Chrysler 300: Problems & Solutions

paul138

I agree that problems can be exploited here,but it seemed that more then just a few people
had the pulling to the right problem.

dmiller5

Our 2005 300c has only 2500 Mi.and have not had any problems.If you do alot of highway driving I recommend having you tires balanced on a Hunter GSP 9700 Road Force balancer.I did and it now rides and drives almost as well as our dearly departed 745I, that was in the shop for computer problems 4 times, once via flat bed.The 300c is alot of car for the money.The horror stories remind me of our 1998 MB E320 that would NOT go down the road straight and MB did find that rear alignment was the problem. That car was history in 3 weeks,life is to short.

kevm14

The horror stories remind me of our 1998 MB E320 that would NOT go down the road straight and MB did find that rear alignment was the problem.

This is certainly not insignificant, nor is it a coincidence. I believe that car was a W210, the very chassis that the 300 borrows parts from. SEVEN years later I cannot believe this is still an issue. Even worse is that dealers (and chrysler) are being such a brick wall about it!

jjohnson1

I just picked up my new 2006 300C. I have not experienced the pull to the right problem other drivers have complined about. It seems to run fine, but I'm not too impressed with the Continental tires.

cromzla

I picked up my 2006 300c on May 3 and have not experienced any of the problems that have been noted on this board. I have been getting between 17 and 20 mpg in the city driving and can't wait for our 1st long road trip to exercise the Hemi to its full capabilities. I feel mpg is all in the way you drive the car - if you put your foot in it, you will surely get less than expected results.

moore4eyes

I have a 300C we got in Aug '04. We love it, even though it had some electrical problems in the dash. It also pulls to the right. The Continental tires, that came with it, suck! They were worthless after 18000 mi. I put Michelin 255/55 tires on it and now it rides nice and the pulling is much less. PS, how do you get 25.6 MPG out of a 300C (5.7L HEMI)?

flashman36

Hello all, has anyone had problems with a clicking sound comming from the engine? i have a 300 touring with 10000 km and the clicking sound comes from the engine. When i went for my scheduled maintenance, i spoke with the technician, and he seems to think it may be a lifter valve. He cant seem to pinpoint where it s comming from. he says they will have to open it up in order to determine which lifter it can be...before i let them do this i was wondering if anyone had the same problem.

fp300c

I didn't find out and didn't know to ask at the time. I can only hope at this point they did the right thing or it will be back in time...

dmiller5

Our 2005 Jeep with the Hemi has a "ticking" sound at idle,I think it is coming from the fuel management system. I would get a second opinion before opening it up.In the old days they used a broom handle held to their ear to find which lifter was sticking.Maybe you can find an 80 year old mechanic. OOPS, I mean technican.Good Luck.

abcbusboy

I have a chrysler 300 2005 also with transmission probles, started at 1500 miles with clunking noise, in all the gears, also slaming into gears, they replaced transmission at 3200 miles, and it still does the same thing, but worse than before,chrysler is saying that they don't know what to do, and not doing anything about it. so I am going for lemon law, the car has 8000 miles, my lawer will start a law suit next week,otherwise the car is perfect

sanfordwhite

My dealer told me what they found when they dropped the tranmission oil pan as a result of the TSB on my 300C re: water contamination - the fluid was like mayonnaise and somewhat foamy. They did the triple flush and replaced parts. Fixed most of the chatter and slippage but it's back in the shop for less frequent but similar problems. Maybe 4 flushes are what's necessary to get rid of it all. We'll see - only 3000 miles on the car. Oh, well.

kevm14

Don't overlook this! From what I've read so far, rear alignment is CRITICAL and often overlooked, even by dealers.

kingbarkus

I had the dealer apply TSB 21-11-05 to flush the transmission and install the seal to the transmission fill tube. The itemized ticket says he installed 13 quarts of trans fluid. I assume that mean he flushed the transmission 3 times. The problem is not fixed and seems to be getting worse. Has anyone with this problem requested the replacement of the torque converter? Anyone with the TSB installed still have the problem or was it fixed? Reading thru the list it seems it is not clear if the TSB has fixed the problem in all cases.

