Chrysler 300M

fastdriver

quietflyer-

WOW! Pretty amazing. I RARELY got that with Christine with either regular or premium. Good for you. Almost as good as a Toyota.

fastdriver

easyrider300m

I visit this site every week or two to read the posts. I also read all the posts at that other site (over 80 per day). Geezer posted a message at that other site to try to get some of the posters to visit here. So you may see some of the old timers showing up to say hello. Both boards have their good points and are interesting to read and to participate.

I won't be buying the C anytime soon. My M has 70k on it now but still rights tight and runs strong. My excise tax is down to $70 a year. If I bought a new M, the first year excise tax in MA would be over $600 the first year. And then add sales tax of about $1600

My M still looks almost new although its 4 years old now. And I still get compliments at leaset a couple of times a week.

Good to see some of the familiar posters here.

bigmike5

Good to hear from you again. How bout those Pats!! Got to love it, two out of the last three after 30 plus years of waiting. Was up you way last Xmas visiting my daughter and son-in-law who had the first grandbaby. Still hate the traffic, 128 and Logan, but what are you gonna do. The Big Dig and TW tunnel look like an improvement for downtown. Miss the lobster. Will be back up there in late June for a wedding. Give my best to the guys on the other board. My comp. won't let me post there anymore--"chat".

easyrider300m

good to see you too---saw your M in the 300M club calendar contest---lookin good. I read all the messages here as well as on the other site but just post here occasionally.

Hope to see you popping in on the other site when you can get access to a computer. Is there a library near the base? They often have internet computers but I'm not sure if you can visit chat sites. Some Starbucks coffee shops have wireless internet access if you have your own notebook computer.

bigmike5

My daughter is giving me a laptop she used for business as she is getting a new one, so sometime around mid-summer I should be on net from home, and can plug back into the Club. I see Blonda won this past month. Broke my heart...I guess I need to send in some more pics of the interior of my M. Still hoping the club goes to the Woodward Dream Cruise again this year, but with no power outage!!!! I already have my WDC member's kit. I plan on going no matter what, if I can. The wife has a sister in Detroit, so it keeps her happy to see the relatives while I ogle the cars. May have an 04 Vette by August, as I am getting closer to pulling the trigger on getting an 04, the appearance of which I like better than the new 05 [which would be hard to get at or near sticker anyway]. Thought about the Crossfire SRT-6 with the big engine and permanent spoiler, but they apparently want mid-40's+ for that when it comes out late summer/fall. Don't think I will wait that long. No way on the 300C. Taxi anyone??

Sylvia

It is great to see some old (and new) faces in the 300M discussion.

While this discussion is about the 300M and not Town Hall policy, if you could stay "on topic" for the benefit of 300M owners and potential buyers (hey, your fellow drivers) that would be great.

If you disagree/don't like the Membership Agreement, please - email me. I am more than happy to hear your gripes. I may not be able to change things, but hearing from you and finding potential solutions for disgruntled members is what we are here for.

For what it is worth - the Town Hall Hosts don't set the policies or the define the Membership Agreement. Much of the decisions are made in the legal and business management meetings. The Town Hall Hosts/Staff are told to enforce them. So, if possible, don't target the Hosts if you hate a policy, email me.

Thanks -

bigmike5

Sylvia-- Where's Pat? She hasn't been replaced as our 300M moderator has she?

pat

No Mike, I'm here! :-) Sylvia is the Town Hall Commmunity Manager. She is our community - hosts and members - interface with the Edmunds.com "front office", so to speak, as well as the overall manager for everything in the Town Hall.

bigmike5

Whew... Had me worried for a minute there.

pjyoung

Well, after I got my car back, it was "clunking" into first gear when coming to a stop and "hunting" for the right gear on acceleration. Of course, when I took it back and had the tranny guy ride with me, it behaved perfectly. So, since I was going on a cruise over spring break, I dropped the car off at the dealer and told them to drive it...home, to lunch, to get parts...I didn't care. The service manager did the honors. And it did "act up" on him. Bottom line, they are replacing the transmission again. Just thought I'd address the issue while it was under a parts AND labor warranty. So, I should be getting it back Monday. Hopefully, it will be back to the "old" M that I knew and loved. Kudos to my dealer though, they've given me a loaner car this week and have really gone out of their way to please me.

