2004 Chrysler 300M

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED HOWEVER; THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND CRASHED INTO A TRUCK CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO FOUND NO PROBLEM. ALSO, INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO GO FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. FURTHER, WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, IF HANDS WERE REMOVED FROM THE STEERING WHEEL, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.

ON MARCH 10, 2006 MY FIANCE WAS ON HER WAY HOME FROM WORK. SHE HAD JUST STARTED MOVING WHEN A STOP LIGHT TURNED GREEN. ABOUT 150 FEET DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE STOP LIGHT THE TRAFFIC CAME TO A STOP BECAUSE OF A TRAFFIC JAM. WHEN MY FIANCE APPLIED THE BRAKES THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR HAD NO BRAKES WHAT-SO-EVER. SHE REAR-ENDED A FORD ESCORT THAT WAS IN FRONT OF HER. WE HAVE TWO WITNESSES TO THE FACT THAT 15 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STILL ON THE FLOOR. WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVED, THE OFFICER WOULDN'T EVEN PUSH THE CAR OFF OF THE ROAD WHEN WE TOLD HIM THAT IT HAD NO BRAKES. WE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL A TOW TRUCK MOVED THE CAR FROM THE ROAD SURFACE. I AM NOW FACING AN INSURANCE CLAIM FORM MY CAR AND THE OTHER CAR DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE CAR IS BEING TOWED TO THE BODY SHOP ON MARCH 13, 2006 WHERE I AM GOING TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE BRAKES. ONCE THE CAR IS REPAIRED I WILL THEM TAKE IT TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER AND HAVE THEM DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO THE BRAKES TO SEE WHY THE FAILURE HAPPENED. MY CAR IS A 2004 CHRYSLER 300M PLATINUM SERIES. *JB

CHRYSLER 300M (300M) PULLS TO EITHER SIDE (WILDLY TO VIOLENTLY DEPENDING ON BRAKING FORCE AND TEMPERATURE OF ENGINE). USUALLY AFTER PULLING DURING BRAKING, THE 300M WILL PULL IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHEN PROCEEDING FROM THIS STOP. THIS PULLING ACTION WILL CEASE AFTER THE ENGINE IS FULLY WARMED (ABOUT 15 MINUTES). THE INTENSITY OF 'PULL' HAS SEVERAL TIMES PULLED THE STEERING WHEEL FROM MY GRIP. PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT TO DEALER'S ATTENTION....DURING FIVE TRIIPS TO DEALER HE REPLACED THE ROTORS AND PADS AND ALIGNED THE FRONT END (TWICE), ALL TO NO AVAIL. ALL RIDES WITH DEALER WERE FRUITLESS SINCE THE 15 MINUTE WARM-UP HAD OCCURED DURING MY DRIVE FROM HOME TO DEALER(ONE MECHANIC DID SAY HE OBSERVED PULLING BUT LATER HEDGED ON STATEMENT. SINCE I DRIVE THE CAR EVERYDAY FROM A COLD START, I ALWAYS EXPERIENCED PULLING; TO LET THE DEALER OBSERVE A COLD ENGINE, I LEFT THE CAR WITH HIM FOR 3 (MAY HAVE BEEN 4) DAYS TO DRIVE AS HIS PERSONAL CAR. AFTER THE TIME PERIOD HE CLAIMED NOT TO HAVE EXPERIENCED PULLING (AN UNBELIEVEABLE STATEMENT SINCE I ALWAYS DID). IT IS ALSO INTERESTING THAT THIS PULLING PROBLEM EXISTS ON MY DAUGTHER'S MERCEDES 230?? AND HER FRIEND'S MERCEDES V12 AND ON THE CHRYSLER SEBRING (2006 ???) I AM RENTING FROM ENTERPRISE AT THIS TIME. *NM

DEAR SIRS, ANSWERS TO THE ABOVE THREE QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED BELOW: (1) SQUEAK IN FRONT BRAKES, NOTED ONE DAY PRIOR TO TAKING VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR. (2) FRONT ROTORS WERE WORN BEYOND REPAIR IN SLIGHTLY OVER 20K MILES. (3) I PAID FOR THE REPAIRS, $328.41 AND I AM ASKING CHRYSLER FOR REIMBURSEMENT. I HAVE HE DEFECTIVE ROTORS IF INSPECTION IS NEEDED. I OWN A 2004 CHRYSLER 300M SPECIAL, VIN [XXX]. YESTERDAY (10-5-05) I NOTICED A SQUEAK WHEN THE CAR WAS MOVING. I WAS ALMOST SURE THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I THEN LOOKED AT MY ODOMETER AND IT ONLY READ A LITTLE OVER 20,500 MILES. MY EXPERIENCE WITH CHRYSLER DISK BRAKES TOLD ME IT WAS WAY TOO EARLY FOR THE PADS TO BE WORN. I IMMEDIATELY MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH SUPERSTITION SPRINGS CHRYSLER JEEP, 6130 E. AUTO PARK DR., MESA, AZ 85206. THE SERVICE ADVISOR, GENE LANGEN, TOLD ME WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE THAT FRONT BRAKES GOING OUT AT 20,000 MILES WAS VERY COMMON FOR THE 300M. LATER TODAY IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE ROTORS HAD BEEN WORN BEYOND REPAIR BY THE PADS. THE SQUEAK I HEARD WAS THE SPRING THAT HOLDS THE PADS IN PLACE COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE ROTOR. THERE WAS STILL BRAKE PAD MATERIAL ON EACH PAD. THERE WAS NO METAL-TO-METAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR. I INSPECTED THE REAR DISK BRAKES AND THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE SAME PROBLEM IS HAPPENING WITH THEM, JUST AT A SLOWER RATE. IF THIS IS COMMON TO HAVE ROTORS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AT 20,000 MILES THEN SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOUR PRODUCT. EITHER THE ROTORS ARE TOO SOFT OR THE BREAK PADS ARE TOO HARD OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH. I FEEL THE COST OF THE NEW ROTORS THIS EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY CHRYSLER. SINCE THE REAR BRAKES SEEM TO BE HEADED IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE FRONT, I WOULD LIKE SOMETHING DONE TO THEM SO I WON'T BE LOOKING AT ANOTHER $300.00 PLUS IN A FEW MONTHS. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)