1999 CHRYSLER 300M Complaints

THERE IS A 10 TO 12 INCH VERTICAL CRACK WHERE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS IN THE DASH. IS THIS SAFE? COULD THE AIRBAG RELEASE WITHOUT AN IMPACT? THIS STARTED AS A SMALL 1-2 INCH CRACK AND HAS INCREASED IN SIZE OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. *JB

I OWN A '99 CHRYSLER 300M. THE DASH HAS DEVELOP A 10" VERTICAL CRACK ON THE DASH ABOVE THE AIR-BAG. I SPOKE WITH SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS OF SIMILAR 300M'S, ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL THESIS A FLAW IN MANUFACTURING AND A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. *JB

MY 1999 CHRYSLER 300M HAS DEVELOPED 2 CRACKS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD, ON EITHER SIDE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. I RESEARCHED THIS ONLINE AND IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THE CRACKS FORM ONLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND ALWAYS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE AIR BAG. I TRIED TO GET THE CRACKS REPAIRED, BUT NO ONE IS WILLING TO DO THE WORK DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE AIR BAG. I BELIEVE THIS IS MUCH MORE OF A SAFETY ISSUE THAN SIMPLY A COSMETIC ONE DUE TO THE FOLLOWING REASONS: THE AIR BAG IS DESIGNED TO DEPLOY WITH A GIVEN AMOUNT OF FORCE. IN MY CAR, THE AMOUNT OF FORCE NECESSARY TO BREAK THROUGH THE DASHBOARD MATERIAL IS FACTORED INTO THE FORCE OF AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. THE DASH IS ALREADY CRACKED, THE AIR BAGS MAY (NOTE, I DID NOT SAY "WILL"--I'M NOT A CHRYSLER ENGINEER) DEPLOY TOO FORCEFULLY, THEREBY CAUSING GREATER INJURIES TO A PASSENGER-SIDE OCCUPANT. IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE DASH WON'T BREAK AWAY PROPERLY, CAUSING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF DASHBOARD FOAM OR OTHER MATERIAL TO BE PROJECTED TOWARD THE FACE AND BODY OF THE PASSENGER-SIDE OCCUPANT AND CAUSING LACERATIONS AND/OR EYE INJURIES THAT MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE BE ENCOUNTERED IN A MEDIUM-SPEED FRONT-END COLLISION. AND IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE THAT IF THE DASHBOARD IS COMPROMISED, IT MAY INTERFERE WITH AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT ALTOGETHER. PLEASE NOTE MY COMPLAINT AND TAKE ANY ACTION THAT YOUR OFFICE MAY FEEL IS NECESARY TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME. PLEASE SEE THIS LINK FOR OTHERS WHO ARE HAVIGN THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT I AM HAVING. HTTP://300MCLUB.ORG/FORUMS/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?T=3903&START=0&POSTDAYS=0&POSTORDER=ASC&HIGHLIGHT=GARAGE+DOOR. *NM

MY CHRYSLER 300M LOSES ITS POWER BRAKES WHENEVER IT IS COLD AND IT SEEMS DAMP OUT SIDE. THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE CAR WARMS UP IT WORKS GOOD ENOUGH TO DRIVE BUT THE BRAKES ARE STILL SLUGGISH. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR 15 MIN TO HALF HOUR THE BRAKE BOOSTER SEEMS TO START WORKING OK. IT HAS DONE THIS SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. I HAVE NO BRAKING WHEN THE CAR IS COLD SOMETIMES! AND A LOUD SUCKING SOUND COMES OUT OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER WHEN ITS HANGING UP. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STRUCK BY AN EIGHTEEN WHEELER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT AND QUARTER PANEL. THE VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE AND LANDED ON ALL FOUR WHEELS. HOWEVER, THE FRONT AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. THE OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS. UPON INITIAL IMPACT THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT UNBUCKLED, SHE WAS THROWN AROUND THE VEHICLE AND LANDED ON TOP OF THE DRIVER. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE BACK AND NECK AREAS. THE POLICE FILED A REPORT AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. *AK UPDATED 02/13/06. *JB