fastdriver

pjyoung-

At least you didn't get the dreaded "could not duplicate" when they had the car. Could they be getting better? ;-))

fastdriver

ruski

yeah the broken tranny is not a good thing, but hey it doesn't break as often and as predictably as the Acura tranny.

fastdriver

ruski-

You know how it is with that "damned, perceived, Japanese" quality! ;-))

fastdriver

bigmike5

All M'ers take note. I just got an e-mail from DC telling me that the new 300C will premier at my local dealer on 22 Apr 04 with a cocktail type party atmosphere from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Also shown was the Crossfire roadster, so maybe that one will be there too. [I am assuming that the coming out party would have the pictured "guests" from the e-mail [Cruiser Conv., 300C, Crossfire] would be there. Course they already had a Cruiser Convert. on the floor last time I was in. No mention made of the Magnum but they are also a Dodge dealer, so maybe one of them will be there too. I am going to make it since its just a mile up the road. Course the new C6 Vette comes out the next day [Friday] at the big Vette birthday bash at the plant and Museum about 80 miles from where I live. I can't make that event until Saturday but I plan on cruising down there to see that too. Why not, when my 300M will be the best looking car in the parking lot!!!

lflowers

Last night I finally found a Pontiac dealer who had a new GTO in stock. This was my first look at the new "goat" other than in magazines and on TV.
I'm pretty impressed with the look and feel of it, although I didn't get to drive it. I've heard a lot of criticism of the body styling, but I thought it looked pretty good. Seats are great, interior looks nice.
I'm not ready to trade in my M yet, but the GTO is the first car I've seen that I might consider replacing it with.
Lynn Flowers
McKinney, Texas

pster

Just posted my 99 300M w/php for sale. Going to likely get the Acura TL. The Hemi V8 in the new 300C is just overkill and the new TL is cheaper. 270 hp V6 is plenty. My love affair with Chrysler is about to end for good.

fastdriver

pster-

"My love affair with Chrysler is about to end for good."

You mean you REALLY did have DRIVE=LOVE???

LOL....

fastdriver

ruski

You will discover a new world of badly designed automatic transmissions if you go with an Acura. I would rather go with a G35 at this point. Well the first on my list would be the new GTO. Then 300C. Then Grand Prix GTP. Then G35.

pster

It ain't gonna happen. I was totally underwhelmed with the new TL. It is a guzzied up Honda Accord. Drove and felt like one.....$8000 is too much to pay for 30 extrra ponies, bluetooth and DVD audio. Note: the Bridgestone Touranza stock tires are totally wrong for this car. They are completely incapable of anything but sedate driving....they just seem "under engineered" for the size, weight and chassis of this car. The G35 is out....I hate reaching under my thigh for the power seat buttons (ridiculous!!!). So....guess what car I anxiousl await to test drive??? You guessed it! The "we an't compete on quality so we'll compete on content" Chrysler 300C......moan....groan....sigh. Then again. my wife says I should get a Nissan Z....hmmmmmm.

lflowers

I also tried an Acura TL. I also didn't like the TL! The amount of torque steer is just ridiculous in a car this expensive. I just hate to accelerate thru a corner and have a front driver jerk the steering wheel. The 300M is the 1st front drive car in my experience that exhibits almost zero torque steer.

Lynn Flowers
McKinney, Texas

alcatrazt2

Hey everyone, it's been a while since I posted. Like always, a great pleasure regarding what you all post here. Today I drove to Santa Barbara from Los Angeles, my odometer reads 11,180...Knock, knock, knock, nothing is wrong with the car. It behaves and drives like it did when it had it's very first miles on it. The only problem I've had was around two weeks ago, and I'm not sure weather it was due to my stupidity or an actual problem. The car wouldn't start up when the key was in ignition...as if the battery was gone...but then after taking the key out and placing it back in, it started just fine...so I'm thinking that the key wasn't in all the way? Anyways...none of it has been going on recently, so I'm not worrying much. The future plans for the M include a Special dual exhaust (once I find the right place to do it) and much more...Drive safe...and love it too. lol.

ruski

if you want to see almost zero torque steer in a FWD car, you have got to check out a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. More power than a 300M, yet no torque steer effects unless you floor it on a really slippery surface.

