Chrysler 300M

bigmike5 · July 2003

Dustin-- Depends on where you are. My dealer still has the red one I test drove 3 weeks ago and they were pushing me hard to buy. [$3K over sticker] On eBay I counted 20 of them available everywhere over the past few weeks and none, none of them made the dealer's reserve. One had a "buy it now" for $40K. Those on the Crossfire Forum in a site poll indicate that most of them [75%] got em at sticker. Also saw a 350Z Convertible in triple black on eBay. Starting price of the auction was at $38K. Never been a big Z fan but it did look sweet tho. Dealer was in Philly.

illini4 · July 2003

Interesting that we get to endure hundreds of negative 300M/DC posts, yet when a transmission goes out in an Acura (lots of them) its treated like scheduled maintenance.

pster · July 2003

Ya Bluesky999 Shrimpy is indeed Dieter what's his name. I have nothing against DC at all....in fact I have owned 5 Chrysler vehicles in 10 years.....I own two now. Did my experience with the 300M leave a bitter taste in my mouth, you bet it did! I now feel like buying a Chrysler is "a gamble". I vote with my pocketbook. Experiences like mine, as well as horrendous dealer tactics drive the consumers "glee" at seeing falling auto company sales. They are paying for sucking high prices out of buyers the last 10 years....what comes around goes around....I dislike auto dealers with a passion - lying, deception and humiliation are not sales tactics ANY company should condone. They all still do it, they just wear khakis and polo shirts now. Cars should be priced like refrigerators. Buy 'em off the rack. Waiting until Sept to acquire G35 now....vacation pending and daughters trip to Alaska.....no contact by internet sales staff means purchase now has to wait...they shot themselves in the foot...again.

dustinnewton · July 2003

Rey-If I remember correctly, the parking brake is a different system than the rear brakes. It uses two pads inside the hub (like a drum brake) on the rear wheels for braking. I'll double-check on alldata.com and make sure I know what I'm talking about and I'll post back in a few minutes.

You're exactly right. I'm doing a good bit of research on customer comments for specific brands. What I was thinking when I made that comment was that people who use drilled/slotted rotors tend to be much harder on brakes than a normal driver, so the companies know that their products have to be better overall to stand up to harsh treatment. That's at least in theory. The 300M club (www.300mclub.org) has a group discount on drilled and slotted rotors from iRotors.com that I am going to check out as well (membership has its benefits!).

dustinnewton · July 2003

Yep, it's called a "drum in hat" system, and there are pads inside the hub part of the rear rotor. Your pads might be worn, or the cable might need adjusting. If you're interested in attempting it yourself, drop me a line at dustin.newton@nsbhm.com and I'll send you the details.

dustinnewton · July 2003

Found the comparison shot I took a few months back of my M and my buddy's G35. Click the link below to see:

http://www.dustinnewton.com/files/300mg35

The M has a much meaner look in my opinion.

blonda · July 2003

Try a chrome wheel cleaner. Make sure the wheels are cool and not in the sun when you use it. I found the Amorall spray on wheel cleaner worked particularly well on the textured portion of the wheels (inside the spokes). Let it sit a couple minutes then use a toothbrush to scrub and it should look as good as new. When your done be sure to put a coat of Zaino or other wax on the wheels and any new brake dust should easily wipe off with a towel (Zaino works particularly well for this).

intrepidspirit · July 2003

"scheduled maintenance" -- well said! LOL...

intrepidspirit · July 2003

Re car color -- changing color was a signicant factor for me as I wasn't even changing models! However, my color of choice was steel blue, but I couldn't find an '03 that had what I wanted in it at the price I was willing to pay. However, almost any car looks great in silver (and the 300M especially so), so I opted for silver.

I think any color looks good when Zaino'd and washed regularly. To be honest, I have seen some pretty drabby looking silver and red 300M's out there!

