Chrysler 300 Alignment Issues

youtellme

I have had so many different DEALS made with this buy back,i think i have lost around $5000.00 with the deal of the century!!!!Will be picking up my new Charger on Monday.My 300 is still in the shop making it the 86th day in the 250 days that I have owned it.On its third tranmission!! I hope Chrysler CHOKES on it!!!!!JUNK BUYER BEWARE IN MISSOURI OF A BEAUTIFUL BLACK 2005 cHRYSLER 300 WITH AROUND 7000 MILES ON IT.

rolsto

My 300C now has 18000 miles on it. After prox 5000 miles I asked a tech to drive it as it was "all over the road" He claimed I had the notorious right hand pull. Several days later they had the car for one day and completed the multipage TSB. I really noticed no definite right hand pull previously and now I saw no difference in the handling, simply VERY crown sensitive to the road. Last time I was at the dealers I mentioned the all over the road syndrome so I later took it back at their request for a complete alignment check. Was told it should improve but want the car for another day so they can consult with a factory tech as the were not satisfied with the results. That day will be next week.
I must say this dealer is doing his best and the overall service has been astounding.
The only other annoying "problem" is the out side temp. display always shows four to eight degrees too high. They already did the TSB becouse it was sticking on one number. Other than always subtracting five degrees....any ideas.
Have had no tranny or engine problems so far.
I will be very happy with the car when and if I can stop keeping two hands on the wheel on back roads.
Oh.....Those puncture proof Conti's do puncture with a very small nail.
Thank goodness foa great five star dealer.

vic10

Glad to read your note: Misery loves company. Although my C isn't AWD, the front end is very sensitive. At first I thought it was because I haven't driven a RWD in 20 years (My Intrepid company car felt much more directionally solid). But now I'm thinking it's design geometry. On the highway you just have to deal with road crown. But on secondary roads, it's almost squirrelly. A two hander as you state. Since it doesn't have the notorious RH pull, and the tires are wearing evenly and well, I'm not about to have the dealer fiddle with the alignment. If your dealer finds a fix for you, please post it. Thanks.........

jasonlc12

I live in NY and have had 3 alignments in the last year and going to to buy my first set of tires and there are only 25k on my car, and most of the is highway driving.

the mechanic at the dealer said that i am doing well another customer only lasted till 18k, I guess he was trying to make me feel better.

evilgreco

Hey all....haven't posted in a long tome due to frustrations with me Crudsler 300. I've had the pull to the right since the first week I got the car (You can see some of my earlier posts). I have had over 8 alignments with no fix. I have a lawsuit with the dealership in Lynnfiled, Mass (CROOKS & CONS!) and with Chrysler. My lawyer had an indipendent expert drive the car last week. There is an allowed drift of 7 seconds for a car to go from 1 lane to the other....my car shifted from the middle lane to the right lane in about 3.5 to 4 seconds! Also, in a left lane (with left crown) my car STILL pulled into the right. This was while the expert was driving. It really is a shame that I have to go thru a YEAR of frustrations with the clunker. I havent read any posts in the last 6 months, but I will go back and read....has anyone had ANY satisfaction? Why isn't SOMEONE starting a calss action suit?

Greco

:lemon: :lemon: :sick: :mad: :lemon:

wantone1

HI, I have a 2005 300 C with 16,250 miles, live in upstate NY. started having a "cupping" problem at 7500, dealer rotated the tires, problem solved (ha, ha). Now at my current milage I see the wear bar and the dealer said I had a slight towing problem. They corrected but with my tires the way they are now, I'm very lucky we have had a mild winter. The dealer selling Goodyear replacements for the Conti tires. The car is a dream, 18 mph in suburbs and 24+ on the thurway/express ways.

bristol4

I got a better one. Mine pulled to the right and after many alignments at Chrysler the pulling stopped. They gave me the specs.. The downside is the front tires get ripped up in 5-8 k miles. I spoke to the Chrysler service rep last night here in Pittsburgh. His solution; Buy a Chevy. Yes, that is what he said. He begged me to. He was on a speaker phone and others heard him say it. Then he said go back to the dealer again for the service manager to look at it again. I have rotated the tires every 5k, they have done all the alignments and the pulling stopped but the tires are shot with less than 10 this time. He blamed the Continetial tires this time but I had Goodyear last time. I can't believe this

