Chrysler 300M

300kam

I would like to put my 2 cents. I believe people should give American cars a chance, I'm sure American cars nowaday are a lot better then 5 years ago. IMHO, rice burner makers have advantage not spending much efforts in inventions and designs except imitation and improvement. Like any car makes, there are lemons or bad guys. I had a BMW before, the car had more problems than my 300M in 1st year. Chrysler does really do a good job.

bigmike5,
I couldn't agree you more, yes, if you want the 300M to response, please floor the pedal, don't hesitate. You'll see the different.

sj57
I may be able to help you regarding to your vibration questions. I live in San Jose also. We can meet somewhere. Mine doesn't has sunroof though. I browse here once a week only.

By the way,
I would like to hear owners replaced their tire/wheel with wider one. After seeing the Special, the wider tires does make the 300M have a sport sedan look. The stock tires are just kind of like chicken legs. The wheels looks good though.
I would like to know the size and make, any problems after installation. With the GoodYear problems, seem to me 300M is very picky with tire, may be a design fault?

A happy owner of a 2001(bought end of 2000) with PHP, no problem so far.

lflowers

I bought new, wider wheels and tires for my 2000 M last year. I replaced my 7" x 17" Razorstars with 8" x 17" Konig Tantrum wheels and replaced the stock Goodyears with 245/45ZR-17 Goodrich Gforce TA KDW tires. There are definitely pros and cons to doing this!
I love the way the new Tantrums and the wider, lower profile tires look on the car and the cornering power has to be experienced to be believed! The drawback is that, with tires that have a cross section of less than 50%, you get a contact patch wider than it is long. This causes some directional instability, such as darting left or right on bumpy roads or under braking. This is not a 300M problem, it is common to any car using tires with a section under 50%.
For myself, I'm willing to put up with the drawbacks in return for the improved cornering power.
Also, with the Goodrich KDW's, the wet weather roadholding is phenomenal. Just keep the above in mind when considering going to wider tires and be sure you can live with the effects.

Also, My 2000 M just turned over 46K miles with no service complaints. I like my dealer's service and attitude and I LOVE the car. I'm 62 years old and have owned many cars, including several I raced in the SCCA, and I am continually impressed with the responsiveness, handling, performance, and comfort of my 300M. If the 300N looks as good (the prototypes I've seen pictures of DO NOT), I'll probably buy another Chrysler product in 4 or 5 years.
Lynn Flowers
McKinney, Texas

kosh_2258

I've noticed that pattern with Chrysler. It looks like the first year cars are intended to hit the cost target. Then they monitor the feedback to see if people will accept them that way. If not, then they resort to better quality materials and such to bring the car up to where people WILL accept them.
It's like they're fishing to find out what the lowest vehicle cost is they can get away with.

So I've pretty much learned to stay away from the first year of anything Chrysler. It looks like buying them mid-cycle is the best approach. By then they've worked the cheapness out of them and all the worthwhile improvements have been made.

If the time comes to buy an N it WILL have the manual. Both the wife and I prefer a stick and have missed them in our recent vehicles. So for me selling the wife on a N won't be a challenge.

300michael

You have a couple of options. One is to go with the stock tire size (as I did) but purchase a better tire. I have Bridgestone S0-3 Pole postitions. They do every thing I wanted. They are excellent on wet traction, they grip the road like they were "glued to it", and quiet. I checked out tire racks web site they they were the best Performance all around tire at the time.
Another option is to chang to profile say 245/50 17's.

300michael

The only other thing I do not like about disconnecting power is that the surge of electricty that the computer componets get when you hook it back up. Most electronics do not like this.

ottowrkr

jona57 - it already is. The ratio used is the gear set on the trans that goes in the 2.7 engine. When we build a special we install the trans made for the 2.7 engine .

bigmike5- I would love to see a white special myself.

beach15

I've said enough on this topic, and won't say another word about it unless something stops working or the car stops running. Some people get a good car, others don't, end of story. So we'll now get back onto the "normal" 300M discussion (or at least I will!).

Just did the 18k oil change on the M this morning. We haven't changed the air filter yet, but do clean it off periodically with an air compressor. It's not too dirty, but maybe we should get a new one soon. I know most of you use K & N's, but that be the day anyone would convince my father to pay more than a few bucks for an air filter, top quality or not!