My 2002 Acura TL-S actually doesn't exhibit much torque steer either.

alcatrazt2

Anyone know weather they have the Special dual exhaust for sale at the dealer or not?

bigmike5

If the key is not fully seated I do not believe you can turn the ignition knob to start the car. If the problem reoccurs with the starting hesitation, have them check the starter relay [$10 part] and the starter switch [$38 part, $75 labor]. I had starting hesitation on my 99M a couple of years ago and had them change those parts, end of problem. If you need the part numbers let me know, I am sure they are the same for all years.

alcatrazt2

Thanks for the help...Well it happened a few times...just that day, so far, no problems...Hopefully it won't come back...hopefully problems won't start...I mean only 11K miles...it would be a big ouch!

quietflyer

I had a problem when I first got my '99 300M. They only had one key for it. To make a second key they had to reprogram the car's security system to accept the new key's ID chip. My car's ID module (I don't remember what they called it) would not go into program mode. They had to replace it. It is possible that your car's ID module is going bad or had a glitch. I think the owners manual describes how to program new keys into the car. If the ID module does not recognize the key's ID chip it will disable the engine control system. They told me if you had a key cut to match your current key but did not have the ID programmed in you could try to start the car three times. On the fourth time the car would have to be towed to the dealer to have the ID module reset using their diagnostic tool. I hope this is not your problem.

pster

I have enjoyed the last 5 odd years of 300M advice and counsel from all. Can't seem to sell my 300M.......bought a VW Passat today....$500 rebate to consumer plus $2,000 rebate to dealer = a compelling argument at $1,000 below invoice. Impeccable build quality, good power and acceleration, value equation with rebates too good to turn down. Best of luck to all...fyi, appears value of 300M with new 300C in the wings has been totally decimated. Even Chrysler dealers offering $1000-2000 below blue book trade-in value.

bluesky999

Regarding the TL torque steer, was that with the 6 speed? I read where the new Maxima has a significant torque steer problem w/the manual tranny, but it's not noticed w/the auto. Kind of expected the same to be true of the TL as this is the 1st time they're offering the manual.

Pster, good luck w/your Passat. Sounds like a great deal. Did you get the V6 or the 4 cyl turbo? Sorry to hear about the low trade-in values, but keep trying. Perhaps post it on the Yahoo classifieds under "auto". I think it's free and I would think some internet savvy folks would use it.

My 'M is closing in on 85K. The last 9K have been trouble free so hopefully it stays a "gas 'n go" car. By the way, did you all see where they knocked the MSRP of the Crossfire down by 5K? I think they waited a year too long to do it, but better late than never. I wonder if there will be significant discounts on the 300C within a year... Without a quality heritage DMC may have a hard time charging premium prices.

bigmike5

Good luck with the Passat. My daughter tried that model and the Audi A4 and went with the Audi. Save your M for when the ignition coil packs fail on the VW. They failed on my daughter's A4 [same manufacturer] within a couple thousand miles. May take some time for the replacement parts to be available when that happens. As I told my wife recently, if I get another car I am keeping the M, or giving it away to a worthy owner rather than get ripped off on a trade-in.

intrepidspirit

The MRSP of the 2005 base (manual) Crossfire will be about $4,500 less than the current base model. However, it will be more of a base than the current Crossfire, leaving out amenities such as power seats, fog lights, premium sound , etc. (also, no 3piece luggage set). It will be available in black only and will have only one color (black).

The current automatic will have about the same MSRP and there will be higher priced turbo coupe and convertible models.

intrepidspirit

Good luck with the Passat!

Resales on the 300M have held value very well in our area. In fact, my wife was offered $18,000 for her 2001 300M on a private sale. It is a base model (full size spare) with 35,500 miles. We bought it new in April/01 for $24,988.

However, any dealer that has excessive stock of 300m's is getting anxious to deal. One dealer here has 17 300M Specials and offered 3 of them over the weekend at $10,000 off MRSP (including rebates). It will be interesting to see how low he will go as the 300's start arriving...

There is always a lot of hype with the arrival of a new model, but I believe the 300M filled a niche that the 300 will never challenge. The 300 may become a volume success for Chrysler, but it doesn't even pretend to be a sports sedan. And I still enjoy the exclusivety of the 300M -- it is never confused with a downgraded wannabe costing $10-15,000 less!