I PURCHASED MY 1999 CHRYSLER 300M IN APRIL 2001 IT HAD 24000.00 MILES. WITHIN THE 6 MONTHS I NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE RACK AND PINION STEERING AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM TO GET IT REPLACED. ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE RACK AND PINION SYSTEM AGAIN BUT EVERYTIME I TOOK IT TO BE DIAGNOSED THEY KEPT TELLING ME TO CHANGED THE TIRES OR HAVE THE TIRES BALANCED OR I NEED A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED UNTIL LAST WEEKEND DEC 17, 2005 WHEN THE ENTIRE WHEEL BROKE OFF FROM THE AXLE, HAD IT NOT HAPPENED AS MY WIFE WAS ABOUT TO PULL OUT OF OUR APARTMENT COMPLEX IT WOULD HAVE HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH IS ABOUT A 1000 FEET FROM OUR APARTMENT WHICH IS WHERE SHE WAS HEADED. I'VE BEEN READING THE EMAIL BOARDS AND I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF CHRYSLER 1999 300M ARE HAVING THE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I STARTED NOTICING IT WHEN MY CAR WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65 TO 70 MPH AND THE WHEELS WOULD VIBRATE, AND WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS THERE WOULD BE A CLUMPING NOSE COMING FROM THE FRONT WHEELS. ALSO WHEN MAKING TURNS IT SEEMS THE WHEEL WOULD LOOSE TRACTION WHEN IT'S WET. *JB

WHILE ACCELERATING TO MERGE INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC, THE THROTTLE STUCK OPEN. THE ENGINE RPM WENT TO 5500 WITH SPEED REACHING IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, NO OBSTRUCTION WAS FOUND ON THE THROTTLE PEDAL, HAZARD LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON AND THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED TO KEEP FROM FURTHER ACCELERATION UNTIL THE IGNITION KEY WAS TURNED TO OFF SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE. REPAIR WAS PERFORMED AT A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. PROBLEM IDENTIFIED BY DEALER AS ' HIGH IDLE', CORRECTED BY TIGHTENING THROTTLE BODY SCREW AND FIXING MISALIGNED THROTTLE BODY. REPAIR COST - $45.00. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 300M CHRYSLER. EVER SINCE HE BOUGHT THE CAR HE HAD PROBLEMS WITH FLAT TIRES. HAD ABOUT FIFTEEN FLAT TIRES, NOT PUNCTURED BECAUSE THE WHEELS WILL NOT HOLD AIR. HE STATED THIS WAS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER CHROME WHEELS BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM AROUND THE RIM THAT CAUSED CORROSION AND THE TIRE LOSING AIR. HE STATED THIS WAS BASED ON WHAT DON SMITH TOLD HIM. HE STATES THAT DON SMITH TRIED TO GET HIM NEW TIRES A ND TRIED TO HELP HIM SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL .HE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED, AND THE DEALER KEPT PUTTING HIM OFF. THE SERVICE MAN AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HIM IT WAS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM. THE TIRE SERVICEMAN TOLD HIM HE WOULD HAVE THIS PROBLEM FOR AS LONG AS HE OWNED THE CAR. IN JANUARY 05 HE TALKED TO THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY TOLD HIM IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AFTER PUTTING NEW TIRES ON THE CAR. HE PUT NEW TIRES ON AND IT STILL HAPPENED. THE NEW TIRES HAVD 4,000 MILES ON THEM. HE WAS STILL HAVING FLAT TIRES. ALSO TALKED TO THE MANUFACTURER LAST ON 10-03-05 AND THEY TOLD HIM THEY COULD NOT COVER IT. HIS LAST FLAT TIRE WAS ON 10-7-05.*AK UPDATED 11/16/2005 - *NM

1. NORMAL EVERYDAY DRIVING. 2. RADIATOR/CONDENSER COOLING FAN BURNT UP; COULD SMELL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM FAN UNIT. BLEW 30A FUSE AND SMOKE/SMELL STOPPED. A/C QUIT WORKING DUE TO FAN QUITTING AND FUSE BLOWING. I WAS ON MY WAY BACK TO DALLAS TEXAS FROM GEORGIA WHEN THIS BLEW. LUCKILY THE CAR KEPT RUNNING ON ONE OF THE TWO FANS, AND IT WAS AT NIGHT WHEN IT WASN'T SO HOT! HAD TO REPLACE DUAL COOLING FAN UNIT. 3. REPLACED DUAL COOLING FAN UNIT AND 30A FUSE. $300.00 REPAIR DONE BY MYSELF SINCE THE CAR IS NOT IN WARRANTY. *JB

1. NORMAL EVERYDAY DRIVING 2. SEVERAL POWER WINDOWS ON THE CAR HAVE STUCK CLOSED. COULDN'T ROLL DOWN WINDOW. 3. SEVERAL POWER WINDOW MOTORS WERE REPLACED ON THE CAR. FORTUNATELY, THIS WAS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. HOWEVER, I NOW HAVE A BACK GLASS THAT STICKS INTERMITTENTLY AND HAVE REPAIRED IT SEVERAL TIMES MYSELF!*JB