I still wish I could have found a steel blue and I have less than 600 miles on my silver M...

fuzzywuzzy · July 2003

Sorry to hear yours went out. Luckly mine didn't(18K miles) before I traded it for the 6 speed CL.

fastdriver · July 2003

bluesky999-

Many of my previous cars have been RED starting with my first car at 16- a red 1963 Chrysler 300 convertible- NOTHING like Christine! Not a letter car, but 360HP with a, I think, 413CU engine. To me, sometimes a color can make or break the looks of a car.

illini4-

LOL......ONLY hundreds of negative comments about 300M/DC? Damn, I was aiming for THOUSANDS! There's still time. What you fail to take into consideration is that from March 2001 until June 2003, the ONLY times I was at the Acura dealer was for oil/filter and tire rotation/balance and NOT a hundred and one other nit-picking problems in those 27 months and 24,300 miles. AND... when the tranny did start to act up, the repair was simple, easy AND STRESS FREE! I did not have to endure MONTHS of "they all do that", "it's a characteristic of the car", can't duplicate the problem" etc. etc.etc.etc.etc.etc. In addition, I was given a brand new Acura TL to drive.

I would buy another one in a second when this lease is up, but they are discontinuing the 2-door model. Yes, while it was a major problem for the car, it was NOT a major problem for me.

Like I say, to each his own. I'm glad you're thrilled with your DC product. From the looks of their recent revenue numbers, not too many other people are. Honda and Toyota on the other hand....

fastdriver

fastdriver · July 2003

fuzzywuzzy-

It was a painless experience. I still love the car. I guess the delaer service makes ALL the difference in the world!

fastdriver

fastdriver · July 2003

and they're ready to go.......

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0307/25/a01-227181.htm

They still DON'T get it! Improve quality and dealer service and those numbers will rise. Instead, billions more in "cost-cutting savings"!

As for the Pacifica sales, maybe you'll be driving one of those while your car is in for service? ;-)) I wonder if their navigation system will have all their "award-winning" 5-STAR dealers in the USA spotlighted!

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0307/25/a05-227135.htm

fastdriver

dustinnewton · July 2003

Interesting. My M has only been to the dealer once in 52K miles/36 months (AC) for a part covered under the extended warranty. Pretty reliable if you ask me!

Question-What is the bulb number for the fog lamp? Compared to my H.I.D. headlights, the fog lamps are pretty yellow and I wanted to get a bulb that was a bit whiter and would be a better match for the H.I.D. lights.

illini4 · July 2003

I never said I was thrilled with my 300M, but I do like it very much. I read about the CL being discontinued. I guess the revenue numbers weren't too good for it either. I've had one Honda experience - I leased a new '96 Civic HX coupe with CVT for my daughter when she was in college. It was a good car, but not trouble free. The transmission had to be replaced in that one too, and the drivers side window fell off the track down into the door.

pster · July 2003

Interesting shot.....get down low, head on and take a pix of the 300M next to a G35 Coupe.....big difference from the sedan. One of things that I found appealing about the G35 Coupe was its much more aggressive styling...

blonda · July 2003

Here you go. I have the 100w Max bulbs and really like them....however I just noticed this a.m. that one is out and it's only been in for 2 months. Others have used the same w/o complaints (I need to check the connection). Max is supposed to last longer than Eaglelights.

http://www.midnightmoose.com/h3.htm

clpurnell · July 2003

Dustin,

Have you drivena G yet that thing drives like a go kart compared to the 300 had oppotunity to drive one for a day while my "other" car was getting serviced.

Fuzzy/fastdriver
Saw a agean Blue pearl TL-S disabled on the side of the road today. (may have been transmission) Never seen a <6 yr old acura stranded.

Crossfire
saw a silver one on the road today. looks very nice. also saw a light blue/green one at our new merceds dealer.

300M
After finally getting my steering/suspension fixed the 300 has been performing rather well. I am 2k over warranty and other than tires things seem to be running ok.Will probably drive it to 45k before I think about getting rid of it if it stays relatively trouble free.

bluesky999 · July 2003

Dustin, I imagine you'll find some excellent rotors since you're looking into it as you are. Would you happen to know what the discount is that club members get at iRotors (I don't use that site)? BTW, I would give that picture the title of "Passing of the Flame". DMXs last good car passing the torch to one of the up and coming brands that is blowing it away; kind of like when a tired Sonny Liston gave up his heavyweight belt to the up and coming Cassius Clay (or was he already Muhammed Ali?)