Call me a diehard, but I still think the 300M offers the best bang for the buck out there...

alcatrazt2

Wrong choice...VW over Chrysler...never...any car over the 300M, never...or is it just me? good luck.

pster

I got the GLX V6. As I have aged a bit since I bought the 300M, my car desires have changed. The 300M is a terrific car that I have only ever faulted for my car's mechanical failures. I expect the VW has its own gremlins, but I have to tell you the fit and finish and build quality is way, way ahead of Chrysler. Power is refined, if not break away like the 300. The older I get the faster I was....

The ride and handling of the Passat is truly amazing for a car this size. Absolutely the best weighted steering I have ever encountered. I have friends with Audis and MB's and Jags and I am convinced the Passat is built every bit as good, if not better. May have to replace the monsoon stereo with an XM unit as I understand the monsoon's radio reception is not good. By the way, IMHO, the ONLY color that looks good on the Passat is the Silverstone/Antracite. The Gray interior sucks and 98% of them have it.

I have truly enjoyed the loyal 300M'ers on this board (including you Pat!), as well as those here that may go way back to the old AOL board (may it not rest in peace...). I'll check back often, as the other two cars I own will be sold off over the next 18 months. Thanks for all the great advice and info!

ruski

I don't dig a Passat at all. A friend of mine had his M3 in for service and got a Passat as a loaner. That Passat took forever to get up to speed and had very sloppy handling.

lflowers

On the way to work this morning I saw what must be the ultimate in poor taste!!! A 300M with a set of those stupid looking spinner wheels installed. How can one person have good enough taste to buy a 300M and yet have bad enough taste to buy spinner wheels?
I just don't understand......

Lynn Flowers
McKinney, Texas

pat

Good luck pster - hope you'll drop by the Passat discussion here as well. They're not as lively as you folks are over here, but do check it out.

And there's no rule that says you have to own a 300M to participate in this one!

So don't be a stranger here or in the other discussions in which you've participated.

pjyoung

My new transmission was shifting "funny", but it wouldn't do it when I had the tranny guy ride in it. So I dropped it off at the dealership before I went on a cruise and told them to drive it. Well, it did it for them, and nothing they tried seemed to fix it. So they ordered another transmission, installed it, and while it shifted smooth, the service manager told me that it had an unacceptable whining noise. So they ordered a THIRD one. This one seemed to do the trick. Got the car back and it acts like it did when it was new. Luckily, I took it in while it was still under a parts AND labor warranty - because I signed off on the warranty paperwork...$6,500. I didn't have to pay anything, and the dealership thru in a complimentary oil change and gave me a loaner car for the duration. Hopefully the third time is the charm - but I do have to admit that I am VERY impressed by my dealer.

alcatrazt2

Glad to hear regarding the good news...I always thought that 300M Tranny are very strong...but 3 times...wow...a little to much. Anyways, hopefully this is the last time for you. Take care and best wishes to your vehicle and yourself. - George

setzer

When I went to go get my Impala after it's windows were tinted, I saw a 300M there that had just got it's windows done as well and it looked pretty nice.

bostonwriter

Good luck with your Passat. I admit - it's a looker. I had a friend who also had ignition coil problems with her Passat, so hopefully the problem has been fixed.

Me... I went from a VW to the 300m. My Jetta was a TIGHT ride for 10,000 miles, then rapidly developed squeeks, rattles, knocks, spongey suspension and a host of other issues. Fit-and-finish was nice, as was ergonomics, but the handle for the 60/40 rear split snapped inside the seat. The only way to repair it was to cut through the seat, disengage the handle manually, then remove and repair the seat. Dealership told me it was a $40 part requiring a day's worth of labor. I told them to keep the car.

The Passat is a very different animal from the Jetta and I wish you well!

bostonwriter

Hi all... as the mechanic was removing the oil plug from my '99m, the threads from the pan came off with the plug! He told me that the 300m and Concorde uses notoriously soft aluminum for the pan and it's a relatively common problem. Has this happened to anyone else out there? If so, what did you do about it - replace the pan ($450 w/labor), use an expanding seal temporary (<$20... my course of action) or what?

pster

Still have my 1999 300M and I have done every oil change at 5,000 mile intervals since I bought it (70,000 miles now...). I never had any problems with the removal or re-install of the oil drain bolt. It has a synthetic plastic/rubber coating around the base to get a tight seal, sometimes that will split (never did on mine). Me thinks this mechanic or someone before him broke it by torquing it too tight. That's a no-no in Auto Mechanics 101.

