2000 Chrysler 300M

THE UNLOCK MECHANISM ON BOTH OF THE PASSENGER SIDE DOORS IS "STRIPPED." IN ORDER UNLOCK EITHER OF THOSE DOORS, I MUST FIRST CYCLE THE AUTOMATIC LOCK BUTTON - EITHER FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OR THE AUTOMATIC BUTTON ON THE KEY FOB, THEN GET INSIDE THE CAR AND MANUALLY RAISE BOTH OF THOSE LOCKS BY HAND. NEITHER DOOR WILL OPEN WITHOUT THIS PROCESS. WHEN USING THE AUTOLOCK BUTTON TO UNLOCK THE DOORS, THERE IS A HORRIBLE, LOUD, GRATING NOISE, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE GEARS ARE STRIPPED INSIDE THE DOOR. THERE IS A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD, AS ANYONE INSIDE THE CAR CANNOT EXIT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT FIRST USING THE BUTTON, WHICH DOES NOT WORK. *TR

MY WIFE PURCHASED HER 300M IN 2003 WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR LOCK WOULD MAKE A LOUD NOISE AND NOT UNLOCK. NOW A YEAR LATER THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR IS MAKING THE SAME NOISE AND CANNOT BE UNLOCKED UNLESS YOU CYCLE THE LOCK SWITCH AND MANUALLY RAISE THE LOCK. I CONSIDER THIS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION AND WITH THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS I'VE READ SO FAR IT IS FAR FROM A ISOLATED INCIDENT.

THE REAR DOOR LOCKS FAILED. THE 1ST RIGHT REAR AT 46000 AND THE NEXT LEFT REAR AT 62000. THE FIRST TIME THE LOCK ACTUATOR BECAME VERY NOISY,K AND I HAD IT REPLACED BEFORE TOTAL FAILURE AT A COST OF 220.00 AT THE DEALER, OFF WARRANTY. THE NEXT WAS THIS PAST WEEK AT 62000. THIS TIME THE LOCK COMPLETELY FAILED AND MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM INSIDE OR OUT. THIS TIME IT COST 340.00 I CONSIDER BOTH FAILURES AT FAIRLY LOW MILEAGE AS A SIGN THAT THIS LOCK MECHANISM IS VERY DEFECT PRONE AND THE FACT THAT THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN IN ANY WAY A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT OR FIRE.*AK

RIGHT FRONT AND LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK/RELEASE SELANOID WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME. ONCE LOCKED, THE PASSENGER(S) CANNOT MANUALLY UNLOCK THE DOOR TO NORMALLY EXIT, ESCAPE A FIRE OR DROWNING, ETC. THE DRIVER OR FRONT PASSENGER HAS TO USE THE FRONT DOOR ELECTRIC RELEASE BUTTON TO GET THE MALFUNCTIONING (SELANOID) LOCK TO UNLOCK TO THE HALFWAY POSITION. THIS THEN ALLOWS THE PASSENGER TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE LOCKING BUTTON FULLY AND OPEN THE DOOR. A PASSENGER INSIDE THE VEHICLE CAN NOT USE MANUAL FORCE TO OPEN HIS/HER DOOR, ESPECIALLY WOMEN OR CHILDREN WHO MAY TRY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE LOCKED DOOR MAY BE OPEN EXTERNALLY BY USE OF THE KEY. THE AUTOMATIC KEYLESS ENTRY DEVICE WILL NOT WORK (OPEN) ON THESE DEFECTIVE DOOR LOCKS. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THEY WILL COVER THE REPAIR, WITH A DEDUCTIBLE, HOWEVER I THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS SINCE THE PASSENGER OR A DRIVER WILL DEFINITELY BE TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE IF THEY NEED TO GET OUT. ALSO, I AM A RETIRED POLICE SUPERVISOR AND HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS EXPERIENCE AND HAVE NEVER SEEN A LOCK MALFUNCTION IN THIS MANNER. IF YOU HAVE HAD ANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD LET ME KNOW PRIOR TO GETTING MY LOCKS REPAIRED. *LA

WHEN MY CHRYSLER 300M WAS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD, THE LOCK ON THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR BEGAN MAKING HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISES, AND NO LONGER OPENED ELECTRONICALLY. I ULTIMATELY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE LOCKING MECHANISM AT A COST OF $228.99. LESS THAN A YEAR LATER, THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR LOCK BEGAN MAKING THE SAME GRINDING NOISE, AND STOPPED WORKING ELECTRONICALLY. IT'S ABOUT TIME CHRYSLER RECALLED THIS AND FIXED IT ONCE AND FOR ALL AS I SEE THAT I'M FAR FROM THE ONLY PERSON BEING INCONVENIENCED. IN ADDITION, SHOULD THERE BE AN ACCIDENT AND IMMEDIATE NEED TO EVACUATE THE VEHICLE. PRECIOUS MOMENTS WOULD BE WASTED TRYING TO GET THE BACK DOOR LOCK RELEASED TO THE BUTTON CAN BE MANUALLY RAISED, AND THE DOOR OPEED. *AK

2000 CHRYSLER 300M DEFECTIVE DOOR LATCH ACTUATOR. I HAVE A SMALL CHILD AND FEAR THE HOOK-UP CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SPEED CABLES AND DOOR LATCH ACTUATOR MAY CREATE A DEADLY SITUATION. ON DECEMBER 13, 2003 COWLES NISSAN CHRYSLER REPLACED THE RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR LATCH ASSEMBLY DUE TO IT MALFUNCTIONING. THREE WEEKS LATER THE LEFT FRONT LOCK ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY MALFUNCTIONED AND REQUIRES REPLACING. MY DEALER COWLES NISSAN CHRYSLER, WOODBRIDGE, VA REFUSED TO ADDRESS THIS SAFETY ISSUE OR ASSIST WITH CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE REMAINING DEFECTIVE DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS. THE N.H.T.S.A OFFICE OF DEFECTS REPORT ON THE 2000 CHRYSLER 300M FOUND THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: "VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 1.LINKAGE 2.CABLES 3.ACCELERATOR PEDAL