rolsto

To Vic10 and all those iterested in any found solutions to the Crown Sensitive (aka right hand pull) problem. The answer is NO. After the third alignment the dealer dropped the "belly Pan" and found a loose bolt on the engine cradle. They tightened that to specs and again checked the toe in. A tech road testsaid it was fine. I guess it is as good as it is going to get but it is far from being good. In this area almost all roads have a slight to severe slant to the right and with most driving this feels like a right hand pull. On a PERFECTLY FLAT section of highway it goes straight but this is a rare thing. I sometimes wonder if this extreme road crown sensitivity is not what is being called the notorious right hand pull. I still have two years on my lease so I will have to live with it. After plus 18000 miles my Conti's still look good....will probably go for another 10000.
No engine or tranny problems. Overall mileage with mixed driving is a bit under 16MPG.
A stranger said to me yesterday...."nice car, how do you like it?" Let me say I dont think he will be driving a 300 any day soon.

mike_sp1

My 300C tends to wander around and has absolutely NO "feel" of the road at all. I have been used to front wheel drives for many years, but all of them had some sort of steering dampening with their rack and pinion steering. It would seem to me that DC should install some sort of steering dampening to allow better and safer control of the car--especially going around curves, over potholes and on Missouri's winding back roads. The 300C MAY go 158 mph, but IMHO, it would not be safe above 90 on a level, straight highway. It is still a fun and comfy car--just not very good handling.

MikeSp

vic10

Thirty years ago I was buying new tires for my Firebird and the salesman insisted I needed an alignment. The car had been driving perfectly. I agreed, and after fighting the car for the next 500 miles, I took it to another shop and they asked if I had been in an accident because the front end was totally messed up. I have to wonder if the overly sensitive front end combined with road crown have caused many owners to "think" they have the real RH pull problem. Combine that with a dealer who is a bit overly zealous in trying to satisfy the owner and he puts in what he thinks is an alignment compensation and, voila, you end up with a totally messed up car that'll wear out tires in 10K miles. As for my previous comment about a squirrel-y front end, I think it's me plus suspension geometry. I tried going down a very uneven road which normally had me wandering all over the place, and firmly locked my arms in one position. Guess what? No wander. My being tossed by the suspension (which I think is too firm, even considering the Hemi) lead me to input small steering motions and that caused the wandering. Like acoustic feedback, I was fighting my own inputs. May not be everyone's problem but it was mine.

mitch17

How were you able to get them to buy it back or replace it? Did you use the lemon law? What was the car problem? Mine is the transmission. What state are you in?

youtellme

I am in Missouri.The car started with some electrical issues first then went to a lite knocking noise in front of the driver at very slow speed. I took it in dealer said it was in the motor,they replaced the lower end ,"small block" which we thought it should have a total motor replaced but chrysler said they had no complete motor, my husband told them to get it from the factory ,but they would not. They had the car for 6 weeks ,i pick it up it was still making the same noise,they took it back and replaced the tranny,p/u and the torque converter was out of that new transmission ,Now on the third tranny we contacted factory rep,then involved a mediator kept complaining to dealer and after around 5 months they bought it back.WE owned the car for around 10 months they had it half the time .When they buy it back you still have to but a chrysler product, which we would not have liked to do but we bought a new charger with the Hemi and 5 speed auto transmission.Different motor and drive train of the 300. My 300 was a heap of s@#$ !!!!Oh Did i mention that it only had 7000 miles on it ? Keep fighting them tell your dealer you want a factory rep to call you. GOOD LUCK :lemon: owner no more!! :shades:

crazymo77

I have 12,000 miles on my 2005 300C and just got it back from the dealer in SF after they had it for 25 days. I was getting on the highway and completely lost the transmission. I had it replaced for free with one off of Chrysler's assembly line. I still had to shell out several hundred dollars for a rental car! I thought I was going to get a loaner car, but NO WAY! So far it is the only problem I have had. It definitely runs and shifts better than any day I have owned it yet. I have heard a lot of sob stories about the Chrysler transmissions sucking bad though and I am now worried and not in love with my 300 as I WAS. Also, I get terrible mileage. About 17 mpg on the highway. :sick:

service

service should have the tsb for the bushings
are you riding on continental tires ??
if so don't waste your time
have them replaced.
its not an align problem its a tire problem
prorated in canada.
let me know how you make out
manager

bstanley1

I am having a similar problem, except mine has had upper and lower control arm problems. Mine has a "bad" ball joint now. My tires have been eaten up by being out of alignment.Are you in Tennessee? and are you dealing with a dealer in Johnson City. Tennessee?

