2000 Chrysler 300M

THE PORTION OF THE DASHBOARD COVERING THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG ON MY 2000 CHRYSLER 300M HAS TWO LARGE CRACKS CORRESPONDING WITH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRBAG STORAGE AREA. ONE CRACK IS OVER 12" LONG AND THE OTHER IS APPROX. 8" LONG. THEY ARE UNSIGHTLY, ESPECIALLY FOR A TOP-OF-THE-LINE VEHICLE LIKE THE 300M, BUT I AM AFRAID TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIALLY ADVERSE AFFECT IT MAY HAVE ON DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG IN A COLLISION. I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY 300M DASHES ARE BEGINNING TO CRACK AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS COULD RESULT IN A REAL SAFETY ISSUE IF PEOPLE START REPAIRING THESE WITH VINYL PATCH KITS THAT HAMPER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS DASH PROBLEM. THEY HAVE A DESIGN FLAW IN THE THICKNESS OF THE DASH SKIN. *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

PASSENGER SIDE DASH HAS A VERTICAL CRACK THAT EXTENDS FOR ABOUT 4" WHERE THE PASSAGER SIDE AIRBAG IS. THE CAR WAS NOT IN ANY KIND OF ACCIDENT OR SITUATION THAT WOULD HAVE CASUED THIS PROBLEM. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE AIRBAG IN THE PASSENGER SIDE DUE TO THE CRACKED DASH. MY SON CUT HIS FINGER ON THE EDGES OF THE CRACK WHEN HE WAS INVESTIGATING IT AS SMALL CHILDREN TEND TO DO. I CALLED THE DEALER I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRENTY FROM CHRYSLER. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED AND A NEW DASH WAS APPROX. $1000.00 TO REPLACE. THIS INCIDENT IS UNACCEPTABLE AND IS CONCERNING TO THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY. *AK

PROBLEMS WITH THE RIMS LEAKING AIR AND THE TIRES COLLAPSING WHILE DRIVING. *PH THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE RIMS WERE THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THEM. THE ALUMINUM AND CHROME RIMS WORE OUT FROM THE WINTER SALT ON THE INSIDE OF THE RIMS AND CAUSED THEM TO LEAK AND EVENTUALITY THE TIRE BROKE AWAY FROM THE RIM AND COLLAPSED. *JB

LAST YEAR, I NOTICED A CRACK FOLLOWING THE LEFT SIDE OF MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. LAST WEEK, I NOTICED A SIMILIAR CRACK FOLLOWING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRBAG. LOCAL DEALERSHIP WILL NOT REPAIR BECAUSE OF AIRBAG AND STATES THE ENTIRE DASH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. I KNOW OF MANY OTHER CHYSLER 300M OWNERS THAT HAVE THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH CRACKS AROUND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE RESULTING FROM A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR A RECALL.

MERGING ONTO HIGHWAY PRESSED ACCELERATOR TO FLOOR. CAR WENT INTO PASSING MODE, CAR ACCELERATED, I REMOVED FOOT FROM PEDAL, THROTTLE WOULD NOT RETURN TO IDLE. CAR KEPT ACCELERATING TO 90 MPH. HAD TO USE BRAKE TO STOP CAR AND SHUT IT OFF. I MANUALLY RETURNED THROTTLE CABLE (IT WAS STUCK). 3 DAYS LATER SAME PROBLEM BUT THIS TIME I PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AND STEPPED ON ACCELERATOR, QUICKLY, SEVERAL TIMES AND CAR RETURNED TO IDLE. I HAVE FACTORY INSTALLED FLOOR MAT, NO OBSTRUCTION UNDER ACCELERATOR. CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ACCIDENT. EMAILED CHRYSLER THEY SAID THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT TO CERTIFIED DEALER. DEALER SAID THAT THE CABLE WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT IT WOULD COST OVER $150 TO REPLACE. NO ACCIDENT BUT VERY SCARY EVENTS

THE DASHBOARD IS STARTING TO CRACK IN THREE SEPARATE LOCATIONS ALL SURROUNDING THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG CREASES. IT APPEARS THIS WOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE IT COMPROMISES THE AIRBAG COMPONENT WHERE MY WIFE SITS EVERYDAY TO AND FROM WORK. IF THE THREE CRACKS CONTINUE ALL THE WAY AROUND THE AIRBAG WILL THE AIRBAG SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOY? IF I DECIDE TO SEAL THE THREE CRACKS WILL THIS EFFECT THE WAY THE AIRBAG DEPLOYS (OR POSSIBLY MAKE IT NOT DEPLOY) TO THE VEHICLE PASSENGER?

A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE CAUSE OF FIRE WAS UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER AGREED TO SHARE HALF OF THE COST TO REPAIR THE SEAT. *JB THE HEAT MECHANISM IN THE LEATHER SEAT BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT AND THROUGH THE CONSUMER'S JACKET. *SC *JB