I need to wash the car too, but it's supposed to rain today so it'll have to wait until tomorrow. I had been wanting to order some Zaino but it's still a little pricy (though the shine would probably be worth it), so I've just been sticking with some Meguire's Cleaner Wax. Not too bad, but cheap and the shine doesn't impress me. I also use tire foam for the tires, but have had a problem. For you guys who use sprays and have the chromes, how do you keep it from overrunning onto the freshly cleaned wheels? My dad made a 14" shield to use for his Chevelle and it seems to work okay, but I'm still trying to find a better way. Any suggestions?

-beach

jona57

300kam-

I could not agree more. Most all reasonably objective sources (e.g. JD Power surveys) indicate all makes are generally decreasing their defect rates, and the "Big 3" are improving faster. There are good and bad cars put out by all makers, but certain publications slant their stories. Witness the Toyota slude-related engine failure issue (found elsewhere here on Edmunds) which I have yet to see mentioned by Consumer Distorts (which seems to think all Toyotas walk on water!). Bottom line is that you buy a CAR, not a "reliability record". The majority of cars produced are fine with nothing more than minor issues at worst. There are also real LEMONS, and if you happen to get one it's a pain. I try never to buy a new design in its 1st year because cars are too expensive for me to be a beta-tester!

Jon
'01 300M- great fun car, zero prob's.

fastdriver

jona57-

Generally speaking, I would disagree with your buy a car, not a reliability record theory.

You are CERTAINLY better off buying a car with a good reliabilty record than one that doesn't have one.

As for the Toyota SLUDGE problem, it seems to be caused by people ignoring oil change intervals. Changing oil frequently seems to eliminate any sludge problems. In the real world, Toyota does walk on water compared to some other brands.

fastdriver

scotian

I have stock Michelins, and I have found that braking to a stop on a not completely flat road surface has always made my front end go nuts! Has anyone else experienced this?

Also, lately a short high-pitched tone has come out of my engine while warming the car up here in MN. It can happen while stopped or moving, but only occurs during the first few minutes after being turned on.

blonda

Same here. There is a light I stop at near my house that has always pulled my front end sharply to the right when I brake. Had it with the Goodyears and is even worse with the wider performance tires I have now.

blonda

Took my car to Jiffy Lube today for an oil change. Have used them since I got the car. Well they finally stripped the plug. Told me it had to be re-tapped. I informed them that, since they are the only ones who change my oil, they did it and I'm not paying. They were able to re-tap it while I waited, but told me that...even though they have it noted in the service records, to please remind them next time not to overtighten. Someone here had the same problem with Jiffy Lube a year or so ago. What's the torque level they are supposed to use again??

Checked the garage floor about an hour after I got home...there's a little oil there. I hope it's just residual stuff. I'm going to have to keep an eye on it now. If it's leaking I'm going to make them fix or replace at their cost.

no1trust

Hopefully I will be able to actually test drive a 300M Special in about 3 hours (unless the dealer sells it off quick again). I'd like to avoid using my 4* dealerships as much as possible when I buy a new car. Assuming that no significant problems develop with the car, are there mileage/time intervals I MUST take the 300M to the dealer for servicing? Other than synthetic oil changes, what should I expect to have done in order to maintain the warranty if I want to use my trusted service shp in lieu of the dealer?

no1trust

Went to the Chrysler site and in spite of the numerous dealerships locally the closest 5* dealership is 65+ miles away... or I can even farther to Arizona.

fastdriver

no1trust-

I don't believe you have to take your car to ANY dealer for service as long as you use a certified garage/mechanic AND save all your service slips.

