2001 Chrysler 300M

SOME BACKGROUND: I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS A LITTLE SLOPPY ON MY 300M AND TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THEY TOLD ME THE RACK AND PINION SHOULD PROBABLY BE REPLACED. I HAD IT REPLACED FOR AROUND $1200. A YEAR AND A HALF LATER WHILE TRAVELING FOR CHRISTMAS, I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE (FROM DOING 70 MPH) TO STOP AT A GAS STATION. I STOPPED AT THE TOP OF THE OFF RAMP FOR THE STOP SIGN. TRAFFIC CLEARED, AS I ACCELERATED TO TURN LEFT, WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL I HEARD A NOISE, AND THE CAR WENT STRAIGHT. I HAD NO STEERING. LUCKILY I HAD ENOUGH ROOM PAST THE INTERSECTION TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC, BUT STILL HAD MY WIFE AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN A PRECARIOUS POSITION. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE DOING 70 MPH DOWN THE INTERSTATE, I'M SURE WE ALL WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHOSE OPINION WAS THAT THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE INNER TIE RODS TO THE RACK AND PINION WERE LOOSE AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION AGAIN. POLICE WERE ON SCENE BUT DID NOT TAKE A REPORT. *TR

LOSE STEERING, BOBBING STEERING WITH RUMBLING NOISE- DIAGNOSIS NEED NEW RACK AND PINION, HAVING 3RD ONE PUT IN NOW. WILL LOCK UP IN A TURN, WILL BECOME VERY HARD TO TURN LEFT, SOUNDS LIKE OUT OF STEERING FLUID BUT NOT. I THINK POSSIBLE PART HAS CHANGED OR SOMETHING NOT RIGHT WITH CAR OR PART. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. CAR HAD 60,000 WHEN IT FIRST BEGAN AND VERY WELL MAINTAINED. *JB

2001 300M - ALL DOOR TRIMING SEPARATING, LEAVING A 1 INCH GAP IN ALL CORNERS. ALL OF MY VEHICLE DOOR TRIMING HAS SHRUNK? THIS IS LEAVING A GAP IN THE CORNERS ALLOWING OUTSIDE SOUND TO COME IN, AS IF YOUR VEHICLE WINDOWS ARE OPEN OR CRACKED. I KEEP MY VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE AND I HAVE NO CHILDREN. HOW DOES THE DOOR TRIM SHRINK? I PAID $95.00 TO HAVE THEM RE-POSITIONED, NOT REPLACED. TO RE-PLACE ALL DOOR TRIMING IS $200.00 EACH DOOR. THE DOOR TRIMING IS POOR MATERIAL AND IS A DEFECT THAT YOU INSTALLED, WHY MUST NEW 300M OWNERS PAY FOR THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RE-CALL FOR ALL DOOR TRIM TO BE RE-PLACED AT YOUR COST. I GUARANTEE, THAT I WILL HAVE TO HAVE MY VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE, IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE I ONLY PAID TO HAVE THEM RE-POSITIONED. THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBLITY OF THE POOR MATERIAL THAT YOU HAVE INSTALLED THAT MAKES DOOR TRIMING SHRINK. I AM JUST OVER MY 36,000 MILES BUT I BOUGHT THE AFTER MARKET EXTENED WARRANTY THINKING THAT IT WOULD BE COVERED? MY DEALERSHIP STATES THAT IT IS NOT COVERED AND THEY ALSO STATE THAT THEY HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH OTHER 300M'S. THIS IS NOT FAIR TO NEW COSTLY VEHICLE OWNERS WHO TAKE GREAT CARE OF THEIR CAR TO HAVE ALL DOOR TRIM FALL APART FROM SHRINKAGE. PLEASE CONSIDER A RE-CALL TO RE-PLACE THE POORLY INSTALLED MATERIAL FOR THE DOOR TRIMING THAT SHRINKS. I FIND THIS TO BE A HAZARD WITH TRIMING HANGING DOWN FROM SHRINKING FOR THOSE LIKE ME THAT CAN'T AFFORD THE HIGH COST FOR REPLACING IT AND A HUGE REGRET OF A VEHICLE PURCHASE FROM CHRYSLER, IF YOU DON'T. I WOULD LIKE A REIMBURSEMENT OF MY RECENT CHARGES OF $95.00 I CAN PROVIDE A RECEIPT, AND I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO RE-PLACE ALL DOOR TRIMING. *AK *PH

I OWN A 2001 CHRYSLER 300M. I BOUGHT THE CAR SEPTEMBER 2000 WITH 10 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS, AT 40,000 MILES MY 4 DISC CD CHANGER/TAPE PLAYER/AM-FM STEREO WITH 12 SPEAKERS WENT COMPLETELY OUT. IT USED TO DING (LIKE WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON AND YOU TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, THAT ANNOYING "DING") CONSTANTLY. I COULDN'T GET IT TO STOP. THE I WAS TOLD BY THE 5-STAR SERVICE TECHNICIANS THAT IT WAS AN "INTERNAL ELECTRICAL PROBLEM" BUT THEY COULD REPLACE THE STEREO WITH ANOTHER ONE AT THE TUNE OF $450 PLUS $50 FOR LABOR. AT 50,000 MILES MY TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON AND I CALLED THREE DIFFERENT 5-STAR SERVICE DEPARTMENTS I WAS TOLD "NO PROBLEM, THAT LIGHT REALLY DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING, BUT YOU SHOULD GET THE CAR IN SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT, WE CAN'T GET YOU IN FOR A WEEK, IN THE MEANTIME, IT'S OKAY TO DRIVE." THREE DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENTS TOLD ME THE EXACT SAME THING. I ALSO TOLD THEM THE CAR WOULDN'T MAKE IT FOR ANOTHER WEEK BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE IT WAS "SLIPPING," LIKE IT WOULDN'T STAY IN GEAR. FINALLY, A DEALERSHIP 40 MILES AWAY TOOK ME IN, THE CAR ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE IT THERE. BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A WINDING SOUND, AND IT WOULDN'T STAY IN GEAR AT ALL. THE NEXT DAY I WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION - AT BARELY 50,000 MILES. I WAS THEN TOLD IT WOULD COST ME AT LEAST $3500, MAYBE MORE. I CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMPLAINED. CHRYSLER SAID THAT IF I PAID THE FIRST $950, THEY WOULD PICK UP THE BALANCE, BUT THE STEREO'S INTERNAL ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WAS STILL MINE TO DEAL WITH. I SAID OKAY AND I GOT THE TRANSMISSION FIXED - BUT AS OF TODAY I'M STILL EXPERIENCING SHIFTING PROBLEMS, SLUGGISHNESS, AND HESITATION. MY HEATED LEATHER SEATS DON'T WORK, MY ON-BOARD OVERHEAD DIGITAL INFO CENTER, NONE OF THAT WORKS. THE BRAKES SHAKE AND SHUDDER EVERY TIME I SLOW DOWN. THE PADS AND ROTORS HAVE BEEN SERVICED, BUT TO NO AVAIL. NOW I HEAR A LOUD "CLUNK" EVERY TIME I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. *LA