I printed the TSB for the service department and my dealership indicated they had not seen any 300 with the problem as yet.

I have an appointment to turn the car in next week. I would love any feedback. Love the forum.

I still love the car and there appear to be no other issues with the car.

decker3

On my 300 they did 4 wheel alignment 5 times could not fix the pulling problem. If this was not such a great issue Chrysler would not have purchased my vehicle back.

kevind3

Got my '05 300c Mar.4, 2005. I ordered it in Oct/'04. Has 4900 miles and has been in service garage 5 of the last 8 weeks due to tranny problem (water contamination in tranny, struck in second gear and all that stuff). California Tanner consumer Protection Act says if I bring it in a 4th time (currently on third time) for the same problem prior to 18,000 miles, I get a new one or they buy me out completely. Chrysler has done all the TSB's and mine created a new one regarding rerouting a hose from the AC away from the tranny (which causes the contamination in tranny). WHEW! great ride and looks (22" rims & Bentley grille), but tranny is TOO weak for engine!

sanfordwhite

Interesting...your ticket shows 13 quarts. My ticket showed a '5' and I challenged my dealer if they had really done a triple flush. They said the '5' referred to the number of gallons of fluid they used - 20 quarts! Didn't seem correct but I had to trust them. Regardless of what they said and did, my 300C still had some shifting problems....so, it's now back in the shop - 4 days and counting. Promised that I'd be getting sometime next week.

I will keep everyone informed of my progress.

I concur with others...if it were not clearly described in this forum, I probably would still be going round and round with the dealer - speaking the accurate 'lingo' of the problem helped me cut through the red tape of warrantee repair!

BTW, my dealer HAS been extremely responsive.

PS Has anyone resolved the issue of daytime running light availability for our great automobile?
sdw
Chicago

jess5

Have Chrysler 300M , year 2000. Have same trouble, will not start at times.
Started by turning key 2 times to start now at times may take up to 7-10 times to start.
Two Dealers told me to drive car until it won't start and then have it towed in.
Can you help ?

Thanks Gene

bigmike5

This sounds like a similar problem I had with my 300M. The solution for me was to change out the starter relay [$10 part] and the starter switch [$125 with labor]. I was under an extended warranty so I did the relay just because we were not sure which of the two parts it was. You probably have comparable parts in the 300. I would start there. :shades:

kingbarkus

I checked my 2006 C back into the shop today. The dealer called Chrysler and they have instructed the dealer to change the torque converter. He didn't have the part but will get one in tomorrow and replace it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed this will do the trick. I asked the worker at the dealership what the transmission fluid looked like and he said it looked ok. He did say he saw the same problem in a new Jeep.

I will post a message once I get the car back.

bbraddock

60 mph in a 55 zone, crusie control on, no air. 25.6 for a 200 mile cruise. The minute you get to the interstate and hit it to 80mph, it drops to 22ish mpg.

dmiller5

Just returned from a 1600 Mi. trip to Fla.in our 300C and averaged 21.5 MPG. at 75-85 MPH,with and without cruise control and A/C on.The car was flawless even in 95 degree heat.We had 2500 Mi.on it when we left and MPG should improve as our Jeep Hemi did at around 6000 Mi.Having the tires balanced on a Hunter GPS Road Force balancer made a world of difference in the ride and drive.

varob

Was driving 70 or so on I-40 and something hit the right side rocker panel and knocked it off. I know it's held on by flimsy pins. Seems to me it should be covered under warranty, but I'm being stonewalled by a local dealer. Anyone else experience the loss of a rocker panel?

