2001 Chrysler 300M

COMPLETE FAILURE OF BRAKE SYSTEM. FORTUNATELY, THIS OCCURRED WHILE MOVING THE VEHICLE OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR WITH A "WHOOSH" SOUND AND FLUID SPILLED ALL OVER THE GROUND DUE TO A RUPTURED BRAKE LINE. THE LINE WAS CORRODED AND UPON SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION ALL LINES WERE FOUND TO BE CORRODED AND IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT (THE ADJACENT FUEL LINES WERE TOTALLY FINE). REPAIR ESTIMATE IS $1200+. GIVEN THE SUDDEN AND POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS NATURE OF THE FAILURE ESPECIALLY WHEN COMPARED TO THE FUEL LINES WHICH WERE SUBJECT TO THE SAME CONDITIONS BUT WITHOUT SIMILAR CORROSION, PERHAPS THERE WERE IMPROPER MATERIALS USED. THIS VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 60K MILES ON IT, GOOD OVERALL CONDITION, MAINTAINED, ETC. *TR

2001 CHRYSLER 300M STEERING NOISE OVER BUMPS / PLAY ON STEERING WHEEL/ SEEMS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE, DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED THE TIE RODS AS WELL AS I DID ALSO I ALSO REPLACED ALL SUSPENSION AND THE NOISE IS STILL THERE IT IS DEFINITELY IN THE RACK AND PINION, IT FEELS LOSE AND LIKE OTHER COMPLAINTS THE RACK AND PINION MAY SHARE OFF AND CAUSE A FATAL CAR ACCIDENT I NEED THIS FIXED BEFORE IT HARMS ME OR SOMEONE RELATED TO YOU. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 CHRYSLER 300 WITH 143,000. THE CAR STALLS WHILE GOING THROUGH INTERSECTIONS WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 5 TIMES AND HAD MANY THINGS REPLACED INCLUDING CAM AND CRANKSHAFT SENSORS, REWIRED, AND FUEL PUMP AND THE CAR STILL STALLS. I HAVE A 3 YEAR OLD CHILD AND THIS CAR IS A HUGE ROAD HAZARD BUT CHRYSLER REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *TR

CHRYSLER 300M 2001, ON 7/9/09 -CAR WAS SEEN AND INSPECTED FOR ANY TROUBLE AT A CERTIFIED CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. ORIGINAL ESTIMATE WAS $200, TOTAL WORK COST $1,871. CAR RELEASED TO US AND WE WERE TOLD IT WAS IN PERFECT RUNNING CONDITION. ON 7/31/09 TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING CAUSING THE CAR TO TURN AND RUN UP ON SIDEWALK EVEN THOUGH DRIVER WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HAD VEHICLE TOWED AND INSPECTED BY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. STEERING ROD BOLT HAD SNAPPED CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING IN BOTH WHEELS. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST AT $1,675. CHRYSLER DEALER CLAIMS TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY PROBLEM CONCERNING THE STEERING ON ANY 300M CHRYSLER. *TR

DECEMBER 20TH 2008 ACCIDENT OCCURRED. VEHICLE STARTED ON FIRE AND WAS TOTALED ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE. INNER TIE RODS AND BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED NOT EVEN TWO WEEKS BEFORE ALONG WITH TWO TIRES AND BRAKES. VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT WHILE IN AN INTERSECTION. A TRUCK COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION HIT THE VEHICLE ON THE FRONT LEFT PASSENGER SIDE AND THE HOOD. VEHICLE WAS IN A 180 DEGREE POSITION WITH LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT SIDE. *TR

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

MY 2001 CHRYSLER 300M HAS ONLY 29,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PURCHASED. ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING AND HEARD A BAD RUBBING NOISE AND FELT A VIBRATION BY MY FOOT. BEFORE THIS TRIP, THE CAR HAD BEEN TOTALLY SILENT. WHEN THIS NOISE BEGAN, THE CAR STARTED TO WANDER ON THE ROAD, ESPECIALLY WHEN BRAKING. I CHECKED UNDER THE WHEEL WELL AND FOUND OILY RESIDUE SPLATTERED AROUND. I TOOK IT TO LARSON CHRYSLER AND WAS TOLD THE DRIVERS SIDE STRUT WAS TOTALLY BLOWN AND THE PASSENGER SIDE STRUT WAS ABOUT TO FAIL. HE SAID IT WAS TOTALLY UNSAFE TO BE DRIVING. THE SCARY THING IS THIS JUST FAILED OUT OF NOWHERE WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING OR GOING OVER ANY BUMPS. LUCKILY I WAS ON A 35 MPH ROAD AND NOT THE FREEWAY. THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THIS UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE SOMEHOW THEY DECIDED IT WAS WORN BEFORE I BOUGHT THE WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT MAKING ANY NOISES OR SHOWING ANY SYMPTOMS OF FAILURE BEFORE THIS. I ASKED THE DEALER WHAT WOULD CAUSE IT TO FAIL AND HE SAID IT WAS NORMAL FOR A CHRYSLER VEHICLE DUE TO AGE. I POINTED OUT THAT IT ONLY HAD 29,000 MILES ON IT AND HE SAID IT FAILED NOT BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE, BUT BECAUSE THE CAR IS 7 YEARS OLD. HE ALSO TALKED TO THE CHRYSLER HEADQUARTERS AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING. THIS PROVES THAT CHRYSLER IS AWARE THAT THEY HAVE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH STRUT FAILURE AND ARE DOING NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE IN DANGER DUE TO THIS IF THERE IS A FAILURE ON THE FREEWAY AT 70 MPH! PLEASE DO ANYTHING YOU CAN TO HELP MAKE CHRYSLER TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SAFETY PROBLEM. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL OR EMAIL ME. *TR

I WAS STOPPED AT A CITY INTERSECTION WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. WHEN TRAFFIC CLEARED, I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN. I HEARD A 'CLUNK' AND THE WHEELS DID NOT TURN. THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED, BUT THE TIRE WHEELS DID NOT! I HAD NO FUNCTION EXCEPT FORWARD OR REVERSE, SO I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE INTO THE CURB IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET SAFELY OFF THE ROADWAY AND MY CAR BLOCKED AN ENTIRE LANE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHICH PUT ME IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE POLICE WERE CALLED AND A TOW TRUCK HAD TO LIFT THE CAR TO MOVE IT OUT OF THE ROADWAY. I WAS PETRIFIED. THE CAR WAS TOWED AS INSTRUCTED BY THE POLICE OFFICER AND IS CURRENTLY WITH THE REPAIR SHOP PENDING AVAILABILITY OF A STEERING RACK KIT. THE BOLT TO THE RACK WAS SEVERED! THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT INJURED THANKS TO THE SLOW SPEED I WAS TRAVELING I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OTHERS THAT MAY HAVE THIS SAME EXPERIENCE WHEN TRAVELING AT A HIGHER SPEED AND MAKING A TURN OR EXITING A HIGHWAY OFF RAMP. THIS IS CLEARLY A MECHANICAL SAFETY HAZARD AND APPEARS TO BE FAULTY WORKMANSHIP IN THE AUTOMOBILE. MY CAR IS MAINTAINED REGULARLY AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN ADVISED BY CHRYSLER TO REPLACE THE STEERING RACK. I HAVE CONTACTED THE CHRYSLER CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER (REFERENCE # 18030539), BUT THEY ARE OF NO ASSISTANCE CONCERNING THIS INCIDENT. I'M SHOCKED THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL AS RESEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A RECORDED KNOWN DEFICIENCY IN THE WORKMANSHIP. *TR