evilgreco

Well it looks like my Lemon Law case will be going to trial. The idiots over at Chrysler and the Dealership in Lynnfield, MA are fighting to who should be respossible. My problem is unique in that I bought the car used with 800 miles on it, so its in thie "gray area" where it's new & used and we are fighting both Dealer and Manufacturer. So we are on to Month 16 and the car STILL pulls, and still is a junk-box. STAY AWAY from all Dalmier Chrysler products! I will be going to the TV stations here in Boston very soon, I have had enough. :mad:

1952

Hi,
To me the lemon law should still be in effect, because the car was still under warranty with only 800 miles on it.. seems to me that Chrysler products arent worth the money if they wont stand behind them... sorry to hear your having to go this route.. but I wish you all the luck and a happy resolve in your favor..

evilgreco

Thanks...I need all the luck I can get!! I was hoping it would even get this far...but they are fighting me all the way. From what I understand New or Used, with Massachusetts Lemon Laws, if a car has a dangerous problem, and the dealer tries 3 times to fix it, and it is still not working properlly, then the car is a "Lemon" and must be bought back. I guess it all comes donw to if the judge feels that the car is driving "to spec" as DM keeps saying, or if it really is faulty.

mike_sp1

My '06 300C has been owned 12 months and has 16,000 miles on it and has always had VERY poor road "feel" and vague steering when on winding and/or undulating roads. It does well on city streets and Interstates, but after renting a Cadillac CTS and even a Toyota Sienna on a couple of vacations in which winding Ozark roads and Oregon mountain and coastal winding roads were traveled, I now realize how poor the steering system is in my 300C. Had I used it on these winding roads, it is likely that I would have missed one of the many curves. It does go straight without hands on wheel and does not pull to either side and seems to be wearing the tires evenly. Preferring to trust owners over any 5* shops around where I live, I am wondering if the steering on undulating and winding roads as I have described for my 300C typical of the breed or the exception? (except for that issue and a rattle in the sunroof, I have had no problems needing a dealer and since I have little faith in most service shops would prefer to hear from other owners before approaching a local 5*).

MikeSp

xtec

Mike-The first time I drove my car,the steering was one of things I noticed.I been driving mopars for 36 years and always had a firm feel in the steering.For some reason the LX cars has a soft steering which remind me of GM cars.I'm getting use to it now but your not the first one to complain about the steering.I read a article today about the
Charger police cars and it mention that the cop cars will have a firmer steering then stock.Maybe Chrysler will read some of these messages and make some changes.As for your sunroof rattle,there is a tech bulletin for that.Its 23-002-06 Jan.06.

vic10

I think more than half of the problems relating to alignment/pulling/tire-wear are due to dealers trying to "correct" a steering problem that is a design characteristic rather than a problem. I wouldn't call my impression poor road feel, but rather overly responsive road feel. Unless I plant my arms firmly on the wheel on irregular 2ndary roads, I end up going all over the place. Have since gotten use to it (22K miles) and have learned not to over correct. That was my biggest problem. Now I'd have to rate handling as way above average for a car this size and weight (Still have the Conti's installed and don't think that's a particular asset....).

xtec

There is another thing I like to say about the steering.
Check your air pressure on your tires.If you have to much you may wonder more.I have the dealer put in 36lbs in all my tires,and you get a good ride,plus more grip.Try that and see if it helps.Sometimes the dealer put to much air in.
Good Luck

mike_sp1

You described the steering behavior better than I did and you are 100% correct about those cursed Conti tires -- think I will also take some advice and add some air since they cannot hold traction in front or back (especially the back where they squeel like tires when I was a young kid except now at my tender age I really don't want them squeeling;-)

I have been reluctant to complain to any dealer about the steering fearing that since the car does NOT pull to the right that I had better not have them fix something that is not broken.

IMHO, some kind of steering dampening needs to be designed for these cars -- my 300M would run rings around my 300C in terms of handling on curvy and undulating roads -- at least with it, I NEVER had to worry about which way it was going to head after hitting one of our home-grown huge Missouri chuck holes!!!!