twinwillow

Hi ya'll. I took delivery of my "loaded" 300C in Dallas in Jan. 05. Car was built in Dec.04.
Just a few problems. First off, I noticed a "creaking" noise coming from the left front top of the dashboard. It would only happen when it was cold outside. after the day warmed up the creaking would stop. I waited to tell my dealer of this problem at my first oil change and, of course, by that time it was to warm outside for the service writer to hear the noise. So, now
I will have to wait until next fall to see if that creaking noise on the dash pad is still there.
I also have a "knock" in the steering column. it occurs often when I turn my wheel more than once around (like a sharp turn). it's quite loud.
I also am noticing a "crimping" feeling in the brake pedal when I depress it.
That's about it! Other than the shocks are way too soft I have no other complaints-for now.
Anyone else out there with these problems and possible solutions?
I have made a few modifications to my car. Namely; Borla exhaust, Eibach springs, K&N air filter charger, Jet chip and removal of the two exhaust resonators at the rear.
I have a "deposit" with my dealer for the first "Firepower" if they build it.

usmcvmi97

My right side rocker panel came off in a parking lot--big speed bump. Dealer replaced it under warranty--no questions asked.

drbdit

Join the crowd. Fortunately, there is a service bulletin according on the noise in the dash. I had it too, and it was driving me crazy before they fixed it about a month ago (knock on wood). I had the sound in the brake pedal also. Sounded like I was stepping on a creaky spring. That was fixed, too, but I don't know if it is something they did themselves or there was a bulletin on that. I had my satellite radio/CD player exchanged because the original one skipped or had short times of no volume and the volume knob wouldn't do a thing. The new radio has the same problem. My dealer doesn't want to give me a new one yet--but they will have to soon. One more good piece of news--my "chrome" rims are pitting, so they will hear from me about that, too. Good luck.

kingbarkus

Ok, good news about the transmission so far. The dealership replaced the torque converter and the car has been running fine (so far). It's a pleasure to drive around town and on the interstate without the rumbling vibration when the throttle is pressed. The dealership has been wonderful and were pleased to have the TSB printed for them. So far, the service manager had not seen or fixed a 300 with the transmission problem. I'm keeping my fingers crossed the tranny fluid will remain uncontaminated.

The technician did get grease on my leather interior and carpet, but I cleaned it this weekend to perfection.

I'm looking for clear floormats at a reasonable cost to protect my light interior color. Any ideas?

jeep

Assuming that you have the upgraded sound system, there is a tsb to correct the no volume condition. It relates to downloading updated software.

hdvablkman

For those who have posted their experience with transmission problems, can you tell me the date, number, and where to find a printable copy of the TSB that shows the dealer how to route the AC condensate away from the transmission so there won't be a problem and they won't have to use TSB dated 21-11-05, on how to flush the transmission AFTER a problem has occurred. I'm taking my 06 300C in for it's first service work and they might as well fix it now before I have a problem.

kevm14

Assuming that you have the upgraded sound system, there is a tsb to correct the no volume condition. It relates to downloading updated software.

Yikes. I think cars have officially become "too complicated!" And I'm only 24 and embrace computers!

greyfox1

Why would you expect to have this problem with an ' 06 ? It seems logical to think that once the problem was identified with the ' 05's that Chrysler made changes to the seal between the filler tube and the tranmission and re-directed the AC condensate so it didn't run on the filler tube. Let us know what you find out when you take your C in for service.

hess2

The rear plastic bumper on my 300C appears to be separating from the body. Ther is a good 1/4" gap between the metal body and the bumper near the tail light on both sides. It is as if I have been rear ended but there is no visual damage. I tried to push in the plastic clips that hold the bumper to the body but it has no effect. It looks like a bad design. It seems to get worse as time goes by. Does anybody notice the same on their 300 as far as fit?

bdubagirl

This is how I went about having my tires replaced and the hassle that Chrysler gave me.