Pster, your experience is REALLY scary; makes me think I wouldn't buy another DMX although mine is luckily pretty good. If the company would at least declare it a lemon and reimburse you I would say OK, they had a lemon. But for them to make you live with that and the associated costs is not the kind of company I want to do business with. Did you pursue different levels of DMX to get satisfaction and they all wouldn't help? I imagine you did. I think when you get your new coupe you'll enjoy it all the more knowing you're done with the monster.

Intrepid, we have identical color tastes. Red was my 1st choice and blue steel was my 2nd. But I think you'll have a significantly easier time keeping what you've got clean, as the blue steel is on the dark side and will show the dust very well I would think...

Fast, I agree that the color can make or break. I would add that I also feel that polish and cleanliness can make or break. And I think the longer I have a car it becomes the cars dynamics and function that keep me interested, and the color becomes less noticeable for me, but that's just me... I'd rather have a car I grow to like in my 3rd choice color than a car I grow to not like so much in my favorite color... It's not a perfect world unfortunately as almost everything is a tradeoff, (why am I thinking of marriage as I say this?) 8>)

Happy weekend everyone. The Mid Atlantic states have some heavy humidity in store which I'm already feeling as I sit here...

pster · July 2003

I called Chrysler customer service a few times, called and wrote the service manager at the dealer.....I'm through trying to find someone to beg to.....enough is enough. I just don't want a Chrysler product that bad.

300michael · July 2003

Nice picture. It sure makes the 300M look good. It is hard to beat the M on looks.

300michael · July 2003

Just wire the horns to a plunger switch and then a switch in the car (to disable it when you work on it).

300michael · July 2003

Too bad about your problem. So far no problems here (and with all the changes (over 70 now)I have done I am surprized) car keeps getting better and better. It seems they are dropping a lot of good models.

pster · July 2003

I wish Chrysler would keep this car in its lineup and improve it even more...the design is fantastic, I just wish they would target it as their Six Sigma vehicle and make it truly world class. I wonder when Detroit will focus its energies on some core vehicles instead of trying to be everything to everyone...way too many SUVs....they need an Accord and Camry and Altima beater.

davethewave1 · July 2003

There are two 2000 300M's with approx. 20K and the sun roof. They are asking 18k for one and 17k for the other. Any suggestions?

pster · July 2003

Get an extended service warranty or you'll regret it later.....like me. Incredible car....fantastic design.....excellent power...comfortable... mechanical integrity questionable and still a "wild card".....get the extended warranty.

I'd lowball any 300M sale price....it will be a dinosaur in a few months.....

cmyers300m · July 2003

Hold out for a 2001 model. Mine is 2 and a half years old, no problems, no need for extra warranty garbage, just an awesome car.

fastdriver · July 2003

davethewave1-

For peace of mind, get the warranty with a LOW or zero deductible. Listening to a car talk show yesterday or the other day, the host was talking about DC vans being the grandaddy of them all, BUT he said- with the vans, at least you know WHAT is going to break and WHEN it's going to break. The same could be said of other DC products. He said that Chrysler is SLOW to learn from past mistakes.

fastdriver

dustinnewton · July 2003

CL-I ahve driven a sedan and it does drive like a go-kart. The M was never touted as a performance car, so comparing the two in that respect gives a understandably different result. I do think that the M is far better looking (The G coupe is much better looking than the sedan, but I still think the M looks better than either G) and is more luxurious. The G is too small and cheap looking on the inseide for my tastes. Of all the reviews I have read, that's the only complaints others have had too. Both are nice cars, but I prefer the M for the extra luxury.

Blonda-thanks for the link! Do you have H.I.D. lights on your M, or have you compared the two side by side? I'm curious as to how the color matches up to tryu H.I.D. lights. My dull yellow fog lamps definitely don't match my white H.I.D. lights, but I don't want a deep blue buld that looks weird either, know what I mean?! My local Wal-Mart doesn't carry any H4 bulbs. I was going to try theirs first. We finally get a Wal-Mart Supercenter, and the selection is worse than the old store!