Warranty work is a different story. Don't be fooled by that "5-STAR" HYPE! It means nothing! Here in CT, I have noticed recently that all the Chrysler ads aren't even mentioning their "5-STAR" status anymore. They always touted that in their ads previously. Anyone else notice that? Maybe "5-STAR" is disappearing. All the Chrysler dealers around here are "5-STAR"! LOL....

fastdriver

arby500

My son used to work for a Jiffy Lube. He ended up as Assistant Manager after only 3 months. The only thing you gain from Jiffy Lube is it's gonna be quick in/out. You are dealing with minimum wage employees that have minimum experience working on cars. They wear nice uniforms though.

no1trust

Each of the dealerships I went to claimed they were under DC scrutiny & they were "about" to get the 5* back, so they apparently care about the rating. I don't know if there's really any difference in quality of service between 5* and lesser * service, will they be more likely to honor their warranty work (if needed)? I was more interested in what kind of service & what intervals are required for a 2002, and if they can be performed at a local certified Gemini/Goodyear shop which has been extremely reliable over the past 14 years (& much cheaper than the dealer).

fastdriver

no1trust-

Oh, they care about that rating alright because it means $$$$$$ to them, prizes, trips etc., but many of them keep it because of their relationship with the factory reps who are the ones who "supposedly" check on whether or not they abide by the "5-STAR" "guidelines" that are listed at fivestar.com. HOW do these factory reps check? Do they call the customers at random to see if the dealer did what they were supposed to do in a timely fashion? ;-))) You put the pieces together. I did a LONG time ago!

fastdriver

fastdriver

no1trust-

Ever hear of "one hand washes the other"?

fastdriver

no1trust

The 300M still appears to be a very desirable car; I've gotten that much from the bulk of the owners here. I'm not a fan of dealerships (other than our Lexus dealer, which has had impeccable service). I expect Chrysler service to be in the basement along w/Honda, Toyota (not the product, just the service) at least if you put any credence in JD Powers' reported survey results here and elsewhere. Other than Lexus, I'd prefer avoiding getting serviced by the dealer if at all possible (thanks for the info that warranty service has to be done by the dealer... guess I'll have to live with that).

glennbp

I also try and avoid any dealer's service dept unless it's a warranty issue. There is no problem at all using any garage for regular maintainence, but as has been said, keep those receipts. If there's a problem and you can't prove you had the scheduled maintainence done, they can and may not cover a repair related to the servicing or in this case, lack thereof. The problem with most dealers as I see it is that they think they are a sideline to the dealership, which is really STUPID because they make a good deal of $$$ on servicing. Most stand alone garages know that if they blow their reputation their business could go belly up. Hence, the better service and treatment at usually a lower cost to boot!

uxca300m

Beach 15 said." I also use tire foam
for the tires, but have had a problem. For you guys who use sprays and have the chromes, how do you keep it from
overrunning onto the freshly cleaned wheels? My dad made a 14" shield to use for his Chevelle and it seems to
work okay, but I'm still trying to find a better way. Any suggestions?"

Maybe, just maybe this might work. What if you sprayed the tires first and cleaned the chrome afterwards. Just a thought: )

300mike

I'm about to purchase the 300M Club Polo shirts but noticed that the black and white shirts are 100% cotton. For those of you who already own them, do they shrink much or are they already pre-shrunk? An XL will fit me perfectly but if it shrinks it will be too small.

Sorry for such a dumb question but my comfort relies on this info

Mike

P.S. I heard rumors of 300M Club floor mats. I hope it comes true.

300michael

I tend to change my own oil. So if I screw up the drain plug it is going to be my falt. The first time I did it it was over tightened (by the dealer). So 12 oil changes later no problems.
Blonda, did they use some sort of rubber washer on the drain plug? If the oil drips are on the drivers side, no problem. if it is in the center or passangers side, they goofed up.

300michael

Sdmike, I still have a brand new black one, size XL from the AZ meet, if you need it I will bring it with me to the meet.

beach15

Okay maybe, but that's not the way I do things. When I wash the car, I do the wheels to and dry them all at the same time. Then I put the spray on the tires. If I washed the wheels afterward, it would take the tire shine that I just put on away.