I was aware of an alignment problem with the 2005 300C that caused chipping and was waiting for the recall/fix to take my car in for repairs. Responding to the TSB, I took the car to the dealership. With less than 13k miles wear, I was told that all 4 of the tires were ruined and that I needed to purchase a new set. I declined their offer to sell and install a new set and countered with "The car ruined the tires and Chrysler should replace them at no cost to me." The only response that I got from the local service manager, the district service manager and Chrysler Customer Service was that the car's warranty did not cover defective tires and I should take my complaint to Continental Tires. What defective tires?

I chased their wild goose enough to determine that the tires were not actually "too far gone" and that Chrysler did not respect my satisfaction with their product or my intelligence enough to offer a reasonable solution to the problem.

I now have a new Cadillac CTS in my garage where the 300C used to be. I will not be purchasing any Daimler/Chrysler products in the future. The sad thing is, I really did like that car and gave Chrysler good reviews to anyone that asked me about it.

So, that is how I went about having my tires replaced and it was somewhat of a hassle.

urizzm

Thought you'd like to know how the "Car of the Year" has performed for me. Here is the repair record for my 300 Limited since 7/30/04:

Right Lead/Alignment - 4 repair attempts;
Clunking Noise in Rear End - 7 repair attempts;
Defective Door Panel - 1 repair attempt;
Recall for Radiator Brackets - 1 repair attempt;
Electrical Problem w/Driver's Window - 4 repair attempts;
Defective Seat Riser - 2 repair attempts;
Defective Air Bag Sensor - 3 repair attempts;
Electrical Problem with Wipers - undetermined(part on order).

To compound matters, Chrysler has ignored the poor performance of the car claiming that the clunking noise is "characteristic" and they are taking care of the other problems under warranty. They do not see the repair record as "unreasonable" for any car, much less the "Car of the Year". I was a Chrysler customer before and was happy with their products. But this experience, particularly Chrysler Corporation's disregard for the product's poor performance and customer satisfaction is beyond irrational, especially with all the rhetoric about customer service. Any Corporation has to be respectful of customers to gain their respect in turn. :lemon:

magicman501

I've had my 300c since 4/04. I've noticed pitting on my rims about 6 months ago and it's getting progressively worse...dealer replace all 4 with no trouble! The on going problem I have is the gas mileage. 17mpg. city right? No matter how easy I drive, I can't get any better than 12.5-14.5 mpg. With the air conditioning on, it can go down to 10-11 mpg. The dealer says it tested it and it came back 16.9 mph on their computer.???? On an impressive note, I was in an head on collision in my 300c last November. I was sittin at a red light and got hit head on @ 40mph! I was very impressed with how solid the car was. The front end was crunched up to the wheels $13,340.00 later its all fixed with new parts. The hid headlight housing cost $1,000.00 each to replace! Aside from spilling my Starbucks, I was fine. :shades:

vic10

I just stumbled across this sight the other day and would like to thank all you contributors. Now I know what to keep a watch out for.

I took delivery of my Magnesium Pearl 300C (Dark Jade/Light Slate interior) in Sept 2005. Promptly found my heels were leaving black marks on the light car mats and replaced them with Chrysler Dark Slate mats. They look great, especially with the Chrysler logo embroidery on the side. So far it's got 10,000 miles with the following experience:

It does NOT pull to the right and tire wear appears light and even. I have noticed a lot more steering wheel jiggle (aka road feel I guess) than expected. But maybe after driving FWD for 20 years I've forgotten how RWD behaves.

Some very small corrosion pits are becoming evident on two of the chrome wheels. Would never think of mentioning it to the dealer but will now after reading this forum. Thanks !

The variable displacement system IS noticeable but the variation in motor loading is less than what you'd feel in other cars when their A/C compressor kicks in and out. One thing this car has taught me is the meaning of "transmission windup". Do a full throttle accel from a stop and then abruptly lift your foot off the accelerator at say 50 mph (meaning like in 3 seconds) and the transmission hangs there for what seems like an eternity, wondering what gear it should be in now.....