Blue-I'm not sure how to answer your question since the 300M rotors aren't listed on the website. You have to call them to get the correct model. The Intrepid R/T rotors are $259 + shipping on the site, so if that's a comparable price, it looks ike a discount of $10,a nd no shipping charge (which would be a nice chunk since they're so heavy), but don't hold me to that number. The R/T rotors look bigger than the M's rotors, so I don't know if that's a good comparison. Several in the club have them and I am reading good things about them. They (iRotors.com were kind enough to take care of our club members, so I'll probably order from them and return the favor. My old headlights and tail lights are on eBay now and the proceeds will pay for my rotors. I'll probably order them sometime early next week. I'll provide a report of course!

300Michael-I agree wholeheartedly!

dustinnewton · July 2003

Well, I bought a air grinder for use with my compressor this past weekend to finish the opening for my dual exhaust. It was well worth the money. The second opening looks factory. I dropped my M at Midas this morning for the transformation and I am anxiously awaiting the call that it's done! I am putting on a Magnaflow 12265 collector, a 12286 (or 68, I can't recall which at the moment) Magnaflow muffler (the offset single 2.5" inlet and dual 2.5" outlet Camaro/Firebird muffler) and Holley Hooker dual 3" output chrome slashcut European style tips. As long as it sounds like a Lamborghini Murcielago when it's done, I'll be happy!! ;-)

intrepidspirit · July 2003

"I'd lowball any 300M sale price....it will be a dinosaur in a few months....."

This sounds to me like a "half-full" / "half-empty" issue. I prefer the "half-full" -- i.e. "it will be a classic in a few months (or at least a few years)"!

intrepidspirit · July 2003

With all the reports of Crossfires being sold (or at least offered) @ $500 - $5,000 over MSRP, I was surprised to see an ad in a local dealer's weekend specials for a Crossfire @ $1,868 BELOW MSRP!

I believe the MSRP was $35,520, which made the "one only" offer $33,652...

davethewave1 · July 2003

Turns out this 300M has 35101 miles. and is out of warranty by 2 months.

Think I'll pass...

dustinnewton · July 2003

I have a 2000 300M with 53K miles and am thrilled with mine. Find out if you can get an aftermarket warranty for a reasonable price, see if you can get part or all of that cost deducted from the sale price and if so, I'd consider it!

blonda · July 2003

No I don't have HID's. I did replace the bulbs with the Xenons though. I don't know if it would help for comparison, but you can get idea of what the fog lights look at in my pics in the "mesh grill/headlights" folder. It's definitely a whiter light:

http://community.webshots.com/user/blonda81

dustinnewton · July 2003

B-Thanks for the link. Those are definitely an improvment over the standard lights. I'm going to order a pair today and give them a try.

All-It's amazing what the M's engine sounds like when you open it up and let it breathe! Midas finally finished up my dual exhaust last night around 7pm. They did a great job although the tips are sticking out too far from the valence. I will have them moved in about 1.5 inches and re-welded and all will be fine. They look ok now, just a little too much of a "tuner" look for me. I want a subtle more conservative look. When I get them moved in a bit, they will be perfect. I am very happy with the Magnaflow collector and muffler. The combo gave me what I was looking for: a slight rumble during idle, a more agressive, yet not weird or obnoxious, improvement when accelerating normally, and when you get on it in Autostick, it roars to life with a decidedly performance-oriented note, without being too loud or sound like a swarm of bees in a coffee can like the tuner Hondas and Acuras out there. It's easy to tell that it's not a 4-banger! The seat adjuster part (that was ordered a few weeks back at my A/C visit) came in and my M is at the dealer now. My SA noticed the duals and went out to look at them and had to start the car up to hear what it sounded like. I told him to give it a sping when it was done and let me know what he thought. He agreed with me that the tips needed to be moved in. Hopefully, I can get my K&N Aircharger Intake Kit and my drilled/slotted rotors ordered next week and installed soon thereafter.

