER TO MY PROBLEM AND I THINK ITS A SAFETY ISSUE HERE. *NM

I HAVE HAD MY 300M FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR NOW AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A SMALL CRACK DEVELOPING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. THE CRACK QUICKLY GREW FROM ABOUT 1 INCH TO ABOUT 7 INCHES IN A MATTER OF DAYS. I HAD A LOCAL COMPANY COVER THE DAMAGE BUT THERE WAS NOT MUCH THEY COULD DO WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH THE RELIABILITY OF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THESE ISSUES, I HAVE FOUND THAT JUST ABOUT EVERYONE THAT OWNS A 300M HAS THIS SAME PROBLEM INCLUDING MY SISTER. I READ THAT THE TEAR IN THE DASH IS BECAUSE THE DASH IS THINNER AROUND THE AIRBAG TO ALLOW DEPLOYMENT, THUS A PRICEY REPAIR (REPLACEMENT). I BELIEVE THAT SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD PICK UP THE TAB ON THIS ONE. *JB

IN 10/2005, 1999 CHRYSLER 300 M WAS PURCHASED. TWO WEEKS LATER, LIGHTS WOULD START FLICKERING ON INSIDE OF CAR. IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD, ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED, AND CAR WOULD NOT START UP. CAR WAS JUMPED WITH BATTERY VAC, ALLOWED CAR PERFORMANCE FOR ONE TRIP. SAME DAY, BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND CAR WOULD START, BUT INSIDE LIGHT FLICKERING WAS STILL A PROBLEM. IN 11/2005, CAR SHUT DOWN AGAIN. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WARRANTY'S BODY SHOP. BODY SHOP CLAIMS CAR HAS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. BODY SHOP SAYS THEY JUMPED VEHICLE; WHEN VEHICLE WAS RETURNED, CAR OPERATED CORRECTLY WITH NO MORE INSIDE LIGHT FLICKERING FAILURE. ON 4/16/2006, CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN AGAIN AND REQUIRED JUMP FROM BATTERY VAC; JUMP ONLY ALLOWED CAR ONE TRIP, CAR FAILS TO START UP AGAIN. *NM

3" CRACK IN PASSENGER SIDE DASH WHERE THE AIRBAG IS DEPLOYED FROM. I HAVE A 1999 CHRYSLER 300M. *JB