The stability control system is too intrusive. More than once I have pulled into fast moving traffic, started to get some wheel squealing, and then suddenly there was a significant drop in power. Very disconcerting.

Some folks were asking about mileage. With 50/50 highway/city mix I've been getting a consistent 20 mpg with mid-grade gas and 21.5 with premium. Cold weather drops that as much as 2 mpg with either grade. If you take premium as running $0.10 per gallon more than mid-grade, the premium becomes more economical to use after 1000 miles of driving. Seems to stabilize the idle a bit too.

The only gremlins found so far have to do with the power windows. I lost the express up/down feature one day. Was easy to re-program per the owners manual, but still.... And the left rear passenger window doesn't like to go down on hot days. Lower it when it's cooler and leave it partially down and it will work fine no matter how much hotter it gets later in the day. But have it closed and you'll need to wait for night time to open it. Dealer investigated and didn't find anything--though it worked fine for two months afterwards and has only recently come back again.

My only real complaint is rattles: Right front corner of the dash, something in the back that sounds like I'm transporting metal rods, and creaks and groans from the instrument cluster. With the slightly too firm suspension I can only expect this to get worse in time. But since I work in aviation and am slowly going deaf, maybe it won't be an issue in the future.....

All in all though, love the car. Would not replace it with anything else on the market today.

dmiller5

Thanks for your input. Have your tires balanced on a Hunter GPS Road Force balancer and this will improve the " road feel " dramatically.(see Hunters web site ) I couldn't believe the difference in the weight positioning ! Having driven a 745I for several years I was disappointed in the our 300c,as it felt like a front wheel drive, until I had the above done. 6000 Miles ( 4000 highway ) and no problems. Knock on wood.

dickrin

yes! we have the same problem and the same symptom schedule. did you ever get it fixed?? we have not taken it in yet. I would think this is a warranty fix under the 36k miles'36 months. we have a 300 touring that was a program car.

dickrin@bresnan.net

dickrin

bought a program car (300 touring) and it only had one key (remote type). tried to get a nonremote ignition key made but local dealer said it's not possible. chrysler help line keeps referring me back to my local dealer--a nonproductive loop!!! has anyone had a nonremote ignition key made? I know many of the prev. yr cars could have this key made. the remote key which I bought for $177.00!! is big--big for the pants pocket and impossible for a wallet. I do have a door entry key which won't start it. note: do not lose the remote key---very pricey!!

user777

ask your tech if the window regulator motors have thermal protection that shut the motor down when and if they get too hot (usually because they are drawing too much current because they are trying to move something with too much resistance).

my thinking is the regulator motor's thermal protection is what is kicking in. it may be mis-calibrated / broken. why won't they replace the unit?

abcbusboy

:lemon: had transmission problems with my 300 chrysler since the day I got it, they replaced the transmission at 3200 miles, it just got worse, now the car has 9300 miles, the dealer not doing anything about it, I contacted chrysler 3 times, its like talking to the wall, all I get is the run around for the last 4 months and nothing is done, so I just solve my problem, traded the lemon for a grand marquis, case close, have 4 chrysler product in the familly, they are all going out the door, will never own another chrysler product again :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:

jcz1

Yes, this was fixed over the winter. There was a software update last July or August. There is a TSB on it, but you must complain about this symptom to get them to flash your software (to get the update).

ford624

I proudly took home my bouncing baby Silver 300C May 30th.
After waxing and fully detailing the car the next day, I noticed a few paint blemishes.
I brought it back to dealer with-in two weeks and showed them the particle on the middle of hood under the finish clear coat of paint.
The service writer said that the paint blemish was a warranty item.
I went back to pick it up in a week and noticed that the paint did not match the left and right fenders.
It also did not match the front end, which is some kind of flexible material.
The front end did not match the fenders either.
The service writer said that maybe the new paint would change a little.
I played along.
I took a picture of car at dealership.
The picture clearly shows the differences in paint color and metallic.
I have waited a month.
If I knew how to post the picture I would.
So, how matching should my silver 300 C's paint be?
How close should the plastic type front-end area's paint is to rest of body?