newgmbuyer · July 2003

I have a 2001 LHS, but this msg board reaches a much bigger audience, so I thought I would try here. My radio recently started acting possessed. First while listening to a CD it just died, but the display still shows the CD #, track # and time. No Sound, try turning off the radio- still shows same display. Shut the car off and the display doesn't go dark. Finally drained the battery. When the battery died, and I recharged it the radio started working again. The problem doesn't seem to be with the CD changer- I can still insert and remove CD's. Now the radio just quits every once in a while- display just freezes up- no sound, display stays on when car is shut off. Car going in for service, but anyone have a problem like this before?
Thanks

bigmike5 · July 2003

Been on this board almost 5 years now and never heard of the problem you describe with the radio. Maybe the relay for the radio is staying closed when it shouldn't. Closest I can come to this problem is when my A/C decides to power up to the automatic setting every once in a while. So far tho when I turn the fan dial to change the setting it settles back to normal. Only happened twice. Saw what you describe in a movie once...but it was a red Plymouth and I think it was named "Christine"... arggh...Sorry.

fastdriver · July 2003

bigmike5-

LOL.... glad you said MOVIE and red PLYMOUTH!! Even my Christine didn't do that! :-)))

fastdriver

charlesf1 · July 2003

Fastdriver or Ruskie, Do you remember who that dealer was I think in Kansas many moons ago who had a web page and showed his invoices for his cars? Do you remember what his web page was?

ruski · July 2003

Kansas or Texas? I remember reading about it a long time ago, on this board, but I can't remember the link.

fastdriver · July 2003

Juergen Schrempp- Are his bags all packed and is he ready to go............

http://www.detnews.com/2003/insiders/0307/29/b01-230354.htm

fastdriver

PS charlesf1- I'll see if I can find the link to that dealer.

fastdriver · July 2003

charlesf1-

Here is the URL you asked about-

http://www.markroberts.com/

fastdriver

bigmike5 · July 2003

Strange isn't it that the invoice for his Crossfire contains no information, but he shows all for the 300M. And if it is dated correctly, he's had that Crossfire for about a month. And he has a handful of Pacifica with up to $5K off the sticker. Yikes..

fastdriver · July 2003

Chrysler and Mercedes almost TIE for repairs! So much for saying that "better quality" Mercedes parts are finding their way into Chrysler products!

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0307/30/business-231761.- - htm

fastdriver

intrepidspirit · July 2003

gives new meaning to the saying "there are lies, damn lies and statistics." What a useless survey!

First of all, it only addresses vehicles going into the dealership for sevice/repair. What about the millions of vehicles that are never brought back to the dealership -- for any reason? They don't even get counted! For example, the only reason my car goes back to the dealership is for a warranty repair, so my % would be 100%!

Buick #1? Get real! This survey only shows that a lot of Buick owners use their dealership for regular maintenance.

blowbyu · July 2003

How much did the whole dual exhaust project set you back? Installation/Parts? Did you buy the parts from Midas, or somewhere else?

dustinnewton · July 2003

Magnaflow collector (12258): $88
Magnaflow muffler (12265): $88
Mandrel 90 degree elbows: $30 (I think)
Hooker Header tips: $75
Midas installation: $168
Total: $449 (shipping was included in amounts above, when applicable)

I bought the collector on eBay, the muffler from www.bigexhaust.com , the tips from www.jegs.com , the mandrel elbows from www.jcwhitney.com and my local Midas shop was for installation only. They did have to fabricate two additional "S" pipes to go from the mandrel elbows to the tips since the mandrel elbows were too short to correctly line the tips up with the existing (and new) exhaust cutouts. They were having a very bad day at Midas and they were 2 hours late in getting me out the door and the manager was very appreciative of my patience and only charged me for one "S" pipe and 2 hours of labor as a thank you. They had it on the lift from 1:45 until 6:30 (I don't think they worked on it non-stop during that time since they were so busy). I couldn't find the Rhino muffler that everyone had been using (the company's website doesn't exist anymore), so I just went ahead with a full Magnaflow setup. Here's a link to the tips that I bought: http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=300- 2&prmenbr=361 Mine are the dual slash tips, the last item. They are very nice and high quality. What's not chromed is powder coated, including the inside of the pipe. I'll try to get some pics and sounds up on my website soon.

pster · July 2003

Many consider the platysaurus a classic dinosaur. But extinct is extinct. However, I do suspect some on this board - and they know who they be - will succeed in embalming their 300Ms for future enjoyment.

davethewave1 · July 2003

We just couldn't make it fit in our budget...

Chrysler 300M

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