Jeez, I think I'll just cut a 17" shield out and forget other ideas!

achance

I've had two: an 88 Lebaron Turbo Coupe and the 99M. I think I probably did all of Chrysler's R&D on the 88 LeBaron, but they paid for almost all of it. I drove it eleven years, kept it well maintained, and probably didn't spend $1K on maintenance beyond consumables. Chrysler spent a bunch, however! I've had no real problems with the M other than a wierd noise when its cold and the defroster is on. I think it is the A/C compressor clutch, but the dealer is doing the dread "cannot duplicate" routine. That said though, the 99M is a relatively undeveloped car. Just like with computers, being the first one on the block with whatever, be it an M or a Pentium 5, has a price.

beach15

Well, today I drove the M to Lowes and then to the fish store, and I must say I'm actually starting to like it. On the way home, I was more relaxed and got quite comfortable in the car, expecially after moving the seat forward a few times. It's easy to drive it a little fast and fun through the corners, but the vibration in the steering wheel at 50mph+ and the fact that it pulls to the left detract from the niceness. I still think there's too much slack and/or looseness in the accelerator though.

But, with me driving, where did my parents sit? My dad in the front and my mom in the back with our poodle. A few of her comments were: "Yeah, it actually is noisier back here" and "I don't like this seat". She also tried to scope out a few rattles. But, more importantly, she said "I need to get rid of this car and get something else. Find me a good deal". She's actually said this so much in the past few days, I have to hurry up before she changes her mind.

From experiance, the things she like aren't too cheap and the M isn't worth too much more than pay-off. So, what about a lease? I don't know, I'll have to ask and convince, but I think it'd be a good thing for her. Get a more expensive vehicle than you could afford to buy and after 2 or 3 years, turn it in and not have to worry about resale, getting something new again. As far as mods go, we never change anything on our cars, so that wouldn't be a problem either.

So, now I'm in the search for something well-built, rattle-free, smooth and quiet, and relaively roomy. What's her favorite? A GMC Yukon! Yeah, I know a big, gas-sucking school bus, but she likes them. I still think another car would suit her well, as she tends to both like to and have to drive fast, fly through corners, etc., but she has said before "I want an SUV". She also wanted a new LeSabre for about 2 weeks, but we know how that turned out, don't we!

Hmm, maybe, with a lot of convincing, she'd fall in love with a new Acura, perhaps a CL-S, and join the ex-M'rs!

easyrider300m

just wash the shirt in cold water and drip dry--that should cut down any possible shrinkage---my shirts tend to be big so some shrinkage is OK with me---

great shirts ---I have one of each color---

another great benefit of joining the Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club

no1trust

Finally kept one long enough at this dealership. I test drove a silver Special w/5 miles on it, and afterward at the urging of the saleslady a 2002 M w/luxury group w/only 6 miles on it. Drove each about 10 miles freeway, unfortunately the rush hour traffic prevented me from really opening up to 80. I'm not into racing cars so I don't claim to be a performance expert in any way. Both had that acceleration I like from the 300M but I really couldn't tell a significant difference between the 2 cars, except maybe there was better acceleration past 70 in the Special for the brief time I tried it. I loved the overall ride in both. Pros for the Special IMHO include those headlights, the body colored mirrors w/lighted turn signals, the dark underbody that made the regular 300M look a little "plainer" (any 300M still looks wonderful, though). Cons: I can't say that I was attracted to that modern dash - I prefer the wood look, car obviously costs more, and IMHO there should be more choice of colors inside & out. I expect it takes only premium (the saleslady didn't know what it took & the sales manager said ALL 300Ms take premium). Just my own preference, but I lean toward the regular M w/luxury group. Why can't Chrysler do the turn-signal mirrors & HID lamps on the regular M as an option? At least it'll be easier to decide which to get now.

rogor2k

The shirts now come to me in both 100% cotton and cotton/synthetic blend. I've given up trying to predict what we'll get from one order to the next. They're all good quality, and the sizes definitely run on the large side. I think you'd be happy with either all cotton or a blend. We have a good inventory right now of all sizes and colors.

I'm still working the embroidered mats issue, but my embroiderer had a problem with the rubber backed mats. We're still trying to work the problem to produce a factory quality mat at a reasonable price.

specialm

I use the rim shields on my other cars and I'm bummed that I don't have one for the 18" rims of my special. These shields work great. Does anybody know if they're available for 18's now?

no1trust

Acura isn't for everybody. I consider it a great car though... just doesn't turn heads (even mine) like the M. Tried to consider it against the M because of the price & the performance but for the money I wanted eye candy like the M that IMHO was (is) lacking from the CL-S. If you get an Acura I hope you enjoy it better than your experiences w/the M.