MikeSp

xtec

Another thing you have to remember is most of us are used to front wheel drive.All the weight was on the front tires with gave us a firmer feel steering,plus the front wheels are pulling where you point it.The LX cars are rear wheel so there is less weight over your front wheels.And these cars are well balanced compared to the front wheel drive.
I think you will get used to it after awhile.I feel more
confidence in the steering now then when I first got mine.

vic10

Agree with you on all counts, Mike....

powrbook17

2006 chrysler 300 touring owner here new to the forum. I bought my 300 touring in november 2005. I bought it for several reasons the looks in and out and the room since i am 6'2" tall. After my first new car excitment wore off after several months. I noticed a few things about the steering also. It felt a little sloppy and not crisp like a new car should be. The car would drift to the right, not noticable on the streets but noticable at highway speeds. Also the steering wheel would shake when i pushed it to 80MPH and above. The steering wheel would also shake when i would press hard on the break at high highway speeds. Then i started to notice an uneven tire ware on my front left tire. So i got in the car turned it on and as i was in park i grabed the steering wheel and turnd it left to right and right to left very fast non stop like a mad man and i noticed a knocking thumping sound coming from the floor by the fire wall. I sed to my self ah ha... I know what that sound is.. I had the same problem with a 1987 mercedes benz 190E 2.3-16 valve AMG i once had and the problem was the tie rod ends they where worn and had play and was causeing the knocking and steering problems. So i took my 300 touring to the dealer told them every thing the car was doing and that i thought it was the tie rods and sure enuf they found the rack had play that was out of specs and they warrantied and replaced the rack with a new one. when i got the car back it needed a wheel alignment they told me the wheel alignment was not covered under the warranty and they would charge me $99.95 for the alignment so i sed F**k YOU and went to PEPBOYS and got the alignment for $59.95 with a $15.00 mail in rebate. So the alignment turned out to be $44.95 better then $99.95 i would say. And after the new rack and alignment the car feels so much better. So i think every one with a steering problem or uneven tire ware should have there rack checked out. If my new 300 touring had a bad rack from the factory maybe you do to. Next thing i am taking my car in for is the intermitent ruff engine idle that i get when the car is in drive when i am stoped at a red light. :mad:

lacade

powrbook17 you might be right. 3 months ago I hit a boulder that fell out of a truck in front of me. I had to have the front driver side suspension and steering components replaced. Guess what? The car no longer pulls to the right and handles much better as well.

cm3

I owned a 05 Chrysler 300 Touring since 2 years ago.
But it's now 27k miles into its life and I've been
driving it carefully ever since I got it. Everything
seem s fine except they had to fix the alignment a few
times ( a common issue among all 300's)when it was
less than 1000 miles and they also replaced the rear
left power window module and flushed the software.
Dealers got those issues taken care. But I was told
the camber bolt has to be replaced in order to adjust
the alignment again. And it is not covered under
warranty. I was a mechanic in the service too so I
understand how things work. In this case, it's either
the mechanic at their dealership was trying rip me off
by charging $460 to replace it, or Chrysler had a
defect bolt on this one. How can it be damaged when
this bolt sits at the center of the wheel? So I
contacted one of the warranty Rep to discuss it, but
this lady seemed know nothing about mechanical
problems and she called up the service Dept. A few
minutes later she returned to me saying that Chrysler
300's has different alignment design and it's costly
to fix the alignment issue. Then she kept on saying
the $460 job of replacing this Camber Bolt is
considered "Normal Wear and Tear". What a joke!!!
I like this car and I expected to see big panel
gaps and some issues as people stated on forums. But
now I believe why people also said "Chrysler doesn't
stand behind their products".
To those people who consider Chrysler products as
their daily drivers, be prepared to deal with quality
issues during life expectancy of their products. If
you want reliability and service, go somewhere else.
And to Mercedes Benz, they made a big mistake to
associate with Chrysler. This kind of experience truly
damage the image of a world class car manufacturer.
Mercedes should sell Chrysler, NOW!!! They don't
deserve it.

renzo07

Hi, I have an 07 300C and it just turned 3000 miles and I drove it out of town and It was the best but the only thing is since the engine and been what they say "broken in" why does it sound Louder, or is it just my imagination! :confuse:

jloiacono

I HAVE A 2006 300C.MY BRAKE ROTORS WERE OUT OF ROUND RIGHT FROM THE DEALER.I HAD A VIBRATION AT 65. 3 DEALERS--THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL. I E-MAILED DR.Z AT DAIMLER CHRYSLER.HE SAID TO GO TO WESTBURY CHRY. IN LONG ISLAND. MR. DURANTE,THE SERV.MANG.ALSO SAID --NOTHING WRONG. I TOOK HIM FOR A RIDE--NOW HE FELT THE VIBRATION. NEW ROTORS--NEW PADS--ROTATE AND BAL.TIRES. A LOT BETTER.BUT STILL NOT RIGHT.THERE IS A RUBBING NOISE IN THE FRONT END--YOU CAN FEEL IT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I'M IN FLORIDA NOW.TRYING TO FIND A DEALER WHO CAN HEAR AND FEEL THE NOISE IN THE FRONT END. I WAS GOING TO CRACK THE GAS LINE OPEN--TAKE IT ON THE HIGHWAY UNTIL IT GOES UP IN FLAMES.

joemorena

I feel bad for you. My experience with Westbury-Toyota in Long Island has been the worst experience with a Toyota dealer ever. It is really sad when the sales people and the manager there lack basic integrity and social etiquette. Please stay away from Westbury Toyota for your own sakes.