renter

I have noticed several posts regarding this problem, but most/all seem to be on cars built pre-May 2004. My 300 Limited was built in November 2004. No pulling problem has been apparent until now and it seems to have started all at once. I drove the car approximately 800 miles on Father's Day weekend with no pulling. On return I took it to my 5-Star for 6000 mile service and when I got it back it was pulling to the right. I will post another message when/if I find out what is wrong.

renter

My power adjustable pedals stick at the top of their travel (short driver setting) when left there and the car is turned off and allowed to sit, and the problem seems to be worse in cooler weather. Operating the switch on the lower panel on the driver seat causes a clicking noise in the pedal area, but they will not move until the switch is depressed numerous times, often 25 or more. I told the 5-Star about it at my 3000 mile service, and they insulted me by returning the car to me with the owner's manual in the front passenger seat opened to the page that told when the system would operate, and a note suggesting that I read the manual. I called them and reported that I had read the book and the pedals were still sticking. I let them try it again on the 6000 mile service. This time I demonstrated the malfunction to the service manager who was too busy writing to listen. This time they replaced the switch, which I had told the SM seemed to be working fine based on the sound I heard each time I operated it. I will take it back for the third time soon. Has anyone else had this problem and what was the fix?

in2locks

I like many waiting for my 2006 300cAWD I would like to know if the tire problems are with the selfseal conti's or with all conti tires

hardhawk

Unless that particle on the hood was huge, it was a big mistake to have them repaint the hood. The newer metallic paints are heck to match at local body shops. The paint on the plastic front end is sometimes ever so slightly different than the rest of the car. Same for the rear plastic bumper. Once again, unless there is a big difference, it is better left unrepaired. Now your brand new car is going to have that "repaired" look from the beginning. My bet is that the particle was far less noticeable. I had a friend who got a Cadillac in that white diamond color. He had a similar issue and wanted a fender re painted. They have done it over several times and it still does not match. He admits now he wishes he had never brought up the very tiny irregularity in the first place.

ford624

Hardhawk,
This might be true, but I pointed out a definite grain of sand size particle under the clear coat in the middle of the hood and asked for it to be fixed.
This is what they chose to do.
I did not demand them to re-paint hood.
I just wanted problem in the finish of car to be corrected properly.
Now, what should I be able to expect from a NEW car's fit and finish?
I am still proud of my car.
Hopefully the factory warranty system will take care of problem.
I still would like more suggestions and solutions to my paint problem.
"Thanks"

vic10

Re: Thermal protection circuitry for the windows, thanks, I'll give that one a try. At first I thought there might be a proximity sensor (like what cuts the juice once the window is fully closed or fully opened) that might be off. Trouble is it works fine at the dealer...and actually had been working fine for the past two months. It's only in the past couple of days that it's been acting up again. The plan now is to walk out to the parking lot every lunch time and check it out. If it doesn't work, drive down to the dealer and say voila!.

dmiller5

Our 05 Jeep Grand had the same problem, our dealer's service dept. told me the brake pedel was binding.They replaced the whole brake pedel assembly.( under warranty) It now works correctly !
Our dealer, East Tn.Chrysler Jeep has been great.

dmiller5

Find another body shop ! Our cool white vanilla had a deep scratch in the fender when they tried to make delivery. My salesman took it to a local body shop and I just knew that the car was going to 2 colors when they were finished.To my surprise the paint job was perfect,because the salesman had done his homework prior to choosing a painter. I went buy his shop and thanked him for the great job and this pleased him as much as doing the job correctly in the first place.
Good Luck