300mike

Thanks for the 300 Club shirt info. I just ordered 3 XL and will now be anxiously awaiting their arrival.

So when where there be 300M Club beer mugs, pens, tie clips, coffee cups, mouse pads, etc. etc. etc.

Just kidding

Mike

mikeyjohn

Are you sure you were talking to the sales manager or the lot boy who decided to wear a tie on this day? The special takes premium gas but the others take regular and my dealer only recommends regular. I also question the sales person who does not know her product. I suggest you use this dealership to do your test drives, but go to a more professional dealership who know their products, when you want to buy. I have the 01 with PHP and like the way my car handles on regular unleaded, and I believe the octane is the same here in Canada as the US.

300mike

The owner's manual of my '99 M says that it will run fine on regular unleaded, however, it recommends mid-grade (I forget the octain number) for better performance. It also says that Premium gas (highest octain) offers no added benefit. So far I've been using the mid-grade gas and it runs great.

no1trust

Yes, I'm sure it was the sales manager... he had called me the week before to set up an appointment for their prior Special that got sold before I got there, and he remembered our brief conversation better than I did. The majority of the facts I've gotten on the 300M has been from the knowledgeable owners at this site, writers like Daniel Heraud, and the manual. I only learned about the "learning tranny" from here today, for example. I knew the 300M took regular; I've rented them from Dollar often enough. I don't have much selection in dealers here re knowledge; maybe that's part of why none of the dealers in the city are 5*. That's part of why I want as much work as possible done by my own mechanic.

sdmike2

Only if you want to donate the shirt. I have a maroon one that has never been worn and that is too big for me (I lost 25 lbs) so I'm donating it as one of the door (raffle) prizes. I'm working under a strict budget and I couldn't afford to reimburse you for the shirt. Thanks though.

Mike

oh..make sure to track your mileage from Phoenix. One of the awards is the "cruise control" award, given to the club member that travelled the furthest to get to the meet.

sdmike2

I've always been surprised by the lack of knowledge that sales people have about a specific model. I could tell you some hilarious stories about the Acura and Chrysler dealers that I talked to about the TL and the M. I knew more about the cars then they did....by FAR. They said I should sell them since I knew so much already. I suggested that they try another line of business too. lol

sdmike2

We have shirts and hats, and soon-to-be-announced sweatshirts. We get these from a great mfgr/embroider for very reasonable rates (because they make much of their own stuff). We haven't found a similar source for screened stuff. If anyone has connections, speak up.

scotian

http://www.wearerobots.com/

ottowrkr

got some pics of that pesky x-car beam screw that I think is causing that rattle . take a look at and see were it is located . http://public.fotki.com/lhbuilder/lh/

fastdriver

sdmike2-

I think that's true of most car salesmen. So many of them just move from dealer to dealer because it's just a job to them. They have no loyalty to what they sell. As long as they get their commission, they're happy. The good salesmen are the ones who not only know their product, but also like cars and take pride in their job. I think it's the owners of the dealership who need to keep on top of the people on the floor so they know what they are doing or not doing. Frequent staff meetings would seem essential as well as team work. I think you'll find this with the more successful, "smaller" dealerships rather than those conglomerates who own dealerships that sell every brand out there!

fastdriver

PS Is the one-armed bandit still "immobile"? ;-))

sdmike2

Yeah, about as immobile as a hamster on speed. He gets the cast off on Thursday.

fastdriver

sdmike2-

LOL... Now I know how you lost all that weight chasing them! ;-))

fastdriver

PS Any prospects yet for a job? How about Z'ing cars? ;-))

sdmike2

I haven't started looking yet. My severance just ended, but I extended it because I get about a month's net salary back from the IRS.

sdmike2

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1809665568

scotian

Those came on a 300M Special from the factory? I thought Specials came with 18" rims, for starters...

sdmike2

I also thought the design was curious. All the pictures I've seen of the special show many more spokes, and what appears to be non-chrome wheels. Maybe someone here that has bought the special can chime in.

Nice looking rims and good tires though.

ottowrkr

http://public.fotki.com/lhbuilder/lh/spectirefront.html these are special wheels