Although I did not purchase my car from them, I found that, Dick Milham Toyota has the integrity and skills to make your purchase an extremely pleasant one. I commend the manager at Dick Milham on his customer skills and his efforts to go that extra mile in making a customer happy. You will not be disappointed.

vosslerjk

I have a 2005 300 touring its just over 55K when im driving the front end shakes but not all of the time it also happens when i put on the brakes but not as much as when im driving. Does any one have an idea what might be wrong with it.
thanks

varob

Shaking at 55 is usually a wheel balance issue, but brakes shaking when you apply the pedal usually means that your brake rotors are warped. You probably should have a pro check it out or you'll be replacing the tires very soon.

alljani

I have the same issue with my 300 touring "ruff engine idle"... when my car is in drive and when I am at a stop light, or when I break the car wants to cut off and it has.

Thankfully when it cut off it happened with me driving and I have the quickness to cost it into a store front parking lot, as I was going through a light that was just turning yellow. Very Dramatic wouldn't you say, but its true...

I am lemon lawing this car that I like very much but I cant pay for something that is not one hundred percent for at least 5 years...And with gods help this will work, but I wrote this just in case someone has the same problem. :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: your out...

ejj1

I was wondering if the 2007 and later models still have the alignment problems. thinking about trading my 2005.

xtec

I have a '06 Charger and you cant get any better alignment then what my Charger has.Steering wheel is straight,and goes down the road straight when i let go of the wheel.Far as I know it was just the '05 with alignment problem.

jloiacono

I HAD AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM--BRAKE PROBLEM--BENT STEERING RACK--LEAKY P/S HOSE--TRANS LEAK--BAD SEAL--POWER WINDOWS--AUTO UP DOESN'T WORK--CHANGED SWITCHES TWICE. STILL HAVE A VIBRATIONS AT 65-70

lacade

Turn off the caps lock! I guess the special oil you are using isn't helping?

My 300 used to pull to the right and after a few visits to the dealer nothing changed. So after all that frustration I decided not to rotate the tires to see where the problem was. The driver side front wheel had too much toe in. I did the alignment myself and 50,000 km later with new tires there is no unusual tire wear or pulling. I didn't rotate the new tires on purpose to see if my alignment didn't simply force the car into behaving. The left front wheel was 7mm out!! Don't the dealers and Chrysler use something better than my measuring tape???

pipex

The alignment has to be performed WITH a cradle adjustment and new bolts. I found the TSB on line after an alignment, took the car back in and done the cradle adjustment and it now steers perfectly.

Originally, the dumbazz service manager tried to tell me that Chrysler built them to pull to the right " in case of a medical condition" if you lost control it wouldn't go into oncoming traffic.

I informed him that he already had a medical problem and suggested that he see a brain surgeon immediately. lol

damian1970

Had same Problem at same miles, have a look at your inner tie rod. I had to wait almost 7 weeks for my tie rod from the dealer very popular item. Let me know how it works out for you.

jupes

Lift the front end off the ground. Chances are you will get wobble. The ball joint is connected to a shaft and you must buy it in one piece as it is an interdependant part. This is likely your wobble problem and most likely your pulling also. (crappy design.) If you don't have it repaired then your tie rods are soon to follow. I had to travel 2000 kilometers to get home and replace it and lord god don't hit the brakes at high speeds.

coolrunning

Was this car ever wrecked? :confuse:

maryk5

I had a similar problem with my 2007 and it ended up being the tie-rod ends, cost me about $400.00 along with another small repair. I complained at 41,000 miles should this be happening, they told me common for chrysler seen them as early as 9,000.

jupes

If you replaced the tie rods, which I did, you better have a good look at your ball joint also or you will be replacing them again shortlyl. Ball joint cannot be replaced and you will have to get the whole arm. Mine is gone again (tie rods and ball joints) for the second time and only 50,000. Hint - stay the hell away from bumps or pot holes . These cars cannot take it