hayneldan

The pan bolt is designed with soft threads, so that if overtightened the bolt threads are stripped not the pan. It's easier to replace the bolt than the whole pan. Me thinks there is something fishy with your oil changers story!

wire2

You should be able to get a heli-coil (or similar) kit for that size from an automotive supply store.
 There will be a drill bit the right size, a thread tap 1 size bigger diameter but the same pitch, and an insert tool, along with a
few heli-coils. Carefully drill the hole bigger, then tap it, (use tapping fluid to prevent galling), place a heli-coil on the insert tool, (at this point you could put a bit of loc-tite on the threads) and turn the heli-coil
into the hole. Stop at the right depth, (flush at the surface),remove the tool, then grab the tang with needle nosed pliers and break it off. Let the loc-tite cure for a bit and it's stronger than new.

bluesky999

Boston, my '99 'M was letting a little oil out through the oil pan where the bolt goes in. I went to the dodge dealer down the street and bought a new plug for $2. Did the last oil change myself and the leak stopped. It's true that the plug has a rubber or plastic base on it.

Volkswagen sales are down compare to their competitors this year, and their quality ratings fell down in the rankings. The Passat V6 used to be priced quite high; close to 30K, but I guess now that it's been out a long time they evidently have some deals. Pster, I agree that it looks good in one or more colors, and looks quite plain in others. I noticed that when I shopped it back in '01. Pluses for VW are that they include all oil changes and routine maintenance for a couple of years or so. Consumer Reports rated the VW V6 the best 6 cylinder passenger car this year. The Honda Accord was ranked the best 4 cylinder. Just my 2 cents on VW.

c8p

Just spent $700 to have the leaking core replaced. Has anyone else heard of this problem? Now it is making a strange noise when the climate control is on. Another trip to the dealership. Did not see it among the TSB's before I bought the car. I had this in a prior Chrysler product when they changed refrigerant, but I thought they fixed the problem. I would appreciate any help.

ruski

I think I remember when 300M first came out it was a known issue that they twisted the plugs on too tight at the factory, and most people had a hard time twisting it off while doing an oil change in their own garages.

pjyoung

I hadn't heard of it until your post. Oddly enough, I took mine in because it didn't seem to be cooling properly...evaporator. DAmn, this things starting to become a money pit.

laurasdada

How many miles on your M? My '99 just turned 58,000. So far, no issues since the end of the 3/36 warranty, but being a first model year Chrysler, I fear the "money pit" lurking around the corner. No signs of that happening, mind you, but I think at the first sign of a major repair it's Acura TL, Infiniti FX/G35, BMW 3, Saab 9-3, Audi A4...shopping time! CTS styling too out there for me, interior too (currently, at least) typically GM low rent.

Still diggin' the M though!
And congrats to my alma mater, UConn!!!

bigmike5

Had the driver side rear window motor fail after sitting for 5 days at the airport while I was bowling in Reno. I had previously freed it up on a couple of occasions [fist to glass technique while pushing the down button with the ignition switch on] and the dealer had done it once when I brought it in before. This time I told em to change out the part, the TSB was there, so do it now. I have it under an extended warranty but only got about 20K miles left before that is up. I am at 67K miles now and approaching my 6th year anniversary with my baby. Anyway, while they were working I was looking for any new 300C's/Magnums that might be squirreled away until the premier night of 22 Apr. No dice, they haven't got any yet. They still have the Crossfire I test drove last June and they dealer traded away the Saphire Silver Blue one that came in in November. But they have already sold 2 PT Convertibles ranging from $26.9 to $28.9. Too rich for what you get. My M still draws a crowd whenever I bring it in for service.
Went next door to their Pontiac affiliated store and they had 2 GTO's with a red one outside on the lawn. Sticker was $33K--ouch. It was wearing 245/45-17 Goodrich K-force[?] TA tires. Interesting since I have the Goodrich Comp TA's on my M in a similar size- 245-50-17's. The car looked hot but much smaller inside than the 300M. Definitely will only ride 4, with minimal leg room in the rear. Looked like it will really run, but I didn't care for the ground effects and bland, typical Pontiac front end. The rear showed me nothing too, and exhaust only on one side of the rear.